My prayers are with all of you who are reading these words. May God bless you and all you hold close to your hearts. Life is short even in the best of circumstances. Be present, supportive, understanding of, patient with, empower and love one another. Merry Christmas!

Photo: One of JoAnn’s favorite Christmas pictures!

“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14).

If there are ever words to meditate and ponder upon these are them! The danger is becoming complacent or indifferent to the reality that they present, or to the idea that this is just any other day that we just endure and go on to the next day. Instead, may we embrace the promise and invitation they are meant to convey to us as individuals, as a people, and for all of creation.

The Word, Logos in the Greek, who was, who is, and who always will be, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, has become one with us. We are the minutest of minutest speck of specks present in the whole of the cosmos. And yet, we have been graced by the presence of God who became man for each and every one of us, each individual person, so we can be one with him. He became human that we might be invited to become divine through our participation in his life.

The Mystery we celebrate today is that God took on flesh, becoming fully human, while at the same time, remaining fully divine. He did not just appear to be a man for a time and cast off his humanity like a cloak. The Son was conceived in the womb of Mary, developed as you and I did, and when born let out a gasp and a cry indicating that the savior was born to us. Joseph and Mary gazed in wonder at the gift of their son, the gift of the Incarnation for the whole world.

Christmas Day is the celebration of new life. Not just the birth of any baby, but through his coming into the world, a new beginning for humanity and creation. We do not just celebrate the baby who would become a great teacher and moral template, but the coming of our Savior, the reality and the hope that we may be wounded and even a bit been broken, but not undone, not unmade but saved from our slavery to sin. God’s grace is greater than our worst mistake, misjudgments, and most grievous faults.

Though darkness may appear to reign and there may be a temptation to buy into anxiety, fear, and desperation, today we celebrate that “A light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it” (Jn 1:5). This is a day to rejoice, a day to recommit to the light, to the baby who would later call himself, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (cf. Jn 14:6).

Let us embrace the gift of our humanity, the gift of our families, biological and beyond, as we embrace this baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, for he shows to us the truth and realization that: “We cannot save ourselves. We can only open ourselves to the hope that comes to us from without, from others, ultimately from one Other” (Lohfink 2014, 255). The One whose birth we celebrate today: “The Light of the human race” (Jn 1:4).

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Photo: The Nativity scene before our altar at our parish of St Peter

Lohfink, Gehard. No Irrelevant Jesus: On Jesus and the Church Today. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.

Link for today’s Mass readings for Monday, December 25, 2019

“In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (cf Luke 1:78-79).

This promise of the Holy Spirit is spoken through the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, and this evening at the Christmas Vigil we begin to celebrate the fulfillment of those beautiful words.

God’s tender compassion has surrounded us and has been a part of us since before our conception. He knows the number of hairs on our head and he knows each one of us by name. Totally transcendent, infinite beyond our comprehension, yet he knows each one of his created beings intimately. He cares for us, guides us, and invites us to experience his joy and the fulfillment of who he has created us to be.

The ultimate love he expresses is that our relationship is based on our free will, our choice to say yes or no to the relationship with him he offers us. He gives us the freedom to choose anything but him. Some would say, he should just make us follow him. That would not be love, but tyranny. The light of God enters our being from the light of his Son. We can recede back into the darkness or walk into his brilliant light to be empowered and transformed by his love for us.

When we accept the invitation to enter into a relationship and to follow God’s guidance we will better be able to see the darkness within ourselves that prohibits us from experiencing the fullness of the light that brings us his peace. We need to choose to allow the light to dawn in every aspect of our being, our wounds, our prejudices, our defense mechanisms, our comfort, those areas where we deny the truth or cling to that which has already gone.

May we prepare our hearts and minds as we celebrate the gift of the incarnation one more time not to withdraw or run from but to run to the “dawn from on high,” that shines on us, “who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” The closer we are to God, the more we experience his peace, that peace that surpasses all understanding, and the more we can share his light and peace with others in this new year to come.

Photo: Final days of Advent in Connecticut

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The words of today’s Gospel of Luke come from Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah has not spoken since the time he encountered the angel Gabriel. Gabriel shared with Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth, though barren and past childbearing age, will give birth to a son and his name will be John. The time for the fulfillment of Gabriel’s prediction has come true, Elizabeth has given birth to a boy and with friends and relatives gathered around on the eighth day for his circumcision and naming, Elizabeth announces that her son will be named John. Those gathered balk as they say, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name” (Lk 1:61).

There may also be some hesitancy because John, or יוֹחָנָן‬, Yôḥanan in Hebrew, means one who is graced by God. The people may be wondering who this child might become. Then they turn to Zechariah, who writes on a tablet that “John is his name.” Zechariah confirms Elizabeth’s words and “Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God” (Lk 1:63-64).

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah speaks what we call today the Benedictus or Canticle of Zechariah, the beginning lines of which read: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David” (Lk 1:68-69).

Zechariah did not proclaim that John was the Messiah. John will be the herald of the Messiah. He will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. The Benedictus, like the Magnificat, is a song of great promise. This is why the Church proclaims that they are to be prayed every day in the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours. We are living in the time of its fulfillment. 2019 A.D. does not stand for after the death of Jesus, it stands for anno domini, in the year of our Lord. We live in times of great joy, for no matter what the external circumstances our Lord, Jesus the Christ is present with us!

To counter violence, war, polarization, endless forms and acts of inhumanity, fear, and growing anxiety, we will celebrate again this Christmas the reality that we are an alleluia people, a people of great joy. We are preparing in these final days of Advent to remember and celebrate again the reason for the season, the fulfillment of the Magnificat and the Benedictus, the birth of our Savior.

Each and every day, we are invited to celebrate with great joy the reality that Jesus has come to set us free. May we be open to and receive this gift of freedom this Christmas Season and turn away from our pride and the sins that enslave us. Jesus who granted us his mercy by being willing to enter into our chaos and bring us healing and reconciliation, invites us from his humble beginnings, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and resting in straw, to do the same. Let us live out our heritage, our faith, and our hope, and be a people, who even in the midst of darkness, have not only seen a great light but bask in and embrace it, so to share the light of Jesus with concrete acts of mercy, joy, and love.

Photo: The Fourth Week of Advent, Christmas is only two days away!

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 23, 2019

Joseph had an interesting twenty-four hour period. First, he learned that his betrothed, Mary, was “with child” and that he was not the biological father. Joseph did not believe the account of Mary and decided to “divorce her quietly.”  Yet before being able to act on that decision, Mary’s story would be confirmed that night by the angel Gabriel. Joseph’s mind and heart were open to the move of the Holy Spirit and so upon awaking, redirected his efforts and quietly cared for Mary and Jesus.

Both Mary and Joseph awaited the coming of the Messiah just as so many of their kinsmen, yet neither could believe the part they were asked to play in being the parents of the Son of God. Once they were clear of the plan that God had for them they faithfully assumed their responsibility.

There are so many anonymous people within and without of the Church who are just like Mary and Joseph. They quietly and diligently go about their daily lives as pencils in God’s hands. They are not only open to hearing the word and direction of the Word of God, but they follow through with their actions to put into practice what they have received. They may not even be aware of the profound effect that their choices have had on others.

Time and again, throughout the Bible, we see God calling those who are not necessarily worthy, but humble and willing to play the part they were given in salvation history. Each one of us is invited to play our part as well. If we are stating or complaining about a particular issue and inquiring why God does not intercede and correct a certain situation, what he may be doing is convicting our conscience. The injustice that tugs at our heartstrings could be just the invitation that the Holy Spirit is giving us to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world today.

Mary and Joseph waited with great expectation for the Messiah, they would play a central role in helping the Savior not only to be born but to have the support and guidance to be who God had called him to be. Yes, Jesus remained fully divine in his incarnation, but he was fully human as well. If it were not for the care, guidance, and support of Mary and Joseph, things could have gone badly for Jesus and for all of us.

May we have the same heart and mind conformed to the movement of the Holy Spirit as Mary and Joseph. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the saints have paved the path of salvation to follow. We are invited to follow and play our part by committing daily to small acts of great love as well.

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Photo: Stain glass of the Holy Family at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, CA.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, December 22, 2019 

Mary “traveled to the hill country in haste” (Lk 1:39) and when she and Elizabeth got together they rejoiced in the gift of new life that God had blessed them both with. We are to rejoice too, as we remember the gift of the conception and birth of Jesus. Jesus invites us to experience a new life. What we are about to celebrate in a few days had never happened before in human history. The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, fully divine, became one of us. He became a human being, fully human, just like one of us. That affirms that we are not junk, not someone’s trash to be kicked around. Our life has purpose and meaning because we are loved by God more than we can ever imagine!

We are all invited to be recreated, each and every day. Have you ever wanted a fresh start, a do-over? Well, here you go. Don’t believe the mind noise or other people who will actually tell you in subtle or overt ways that you are worthless or nothing. Not true! Just by our very being, the reality that we exist, says something. We have been created in the image and likeness of God and we have been created by Love to receive and to share the love. We are a living craving hunger and desire to be in communion with God and one another. This is true for the atheist and the believer alike. We are called to will the good of the other as other and as they are, unconditionally. If we haven’t been all that loving lately, today is a new day to take Jesus’ hand and begin anew.

We are about to celebrate a baby’s birth. Not just any baby, but he who has always been, is, and will be, became the most vulnerable, as an embryo, as an unborn fetus, and as an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Mary’s Son would continue to grow, mature, and thirty-three years later, return to an even more vulnerable position on the Cross, beaten, scourged, naked, and crucified. He was born and tabernacled, made his dwelling, among us, to be one with us, so that when he died he could take our sin upon himself. Original Sin did not destroy us. We were wounded, but by his stripes, the scourging that Jesus endured for us, we have been healed. He conquered even death, that we could have life and have it to the full, now and through all eternity.

Jesus was born for us; he is still with us that we might not only be shown a better way but to know him, who is the Way. Jesus became vulnerable for us, being authentically who God called him to be, even when that meant rejection, time, and time again. May we too be willing to be vulnerable, to risk, to share with others who we are, free of masks and pretense. May we be present, and also walk and accompany one another. Being there for our family and friends is important, and if we take our Christianity seriously, we must come to acknowledge, in concrete ways, person to person, that we are all brothers and sisters. Just as the sun shines on the good and the bad alike, Jesus died for us all. After his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit, the Love shared between the Father and the Son, to empower us to live as he did, in communion with his Father, to better actualize our communion with one another.

Mary and Elizabeth celebrated the joy of new life, they rejoiced together at the announcement that each of them would conceive and bear a son. The other message they share with us because they realized it all too soon, is that life goes by too fast. Each of their sons would die a brutal death, yet God brought about a greater good from their willingness to sacrifice their lives for us. They gave us a new beginning for humanity.

Let us not take the gift of this life we have been given, any moment of it, for granted. Let the people we care about know that we love them. Make that call, send that card, and/or invite that person for a walk and when you are together, be present, be there with each other. Put the phone down, leave work at work, and set the problems aside, and just be present.

May we be respectful, kind, and caring in our interactions with each person we encounter in our daily moments. If you catch the eye of another, smile. In that simple gesture, we say to another that we care enough about them to acknowledge that they exist and that they have worth. Let the joy of Mary and Elizabeth catch like wildfire in us this Advent and let us share with haste the joy of Jesus we have experienced in our life!

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Painting of Elizabeth and Mary in the church of El Sitio, Suchitoto, El Salvador – Accessed from https://walktheway.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/solidarity-mary-with-elizabeth/

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, December 21, 2019

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her (Lk 1:38).

Whether this is the first or thousandth time you have read this verse, the more important question is how many times have you said to God, “May it be done to me according to your word”? How would it be for us to begin each day with this prayer and then at the end of the day reflect on how well we have heard and answered yes to God’s will?

Mary’s yes changed the course of human history. Her willingness to bear the Son of God who dwelt among us in our wounded human condition, was for the purpose to heal and to lead us home to communion with his Father. Jesus is the gift that keeps giving – and we receive his gift each time we say yes to him. When we do so, we become less, as he becomes more, and the kingdom of God continues to expand.

Along with Mary, the yes that we make is not a one-time, yes, but we are to affirm a daily, moment by moment yes. As St Paul wrote to the Church of Thessalonica, we are to: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 16-17). We are able to rejoice always and pray without ceasing when we say, “Yes,” to God by developing and sustaining our relationship with him such that even when we experience pain, suffering, and struggles, we are not overcome or overwhelmed. We can even feel joy in the midst of them because we experience Jesus’ closeness. He does not abandon us to random fate. He is our source, our refuge, and our strength, present to us in all that we experience for ill or for good.

Our prayers of petition for ourselves and intercession for others are another yes to his will because they are an “admission of one’s own helplessness” (Lohfink 2014, 240). Prayer is a, “No,” to pride. Our willingness to ask for help and to help others are also practical ways of saying yes to God. There is no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto, so they went two by two, as Jesus sent his disciples. Prayer is a yes to our acknowledgment that we need Jesus to guide and help us, also to save us from ourselves! Service is a yes to the love we have received from him and a willingness to share this love with others.

May we rejoice this third week of Advent as we draw ever closer to celebrating the birth of Jesus who is Emmanuel, God with us. This reality was made possible by the handmaid of the Lord. Say yes to Jesus as Mary did and rejoice always!

Photo: Who says that you can’t experience joy in Religion Class?

Lohfink, Gerhard. No Irrelevant Jesus: On Jesus and the Church Today. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, December 20, 2019

The Gospel of Luke and today’s first reading from the Book of Judges both continue the theme of divine intervention through angelic messengers. The message they convey is one of the new life to come. The wife of Manoah, she is not named, and Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth, both receive the message of impending birth. The miraculous claim here is that both women are beyond bearing age.

For women of ancient Israel, this was a tremendous cause for shame; for many women, their worth was defined by their ability to bear children. This was in evidence in the words of Elizabeth. When she conceived she said, “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.” (Lk 1:25). Her shame and anguish would now be over, her long period of barrenness was coming to an end.

Many women today feel this same anguish, in that they desire to have a child and are not able to. There may be many reasons why, but there may also be a plan that God has in place that is not readily apparent at the time. One may be God’s timing, for Mary it was too soon! For Manoah’s wife and Elizabeth, it was about time! But in each case, God had his plan and timing in mind. For some women, there may be another way of serving other than being a birth mother.

Adoption or foster parenting of children who are in desperate need of safe, stable homes are options. Some more indirect ways could be assisting in caring for nieces and nephews, cousins, teaching catechesis, or working with youth groups. Other ways to serve could be through more time consuming active ministries, vocations, or jobs. I cannot imagine wanting to give birth to my own child and not be able to do so, nor can I imagine the inner anguish that may cause. I do believe God has a plan for each of us and when we align ourselves with his will we will truly be happy and fulfilled.

Though I am not the birth father of any of my own children, I have been blessed with the gift of being a step-father to JoAnn’s three children, Mia, Jack, and Christy. This was not necessarily the plan I thought about. In fact, about a year before we met, I was in a consignment shop and saw a jean jacket for an infant. I bought it thinking it would look good on my future daughter or son. When JoAnn and I were married the kids were no longer infants, so, I guessed the jacket would look good on a future granddaughter or grandson, God’s timing! 

I am truly thankful to have been married to JoAnn and journeyed alongside Mia, Jack, and Christy, and although we are now facing our greatest challenge thus far, learning to live without JoAnn, I would marry her all over again. It is too soon to see how God will bring about a greater good from her too early departure from this life, but I trust that not only he but JoAnn will reveal to us the steps we are to take as we need to know them.

Advent is a time of waiting and anticipation. There are periods of waiting in all of our lives and we can certainly be impatient with God and ourselves. We have certain plans and intentions that we want to accomplish but often are not capable of seeing far enough down the road to notice if those plans are apparent or actual goods. The light at the end of a tunnel could actually be a train!

When we remain faithful like Manoah’s wife, Elizabeth, and Mary, and resist the temptation to go off on our own, while seeking to understand his will or ignoring it altogether, we will find fulfillment and joy. Each of us is called to be a Christ-bearer to a worn and weary world desperately in need of new life! We will also enjoy the time of waiting more when we are trusting that God is preparing us for what we seek or something even greater than we can ever imagine!

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Photo: Our first Christmas together!

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, December 19

Joseph heard the news that Mary, his betrothed, was with child. He clearly knew the child was not biologically his. Scripture does not account for the thoughts or emotions of Joseph, but whatever inner turmoil he did have, he came to a decision that would not expose Mary to shame. He was not going to make a public spectacle of Mary, but divorce her quietly. Before he made his final decision though, Joseph made an excellent choice when discerning serious matters. He slept on the idea before acting.

During Joseph’s sleep, the angel of the Lord delivered a message. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:20-21). When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home (Mt 1:24). From their encounter with God’s messengers, both Mary and Joseph trusted in God’s will, and “that has made all the difference” to quote Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.” Because of Mary and Joseph’s yes to God and to family, the Son of God became man and opened up heaven for us in the humanity he assumed.

God often works in the same way when dealing with us. What may appear to be absurd, unimaginable, or downright impossible, is indeed possible when we align our will with God. This is the week of Joy in Advent. Joy is more than pleasure or happiness. Pleasure ends when the sensate experience ends. Happiness is experienced with pleasure and can last longer, in that we can recall the pleasurable experiences for a time, but happiness too will fade. Joy, though, like hope, is a gift of the Holy Spirit that wells up from within, from the depths of our soul.

The source of joy does not come from external experiences, but from an encounter with and acceptance of God’s invitation. Joy is an experience of communion with the love of God. This has been given to us in greater measure because Jesus became one with us, and so upon his ascension into heaven, we too can experience the loving communion he experiences with his Father. We also experience the love of the Holy Spirit in our encounter with family and friends, this exchange of giving and receiving of ourselves in conversation, shared experiences, and in resolving challenges and conflicts together.

Mary and Joseph both received incredible news, that neither of them fully comprehended. They could have easily responded in a different way, but they trusted in God, they chose family, and because they did so, we can rejoice not this week but all of our days!

Mary and Joseph trusted in God and were willing to allow their unborn child, Jesus, to come to full term. Because they risked public ridicule and worse, Jesus entered into our human condition. Even in the midst of our trials we can rejoice, not in the fact that we suffer or face uncertainties in this life, but because we are not alone. We may feel on our own, see no way out, and/or no help on the horizon, but God will make a way and reveal it to us through his Son. We may not understand either, but like Mary and Joseph, may we trust in God and one another.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, please intercede on our behalf this Advent Season such that we may better be able to resist the temptation of taking each of our family members for granted, but instead choose to be thankful for one another. Help us to react less and breathe deeply more. Help us to be more understanding, patient, and willing to forgive, such that even though we have experienced past hurts, conflicts, disagreements, and different perspectives, we may ultimately experience time and again the joy of being there for one another, through thick and thin.

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Photo: Our first Christmas picture together as a family about twenty-three years ago, actually taken in late summer so it would be ready for our first Christmas card!

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, December 18, 2019

Today’s Gospel account is from Matthew’s record of the genealogy of Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, is fully divine, while at the same time he is also fully human. Here Matthew presents the lineage of Jesus’ human line from Abraham to his foster father Joseph and his mother Mary. Jesus is part of a people and a family. If you go through this genealogy with a fine-tooth comb, there are gaps, but Matthew is more concerned with the line of faith than a strict historical account. Matthew also includes women in this listing, which is not common in ancient patriarchal societies. Looking at their stories in Scripture will also show that they were not at all the most virtuous, but more importantly, they played a significant part in God’s plan of salvation.

This is our heritage as well. We are spiritual Semites. Genealogies have become more popular in recent years as can be seen by the different advertisements for DNA test kits. The draw for these is that we want to belong, to be a part of. To understand who we are, we seek to understand where we have come from. To be able to go forward, we need to reach behind. Jesus was born in time, to the people of Judah, and is a part of the succession from Abraham and his clan, to the twelve tribes of Jacob, to the unified nation of Israel under David. Jesus continues to bring God’s movement of grace beyond a nation to a universal invitation for all.

Through our Baptism, we are part of the lineage of Jesus. We are not alone, no longer estranged, no longer separate, or on the peripheries. Yet many, even those who profess their belief in Christ, are missing his greatest gift of faith, which is developing a relationship with him now. Too many of us are Christian in name only.

We are now in the final two weeks of Advent. It would be a good practice to spend time drawing close to Jesus who made himself close to us in becoming one of us. Pope Francis can help. The Pope encountered a young man who told him that he didn’t believe in anything. He said, “I don’t have the gift of faith! What do you have to say to me?”

“Don’t be discouraged,” I said. “God loves you. Let yourself be gazed upon by him! Nothing else.”

May we too be willing to receive the gift of Jesus: “What is important is to find the way best suited for you to be with the Lord, and this everyone can do; it is possible for every state of life.” Pope Francis also offered these two questions to ponder: “Do I find time to remain in his presence, in silence, to be looked upon by him? Do I let his fire warm my heart” (Francis 2014, 16)?

We are never alone if we remember Jesus is present in our everyday experiences. We just need to be aware of his loving gaze and to return ours. Practicing in this way, we become more open to the gift of his presence in our lives, and when we allow him to lead us to encounter one another and support each other in our weaknesses, we too will experience the love of the Holy Spirit.

Photo: Rainbow we saw day after Thanksgiving.

Francis, Pope. The Church of Mercy: A Vision for the Church. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2014.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 17, 2019