Learning From One Another

Manny’s grandparents were immigrants from Portugal. Because they spoke very little English, it was difficult for him to understand them. He dreaded going to their house because he thought it smelled funny and he didn’t like the way their food tasted. Whenever Manny’s parents would take him there to visit, he would spend the whole time asking his parents, “Can we go now?”. He would rather do anything else than spend the afternoon there.

When Manny started high school, he had to take a foreign language. He assumed that Portuguese would be the easiest one for him to take since he was already somewhat familiar with it and he could always ask his parents for help with his homework.  The next Sunday after his first class, his family visited his grandparents. Manny told his grandfather that he was studying Portuguese and said some of the phrases he had learned. His grandfather helped him with the pronunciation of some of the words he was struggling with and taught him a few more phrases. They laughed together as they helped each other communicate.

Manny saw a different side of his grandfather that afternoon. He had always assumed his grandfather was ignorant because he didn’t speak English. For the first time, he realized that it was the other way around. He was the ignorant one. He was determined to learn Portuguese as quickly as he could so that he could learn more from his grandfather.

During their weekly visits, Manny learned a lot about his family’s history. He learned about his grandfather’s career in Portugal and how he left it all behind to give his children a better life. He enjoyed hearing the stories about the village he grew up in and what life was like back then. Manny would even pray the rosary with him from time to time and would go to Mass in Portuguese at his grandfather’s parish. The time he spent with his grandfather became the best part of his week.

When his grandfather passed away several years later, Manny felt gratitude for the opportunity to get to know him while he was alive. He had a fuller sense of himself and of his family history because of the time he spent with him. Not only did he learn a lot about Portuguese language and culture, but he learned a lot about life and faith. No education could have given him what his grandfather had.

Today we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Jesus needed a family to protect and provide for Him during His life on earth. Just so, all of us need a family to bring us into the world, to provide for us, and to teach us how to live fuller and happier lives. Our families can be a source of great joy for us and also a source of great pain. Either way, there is no way to replace what only a father and mother can give to us.

Today’s first reading encourages us to honor our fathers and mothers. Throughout His life, Jesus was obedient to Joseph and Mary. No matter how old we are, we should be respectful and obedient to our parents as well. We might think we know more than they do and they might even drive us a little crazy. Still, they are our parents and the first people to love us. Out of respect for all the sacrifices they’ve made, we should be thankful for them and take care of them.

As we look ahead to a new year, perhaps a good resolution for us would be to spend more time with our parents or other family members. Perhaps there is someone in our family - a grandparent, aunt, or cousin - whom we’ve never had a chance to get to know. The new year might be a good time to change that.

Perhaps there is someone in our family whom we have hurt. This Christmas Season might be a good time to ask for forgiveness and reconcile that relationship. Or there might be family members who have hurt us. It would do us a lot of good to let go of our grudges and forgive them.

Jesus came to earth to bring healing and reconciliation. The best place for that to take place is within our families. If this year is not the best time to ask for forgiveness from a family member or to extend it, we can always begin with prayer. God wants our families to be havens of peace and love for us. He will make a way even when it seems impossible. Perhaps our families seem to be broken beyond repair. God can bring reconciliation and healing into the worst of situations. If we need it, our Heavenly Father will provide it for us. We just need to keep believing, hoping, and praying.

The Church is also a family. Jesus tells us that the bonds of faith are even stronger than the bonds of blood. He says, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out” (Luke 8:21). Like any family, the members of the Church can hurt us. Those wounds can run very deep and seem impossible to heal. If we have been wounded by someone in the Church, let us ask God to help us forgive. Let us also pray for those whose relationship with God has been damaged because of the insensitivity and carelessness of our leaders. Jesus wants nothing more than that they be healed and reconciled with the Church He founded to be a mother and a family for all believers.

As a family, we gather in this place today. The Church is our home. Here we learn our family history through the Bible. And here the greatest of all Sunday meals is prepared for us - the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We are challenged here to make faith the cornerstone of our family life - to look to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as an example for our own homes. We cannot change the past but we can create a future of hope and healing for ourselves and our families by choosing love and forgiveness.

Holy Families Produce Great Saints

If you decided that you wanted to become a saint, where would you have to go to make your dream a reality?

Would you have to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or Rome? Would you have to go to a monastery? Would you have to visit renowned people of faith around the globe? Would you have to visit all the world’s great libraries and read the works of faith handed down to us over the generations?

While all these pursuits might be helpful in nourishing our faith, they are not absolutely necessary to becoming a saint.

If we want to become saints - and all of us are called to be saints through our baptism - then we need to look no further than our families and our homes.

It is through our family that we first come to learn about our faith. Our parents are the ones who bring us to church and teach us our prayers. By their example, we learn what it means to be men and women of faith. And in the home we learn and practice virtues such as patience, kindness and love which are necessary for living a godly life in this world. It is through our families that God forms our minds and hearts to serve Him as women and men of faith.

There is no doubt that all the great saints had their beginnings in a family. Jesus Himself needed Mary and Joseph to teach Him how to speak, how to pray and how to obey God. One of the Church’s greatest saints, Saint Augustine, was converted by the ceaseless prayers of his mother, Saint Monica. In more recent times, Saint Therese of Lisieux learned her faith from her godly parents both of whom are also canonized saints. In fact, they are the first saints to have been canonized as a couple. Blessed Pope John Paul II spoke frequently and fondly of how his parents nurtured a sense of faith, courage and integrity in him.

All of us, no matter where we are on our journey of faith, are called to make our families a priority. It is in our homes and among our loved ones that God wants to make us holy.

Today’s readings are rich with advice and encouragement for us in relationship to our family members. We could be here until next Sunday going through every line of these Scriptures and reflecting on their meaning for marriage and family life. In fact, it would be a good idea for all of us in the coming week to look these readings up in our Bibles or online and pray over them so that we can begin to act on them. They give us a beautiful blueprint for how God intends us to live. However, today, for the sake of time, let us focus on what the role of each member of the family is.

Our first reading tells us that “God sets a father in honor over his children.” In any family, the father is irreplaceable.  It is by the father’s words and example that daughters come to know that they are beautiful and worthy of being protected. Sons learn from their dads about courage and integrity and about the dignity with which they should treat women. Not only do fathers bring economic security to families, they bring psychological and emotional security as well. Also, it is through our earthly fathers that we learn to relate to our Heavenly Father. If our father on earth is stern and distant, we will perceive God the Father in the same way. However, if our father is warm, affectionate and loving we will relate to God the same way. So all fathers have a very important role - a true vocation from God - to be examples of love to their wives and children.

Mothers also have an irreplaceable role in the home. All new life comes through the mother who shares her body first with her husband and then with the children which come from their loving union. This is a beautiful reflection of Jesus who gives His own Body and Blood to give us live and nourish us in the family God. Mothers teach their children how to be gentle, how to take care of themselves and how to care for each other. When children are hurting, their first instinct is to run to their mothers because they have a special touch in bring comfort and making the pain go away. As Jesus honored His Blessed Mother, we should all honor our own mothers no matter how flawed or imperfect they may be, because they are God’s gift to us reflecting His own tenderness and mercy.

Children also have a very special role to play in the family unit. It is for the nurturing of children primarily that God created the family. It is through children that parents experience true self-sacrificing love. By facing all the challenges that come with raising boys and girls, parents grow in patience, love and gentleness. Also, children grow in virtue by sharing in chores around the house. By emptying the dishwasher, raking the leaves, cleaning their rooms, they learn diligence and the satisfaction that comes from doing a job well. When they interact with their brothers and sisters, they learn how to share and to put the interests of others before their own. Through their families, children learn to become good citizens of their country and holy saints in God’s Kingdom.

No families are perfect and not every family is whole. Many times through death or divorce, homes cannot always have both a father and mother. However, God provides the grace to overcome the shortcomings and weaknesses of our families. So the other essential element of any home is Jesus. When we put Jesus at the center of our family lives through prayer and through attending Mass, He will provide us with all we need to grow in love and faith.

In no other time of human history has it been harder for the family. However, through faith, we can reclaim the blessings that God intends to offer us through the home. It requires us to make a renewed commitment to our own family, taking up whatever challenges may come our way with determination and courage. When we embrace it all with the grace that God gives we will find ourselves growing in holiness and, in the end, becoming saints.

A Holy - And Very Real - Family

Jesus was human in every way that we are. Like each of us, he needed food to nourish his body. He needed a good night's sleep for his work as a carpenter. He needed tunics to clothe his body and a roof to cover his head. Like all human beings, Jesus sought out other people to be his friends. He knew the joy of playing games with other boys and felt the pain of being left out or ridiculed.

And, like all of us, Jesus needed a family.

God chose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus' mother and father. He gave them the responsibility of teaching Jesus how to speak, how to read the Bible and how to pray. They fed, nurtured and cared for him. At Joseph's side, he learned the carpenter's trade and how to be a man.

Though the gospels do not tell us anything about them, we can imagine that Jesus had a larger family of grandparents who spoiled him and cousins who came over to play with him. On holidays, we can imagine Jesus, Mary and Joseph getting together with their family to eat, share stories and play games.

Under the care and supervision of this family, Jesus was able to grow in wisdom, strength and grace.

Except that their son happened to be the Messiah and the Son of God, the Holy Family of Nazareth was just like any other family. Like all families, the Holy Family of Nazareth faced many trials and difficulties. Despite traditional images of them, they did not always lead a tranquil life. Jesus was born homeless and into poverty. Shortly after his birth, they had to flee their country under the threat of execution to live as refugees in Egypt. It was a family born into tremendous exterior pressures.

Families today know pressures as well. For economic reasons, both parents frequently have to work outside of the home making meals together on a regular basis difficult. The price of real estate makes longer commutes necessary further limiting time with the family. And those are just some of the pressures on traditional, two parent families. We haven't mentioned single family homes where these pressures are doubled. And then there are "blended" families where step-parents and step-children are constantly testing the boundaries of their relationship adding to the tension within the home.

The status of the family today causes a lot of hand wringing, especially in the Church. There are fewer and fewer traditional families. We are right as Christians and as good citizens to promote the welfare of the traditional, two parent family. Children born in such families are no doubt better off economically and psychologically. The family is the cornerstone of the Church and of society. Our world is only as strong as the families that make it up. At the same time, we must recognize that in today's society when bodies mature more rapidly and adolescence lasts well into the 20's, people are going to make mistakes resulting in out-of-wedlock births and divorce.

A wise spiritual director once said that God is not found in the "ideal", but in the "real". The traditional family is an important ideal. However, God is not found in ideal families or in ideal people, but in real families and real people. As painful as our past may have been and as much as we may wish we could go back and fix our mistakes, God does not give us the option of turning back the clock. Rather, he is spending His grace on us in our real lives and our real families as we find ourselves today. God's grace is offered to families that are "blended" as well as those that need to be mended.

Once we realize that families, as long as they are made of human beings, can never be perfect, then it has important implications for our lives as individuals and as a Church.

First, as individuals each of us can look back on our lives and find fault with our parents. It could be that they were never around or that they were never supportive. It could be that they were abusive in some way. Those scars can stay with us a long time. We know how resentments and grudges can ruin families. Can each of us today bring our hearts before the Lord and ask for the grace to forgive our parents or any other family member who ever hurt us? Can we leave our resentments at the foot of the altar and ask God to relieve us of that burden? Can we recognize that our parents were probably doing the best they could and let go of the anger we have been shouldering all these years? Once we are able to do that, then we can live together in "heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" as Saint Paul calls us to.

Secondly, for us as a parish, we have to recognize the pressures that families face and ask ourselves, how can we be a more family-friendly community? Are the times we schedule for catechism and worship burdensome to families? In our worship and our hospitality, are we sensitive to the different types of families in our parish and careful not to stigmatize anyone, especially children? What can we as a parish community do to support families with all the challenges they face?

Families are never perfect, even when they are the ideal, traditional family. They are all marked by joy and pain, mistakes and good choices. The Holy Family - Jesus, Mary and Joseph - knew the pressures of family life. The difference was that they experienced God's presence even in those difficulties. Even with all the challenges of daily life in today's society, we can experience God's presence with us and teach our children to recognize Him as well. Then we have fulfilled our mission as a family, no matter what our family may look like.

What Is God Trying To Tell Us?

 Have you ever heard God speaking to you? I don’t mean to literally “hear” His voice the way you are hearing my voice now. I mean, have you ever had a thought pop into your mind or had a feeling stir in your heart that you were convinced came from God? Have you ever received an inspiration or felt a desire so strong that you knew it came from someone other than yourself?

Some sense God speaking to them through nature. Seeing the grandeur of mountain ranges and the brilliance of sunsets communicates to them something of the grandeur and brilliance of our Creator. Enjoying a placid lake or watching waves roll onto the shore tells them something about the greatness of God. Their soul stirs within them and they feel a certain communion not only with nature but with nature’s God.

Others hear God speaking to them through their conscience. Seeing the misery of the poor and the isolation of the elderly, they sense a calling to alleviate their suffering. Witnessing injustice against minorities and the poor, they hear God challenging them to take a stand and give voice to those who have none. In the depths of their heart, they feel united to those who are rejected and also to the God who promised that He could be found among the poor.

Still others hear God speaking to them in silence. They long to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and simply spend time in quiet solitude. They are not necessarily seeking deep insights or trying to solve the mysteries of existence. Rather, they want to rest in God’s presence and relish the silence. In so doing, they enjoy communion with their authentic selves and with their Creator.

There are many ways that we can hear God speaking to us. They are as varied as our personalities. The message we hear may be different depending on our circumstances and God’s particular will for us. However, there is one Word which God speaks to each and everyone of us. In today’s second reading we learn what - or rather WHO - this word is: “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets;in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.”

The Word God has spoken to us all is none other than His Son, Jesus Christ. On this Christmas Day, we celebrate His birth - the first utterance of this Word into human history. As Saint John tells us in the gospel we heard proclaimed, God’s Word became flesh so that we can see,  hear and touch  Him. This Word was not spoken only to the people of Israel but to people of every land and nation. Likewise, this Word was not meant to be heard only by those who lived in Jesus’ day but was meant to reverberate and echo down through the ages.

What is God trying to tell us by sending His Son into the world? What message do we hear when we quiet ourselves down and listen intently to the events taking place in Bethlehem that first Christmas Day?

First of all, we hear that God loves us and that He wants to be a part of our world. Queens and presidents often send envoys and ambassadors to take their place at state functions. However, when they themselves show up at events, we see for ourselves that they really care and are committed to helping us. In just the same way, God once sent prophets to speak His words. However, in sending Jesus Christ, He Himself comes to visit us in human form. He does so to assure us that He loves us and that He wants to save us. Rather than a passive observer looking down on the world from the comfort of Heaven, He wanted to share our existence to the point of being put to death. So great is His love for humanity that He is willing to make Himself one of us so that we can see and touch Him.

Secondly, this Christmas Day, God tells us that He can be found among the poor and lowly. The Creator of the Universe did not spend His first night on earth in a comfortable bed, in a grand palace with servants waiting on Him. Rather, He slept on straw in a stable surrounded by animals. His birth was not first announced to kings and rulers but to lowly shepherds. By doing so, He tells us that He did not come to amass power or riches for Himself but to proclaim good news to the poor. He did not come to ingratiate Himself with the wealthy and powerful but to lift up the lowly. He did not come to indulge Himself in all the privileges, comforts and pleasures of wealth. Rather He came to stand alongside the outcast and suffer with them.

With the arms of a child, our God reaches out to us with the simple message that He loves us. If we are to welcome His love into our hearts, it will be because we are poor and needy. God loves us not because we are perfect but precisely because we are broken and sinful. No matter how unworthy we may judge ourselves, our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally. Like an infant, He will not reject those who reach out to take Him into their arms. On this Christmas Day, we can approach God with great confidence that, no matter what our past looks like, He will welcome us.

This is what Paul Bennett learned. When his struggle with alcoholism brought him to rock bottom at forty years old, his friends told him that only God could help him put his life back together. At the time he was an atheist but decided he had nothing to lose. As he puts it, his first prayer was: “God, I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t even believe in you. This is a waste of time.” The next day, he prayed again and he began finding strength within himself that he knew could only have come from God.

We do not have to approach God with eloquent words or lofty sentiments. He can see through that. Rather, He wants us to come to Him as we are with all our fears and doubts. That is what the simplicity and silence of this Christmas Day teaches us, if we can quiet our minds and humble ourselves enough to learn from a baby lying in straw.

Childlike Wonder

Part of the beauty of this day is that it brings us back to our childhood.

If we have children of our own, we can re-live in their eyes the wonder of presents mysteriously appearing under a Christmas tree. We can share their joy in a world full of angels, elves and other mystical beings.

If we do not have children of our own, we remember Christmases past when we enjoyed the warmth of our family. We may call to mind the joy we felt in sharing gifts with one another. As we sing carols, we may remember the loved ones who once stood by our side at Christmas Mass who are no longer with us.

This day might also be a time when we remember what it was like to be a child. How we were so quick to believe in angels. How we were filled with wonder at a world charged with mystery, a world in which a child could be born of a virgin. We were so confident that the universe was ruled by a loving Creator and that we were cared for and would always be provided for.

In no small part, Christmas day is a time to remember the wonder and awe which once came so naturally to us. For many of us, the hard realities of life began to rob us of our ability to wonder. Our education sometimes stripped the world of its mysteries, attributing what we thought were miracles to natural causes. As we ventured out into the world to try to make it on our own, we began to see it as a cold, dark place where it was difficult to get along rather than the planet sustained by the love of God. All these realities began to seep into our hearts, callusing them and making it harder for us to believe.

On this day, we celebrate the birth of Jesus who told us that we must become like children if we are to inherit the Kingdom of God. In this morning’s proclamation from the Gospel of Saint John we hear that those who believe in Jesus and accept Him are given the power to become the children of God. Finally, in the same Gospel of Saint John, Jesus tells the Pharisee, Nicodemus, that we must be “born again” or “born from above” if we are to be saved.

Becoming children again - children of God - means allowing our Heavenly Father to renew our sense of wonder. It means opening our eyes again to the mystery of a universe that is sustained in being by a loving Creator who knows each of us by name. It means being quick to believe rather than always being skeptical. It means entrusting our lives and destiny in the hands of our Heavenly Father rather than always having to be in control.

If your heart feels hard and calloused, if you feel as though you have lost the ability to wonder, then Jesus is reaching out to you today. He came to draw us out of the darkness of doubt, skepticism and fear and lead us into the light of a world that is charged with mystery and awe. At the heart of this universe is a God of love whose word is truth and who is waiting for us to let Him be our Father again. All it takes is opening our heart to Him as much as we can, admitting to Him that we do not have all the answers and entrusting to Him our lives and our destiny. Then He will do the rest, renewing our awe at a God who continues to work miracles.

Accepting this child, Jesus, and becoming children of God does not mean closing our eyes to the harsh realities of this world. In fact, the Christmas story is by no means a sugar coated fairy tale. It is the story of a baby born into the poorest of circumstances. A baby who was homeless and became a refugee in a foreign land because King Herod was determined to kill Him. Becoming a child again does not mean making believe there is no darkness. Rather it means believing that light conquers darkness, that love conquers hate and that God will make His salvation known. It means believing that God loves us and that, if we follow His commandments, He will set everything right in ways we cannot begin to fathom.

God created the world and all its wonders simply by the power of His word. He commanded, “Let there be light”, and a blinding light scattered the primordial darkness. He made the world He created to be a place where life and love were abundant, where there was plenty for everyone, where we could see the wonder and goodness of God in every mountain, in every sunrise and in every face. That Word which created the universe took on flesh, became a man, in Jesus Christ, the baby born this day. Whoever sees Him, sees the Father. Whoever welcomes Him, becomes a child of God. And all who love Him already have the eternal life of God burning within them.

On this Christmas morning, let us choose to believe again. Let us allow ourselves to be lost in wonder at a world charged with mystery. Let us surrender ourselves to a God who knows us and loves us and who wants to work miracles in our lives. In our hearts, let us make a home for this child whom the world is so quick to reject, even if it means being rejected ourselves. Most importantly, let us not be afraid to bring Him to others, to let His light shine through us, so that this new creation will spread throughout the land touching more hearts with the joy of salvation as we look forward to that day when Jesus will reveal Himself once and for all.

Peace On Earth

The twentieth century opened with one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history - World War I. Advances in science and technology made the slaughter of human lives possible on a massive scale. Airplanes could now drop bombs creating widespread destruction, and mustard gas burned the skin off soldiers.

Nowhere was the fighting fiercer than on the front lines along the Western front. British and German troops hunkered down in trenches exchanging gunfire and lobbing grenades. When the artillery failed to kill the troops, dysentery and dehydration succeeded in finishing them off.

However, on Christmas day of 1914 at Ypres, Belgium, the hounds of war were called off for a brief time. To celebrate the holiday, German soldiers began decorating their trenches with lights and singing carols. The British troops responded by singing carols of their own and shouting Christmas greetings to their German counterparts. In a show of holiday spirit, they agreed to stop the shooting to allow each other to leave their trenches to collect and bury the corpses of their dead comrades. In the process, the British and German troops began talking. They exchanged gifts and, in some locations, even held joint Christmas services.

Sadly, these friendly exchanges were not enough to bring an end to the brutal war. The fighting eventually resumed as fiercely as it had before. But for a brief time the soldiers came to see each other not as enemies but as friends. They recognized their common humanity. They saw that they all had families they were anxious to return to and a future full of dreams they hoped to pursue. For a fleeting time, they put down their weapons to experience peace.

How is it that such an event could have taken place during such a brutal war? How is it that men who only one day earlier had tried to kill one another could cross over the barbed wire and embrace each other as brothers? It is only possible through Jesus. It is not a coincidence that this truce took place on Christmas day. As the soldiers decorated their trenches and sang Christmas carols their hearts became filled with the love of God, a love that does not see race, nationality or social status. It was that love of God that gave them the courage to cross the battle lines and turn enemies into friends. Only Jesus, who could gather indigent shepherds and wealthy, world-wise Magi together in a stable in Bethlehem, can bring peace to a world rent by conflict and division.

This night we gather to celebrate the gift which Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was born to bring to earth. As Isaiah prophesied, a child is born for us. This baby, born in a stable, is the world’s only hope. Before Jesus, the world was covered with darkness. Each nation had its own idols. Each kingdom struggled to gain dominion over other kingdoms and to do away with other peoples altogether. Now that the Savior of the World has been born, people of all nations have come to recognize the one true God and Father of all. We can put down our weapons and cool our hostility as we come to see through our differences to the image and likeness of God within each of us.

A great light shines this night to a world that has too long been covered in darkness. All of us desire peace, but we do not know how to find it. We have tried every thing from treaties to alliances to negotiations to try to find peace, but it has always eluded us. Tonight God reveals to us that only in Jesus can our world ever know peace. Only Jesus can remove the hate, prejudice and selfishness which are the root of conflict and violence. Only when the world comes to know Jesus can we ever experience real and lasting peace.

On this night we celebrate that what was thought to be impossible became a reality. The virgin gave birth to a Son. God became man. Angels appeared to shepherds in a field. Wise men from the East were drawn to Bethlehem by a star. Tonight we rejoice because with God all things are possible. The Heavenly Father who gave his Son not only to be born but to die for us can do all things. The light that has shone upon us through the birth of Jesus will illuminate for us the way to peace both for ourselves personally, for our nation and for our world. All we need is the courage to follow that light, and the impossible will become real.

There are many corners of our world that this light has not yet reached. There are many people who turn away from the light because they prefer darkness. We need to bring the light that is within us to them so that they can know the peace of Christ which their hearts have yearned for but which has eluded them. As the angels announced the good news to the shepherds, we must announce to all those we meet that our Savior is born and that He may be found by all who wish to know Him. As the star led the Wise Men across the desert to Bethlehem, so we must lead others to where they may find the Messiah who was born to save them. We who believe and have been touched by Jesus are now the light of the world bringing hope and peace. The torch has been passed on to us and we must go out lighting the torches of all those whom God places in our path.

The world can know true and lasting peace because it is what God wants for us. And nothing is impossible with God. Come to Bethlehem and see.

The Baby Jesus

God created the world out of nothing through the power of his word. He spoke and it came to be. He said, "Let there be light", and there was light. He caused the mountains to rise up from the sea. He filled the sea with fish and the land with animals. Finally, by the power of his word, he created man and woman to be the crowning achievement of his great work. He created in us hearts to hear his word and mouths to proclaim it. 

When he called Israel out from among the nations to be a people peculiarly his own, he sent them prophets to proclaim his word among them. Such was the prophet Isaiah who speaks to us in today's first reading. He proclaimed to the people of Israel - and to us today - the good news of peace and salvation from God. Through the prophets, God promised Israel a mighty savior who would forgive them their sins and lead them in the ways of peace. Not only would this great Messiah lead Israel to freedom, but all the nations would witness the great power of God at work through this Savior.

When Isaiah first spoke these words, it was unclear what his meaning was. Who would this great king be? How would he lead Israel to freedom and peace? We who gather here this morning know exactly what Isaiah meant. We are celebrating this great mystery today.  The boy born this day to Mary and Joseph fulfills all the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus is the Savior of the World.

In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews we read: "In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son..." God who so powerfully created the world by his word, and then called the nation of Israel into being by his word, now speaks one last time in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word made Flesh dwelling among us.

What does the birth of Jesus tells us about this mighty God?

Very simply, God wants us to know him. He sent Jesus, a man like us, so that we could hear from his very mouth how much he loves us and how he longs for our friendship. Jesus is Truth and Love. Whoever hears him, hears the Father. Whoever sees him, sees the Father. We do not need to look anywhere else to find God but in the person of Jesus. 

When Pope John Paul II made his first trip to the United States, he preached a beautiful homily to the rain-soaked crowds who had gathered in the Boston Common. In short, he said that all those who want to know the truth should turn to Jesus. He is the Truth. All those who seek meaning in their lives should turn to Jesus. He is the source of all meaning. All those who seek love should turn to Jesus. He is the love of God made flesh among us. These words of the pope make clear to us the meaning of Christmas: Jesus is born to bring God into our world and into our lives.  

And so, this child born today is a lifeline to all those who are lost and don't know how to find their way. This child is God's hand stretched out to all those who looked for success, happiness and fulfillment in what the world offers, but couldn't find it. Jesus is God's peace extended to all those who have become bitter or enraged by life's unfairness. This child is hope born to those who have grown weary and have given up on ever finding meaning and purpose in their lives.

Whatever it is our hearts ache for - whether it be love, peace, truth or meaning - all of it can be found in the person of Jesus.

If Jesus is our light, we can never lose our way, and the darkness of despair can never totally consume us. Jesus is the Light of the World.

For those of us who have already welcomed this child into our hearts and made him the center of our lives, we should rejoice! We have come to know the meaning and purpose of our lives. We know the truth and are given the power to live in the love of God. It is now up to us not only to celebrate it but to share it with everyone we meet. This light cannot remain hidden. We must bring it into our homes, into our places of work and into our classrooms.

For those of us who are still searching, God is offering us another opportunity to welcome him into our lives. God never grows tired of stretching his hand out to us when we are lost or confused. Whatever it is that we are struggling with, whatever it is that is keeping us from experiencing the fullness of joy, God has the answer for it. We need only turn to the baby born this day, take him into our arms and promise to love him. When the first step of our searching becomes love rather than doubt, then we are back on the path to truth. When love rather than knowledge is our driving force, then everything suddenly becomes a little clearer.

God wants to move in with us. He wants to be in our lives. Like any baby, he simply wants our love and attention. Who would deny a baby affection and care? Who wouldn't want to share their homes and their lives with a newborn child?

Just such a child is born for us today. He is Jesus!

Where In The World Is God?

As human beings, we struggle with many fears. One of the darkest of them is the fear of being abandoned.

We first experience it at infancy. Whenever our mother left our presence, we would cry out inconsolably fearing we would never see her again. As children, we fear that our parents will die and leave us orphaned.

As we grow older, the fear of abandonment does not leave us. It manifests itself in our adolescence as the fear of being left out or rejected by our friends. Young adults experience what has come to be called “the fear of missing out”, that is, that other people will have fun without them.

This fear of abandonment influences all our relationships throughout our lives leaving us insecure, doubtful that others truly love us, and worried that we will be alone.

Most importantly, this fear of abandonment affects our relationship with God.

God can seem so distant from us and our experience. We can wonder whether He truly knows and cares about us. Often it seems that when we need Him most He feels the furthest away. Unanswered prayers, losing loved ones, tragedies and difficulties all can contribute to the sense that we have been abandoned by God. And, if we have had a strained relationship with our earthly father, it can be hard for us to relate to our Heavenly Father.

This celebration of Christmas is God’s answer to our fear that He has abandoned us.

When the world seemed darkest and salvation seemed impossible, God sent His only Son into the world.

The prophet Isaiah tells us in today’s first reading: “No more shall people call you ‘Forsaken’ or your land ‘Desolate,’ but you shall be called ‘My Delight’ and your land ‘Espoused.’  Isaiah goes on to say that God has not abandoned His people but has plans to unite Himself totally to them forever. The prophet speaks about this in the tenderest of terms, comparing it to marriage: “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.”

In today’s gospel reading, the angel tells Joseph that the child Mary is carrying is the Son of God. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, he tells Joseph that the child will be called “Emmanuel”, a name meaning, “God is with us.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of our Heavenly Father’s promise that He will never abandon us. He is the answer to our deepest fear that we will be rejected and cast aside.

For that reason, throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus reached out to those who were outcasts. Sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers and the poor were those he sought out for special care and concern. He wanted the world to know that God had not forgotten any of His children, especially those most in need of forgiveness, tenderness and love.

The same is true today. When we are most in need of God, that is when He is closest to us. His love and concern for us are never stronger than when we have sinned and are in need of forgiveness. He does not reject anyone who comes to Him and He never ceases to reach out to us when we are lost. Even if others reject and abandon us, He will never abandon us. Jesus is the proof that God will always be with us until the day we see Him face to face.

Of course, Jesus’ earthly ministry ended long ago and He has since returned to Heaven where He sits at God’s right hand. How can we be assured that He has not abandoned us? How do we know that He is still in our midst?

Jesus continues to be present and active in the world through the Church. Of course, when we use the word “Church” we are not just referring to the Vatican or buildings. We are talking about all God’s people spread throughout the world. The Church is we who have been baptized and who strive to live the gospel by picking up our cross and following Christ. Though we are imperfect people who often fail to live up to what God is calling us to, He has left it up to us to spread His love throughout the world and to bring to everyone, especially the most desperate, the good news that our Heavenly Father has not abandoned His people.

As Saint Teresa of Avila wrote: “God has no hand now but your hands.” Whenever we welcome strangers into our homes, feed the hungry or visit the sick, we are continuing the saving mission of Jesus. It is Jesus, Emmanuel, working through us when we comfort those in sorrow or spend time with those who are lonely. Whenever we sacrifice our time and energy to serve others, we are passing on the message that God is still present and active in our world.

God has not abandoned His people. Jesus is proof of it. If our Heavenly Father seems distant, be assured of His promise that He will be with us until the end of time. If the burdens of life seem too heavy to bear, know that Jesus has carried His own cross and will help you carry yours. And if your heart seems empty, cold and lonely, welcome God into your soul. He will come as quietly and as gently as He did that first Christmas night in Bethlehem.

Even more importantly, if you have felt rejected and abandoned by the Church, come home. We are all weak and imperfect, struggling to live the message of Jesus despite our own fears and insecurities. Let us put aside the hurts of the past and forgive as Jesus calls us to. He founded this Church to be His arms stretched out to embrace the whole world down through the ages. Only here can we find the fullness of truth and, ultimately, the fullness of God’s love. Give us another chance. Come home for the holidays and see for yourselves the Heavenly Father’s tender love and His enduring presence among His people made manifest for all ages through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Saint Joseph - The Righteous Man

 Not everyone can be the star of the theater. Some actors have to play supporting roles and even more people are needed to raise the curtain and handle the lighting.

Not everyone can be the lead singer. Some musicians are needed to play rhythm guitar and drums and even more people are needed to set up the instruments and manage the sound.

In all of life, there are only a few people who can stand in the spotlight or claim the headlines. For the most part, the world makes progress through the dedication and work of people who never become famous and whose efforts are often overlooked. However, without them, nothing would get done.

These past three weeks, we have been deep in the drama of the Advent season. The stage has been dominated by great figures like John the Baptist whose wild appearance and fiery sermons drew crowds from all over Israel to be baptized. The other star of Advent is Mary who has been acclaimed down through the ages as the “Blessed Virgin” and “Mother of God.”

In today’s gospel, however, we encounter a man who does not take center stage but rather plays a supporting role. In fact, throughout the gospels he speaks no lines. His name is Joseph. When we speak about the birth of the Messiah, we take his role for granted. Nonetheless, he would serve as the great protector of Mary and the child Jesus. Though he speaks no words, his role in this drama of salvation is central. If Joseph had not accepted Him as his own son, then Jesus could never have claimed to be the “Son of David” and “Messiah” because it is through Joseph that the line of King David runs. Therefore, though Joseph speaks no words, his role in the salvation of the world is unique and unrepeatable.

Saint Joseph is a great saint and has much to teach us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The first lesson he teaches us is to be willing to work without recognition.

As we have said, much of his life, Joseph worked in the background. He played the supporting role to Mary and Jesus. He is an example to us, especially when we want the spotlight for ourselves. All of us experience moments when we think others are not valuing our contributions or that they are overlooking us. We can resent it when others take center stage and are rewarded for what they have given. All the while, we wonder why no one notices us.

In those moments, we should ask ourselves, “Are we doing what we do for God or for ourselves?” If we are doing it for God, then we can hope to receive our reward from Him. If we are doing it to have others recognize us, then we are doing it for ourselves and cannot hope to receive a reward from God.

If we find ourselves in that situation, it is good for us to remember the example of Saint Joseph and to pray that we will be content playing a supporting role and even being overlooked with our eye toward the reward that comes from God.

The second lesson Saint Joseph teaches us is to work through adversity.

Saint Joseph’s life was not easy. From the moment he takes Mary to be his wife, he must have had to deal with the gossip of those who wondered why she was already pregnant. When Jesus is about to be born, he had to endure the humiliation of not being able to find a decent place in Bethlehem for Mary to deliver her child. Shortly after his birth, he must flee to Egypt with his young family knowing that the king was intent on killing them all.

Through it all, Saint Joseph could have complained and questioned God for not rewarding his faith by making his life easy. Instead, he accepted God’s will and relied on whatever his Heavenly Father provided.

Like Saint Joseph, we should not expect that just because we have faith our life should be easier. Encountering resistance and  facing adversity are necessary if we are to pick up our cross daily to follow Jesus. When we feel tempted to complain or to question God’s plan, we should look to Saint Joseph. Most likely, whatever annoyances we are dealing with are nothing compared to what he endured. He can inspire us to persevere and his prayers can strengthen us.

Finally, Saint Joseph teaches us to work even when we do not see any results.

The Bible is silent about Saint Joseph from the time Jesus is twelve years old. It is most likely that he died before Jesus started His ministry in Galilee. Throughout those years, Saint Joseph worked to provide for and protect Mary and Jesus without knowing how it would all turn out. Because of the dream he received, he knew that Jesus would be the promised Messiah but he never got to see how it would all work out. Nonetheless, Joseph continued to labor leaving the results to God. He trusted that God had a plan even though he didn’t know the details.

Often we are tempted to think that there is no point to our lives or our work. We wonder if any good is coming from our efforts. At times, we may want to even give up.

Again, Saint Joseph can be an inspiration to us. Much of what he did went unnoticed. He worked day in and day out doing menial jobs. Through it all, he never knew what would become of his adopted son. Just so, though our efforts may seem meaningless and thankless, we can be sure that, if it is God’s will and if we are doing it for His glory, then immeasurable good will come from it. Like Saint Joseph, we have to persevere trusting the results to God.

Today, the curtain comes down on the drama of Advent and we prepare for the next act - the birth of Jesus. As we do so, we reflect on the life of a man who worked quietly behind the scenes to help make sure our Messiah would be born and delivered safely to us. He was content to work without recognition, to persevere through adversity and to leave the results to God. Therefore, he is an inspiration to us who seek to follow Jesus and bring the good news into the world. Through the prayers of Saint Joseph, may we be protected and inspired to work to bring the Kingdom of God to fulfillment.

The Name of Jesus

Expecting the birth of a child is an exciting time in any family. All the work that goes into preparing the nursery, buying clothing and getting the house ready brings the family together to welcome the new baby.

One of the funnest preparations, however, is selecting a name for the child. Sometimes the whole family gets involved suggesting either names of relatives, of celebrities or, in many Catholic families, names of saints. Once we have chosen a name, it really becomes part of the new baby’s personality. Can you imagine yourself with any other name than the one you have? Just so, once we give our babies a name, they go from being anonymous faces to having real personalities.

In our society, the literal meaning of names is rarely important. However, in many cultures, especially in the Old Testament, a person’s name gives us insight into who they are or under what circumstances they may have been born. For instance, the first two people ever to be named were our first parents, Adam and Eve. In Hebrew, their names simply mean “man” and “woman”. When the holy woman, Hannah, who had been childless for many years finally conceived and bore a son, she called him “Samuel”, a name meaning “God has heard” because God finally heard her prayers for a son. Very often in the Old Testament if a child was to be set aside for a specific mission, God Himself would name him. We see this to be the case in today’s first reading and in the gospel.

In today’s first reading, the prophet Isaiah tells the king of Israel, Ahaz, that a child will be born who will be the savior of the nation. Isaiah says that the child’s name will be “Emmanuel”. This name literally means “God is with us”. Therefore, the Messiah who was to come would be the presence of God among His people. No longer would our Heavenly Father seem distant and far off. No longer would He seem to be far from our cries or aloof from our daily cares. Rather He would live among us, share our joys, carry our burdens with us and ultimately lead us to the kingdom of Heaven.

This Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. He is God among us. Unlike every other holy man or woman of the Old Testament period, He does not only speak for God, He is God. Every word He speaks is literally the word of the Father. Also,  He does not only perform mighty deeds in God’s name. Rather when Jesus heals, it is God healing. When Jesus forgives sins, it is the Heavenly Father Himself who is forgiving sin. In the person of Jesus, God fulfills His promise to never abandon us, to walk always by our side and to carry us in our time of need.

In the gospel, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The child she is carrying is the Son of the Most High, and the angel instructs him to call the child “Jesus”. In Hebrew, our Lord’s name means “victory” or “salvation”. As the angel goes on to explain, “he will save his people from their sins.” Therefore, His person and mission are revealed in His name. He was born to save us from our sins. We can go to Him with confidence, then, because the whole meaning of His existence among us is to forgive us of our sins. Because of this we can go to Him just as we are and expect to be treated mercifully.

Because it is so full of meaning, the name of Jesus is powerful. It has been a pious custom for people of faith to bow their heads when saying “Jesus”. It is a good tradition for us to continue because it shows reverence for the name which is above every other name. Because of the power of the name, we should call upon it frequently during the day to give us strength in temptation, inspiration when we must explain our faith and courage to do the right thing. Saying the name of Jesus also reminds us that He is always by our side as He promised. The name of Jesus is powerful. We should have it on our lips often and bow our heads respectfully every time we use it.

Now that we are aware of the meaning of Jesus’ name, it is all the clearer why we should never take His name in vain. We should never use it in anger to curse or swear. When we do so, we show a lack of respect for our Lord and Savior. We show a lack of gratitude for all He did to save us. And we give a bad example to others, especially to young people. When out of our human weakness we do use Jesus’ name in vain, we should apologize immediately to the people who heard us and go to confession as soon as possible. When we hear others use His name in vain, we should politely but firmly correct them and ask for an apology. It is the least we can do for the One who suffered and died to set us free.

In Jesus, God has fulfilled all the promises He made in the Old Testament. He sent us Emmanuel,  a Messiah to be His presence among us, to share our lives, to suffer alongside us and to lead us into His Kingdom. He sent us “Jesus” who gives us salvation from sin and victory over death. Jesus is the name above every other name, the only name given to us by which we are to be saved.

At this Mass, we celebrate that promise in a particularly powerful way. For the bread and wine we offer will become the very Body and Blood of Emmanuel. Not only is it the reality of God among us but God within us. Through the Eucharist, God makes our hearts His dwelling place. Jesus lives within us. This mystery gives us even more reason to bow our heads when we speak His name and to have confidence to draw upon the strength of that name in every challenge we face while striving to live the good news of His love.