Epiphany

 

Epiphany means manifestation. What the Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him.

We know little about the Magi. They come from the East and journey to Bethlehem, following an astrological sign, so we believe them to be astrologers. We assume that there were three Magi based upon the naming of their three gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh. Tradition holds that they were known by the names Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. The Gospel does not say how many Magi paid homage to Jesus. In Matthew’s Gospel, they represent the Gentiles’ search for a savior. Because the Magi represent the entire world, they also represent our search for Jesus.

We often sing one of my favorite Christmas carols today – We Three Kings

We three kings of Orient are bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still  proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, gold I bring to crown him again, King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.

Frankincense to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, voices raising, worshiping God on high.

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice: Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies.

Perhaps today is a good day to spends some time reflecting on the many ways Jesus is made manifest in our daily lives.

Feast of the Holy Family

Today is the feast day of the Holy Family, but also every family's feast day since the Holy Family is the patron and model of all Christian families. Today should be a huge family feast, since it is devoted entirely to the Holy Family as a model for the Christian family life. Luke is the only one who recounts this story at the conclusion of his Infancy Narrative.

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are presented in this Gospel as a faithful Jewish family. They are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, an event shared each year with family and friends. Jesus is separated from his parents, and they trust that Jesus is with other family members. When the realize Jesus is not with them, they return looking for Him. When Jesus is found, Luke describes him as seated in the Temple amid the Jewish teachers. Jesus astounds them with his insight and understanding. Jesus is a child of Israel.

The conversation between Mary and Jesus is one that mirrors many family situations when a child is lost. Anxiety, fear, concern, all come into play. Jesus’ response to Mary can be seen as disrespectful. Jesus returned with Mary and Joseph and grew in wisdom and knowledge. May this Feast of the Holy Family be filled with many blessings for all.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

 It is hard to believe that it is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent flew by this year. In our Gospel today we are invited to spend time with Mary as she visits her elderly cousin Elizabeth.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Luke 1: 39 - 45

Mary visits Elizabeth out of her generosity of spirit. Her kindness is recognized by Elizabeth and they are both filled with joy. As Elizabeth rejoiced in Mary's visit we too are invited to spend time with Mary and share with her our joys, sorrows, questions and love. May these days before Christmas give us the opportunity to spend time with Mary in prayer as we embrace the birth of Christ in our hearts.

Gaudete Sunday

 

This Sunday we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. It is a time to celebrate the hope that Christmas will bring to us in a little more than one week. Our readings today give us a sense of hope and joy.

I was reminded of a poem by Emily Dickinson about hope. It reminds me of what we are called to each day – to be people of hope and joy. May this poem rekindle the notion that joy will always win out in the end.

Hope is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

 

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

Second Sunday of Advent

Today we celebrated the Second Sunday of Advent by remembering our five Sisters and two Associates who passed away during 2024.  Each of these women faithfully served God's people. We honored educators, missionaries, advocates for justice, a nurse, and a finance person. This celebration is held annually during Advent. As each women's name was called a single rose was brought up in her honor and it was placed in a vase infront of the statue of Our Lady.

The Memorial Acclamation we used today was the refrain from Marty Haugen's, We Remember. "We remember how you loved us to your death, and still we celebrate, for you are with us here; and we believe that we will see you when you come in your glory, Lord. We remember, we cele-rate, we believe." These words spoke to me deeply today as we remembered their love, celebrated their lives, and believed that they will remain in our hearts forever.

After the Liturgy ended we continued the celebration with a festive luncheon where we shared memories and stories of our loved ones. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent.

First Sunday of Advent

It is so hard to believe that it is the First Sunday of Advent already! Just the other day we were celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Some of us are still dining on the left overs and relishing time with family and friends. 

As we begin this Advent season we are called to "stay awake, to be ready." I was thinking about how many times I have fallen asleep during my prayer time or a homily at Mass. Falling asleep does not make us bad as it is part of the human condition. There are times when we just are not able to keep our eyes open.

Today we light the first candle of the Advent wreath and enter the season of advent. Advent is an invitation to hope,  to wait and receive the gifts of peace and joy. May we grow during this holy season as we await the birth of our Savior. As we begin the Advent journey may we embrace the season as one of preparation and ready our hearts to receive once again the gift of Christ at Christmas.

Gratitude

It is hard to believe that we will once again celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday. As I was praying this week I was struck by Joyce Rupp’s Litany of Generosity. It spoke to me of all that Thanksgiving is all about. May we have hearts full of gratitude and love as we approach this holiday. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Spiritual Practice by Joyce Rupp

(Response to each: Gracious God, give us generous hearts.)

— to share whatever gift it is that you have given to us. . .

— to acknowledge you as the giver of all good gifts. . .

— to give without counting the cost. . .

— to share without expecting something in return. . .

— to be wise in the way of caring for ourselves and others. . .

— to hold all of our treasures and values with open hands. . .

— to have gospel priorities and to align our life, love and time in their light. . .

— to be gracious and unbegrudging in our giving. . .

— to recognize the abundance of blessings in each passing day. . .

— to know the freedom that comes with true generosity. . .

— to experience the heart of the widow giving her mite. . .

— to accept our talents, whether many or few, and to use them in service of the Kingdom. . .

— to grow in giving thanks for everything. . .

— to be happy with having what we need and to be wise enough to know what it is that we want and do not need. . .

— to fall more deeply in love with the God of all generosity so that our hearts are strong enough to give away freely whatever is asked. . .

O gracious God, who so generously lavishes our lives with goodness, create in our hearts a deep center of gratitude, a center that grows so strong in its thanksgiving that sharing freely of our treasures becomes the norm and the pattern of our existence. Remind us often of how much you cherish us, of how abundantly you have offered gifts to us, especially in the hours of our greatest need. May we always be grateful for your reaching into our lives with surprises of joy, growth, and unearned love. Amen.

— Joyce Rupp in Fresh Bread and Other Stories of Spiritual Nourishment