At the end of our Gospel reading for the feast of the Holy Family, we hear, the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom… What was it about the family of Mary and Joseph that helped the child to be “filled with wisdom”? Perhaps Paul gives us the answer in our reading from his letter to the Colossians, in which we are told to “put on” kindness, humility, gentleness, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.
 
If we look at those 5 qualities, we can see one common thread: it is the ability to think of other people and their needs, not just our own.  It is to let go of rugged individualism and the need to have our own way all the time, while considering the needs and opinion of the other.  The “wisdom” in all of this is that, when we act this way, we are happier ourselves, because we are letting go of tension and hostile feelings, building an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.  Then everyone is happier and at peace.
 
This reality has become clear to me through my many years of living in community with other Salvatorians.  When one person is upset and arguing, the whole community is uncomfortable.  When we can resolve difference with respectful dialog, the community is calm and everyone is happier. The ability to remain calm and resolve difficulties through dialog is crucial in a family, because children learn by watching their parents.  If we want our children to grow in wisdom, as did Jesus in the Holy Family, we must model that
wisdom for them.
 
The result of all of this is that “the peace of Christ will control our hearts.”  What a wonderful way to live.  What wisdom!  My prayer is that all of us can grow in our ability to “put on love, the bond of perfection,” as we move through 2024.
 
May you have a blessed and spiritually fruitful year of grace. 

Church sign of the week: The deeds you do may be the only sermon someone will hear today.

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent, but it is also Christmas Eve. This year Advent is the shortest it can be. Because of this, we hear a lot of the Christmas story in one day.  Our Gospel for the 4th Sunday of Advent presents the annunciation to Mary of God’s wish for her to be the mother of His Son and her saying, “be it done unto me according to your will.”  The Gospel for the vigil Mass presents Joseph being able to discern God’s will and accept Mary as his wife, even though her child was not his. And, finally, the Mass in the evening presents the birth of Christ, in addition to the shepherds listening to the angels, which ultimately led them to go and adore the Christ child.
 
What strikes me in all of these stories is that the protagonists (Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds) were able to hear what God wanted of them and do it, despite the incredibility of what was being shared.  Have a baby with no physical contact with a man? Believe that your betrothed was faithful to you, despite the fact that she was pregnant? Simple shepherds being told about the birth of the Messiah??
 
I wonder if I would be able to discern God’s will if something that extraordinary were being asked of me? Maybe it depends on how good I am at hearing God calling me in the little things of daily life. I suspect that Mary and Joseph spent quiet time each day in the Lord’s presence. They were used to hearing God’s voice.  And the shepherds had a lot of quiet time, away from the hustle and bustle of life, out in the fields watching over the sheep. I imagine Mary and Joseph heard and responded to God’s voice in the needs of those around them, perhaps spending time being with and listening to those who were isolated and lonely.  Didn’t Mary drop everything and run to help an older cousin who was pregnant?
 
These thoughts call me to make sure I am listening for God’s voice coming to me, each day, as I move though life. Then I will be prepared to hear, if an extraordinary call comes to me. Living in this way makes the coming of Christ active and real in our lives. 
 
May you have a blessed celebration of our Savior’s birth.
 
Church sign of the week: The person who is faithful in very small matters is also faithful in great ones.

This third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete” Sunday.  The word “gaudete” means “rejoice” and rejoicing is a theme in our readings for this Sunday.  In the reading from Isaiah, we hear, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord.” The reading from 1st Thessalonians begins, “Rejoice always.” And the responsorial verse is from Mary: “My soul rejoices in my God.” We are rejoicing because of the coming of our Savior, which brings salvation to the whole world.  We rejoice at His coming as a child over 2,000 years ago and we rejoice that he will come to us at the end of our lives.
 
There is another common theme in our readings: Isaiah in the first reading, Mary in the responsorial psalm, and John the Baptist in the Gospel all bore witness to the coming of Christ.  While we are
rejoicing in the past and future coming of Christ, we must also
remember that He wants to come in the present time and we are an essential part of that.  By the way we live, with both words and
actions, we can bear witness to Christ and bring Him into this world to those around us.
 
Just as Isaiah, Mary, and John the Baptist all bore witness to what God has done and would do for His people, we need to do the same by the way we live our lives.  How we speak and interact with people does make a big difference.
 
I invite us to reflect during this last week of preparation before we celebrate the first coming of Christ on how we are doing at reflecting Christ to those around us. The more we are bringing Christ into the world each day, the more meaningful our celebration of Christmas will be!  May you and your family have a blessed Christmas, made holy by Christ’s presence among you!
 
Church sign of the week: Church is who we are, not where we go.

For the last weeks, our Gospels have been encouraging us to prepare for our encounter with Christ the King at the end of our lives.  The focus this week is on John the Baptist, who was also “preparing” for the Lord, but for the beginning of Jesus’ active ministry. In Advent, we are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, which happened 30 years earlier. So why would the Gospel present John the Baptist to us?
 
Maybe because John models for us three steps in true discipleship. Being a true disciple is the best way to celebrate Christ’s entrance into our world, for we are then helping Him enter the lives of other people.  The three steps are these:
 
First, he tells us to repent, both by his example (sackcloth and ashes) and by his preaching: repent for the forgiveness of sins.  Being aware of our failures and making efforts to improve are the first step in “preparing the way of the Lord” (in other words, “evangelizing”), because actions speak louder than words.
 
Second, he proclaimed the Good News: One mightier than I is coming after me. We need to be willing to share with others what our faith in Christ means to us and how it brings meaning and joy to our lives.
 
Finally, he lived a good life.  He did what he knew was right, even though it angered others and even lead to his death.
 
When we can do these three things, we make the highways straight, we fill in the valleys, and we make the mountains low: a rugged land becomes a smooth plain.  In other words, we make it easier for others to hear the call of Christ’s love.
 
As we continue our preparations to celebrate the birth of Christ, I invite us to reflect on how well we are doing at making it easier for others to encounter Christ, as they see us act and listen to our words.  We DO make a difference.  God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: I’m just a nobody trying to tell everybody that there’s a somebody who can save anybody.