Holy Family - 2023

Which One of These Two Are You? In the gospel for this Feast of the Holy Family we have Mary and Joseph with the newborn baby Jesus going to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after His birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son, in obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12) In their visit to the Temple they have some unexpected encounters. The first encounter is with a deeply spiritual man who has been given a revelation by the Holy Spirit telling him that he would see in person the Christ the Lord and Saviour before he dies. He is literally compelled to go to the temple this day and when he sees Mary with Jesus in her arms he ask to hold Mary's baby. At this he speaks these prophetic words we read in today's gospel. As he hands baby Jesus back to Mary he addresses to Mary this awesome prophecy of future conflict and death that awaited the baby Jesus. Then to Mary these words: "And a sword will pierce your own soul too." While Christmas is a time for joyful celebration, for the devout Christian, Christmas is so much more. It begins a new year in the journey of faith; a year to experience ever deeper the consolation of the presence of the son of God as well as the challenges this broken world will bring upon us. Mary is set before us as a model for the way we should embrace this time. Luke tells us that Mary "treasured all these things she was hearing and pondered in her heart what they could mean." And so it will be for each one of us as we embark on this new journey of faith into all that lies hidden before us. The prophet wisely warns us that there will be crosses but the Word reveals that in these crosses faith will triumph. The answer to these mysteries we shall find reveal in God's Word that we "prayerfully ponder" each day. “Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

Christmas Week - 2023

“Someone has moved into our neighborhood”? Continuing with the theme we began in the previous post let us explore further the notion of intimacy and Christmas. We noted that the word intimacy is derived from the Latin "intimus", meaning inner or inmost. To be intimate with another is to have access to, and to comprehend, his/her inmost character. We noted that Jesus chose incarnation in human form in order to make it possible for us to see God and to enter into an intimate relationship with our God.  What is important here is to understand that in making his presence real with his birth at Christmas Jesus did not intend that this person-to-person contact would only be for a short time and conclude with his ascension into heaven. Jesus’ real presence is continuing to this very day.  As Catholics we are taught that Jesus is truly present in the sacraments – but there is more. The intimate, one-on-one encounter also happens in prayer, and more precisely in contemplative prayer. To better understand this let us take up the “homely” example of the neighbour across the street image we used in the previous post. Prayer is a one-on-one encounter. It is two persons, really present to each other, engaged in an interpersonal dynamic. If you never reach out to the new neighbour across the street, or you never respond to the  invite to meet from the new neighbour nothing ever happens. Simple.  But if you have a desire to meet your neighbour and get to know him better the possibilities are endless. So you go over to your neighbour’s and begin a conversation with him. This we might call the prayer of meditation. Here it is you doing all the talking from your side. If you say, “this is me doing all the talking, tell me about yourself”, and you become the listener, we now how have what we might call contemplation.  If one is convinced that the house across the street is empty, nothing happens. So many people today see only emptiness when they look across at religion; so, they never go over there. Some are curious, wondering if there really is someone to meet, but never check it out. Some wave from across the street, or call out, “have a nice day”, (like going to church occasionally but only to stand and sit and say amen). But for some, they are convinced and are willing to go over and meet the mystery person. They just need a little prompting. Exploring this most important subject of prayer is the purpose of this blog site begun in 2012.  On the side panel of this blog there is a list of pages that contain all the instruction on prayer posted over the years. Finally for this post may I offer this text from Vespers of the Office prayers for the Solemnity of Christmas. READING 1 John 1:1-3 This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands have touched – we speak of the word of life. (This life became visible; we have seen and bear witness to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was present to the Father and became visible to us.) What we have seen and heard we proclaim in turn to you so that you may share life with us. This fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Christmas 2023

INTIMACY The word intimacy is derived from the Latin "intimus", meaning inner or inmost. To be intimate with another is to have access to, and to comprehend, his/her inmost character. Is there an example of intimacy that is more compelling than a pregnant woman and her child; life drawing new life from another?  Jesus the Son of God could have reveal his presence to the world in many different ways. We see some of these ways in the Old Testament. But Jesus chose incarnation in human form for a very important reason. By taking on humanity Jesus makes it possible for us to see God and to enter into an intimate relationship with God. Now we see God with our own eyes, there he is. Now it becomes possible to get to know this person, a relationship can begin to unfold - or not as one chooses. Consider this example, a vacant house across the street from you has been purchased and a new person has just moved in. The possibility of the many stages of relationship with that person are now open to you. You did not choose him as your neighbour he chose to move in on your street. Where things will go from here is an open question, from never knowing even his name to a deep an caring friendship are possible. Jesus is a real historical person and not someone just made up. This is what Christmas is all about, Jesus moving in on our street. His coming is his choice and it is he who chooses to move into our life. What is more, he comes with the distinct purpose of having an intimate relationship with us, if we will have it.  The question Christmas asks us now is where on the intimacy scale does our relationship with Jesus stand?

Mary Mother of God - 2023

The Mother of God (often referred to as "Theotokos"), in the Council of Ephesus, was a title given to Mary, of course, only after St. Matthew did so on the 1st page of the New Testament in his Gospel. Often this title is misunderstood as somehow intimating that Mary is somehow greater or co-eternal with God.  This is not what is being affirmed in this title, however.  In fact, this title exists to secure the identity of Jesus as God and to illuminate a truth about his identity.   Dr. Brant Pitre has an excellent video reflection on the meaning of this important teaching about Mary. Click here to view    >>> VIDEO <<<

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Christmas Voices - 2022

Perhaps one of the more difficult things about Christmas is hearing the True Voices of Christmas. Christmas is full of sounds of all kinds, coming at us from every side, so much so that the authentic Christmas voice can easily be blurred out. To hear the Voices of Christmas will take some effort on our part, but if we make the effort, what a beautiful and joy-filled sound will fill our hearts. The effort I speak of may be called - 

Praying Christmas.

We begin by bringing something we hear, i.e. texts from scripture, prayers of the Advent/Christmas liturgies, words from the hymns of Christmas etc. to a time of prayer. As we pray, we read and reread these words over again. If they are in a story, we try to create the scene in our imagination. If they are words addressed to God, we listen for the sentiment they express. But all the while, we listen to our own hearts by identifying the various feelings that emerge while we listen. To hear the Voices of Christmas, one must listen with the heart.

What This Effort Will Require:

• A time and place set aside for listening.
• The words we have chosen out of all the words around us.
• Patience to listen, not analyse, over think, and study.
• Humility to ask and ask again - all the while listening for sounds in the heart.
• Recording what you hear, returning again and again to listen.
• "Speak Lord, I am listening".

Some suggestions to add to the Christmas Voices

From second reading for Fourth Sunday of Advent. Communion Antiphon, December 23 Opening Prayer, morning Mass, Dec. 24 Gospel Acclamation, morning Mass, Dec. 24 Prayer after Communion, morning Mass, Dec. 24 First Preface of Christmas Prayer for Christmas Mass of Dawn Second Preface of Christmas

Through Christ we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. ****** Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. (Rev 3) ****** Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus, and do not delay, that those who trust in your compassion may find solace and relief in your coming. ****** Radiant Dawn, splendour of eternal light, sun of justice: shine on those lost in the darkness of death. ****** Grant to us who find new vigor, O Lord, in these your wondrous gifts, that, as we prepare to celebrate in adoration the festivities of your Son’s Nativity, so we may possess in gladness his everlasting rewards. ****** For in the mystery of the Word made flesh a new light of your glory has shone upon the eyes of our mind, so that, as we recognize in him God made visible, we may be caught up through him in love of things invisible. ****** Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, as we are bathed in the new radiance of your incarnate Word, the light of faith, which illumines our minds, may also shine through in our deeds. ****** …… when our frailty is assumed by your Word not only does human mortality receive unending honor but by this wondrous union we, too, are made eternal.

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Feast of the Holy Family - 2021

Link to a previous Post - The Holy Family [ select ]

Feast of the Holy Family

Christmas Link

Holy Family Link

Christmas - 2020

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - New Year 2020

Today is the octave day of Christmas, that is the eighth day since the feast of the Nativity of Jesus. It is the oldest feast honoring Mary. The gospel passage for this feast is same as the Christmas Mass at Dawn, which tells of the visit of the shepherds to Mary's new born son, Jesus. For this feast, the verses telling of Jesus being brought to the temple on the eighth day to be circumcised and given the name Jesus is added. Until recently, this day was called the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus. Today the focus for this feast is on Mary as Mother of God, and has the  importance of solemnity. In the first centuries, the Church struggled with the question of the true nature of Jesus. Was he merely a man, albeit, the greatest of all the prophets that God had raised up. Or was he much more, indeed, did he share in the very divinity of God? The Council of Ephesus in AD 431, declared that the Son was true God, co-eternal with the Father and begotten from His same substance, arguing that such a doctrine best codified the Scriptural presentation of the Son as well as traditional Christian belief about him handed down from the Apostles. This belief was expressed by the bishops in the Creed of Nicaea, which would form the basis of what has since been known as the Nicene Creed. The Church quickly realized that since Jesus is both man and God, and since Mary in her womb and gave birth to Jesus, it is right to call her, Mother of God - Theotokos - the womb that held within it the one who is both human and divine. This is a great mystery of faith. In the 2nd Reading, Paul sees in this mystery God's wonderful plan for our humanity. Jesus came from the divine to enter into our lowly humanity. He leads us back through our communion in his humanity to share in his divinity. So in baptism, we mere humans are born again and now we share in the divinity of Jesus. By our rebirth in Jesus, it is right to speak of Mary, mother of Jesus, as our mother as well. As we begin a new calendar year - which reminds us that we are moving ever closer to our ultimate destiny, let us keep these things foremost in our thoughts: Jesus the son of God is our brother, dear to us as we are to him. That Mary is our heavenly mother, caring for us with the love and protection of a devoted and loving Mother. Think of ourselves, not as some weak and failing piece of humanity, headed for the grave, but as a royal child of God the FATHER, beloved as Jesus is loved, protected in the arms of Mary our mother, destined to live in this family for all eternity.

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Holy Family Sunday - 2019

As a child my favorite Christmas gifts were the Erector sets by Meccano. One Christmas a model steam engine was added to my collection – it was going to be the best Christmas ever. But on that very day it broke down and failed to work – joy quickly turned to the saddest Christmas ever. Broken gifts are not uncommon at this time, that is why in the days after Christmas shopping for “Krazy Glue” is a big item. The sadness experienced at Christmas can not only be over broken toys but over broken families as well. That is why this feast of the Holy Family is of such importance. For the Second Reading in today’s liturgy the Church chooses a selection from St. Paul’s letter to Colossians. Here Paul lays out a description of the “krazy glue-of grace” that holds families together. “As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” “Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”  Now you might say to St. Paul, “That’s easy for you to say but you don’t know my family.” – but God does. But these are virtues of grace that Paul has listed, and they flow from the Holy Spirit into our hearts through prayer. “As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,” - first God brings us into His family, broken as we are and loves us into life. And in this communion with God we are healed and made holy, part of God’s beloved family. Now we can begin to bring this “krazy glue-of grace” into our families and start to heal what is broken within them. Let us be certain of this, if history has anything to say, man alone is not going to heal this broke world we live in. If we break away from the Family of God what hope do we have? Only when people realize this and return to the Father’s House will the remedy be found. St. Paul concludes: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Then he adds three keys: And let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be Thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly; Only then filled with God’s love, will we be able to: “teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;  Paul ends with these words, let us take them home to our families today. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

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PRAYER OF BLESSING O God, you have created us in love and saved us in mercy, and through the bond of marriage you have established the family and willed that it should become a sign of Christ's love for his Church. Shower your blessings on these families gathered here in your name. Enable those who are joined by one love to support one another by their fervor of spirit and devotion to prayer. Make them responsive to the needs of others and witnesses to the faith in all they say and do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

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Christmas - 2019

There are many meanings attach to Christmas – the importance given it seems to be changing over the years. Today the commercialization of Christmas has had a substantial negative effect. The old Christmas stories of conversion from despair to joy are now more likely to be replaced by just silly romance stories that just happen to take place around Christmas. Even now when the image of the Christ Child is displayed its message seems unable to rise above the mere sentimental. It becomes all the more important for us to disentangle from all these negative influences and grasp again with wonder and awe the powerful message laying open before us. To expose ourselves to this great revelation it’s necessary that when we look down at the baby Jesus in the crib we look up at that same Jesus on the Cross, because that is the message – that is why he has come. As the words of the familiar Christmas song ponder: “I wonder as I wander out under the sky that Jesus my Saviour did come for to die for poor on'ry people like you and like I.” St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians chapter 2 shows us how, not only to wander in wonder but to understand and to imitate what we see revealed in the Christmas Image of crib and cross. Paul tells us: “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (vs. 5) This manger and this cross seen together reveal the true meaning of Christmas. St. Paul now exhorts: “be of the same mind, (that you behold) with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but everyone for the interests of others.” (vs. 3-4) This is why Jesus was born into this world and it is also the reason why each of us has also been born. St. Paul again: “For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.” (vs. 13) (work for what- his, God’s good purpose) One of the customs of Christmas is to decorate our homes with lights – indeed there is almost a competition to see who has the most and the brightest lights.  St. Paul ends this section by describing the true lights: “Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life.” (vs. 15-16)

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Mary Mother of God

Today is the oldest feast honoring Mary. The gospel passage for this feast is same as the Christmas Mass at Dawn, which tells of the visit of the shepherds to Mary's new born son, Jesus. For this feast, the verses telling of Jesus being brought to the temple on the eighth day to be circumcised and given the name Jesus is added. Until recently, this day was called the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus. Today the focus for this feast is on Mary as Mother of God and has the importance of a solemnity. In the first centuries, the Church struggled with the question of the true nature of Jesus. Was he merely a man, albeit, the greatest of all the prophets that God had raised up. Or was he much more, indeed, did he share in the very divinity of God? The First Council of Nicaea in 325, declared that the Son was true God, co-eternal with the Father and begotten from His same substance, arguing that such a doctrine best codified the Scriptural presentation of the Son as well as traditional Christian belief about him handed down from the Apostles. This belief was expressed by the bishops in the Creed of Nicaea, which would form the basis of what has since been known as the Nicene Creed. The Church quickly realized that since Jesus is both man and God, and since Mary in her womb and gave birth to Jesus, it is right to call her, Mother of God - Theotokos - the womb that held within it the one who is both human and divine. This is a great mystery of faith. In the 2nd Reading, Paul sees in this mystery God's wonderful plan for our humanity. Jesus came from the divine to enter into our lowly humanity. He leads us back through our communion in his humanity to share in his divinity. So in baptism, we mere humans are born again and now we share in the divinity of Jesus. By our rebirth in Jesus, it is right to speak of Mary, mother of Jesus, as our mother as well. As we begin a new calendar year - which reminds us that we are moving ever closer to our ultimate destiny, let us keep these things foremost in our thoughts: Jesus the son of God is our brother, dear to us as we are to him. That Mary is our heavenly mother, caring for us with the love and protection of a devoted and loving Mother. Think of ourselves, not as some weak and failing piece of humanity, headed for the grave, but as a royal child of God the FATHER, beloved as Jesus is loved, protected in the arms of Mary our mother, destined to live in this family for all eternity.

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Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - 2018

Some remember this feast as being celebrated during the Octave of the Epiphany – then in 60’s, when the liturgical calendar was revised, it was moved to the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas as we have it today. So, what exactly is a family? By definition: A family is most commonly understood as a group of people who are related to each other, especially parents and their children. Sometimes when people talk about a family, they mean children. They decided to start a family.  Or sometimes when people talk about their family, they mean their relatives and ancestors.  Then there is that general group meanings, when we say a family of animals or plants is a group of related species and so on. Today we are celebrating the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. At first glance this is a familiar family image – husband, wife and a son – but the reality of this family is profoundly more than what it appears to be. What then is the significant difference about this family? – We have a husband, a mother, and a son living together as a family – what is different, what makes this family Holy is who they are and the way they are brought together – they come together as a family by God’s divine intervention; It is God who brings Joseph together with Mary as husband and wife when the Law would forbid their marriage after Mary is found to be pregnant.  Mary conceives Jesus in her womb and becomes Jesus real mother, but not by Joseph’s seed.  Jesus’ Father is God, Jesus is God’s Son, sharing the very life and divinity of God the Father.  Joseph will be a father-gardian to Jesus, caring for all his needs to grow healthy and strong. These are profound mysteries that make this the Holy Family – and herein is to be found a new plan, a new dimension to the natural family as we know it. God wants to make every family a holy family – by uniting them to His Holy Family. Not only is the family to be God’s plan for the continuation of the whole human race – but that the human race is to be formed into one single heavenly family. Now it is here that we must bring into focus the realization that there is an enemy against God’s plans for the family; attacking the family is priority number one for this enemy. We see the beginning of war on the family already in the Christmas story with the murderous undertaking of king Herod to murder Jesus by murdering the holy Innocence children – the feast just celebrated this past Friday. The shield the family is given to employ in its defense is love – husband and wife – parents and children – first revealed in the commandments, then St. Paul lays out God's plan for the Christian family in Ephesians 5&6. The family is the womb of love and the school of love wherein we learn that life itself is dependent on mutual caring, one for another. This priority of mutual caring carries over into the whole of society, making it healthy and strong. Our generation is experiencing a toxic atmosphere for true family life, a climate of selfish, self interest. “Me first and only as long as I like it”. This mentality is proving to be lethal to the family. That makes today’s feast all the more important for us to commemorate. Here are three way we may do this: To gather as families of faith in worship and prayer, thanking God for the gift of his Spirit who fills our hearts with divine love and teaches us how to love one another.  Filled with that love flowing from the Holy Family, let us be instruments of compassion and healing, in our families and others, where the absence of love has wounded and divided.  To be both sign and advocate in our society for all that strengthens and advances authentic family life as modeled in the Holy Family.

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Christmas - 2018

The birth of Jesus took place during a period of history known as the Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman Peace") It was a long period of relative peace and stability experienced by the Roman Empire between the accession of Caesar Augustus, founder of the Roman principate, and the death of Marcus Aurelius, last of the "good emperors". During this period of approximately 206 years (27 BC to AD 180), the Roman empire achieved its greatest territorial extent and its population reached a maximum of up to 70 million people – a third of the world’s population. Keeping track of population numbers was a preoccupation of the Romans at this time, as we see in today’s gospel. So, it is with Joseph and Mary, they must participate in the census the Romans are now conducting. The Son of the God, creator of this vast universe, is now confined to this obscure planet earth, and who’s life is now under the influence of a mere human dictator. The idea that the Lord and creator of all these vast worlds could now be dwelling in the human body of a baby boy is a challenge quite beyond any mind to fully grasp. To get us started, God employs his heavenly messengers. They announce it – to Joseph, to Mary, to Zachariah & Elizabeth, to lowly hillside shepherds, and finally to the Magi, representing all the nations. But the plan to reveal this mystery of God-made-man to future generations will go beyond the messenger-voices of angels. A voice in the desert begins to cry out, “… prepare, the Lord is coming.” Then the Lord’s own voice, “I am He, come from the Father – believe?” From here the messenger-voices began to grow in numbers, down through the ages. And the messenger-voices continue today. They are many and diverse, telling this same mystery of God-made-man, still with us in our world today. A mystery is a reality that can be known but not fully known, able to be seen but only partially, able to be encountered yet leaving us in wonder and awe, desiring to see more. This is faith. Speaking of the people of his own time, St. Paul remarks, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.” 1 Cor. 1:22 In our time it is "scientism" that makes the demand: “. . . show us the scientific proof of what your religion calms to be true if it is to be believed”. So who are the messenger-voices that God is sending into our world today. It is us, we who believe, we are the messenger-voices now who must continue to announce the Message to our world. And we do so not simply with words, but with lives lived for all to see. Our lives of holiness, manifesting spiritual and corporal works of mercy are the action-voices that will convict and convince the mind of scientism. Are you ready to be a messenger-voice in this age? Let us go forth now, the world is waiting to hear truth which is the Good News.

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Holy Family

Some may remember this feast as being celebrated during the Octave of the Epiphany. Then in the 60’s, when the liturgical calendar was revised, it was moved to the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas as we have it today. So, what exactly is a family? By definition: A family is most commonly understood as a group of people who are related to each other, especially parents and their children. Sometimes when people talk about a family, they mean children. (They decided to start a family.) Or sometimes when people talk about their family, they mean their relatives and ancestors. Then there is that general group meanings, when we say a family of animals or plants is a group of related species and so on. What then is the significance of the title HOLY FAMILY? Here we have a father, a mother, and a son living together as a family. What makes this family Holy is who they are, and the way they are brought together as a family – it is by God’s divine intervention; it is God who brings Joseph together with Mary as husband and wife. Mary conceives Jesus in her womb, but not by Joseph’s seed. Jesus’ Father is God, Jesus is God’s Son. Joseph will be a father to Jesus, by caring for all his needs, helping him to grow healthy and strong. These are the mysteries of faith that have been the focus of our meditation in these recent holy days.  Today’s focus on the Holy Family helps to reinforce for us the vital role and importance the family has in God’s creative plan – his plan for the continuation of the whole human race, and his plan for the human race to ultimately be formed into one heavenly family. Now if God has an enemy – and indeed he does, legions of enemies, then attacking the family must be priority number one for his enemies, as we see beginning with the murderous undertaking of king Herod. The unifying bond of the family is love; husband and wife, parents and children. The family is the womb of love and the school of love wherein we learn that life itself is dependent on mutual caring, one for another. This priority of mutual caring carries over into the whole of society, making it healthy and strong. Our generation is experiencing a toxic atmosphere for true family life; a climate of selfish, self interest, “Me first and only as long as I like it”. This mentality is proving to be lethal to the family. That makes today’s feast all the more important for us to commemorate. Here are three ways we may do this. 1.       To gather as families of faith in worship and prayer, thanking God for the gift of his Spirit who fills our hearts with divine love and teaches us how to love one another. 2.       Filled with that love flowing from the Holy Family, let us be instruments of compassion and healing, in our families and others, where the absence of love has wounded and divided. 3.       To be both sign and advocate in our society for all that strengthens and advances authentic family life as modeled in the Holy Family.

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