Merry Christmas!
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
Category: Christmas Season
I Saw The Sign
Epiphany
Today three wise men/three kings/three magi arrive at the place where Jesus was born after following the sign of a star. The presence of these three non-Jewish kings reveals that God is not only calling the Jewish people but ALL people of the world to believe in and follow His Son Jesus. God’s sign was a star; presumably everyone could see it. So why is it only these three wise men who followed that star? Was everyone else just too busy? Were they so caught up in life that they didn’t even notice the sign? We encounter three different kinds of people in the Gospel today: those who don’t notice the sign, those who notice the sign but don’t follow it, and those who notice the sign AND follow it. This week: What are the signs God is placing in your life (what are the stars)? And when you see a sign, do you follow it?
How to Live as a Family
Feast of the Holy Family
In today’s readings we get some very practical advice about how to live as Christians: put the wants and needs of others before your own…as Christ did. Paul gives us a very concrete example of how this looks in one of the most fundamental sets of relationships we find ourselves in: the family. Before getting up-in-arms about how Paul could write, “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,” let’s look at the reading in context and see how Paul is challenging everyone to stretch their hearts and love others the way Christ loved us.
What Child Is This?
Merry Christmas!
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
Following Stars
Epiphany
Today the three wise men follow a star to the Savior of the world. Many people saw the star. The devout religious in Jerusalem knew the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. Yet, it is only the three wise men who actually follow God’s sign. Matthew Kelly says that “Wisdom is truth lived.” And of all the people in our Gospel story, it is only the three magi that can be called wise. What are the signs God is placing in your life? When you see a star, do you follow it? “Wisdom is truth lived.”
“Me & Jesus” vs. “Us & Jesus”
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
Most Christian denominations hold onto what I will call a “Me & Jesus” view of heaven – that in heaven we are totally caught up in God and we are no longer involved with others on earth. As Catholics, however, we believe that we are still united with all those men and women of faith who have gone before us and are in heaven with God – it’s always “Us & Jesus”. So we can ask them to pray for us to God (just as we ask friends on earth to pray for us). On this celebration of the motherhood of Mary, let us ask for the prayers of our Mother in a special way!
O Holy Night
Christmas
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
I Saw the Sign
Solemnity of the Epiphany
In our Gospel today we see the three magi coming from the east. They saw the signs God placed in their lives, and they followed them – straight to Jesus. God wants to lead all people to Jesus, and God works signs in the life of every person on this earth – Christians, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, New Agers…it doesn’t matter. The presence of the magi today shows that God IS working in the lives of all, calling all people to His Son, whether they know it or not. What are the signs God is placing in your life? How are you following them?
My Homily from this weekend.
Subordination…and Love?!
Feast of the Holy Family
Jesus not only came as a baby at Christmas, He also entered into a human family – with all the joys and frustrations that go with it. We are challenged in all relationships, but especially in the family, to put the wants and needs of others before our own, to stretch our hearts, to learn how to love more, to sacrifice for each other. Our readings today all challenge us to put others first, “Children, obey your parents in everything…Wives, be subordinate to your husbands…Husbands, love your wives.” Jesus loved us, and so He subordinated Himself to our needs, even to the point of death. We can practice this kind of love every day, especially in the family!
My Homily from this weekend.
What Child is This?
Merry Christmas!
What child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.
My Homily from this day.