December 26, 2021

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

• Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
• Colossians 3:12-21
• Luke 2:41-52

Reflection Written By: George Stein, RCIA Catechist

I am surprised, and perhaps you are also, that, on this feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the gospel is about a family road trip gone bad—but, spoiler alert, in the end, disaster is avoided. 

This is the one episode Scripture preserves and passes on to us about Jesus’ childhood. It is the only story about the Holy Family after their return from self-exile in Egypt to avoid being caught up in a massacre by government officials of young first-born sons.

This journey to the Passover festival was a yearly event for Mary and Joseph who were observant Jews. It was a pilgrimage from their home in Nazareth to the temple in Jerusalem, the home of God, where God dwells among his people (Lv 26:11; Ezek 37: 27), to celebrate the Passover which led to the Israelites liberation from the oppression they suffered at the hands of the Egyptians. This year they took their twelve year old son, Jesus.

The journey was about 91 miles, about a thirty-hour trek, necessarily spread out over four to seven days. The pilgrims banded together for their own safety to avoid attacks from bandits and ne’er-do-wells. As they made their way it was customary for the pilgrims to cluster with friends. Jesus no doubt hung with his pre-teen friends, only joining up with his parents for meals and the night.

The festival lasted three days. Having met their religious obligations and thinking Jesus was with his friends in this large group of pilgrims returning to their hometowns, Mary and Joseph made their dusty way north. Only when Jesus did not show up for supper did the two become anxious. After searching for their son among the travelers they realized that Jesus was not with them. Mary and Joseph retraced their steps the next day and walked a full twenty to twenty-five miles back south to Jerusalem. There, in the holy city, where God dwells, they searched for Jesus for a full three days.

I remember to this day an episode of losing my ten year old son while on a shopping trip to Sears. My wife and I passed through many departments as we searched for our desired items. Our four children were in tow. When we were finished with our buying we were collecting our children to leave when we could not find our ten year old, Michael. My wife and I were filled with panic, our anxiety ran high, thoughts of disastrous outcomes came over us. Questions. So many questions. Was he hurt? Was he lost in this big-box store? Had he wandered off, attracted by some object or person? Had he been kidnapped? Abducted? We were kicking ourselves for not being more vigilant, for being poor parents. We searched and searched, until we found him, on a different floor, happily sitting atop a red tractor turning the steering wheel this way and that. We were relieved, but then put the question to him as Mary had to Jesus: “Why did you do this to us?” What were you thinking? 

Both incidents resolved themselves satisfactorily. Jesus went home with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them, growing in wisdom, age and favor before God and man. Michael went home with his parents—without a big red tractor—and has also grown in wisdom, age and favor before God and man.

Questions for reflection:

• What does today’s scripture say to us about being family? about being a holy family?
• When we seek Jesus, where do we look for him? Where do we find him?
• When we don’t understand the words of Jesus, do we ponder them in our hearts—like Mary?
• Is your family advancing “in wisdom and age and favor before God and man”?

December 25, 2021

Christmas

• Isaiah 52:7-10
• Hebrew 1:1-6
• John 1:1-18

Reflection and Art by: Katy Callaghan Huston, MAPS

Mr. Scrooge exclaims these words in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol toward the end of the visit by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. This is Scrooge’s moment of conversion: of turning from the sad regrets of his past, of recognizing his anger and self-righteousness in his present and then coming to see, first with fear, and then with hope, what the future could be.

Some years ago, we went with a close friend to ACT’s production of Dicken’s Christmas classic. And that year that same friend gave us a small reproduction of a nativity scene carved in stone. I put it on the bookshelf in our dining room and enjoyed looking at it throughout the Christmas Season. As I was putting away the decorations later, I unconsciously left that small carving where it had been for a month or so. And Dicken’s words came back to me: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.” And that carving it has stayed on that shelf for the past 20 years or so.

In 1991, Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli published a book that changed our approach to this time of year: Unplug the Christmas Machine, a Complete Guide To Putting Love And Warmth Back Into The Season.

The book is still available and I recommend it highly for the very reason stated in the sub-title above. After reading and discussing it, Ed and I decided that we would make more of an effort to reduce holiday stress. And here is the key: Christmas is one day in the year. And it is a Holy Day. So, we looked at what was most important. Christmas Mass, of course, and focusing our day on that “Holy” part: music and a calm peaceful atmosphere. OK, OK. It is just the two of us. We don’t have kids and most of our families are either physically or spiritually out of the area! We agreed with each family that we would make Christmas phone calls, but we would “stand down” on all the gift buying. That kept us from getting caught up in Christmas shopping in October. We all agreed that we had enough “stuff” and our money would be better spent on those in need. We do a little seasonal decorating—with lots of candles to light this dark season. And we make sure to spend time together, making memories.

Some years we do get together with friends and enjoy the hubbub of children and feasting, but that is only part of the day. Weather permitting, we go for a morning walk. And our evening is always spent at home in quiet reflection.

We have also formed the habit of making our annual donations to charity during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That practice helps us to carry on with living the Spirit of Christmas through the year.

Reflection Questions:

• Discuss what it means to “Honor Christmas and keep it in your heart all the year”.
• What are some ways you can “unplug the Christmas Machine” even if you have a huge family and a ton of friends?
• How can you adjust your Christmas budget to give more to those in need?

December 19, 2021

Fourth Sunday of Advent

• Micha 5:1-4a
• Hebrews 10:5-10
• Luke 1:39-45

Reflection Written By: Gayle Sommerfeld

In this week’s reading from Luke, Mary leaves her home in Nazareth for a long journey to the hill country, inspired by the words of the angel, believing in the gift she already is bearing.  We find ourselves in situations that are beyond our previous experience, strange, new, and sometimes leaving us feeling like strangers in our own lives. I wonder if that’s exactly how Mary feels when she encounters the angel, Gabriel. I imagine a first-time pregnancy is like this, even more so when you are young, haven’t yet slept with a man and have recently been visited by an angel with such incredible news.

This passage in Luke is known as the Visitation. Mary spends three months with Elizabeth (Luke 1: 56). Luke doesn’t say anything about their visit. He gives no information about what they did, spoke about, or how they spent time together. Instead, Luke’s focus seems to be on the greetings and the encounter that take place. It seems to be much more than a simple hug or a “hello.” It is very much a eucharistic celebration.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: “the first Eucharist was such: Mary’s offering of her Son in her, in whom he had set up the first altar. Mary, the only one who could affirm with absolute confidence, ‘this is my body’, from that first moment offered her own body, her strength, all her being, to form the Body of Christ.” Mary welcomed Jesus into her life, then shared what she had received, first with Elizabeth and then with all of us.

Mary hears from one who loves her, Elizabeth, the new title she is to bear: “The mother of my Lord”. It is Elizabeth’s love for Mary, and the Holy Spirit, which allows her to recognize Mary’s holiness, though Mary has not come to know it yet. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth recognizes and greets more than her younger cousin. She embraces the divinity carried inside Mary. Elizabeth greets salvation. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, John leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, the unborn prophet greeting the unborn Messiah. And the reaction of all is one of joy and expectation.

In many ways our own lives are a series of greetings and encounters. Every day we greet one another – family, friends, colleagues, strangers, enemies, and those in need. Every day we greet the joys, sorrows, successes, disappointments, losses, struggles, the mundane and the exciting in our lives. Even in the middle of a pandemic, every greeting is pregnant with new life and possibilities for love, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, joy, beauty, wholeness, and holiness. Our lives are pregnant with salvation. God gives Himself to us, even in the middle of our darkest situations, and as He gives Himself to us, He gives us joy.

For the last three weeks, I have been trying to prepare myself for the coming of God in our midst. And wow, Advent is going by so quickly. It is so easy to wander off into lifeless times of my own making, where I am busy and unfocused, and prayer seems like just another task to cross off my “to do” list. Where did joy go in all of this? We put joy into practice by sharing with those in need, by acting with compassion and generosity. Can we make time for the God who loves us more than our wildest imaginings? How can love and gratitude be more present in us, not just this week but always? May we be present to the love that is so deep we know it in our very bones.

Questions for Reflection:

• In what ways might you show God’s light to others this week? What would help increase your sense of the Holy, not just at this special time but year-round? How might you refocus on what is important?
• Who and what gives you joy? When was the last time you felt real joy? What keeps you from joy? Are you ready and willing to seek it?
• Put the cellphone and electronics away for a day. Have some tea or chocolate. Make some art. Listen, see, get in touch with who and what is around you. Be present.

December 12, 2021

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

• Zephaniah 3:14-18a
• Philippians 4:4-7
• Luke 3:10-18

Reflection written by: Janet Ann McDermott, MTS

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again, I say: Rejoice!”

“Rejoice”!  On this third week of Advent Scripture invites us, the people of God, to “cry out with joy and gladness!”. What are we being called to celebrate?  This weekend’s psalm reading declares to us: “among you is the great and Holy One of Israel”.

Earlier this week we celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The Church pays homage to Mary, the beautiful vessel, who brought the Savior to the earth, to us. The scriptures for that day remind the faithful of that time-changing event when Mary agreed to become the mother of Messiah, the Promised One, “the Holy One of Israel” referred to above.  Advent is a time for remembering.  It reminds the community that we have so much to be joyful for. Rejoice!!

For me, the Third Week of Advent is a reminder that the coming of the Christ was anticipated – promised – over a very long time – a very, very long time, really, from Creation itself.  Yet here we are this weekend, listening to the stories, hearing the promises, from the perspective of ones who celebrate that the man Jesus did indeed come.  Our faith tells us that Jesus is the One Promised.  

Through this weekend’s scriptural readings, we witness once again John the Baptist, the final prophet, the herald, shouting to the people about the incredible reality that was already among them.  John knew the Holy One, the one who is mightier than John himself.  He declared to his followers that that One would inspire awe and gratitude, would bring Spirit and fire.  The way that John tried to advise his followers, I find quite interesting:  This is how to prepare for that coming.  Clean up your act, do good, be fair towards one another. (Isn’t that what Jesus said as well?)  The Messiah’s rule will be a time of justice and goodness.  The Messiah would know his own, the rest will be thrown into the fire.

So. Here we are, two thousand plus years later.  What, since the act of Creation, since the coming of the Messiah, has changed? Changed for us?

Jesus, the Son of God, came to live among us. 

Jesus has become one of us!  With the coming of Jesus, we know that we are not alone.  Jesus over and over told us “Behold, I am with you”.  We have been called to follow the Messiah and continue His work: to do good, to be fair towards others, to love others as Jesus himself loves us.  It is that partnership with Jesus that, when believed and lived, is the cause of our rejoicing.  We have been given a partnership in His work of salvation!  We are no longer waiting!  Advent reminds me that it was not always so, that it is such a grace to be blessed by the coming of God into our very existence, breathing our air, loving children and plants and animals, and “little old ladies” like myself.

How do we live this out, this salvation partnership?  It is Mary who sets the example for us: Let it be done according to thy word – “yes”.  “Yes” to all the strange circumstances of our lives.  “Yes” to the joys which arise from being a member of a community of believers.  “Yes” to the ways we can prepare the way of the Lord for others.  As a recent Sunday homilist reminded us, we are called to clear the path, to make it easier for others to find the Lord.  Like John the Baptist did, like the Saints (proclaimed and unknown) did, like the good people all around us do.

So, let us, then, rejoice and be glad.  We are not alone, God is with us, it is God’s work which we, as God’s people, are called, enabled, and blessed to do.  During this annual Advent season, we are reminded to throw off our old ways and to begin again.  Together as God’s people we say,

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again, I say: Rejoice!”

Thoughts for consideration

• The work of salvation continues, have I really understood what that means in my life?
• Jesus remains among us in many ways.  Can I recall an instance when I have had first-hand experience of that?
• Advent is a time of remembering and waiting.  What is God drawing me toward during this holy season?