Gifts and Epiphany (2024-01-05, Epiphany)

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 [v_06, Epiphany, January 5, 2025]   ●  ● ● ● Matthew 2:1-12 ● ●

Homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

 [__01__]     **Introduction: The Significance [TIMING/WHEN] of Epiphany**  

Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, a solemnity in our Church's tradition. Originally placed on the calendar 12 days after December 25, it marked the conclusion of the Christmas season. This timing gives us the familiar carol, “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a gift-giving-count-down to January 6, the traditional calendar date of Epiphany.  

However, the Church has adjusted our observance to the 2^nd Sunday after Christmas, recognizing that more of us can gather for this important celebration on a Sunday rather than a weekday. Alongside Pentecost and Christmas and Easter, the Epiphany is 1 of the Church’s ancient and great solemn feasts.  

     So, today, we begin by asking the question: When is the Epiphany? But more importantly, what is the Epiphany, and why does it matter in the practice of of our faith?  

 [__02__]  **The What of Epiphany: The Manifestation of Christ**  

The word "Epiphany" means manifestation or revelation. This feast celebrates Jesus Christ being revealed to the entire world as the Messiah,

This truth is illustrated in the Gospel from Matthew (2:1-12). The magi, traditionally called the 3 kings or wise men, represent the Gentiles, the non-Jewish peoples of the world. They come from distant lands, following a star, to pay homage to the newborn King However, Jesus is not only anointed as King for Israel but for every nation, every people, and every person.  

          The word "Gentile" often is used to refers to those who are not of the Jewish religion. But more broadly, it signifies all the peoples of the world. This universality is emphasized in Isaiah's prophecy (60:1-6) in our 1^st reading and in Psalm 72, which speak of nations streaming toward the light of God and kings bringing gifts to His anointed one.  

 

[__03__]   **The Why of Epiphany: God’s Gift to Us**  

Why does the Church celebrate the Epiphany? Because it proclaims the Good News that God’s salvation is for everyone. It reminds us that Jesus’ mission is universal. He comes not just for one group or nation but for all who seek Him, for all who are willing to follow His light.  

 The magi’s gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbolize who Jesus is and what He brings to the world. Gold recognizes His kingship; frankincense acknowledges His divinity; myrrh foreshadows His suffering and death for our salvation. These gifts point to the ultimate gift God has given us in Jesus Christ.  

 **Reflecting on Gift-Giving: A Christian Perspective**  

At this point in the Christmas season, we often feel the need to separate the spiritual meaning of gift-giving from its commercialized reality. However, I suggest that gift-giving, when done thoughtfully, can align with the true spirit of Christmas.  

 

[__04__]  I’d like to give an example of gift giving:  

Do you not strive to respect and revere your loved ones in purchasing – not just any old gift being advertised online, on TV or in in the store, but in a gift will connect to the recipient?

 

Would you not want to build up and improve the life of the person to whom your gift is sent?

     Don’t you wish to give and give of yourself something meaningful in the process?

     For example, if you were to buy a book or an article of clothing for another person, would you not have made observations about the person’s taste in reading or taste in clothing, color or style? Would you not ask someone close to the person what size to buy? And, even if you do enclose a gift receipt, you want to get as close as possible to the right match.

 [__05__]   Will we not go, at times, to great lengths shopping online or in person to find the perfect gift, the ideal present?

Would we not want the other person to know the efforts we went to, to find this gift….?

 [__06__]   Our Lord and Savior, incarnate as the 2nd person of the Trinity and the Son of God the Father, has also been conducting research into the gifts you and I really need.

 

__ Acts 20:35 “In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

          And, He wants us to know how hard he has been searching to give you the gift of his life and love.

You and I really need to know that we are loved. Despite the fact that our family life or interpersonal relationships may be “faulty” or broken, he loves us and brings us into a relationship with him.

[__07__]    Jesus our Lord knows that even if we have failed, or if we feel we are not successful, or not productive, or too tired, he still has the GIFT of his calling, of his work for us to do in prayer, fasting and charitable giving, both in our homes , in our neighborhood, on our street, in school, in church.

          None of us can do everything. Everyone of us can do something.

          It is better to give than to receive.

          Not just on the 12 days of Christmas but every day.

 Jesus is not using artificial intelligence but divine intelligence to give us the gifts of his love and mercy each day.

You and I are called into a relationship with Jesus each day.

 The greatest gifts we can give to each other is based on recognizing first that we are sinners in need of God’s mercy and to forgive those who trespass against us, thus we go out to all the world in our own neighborhood, home, school and work to bring the Good News of the Epiphany and Jesus Christ to all.

[]Mercy is often an ongoing project of gift-giving.

Forgive and forget is not always possible. Not because you plan to harbor a grudge; but simply because you cannot forget certain scars or woundedess. To forgive the acts that caused them has to be an ongoing choice.

At any point in time, it is very easy indeed to turn around and begin to harbor a grudge. It is easy to blame the person who caused your pain. It is easy to hate — far easier than it is to forgive again. And even though choosing to forgive can be more painful, it is far more rewarding. When you utter the choice, then, that “I forgive you,” it isn’t over once and done. You say “forgive” because you keep on doing it.

Peter asked, if my bother  sins against me, how often must I forgive as as many as 7 times?

Jesus said 77 times, meaning don’t keep count.

There are some people in our lives who may not be fully aware of the harm or hurt they caused.

You may be caring for a very young person or older person who is not fully aware of his or her actions.

Forgiveness – like gold frankincense and myrrh – comes from God. It calls us – like “royalty” to take the high road.

It calls us like the incense to allow our prayers to rise up to God and put it in God’s hands.

It calls us like the myrrh or anointing of Jesus’ crucified body that Jesus first died for our sin.

[_08__]    Today, as we reflect on the magi’s journey, let us ask ourselves: How can we, too, offer our gifts to Christ? How can we manifest His love to those around us? The Epiphany is not just a story from the past; it is a call to live out the Gospel in the present. May we, like the magi, follow the light of Christ and bring the treasure of His love to the world. Amen.  

 

[__end__]

Acceleration. New Year's Day 2025

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 [v_04, Solemnity Mary Mother of God, January 1, 2025]  

●  ● ● ● ● Luke 2:16-21●

[__01__]   Regarding Luke 2:16-21 and New Year’s Day 2025.

It is a cliche and common saying to talk about the passing of time as being rapid. We say that time not only flies, but even accelerates, speeds up as though God or some pilot is pushing the pedal to the metal as we go down the runway for takeoff.

In this regard, the intention and the invention of the New Year's Eve, New York City Times Square folks, is to show the coming of a new year by the dropping of a ball at midnight,

I wonder if the New York City Times Square ball drop could be improved, made to be a bit more accurate and in line with our passing of time, because in New York City Times Square, the ball drops at a constant speed, mechanically controlled.

It does not drop at 9.8 m/sec² [squared] = 32 ft/sec². It's mechanically controlled. The ball does not drop according to the laws of gravity and physics.

The way you and I experience time accelerating, and the longer we live, the faster things seem to go. We naturally have a longing to slow down the passage of time, to reverse the passage of time, to be time travelers, to turn back the clock.

 

[__02__]  Over Christmas, , at home with my siblings, perhaps over the holidays, at home with your siblings and family, we told stories from the past, stories we have told before, stories we insist on repeating year after year, if not more frequently.

And if there is even just 1 person in the room who has not heard every single detail of it before, it is a joy to retell the entire story.

          Telling a story is one way we hold back time we time travel.

Recently, we also found a video tape, a VHS video tape, and fortunately, we even had a VHS video tape and DVD hooked up to the TV so we could play this VHS tape from 30+ years ago. It was my father's 50^th birthday surprise party.

Few of us had seen the tape. I had never seen the tape myself. Watching it was a way to freeze frame some of the moments in time, and to say, Dad, I can't believe you made all these people sit through the opening of your gifts. He couldn't believe it either.

 

[__03__]  In our Catholic Church calendar and observation of time, every 25th year is regarded as a Jubilee of Mercy.

Paste from USCCB website:  “The practice of a jubilee year has ancient roots in the Jewish tradition and evidence for it can be found in the Old Testament (for example, see Leviticus 25).  The jubilee year was called every 50  years and was a time for forgiveness.  It stood as a reminder of God's providence and mercy.  The dedication of a year for this emphasis provided the community with a time to come back into right relationship with one another and with God.  As the practice of the jubilee year was adopted into the Catholic Church, these themes of mercy, forgiveness, and solidarity continued [and are done every 25 years]”  (source: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/jubilee-of-mercy/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-jubilee-of-mercy#:~:text=The%20jubilee%20year%20was%20called,one%20another%20and%20with%20God.)

[__04__]  I'd like to reflect on the message of the gospel that Mary kept things told to her, reflecting on them in her heart. Prayer is a way to hold back time.

There was a way in which time seemed to get away from the Holy Family. It seemed to get away from Mary and Joseph, just as Jesus got away from them in her life.

Our Blessed Mother received many messages told to her reflecting on them in our heart. But most of these messages were not texts from school telling her how good Jesus's grades were.

They were messages predictive and prophetic about the danger for her son and his mission, and one of them was in the Gospel this past Sunday, Holy Family.

Jesus was apparently lost. He was not actually lost in the temple, but Mary and Joseph have to go and find him. He's separated from Mary and Joseph, and they were searching with great anxiety.

If you had misplaced the Savior of the world, would you not also be anxious distressed?

Mary and Joseph had to endure the separation and distance from their 12 year old son.

Jesus’ escape to and endeavor at the temple was not just a way for Jesus to show off to or to show the scribes and leaders how smart he was.

Rather, it was a way for Jesus to experience being on trial and being questioned.

Mary would have been distressed by this, having been told earlier that her son would be a sign of contradiction and of her own heart, a sword would pierce.

Yet, despite being told all this, Mary was a model of hope and reflection on God's Word in her heart and in prayer, she holds back time.

 

[__05__]   On this January 1, I suggest that one of the ways we can hold back time is by our reflection on God's mercy and forgiveness in our lives.

 

In biblical history, it's Traditional for the Jewish people to celebrate a Jubilee of Mercy, a jubilee of forgiveness every 50 years, every half a century.

In the Catholic Church, we celebrate a Jubilee of Mercy every 25 years, 2025.

It’s always a good time to reflect on God's mercy, but this is a year of mercy, a jubilee year of hope, as the Pope Francis proclaimed

 

[__06__]   Do you I need to be more aware of God's mercy, of our need to repent, to seek forgiveness for transgressions, for what might trouble our consciences, and also to reflect on those we might be called to forgive in our lives? 

We are told, in the Gospel, “Your faith has saved you”. Yet when it comes to sin and forgiveness, we are called to do more than simply believe.

We read in the Gospel, “repent and believe in the gospel” 

And, the Our Father says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”

So I suggest taking this time of the new year, not only as a time of entertainment. There's many entertaining things between December 31 and January 1, but also a time of examination of our lives.

Believing and belonging to the church are good New Year's resolutions, and they are ways in which we come to change our lives to good, to commit to coming to church every Sunday, every holy day of obligation.

Choosing what is the right way is not always obvious. And sometimes come to us, comes to us through a spirit, an experience of trial and error, of failure and feedback for what happens.

 

I’d like to reflect on this from the writings of John Henry Newman.

 

There are examples of this in Jesus’ encounter with those coming to faith in Christ in his own day. They also did not simply “believers” but they were also “perceivers” of the need to change.

 

One such example is Zacchaeus the Tax Collector. He was a wealthy man who had profited much by cheating his own neighbors. Yet, he also was experiencing a change of heart and heard that Jesus was coming into town. It was a sign of faith that Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus better and sign of faith that he talked to Jesus and was personally identified by Jesus. But there was more, Zacchaeus also repented, promising to pay back 4 times more than what he had taken dishonestly.

 

John Henry Newman describes this as Zacchaeus “trying to turn back time” (John Henry Newman:  “he would fain [gladly] undo the past”)  (Source: https://www.newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume4/sermon7.html)

 

[__07__]  Of course, it is true that Zacchaeus cannot actually turn back time or undo the past. You and I cannot undo the past on our own.

 

(However, I must also admit I really benefit from computer-based commands of the escape key, undo, and “cancel” to back out of my errors. In these trivial examples, I can control what is “saved”).

 

But, on the more serious subject of my being saved or you being saved - for eternal life - we are called to turn to Jesus as our Savior.

Turning to him with our sins, in confession regularly - at least once a year, but I recommend at least once a month - we can slow down the clock, slow down the calendar and thus by both repenting and believing in the Gospel, we can make a resolution to listen to God’s word more clearly as our Blessed Mother does to reflect on all these things in her heart.

Holy Family. Male and Female (2024-12-29)

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 [Holy Family Sunday, December 29, 2024]    ● Gospel:  Luke 2:41-52 ●

[__01__]  In the Gospel this Sunday, we read from a relatively early episode in the chronology of our Savior’s life: the boy Jesus is 12 years old.

          This takes place during a family journey and pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover.

          I would like to reflect on how Mary and Jesus interact with each other and what this says not only about our profession of faith but also about our own personal challenge to understand being called by God.

          Each is called by God as either man or woman, boy or girl, yet we also come to understand ourselves as masculine and feminine precisely because of the differences between men and women.

          We say that men and women “complement” each other.  Just to be clear, I don’t mean that they “compliment” by saying nice things such as – that is really nice sweater you are wearing or I really liked your Christmas card.

          Rather, men and women “complement” or “complete” each other as they connect to each other.

 

[__02__]  On this Holy Family Sunday, I would like to reflect on this completeness of Jesus and Mary and the male and female.

          These days, it can be legally and politically dangerous to speak of masculine and feminine as distinct. I bring this up not to suggest – in any way – that men or women are better at this or that.

          In some ways, the Gospel flips the script on some male and female stereotypes, because Mary is the one doing the “pursuing” and Jesus allows himself to be “caught”

          In any case, their relationship is a demonstration of the parent-child and male-female unity.  Each is a completion of the other. Each needs the other to thrive and prosper.

[__03__]  The Gospel Good News is that this son needs his mother just as a daughter needs her father. This is not just so that the parent can console the child after a difficult game or test, but simply to be a role model for maturity.

          A mother is her son’s first true love. The same could be said of a father relative to his daughter.

          Of course, some of us have not had ideal role models in 1 or both of our parents. All the more reason that we need the Gospel Good News about how the God as Father and the Virgin Mary as Blessed Mother help us to sort through life.

          Father Ronald Knox of England wrote this about fatherhood.

"You must not wait till you can learn to understand your father before you learn to know God. It is by learning to know God that you will learn to understand your father." (Father Ronald Knox sermon, “The Fatherhood of God”, Pastoral and Occasional Sermons)

[__04__]  It is part of our Catholic faith to recognize in our Blessed Mother, Mary, an ideal of feminine and maternal identity which is not only for Jesus’ care and feeding but our own development.

 

[__05__]   What occurs in the Gospel of Luke is an example of both complementarity and competition:

          Jesus, the 12 year old boy, also knows himself to be the Messiah and has decided – rather prematurely – to strike out on his own without any money or credentials or credit card or extra change of clothes. He is truly the juvenile Son of Man who has nowhere to lay his head, but goes anyway.

          He separates himself from the family and goes back to the Jerusalem Temple.

 

[__06__] Have you ever been – in a public crowded place – and been the child separated from your parents or the parent separated from your child?

          Terrifying for the parent. Usually, it is also terrifying – or will be – terrifying for the child once he or she figures out what’s going on.

          This situation is different.

          Jesus, rightly, does not fear being captured or falling into the wrong hands. Rather, his actions at 12 years old predict that he will one day be captured and fall into hands that want to harm him. But fear does not stop him as an adolescent or as an adult from going to be “in his Father’s house”.  (Luke 2:___)

          Jesus said to his parents, “Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”   (Luke 2:___)

          Here, Jesus is predicting his own passion. He is also, we might say, all boy, all male. They’re having trouble containing him.

          Jesus represents one side of the male-female complementarity. He is willing to go to the ends of the earth.       Jesus is also willing to tear down the Temple of his own body.

 

[__07__] Then there is Mary, our Blessed Mother. She is also willing to go to the ends of the earth but has a different “house” and destination in mind which is her house, Nazareth, asking:

          “Son, why have you done this to us?  Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

 

[__08__] Mary is the rescue worker who is focused on receiving the person to whom she belongs.

          To answer the question in the popular song: yes, Mary did know that he came to save her sons and daugthers.

          Of course, both fathers and mothers show us to whom we belong. But, isn’t it true that the bond of motherhood is primary. It is the role a husband and father to allow the mother to nurture and also to learn how to do so first from his own mother, then from the mother of his child.

 

[__09__]  The Blessed Virgin Mary comes to Jesus at this moment and later at the Cross to witness him being separated from her.

          Right now, Mary can assert her custody over her son, Jesus, at 12 years of age.

          This will not be the case at Calvary but she still unites herself to him.

 

[__10__]  Father John Cihak wrote an article that priests – and indeed all of us – may feel lonely or abandoned in the way that Jesus was. 

          But it isn’t simply the priest who might feel a tinge of loneliness, or the individual believer who might do so.

          The Church as an institution is not simply meant to be a place of shelter from the storms of life with community and charity.

          Yes, praise God, we strive for this at Lourdes parish.

          Yet, the Church as institution can be “separate” … “alone“ … “abandoned ” relative to other institutions.

          Mary our Blessed Mother gives us a model to follow in times of distress and difficulty to unite ourselves to Christ and apply His Word to the journey we are on now

 

Bibliography:

“The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Role in the Celibate Priest’s Spousal and Paternal Love”

Father John Cihak, S.T.D.

https://www.piercedhearts.org/consecrated_hearts/priesthood/bvm_priest_spousal_paternal_love_cihak.htm

 

The Fatherhood of God, Father James Schall, S.J.  January 4, 2011

https://www.catholicity.com/commentary/schall/08727.html

Mercy and Love Stories: Christmas (2024-12-25)

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 The Greatest Love Story of All Time

What comes to mind when you think of the greatest love stories ever told? Is it Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story—a modern retelling of Shakespeare's tragedy—or even Titanic?

These tales capture the heights of human passion but share one common thread: they pale in comparison to the love story between God and humanity.

Also, in all 3 cases – I have to tell you – the lovers do not end up together.

In Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, miscommunication leads to heartbreak and death. In Titanic, love emerges from extraordinary circumstances, yet Jack and Rose ultimately part—one lost forever to the deep. But God's love story is different. Yes, Jesus dies, but He rises on the third day, conquering death and offering us eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life." (John 3:16)  This is the love story we celebrate its beginning at Christmas.

 A Place of Worship and Light

Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, a sacred place of worship and light since its founding in 1914. Whether this is your first visit, a rare occasion, or your regular parish home, we are glad you are here to celebrate the Christmas Gospel.

 

This church reminds us of the beginning of our love story with God. It is here we encounter the incarnate love of Jesus, who came to share God's mercy with all—even those who do not yet know Him.

 

God's Mercy: The Door to His Love

Jesus' birth is the ultimate sign of God's mercy. His incarnation—becoming human—invites us into the door of this love story. Unlike the fleeting moments in worldly love stories, God's mercy calls us to repentance, transformation, and new life.

In our faith journey, we often move from being lost to being found. Consider Titanic: Jack and Rose find each other against all odds. Yet their love story ends in tragedy, as Jack sinks into the depths. God does not want us to sink. He calls us to come to Him in our sinfulness, seek forgiveness, and live anew.

The Sacrament of Mercy

For Catholics, accepting God's mercy involves repentance, particularly through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Confession is not merely about saying "I'm sorry"; it is about beginning again. Ideally, this happens not just once a year but monthly or even more frequently, allowing us to experience God's mercy regularly.

Through this sacrament, we recognize that life is a series of moments where we are lost and then found. Each encounter with God's mercy strengthens us to forgive others and embrace the light of Christ.

A Personal Story of Mercy

Recently, I experienced a moment of mercy that taught me about God's love.

 

This happened a few weeks ago. My brother and his family live in Los Angeles, and they have one son who's in college here on the East Coast in Connecticut. He's a freshman in college. Since he was finishing his first semester, we collaborated on trying to find a way for him to get from college in Connecticut back to stay in New Jersey, so he could fly out of Newark Airport. The plan was that he would stay in NJ with his grandparents – my parents – for 1 or 2 nights prior to the flight.

 

          But, how would get here?  Should he take the bus from Connecticut to New Jersey? Was there a bus? Is there Amtrak? Can he get a ride with somebody else? You can imagine the innumerable messages back and forth between family members. This was all good. We're all trying to figure out logistically what to do.

I thought I would go and pick him up, but the timing didn't work out. And it turned out my brother and my father went to pick Leo up. His name is Leo.  He got picked up on a Sunday morning so that he could stay in NJ for 1 day with his grandparents and fly from Newark Airport on Monday, the following day.

 

The Problem

Sometime after he safely arrived in NJ at Grandpa’s house, I received a call at 2 p.m. from my father, saying, in a sense: “Houston, we have a problem.”

My 18-year-old nephew Leo, had left his wallet and ID in his dorm room in Connecticut. This was an issue because he needed his ID to board the airplane to Los Angeles. While others had driven Leo from Connecticut to New Jersey earlier that day, the task of retrieving his forgotten wallet now fell to me.

Despite the inconvenience, I offered to go. As we set off on the 4½-hour round trip, I realized this might be a rare opportunity to spend time one-on-one with my nephew. Life is short, and moments like these are precious.

During our drive, I reflected on mercy. Leo felt he deserved to be penalized for his mistake, but I wanted to respond with grace. He offered to buy me dinner as repayment, but instead, I treated him to McDonald’s. I shared a story of my own—the time I lost my wallet in Washington, D.C., and a compassionate taxi driver went to great lengths to return it to me. “I’m just paying it forward,” I told him.

Deep down, though, I recognized a personal struggle: it’s often easier to show mercy to others than to ourselves.

Yet, the Christmas season reminds us of God’s boundless mercy. We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Do we need to accept God’s mercy in our own lives? Do we need to forgive someone close to us? Jesus calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and sometimes that neighbor is within our own family.

[09] The brightness of our faith—expressed in both word and deed—is vital. Our light may clash with the darkness around us, whether in our family, workplace, or community. Yet, even when faced with rejection or indifference, our light matters.

[10]  This Christmas and beyond, let us embrace our call to be the light of the world. By our prayers, fasting, acts of charity, and faithfulness, we illuminate the darkness. Your presence here at Mass, today and every Sunday, is part of that light. Through Jesus, our Savior, we are called to reflect His light and to remember that in the end – he wants us to end up with Him in heaven.

Interruptions in Service (2024-12-22, Advent)

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[version_03, 4^th Sun Advent]  

 [__01__]  Regarding Luke 1:39-45.

Do you remember our life …?

Do you remember our life together… ?

Do you remember our life together before cell phones?  Before mobile phones? I remember these conversations I had in the late in the 1990s with colleagues, with the co-workers I worked in a company, in a department where pagers were common.

Pagers were the precursors of cell phones. Many of us had to carry a pager. If you were paged and you get a phone number, find a  phone and call the person back. So archaic! This was the mobile communication state of the art at the time.

I recall some of our conversations revolved around the new cell phone that was coming out, and people were getting phones, and would we get one? Would we need one? Most of us agreed that we would not get a cell phone. We didn't need that. The US president didn't have a cell phone.

That was unheard of.

 [__02__]   Fast forward and interruptions by mobile phones have become a normal part of life. Back then in the 1990’s, avoiding cell phones felt like a choice. Now they're an integral part of communication, and the interruptions seem unavoidable. Is every interruption a choice?

 [__03__]  The gospel today, we could say, is about the interruption of service, the service to which Mary and Elizabeth are called. They're interrupting their lives. And as you know, as a parent, especially mothers, expecting a child is an interruption. It is also a vocation and a blessing, yet every vocation brings motions and movements contrary to our personal desires and preferences.

It is a change in routine to welcome a child into your life, including the child who's not yet born.

The Gospel story of Mary and Elizabeth tells about them, the both of them embracing an interruption. Both are mothers to be Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist, and they found a way to find time for each other amidst their prior commitments, their loving support serves as a lesson for us, reminding us that life's interruptions often become the actual path we're supposed to follow, and interruptions can bring purpose.

 [__04__]   Jesus invites us to see our burdens differently. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest,” He says. Faith isn’t just about prayer but about how we respond to life’s interruptions. Parents comforting a child, teachers guiding students, and mentors supporting others show how burdens can transform into acts of love and service.

[__05__]   Christmas reminds us that the true gifts are always also aren't always visible or praised. Jesus teaches, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing. Acts of kindness sometimes go unnoticed, but they hold profound, profound value and will be and will be repaid by God for the father, who's, as we read, The Father who sees God, who sees in secret, will repay you.  (cf. Matthew chapter 6)

 [__06__]    Mary and Elizabeth prioritized each other, echoing John the Baptist’s words, “He must increase and I must decrease”. Thus true love often means stepping back so that others can thrive and prosper. This lesson extends to all of our relationships, in marriage, in family, in school, in work, calling us to serve others selflessly.

 [__07__]     As Christians, we recall the humility of Jesus. Jesus, Jesus's birth, which is expressed Monsignor Ronald Knox of England explains it this way, in of a poetic metaphor, about Jesus's birth and humble circumstances, writing that there is headroom in the cave of Bethlehem for those who know how to stoop down to see Christ.

We are called to bow in humility decreasing ourselves so that he may increase.

 [__08__]      Christmas has been on the calendar. For months we've expected it, but sometimes it seems unexpected when it happens actually happens all year long. There's commercialization on every medium and through every channel, but we're called to prepare our hearts, not just on the outside, but on the inside. Our response to God's call and fulfillment is sometimes a disruption to the daily inclination to achieve my will, my work, even in some cases, to get people to pay attention to me. Dare say, even to get people to worship me. Now, of course, officially, I would never say you should worship Me. Don't worship me. It's not about me.

 [__09__]      But do I really direct the praise towards God and others when it comes my way? Am I really that truly humble player at the end of the game who directs the praise towards his teammates, towards his coaches, towards other people, or do I try to soak up the praise for myself, for example, for example, in a little ways I am guilty of, for example, rereading an email or a text that I thought was particularly cleverly written. It doesn't get me anywhere to reread a text I've already written, but I gained some and if I gain some praise or popularity along the way, am I really willing to turn away and say no after all? I'm not really opposed to my will being done on earth or at least done, at least in my neighborhood.

[__10__]        Mary and Elizabeth give us the model to follow, to put God first, service to the neighbor first, and even to allow themselves not to be easily recognized. He must increase and we must decrease. The good news of Jesus Christ will extend, extend this further. Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you, rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Do you need an interruption to pay attention to our Savior? Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you. I pray God will give you what you need this Christmas.