On this Sunday of the Epiphany of the Lord, we hear about gifts in the Gospel reading. The image of ‘gift’ is an appropriate one since today we acknowledge and celebrate the gift of God’s saving grace offered to everyone in the birth of His Son Jesus.
Is there such a thing as the perfect family? Mine is not, is yours? What would it mean to be the “perfect family”?
Today’s feast makes clear that holy families are human families, with gifts and challenges. Love contains joy and wonder, but also pain and struggle. But families are and should be our schools of love and holiness.
The grace of Christmas is Christ himself. Jesus is the radiant “day” which has dawned on the horizon of humanity. A day of mercy, in which God our Father has revealed His great tenderness to the entire world. A day of light, which dispels the darkness of fear and anxiety. A day of peace, which makes for encounter, dialogue and, above all, reconciliation. A day of joy: a “great joy” for the poor, the lowly, and for all the people (cf. Lk 2:10).
A few weeks ago, we celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time with our second grade students. As an example to their children, many of their parents received the Sacrament with them as well. Similar nerves were with many of the parents, but many tears were also shed. As adults, we often forget the need to be reconciled to God through the Church and the beautiful sacrament of confessing and being absolved. Rather than thinking of this as a joyful experience, it is often approached with fear and trepidation.
During the Advent season, we are afforded several examples of people in the history of the Church who serve as great examples of how we can prepare for the coming of Christ. The Blessed Mother is an ideal example of someone who obviously was ready to say "yes" to God’s will. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary that we celebrate on Monday, (not a holy Day of Obligation this year) celebrates Mary being conceived in her mother's womb.
The great spiritual writer, Thomas Merton, once wrote that “the Advent mystery … is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ”. As this new liturgical year begins, we are invited once again, to examine our lives and reflect on how we might become more and more Christ-like and selfless. The color purple or violet we see in our churches is a reminder that we need to repent and strive for this change in our spiritual and ordinary lives by being more focused on serving God and others.
It’s the end of the year for us Catholics as we celebrate the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This has to do with an aspect of Jesus’ identity rather than of his life. Conventional understandings of kingship and power are transformed. Rather than calling up images of Jesus dressed in royal robes, the Gospel proclaims him as king by the sign over his head on the throne of a wooden cross (I.N.R.I. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
As cremation rates steadily increase, families are waiting weeks, months and even years before interring their loved one’s remains, or not even doing so at all. Some wait as they hope for a more ‘meaningful’ celebration, by waiting for a particular time of year, a date with special meaning, or a time when all family can be together. Others postpone because of indecision, financial issues, family disputes or a desire to keep the remains of the deceased nearby.
In July 2007, Dcn. Ralph Poyo launched New Evangelization Ministeries (NEM), and set out to begin the work of evangelization. Having a fundamental understanding of evangelization, he began to serve parishes. In his efforts to assist their varied needs and paradigms, it didn’t take long to realize that more knowledge and refined methods were needed. In other words, he had to continue in his ministry, but it was also a time for growing in knowledge and understanding. In the Spring of 2010, Dcn. Ralph set out to articulate what he has learned thus far.
Every year, people and well-meaning Christians seem to question how Halloween is celebrated and what their ideal response should be. It is difficult at times for Christians to appreciate that there is important value in mockery of evil - or even that it is mockery and not participation in it. Halloween is a holiday Catholics should embrace in its original form so a little history lesson is needed.