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The Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph are put before us by the Church this weekend as a model for our families. We call them the ‘holy family’ but that does not mean that they did not have problems. Just as every family has to face problems and overcome them, or to put it another way, has to carry a cross, so also the holy family had to carry crosses. Their many crosses come to mind from reading the Scriptures. We can easily imagine how misunderstood both Mary a

The readings for this Sunday are an immediate preparation for Christmas. We come upon Joseph. A very disappointed Joseph. The beautiful young girl he would soon take into his home was pregnant. His life was falling apart around him. What was Joseph thinking? Would he have forgiven Mary a supposed indiscretion if she were not pregnant? But she was pregnant. The child was ruining everything. And then the angel came in the dream and told him that the child will make all things w

The preparations for what we have turned Christmas into bring so much stress that we forget what Christmas really is. Yes, we all know we want to keep Christ in Christmas, but the steps needed to summon up what we think are the necessary feelings and emotions have overshadowed the meaning of the feast. The prescribed Christmas feelings of love, joy and peace cannot flow from the solid month of stress, which is December. So, what are we to do? Well, that is precisely what Adve

Today’s feast proclaims him “Christ, King of the Universe” – king not of a single nation, not even of the whole earth, but king of the universe, king of the countless worlds, even of those that we haven’t yet discovered! It assumes he has an infinite power, unmatched by any human standard! And yet – today’s Gospel presents the scene of his proclamation as the King of Jews, which is far from this image of power and might! He is in fact powerless! He cannot even defend himself!