Kings and presidents. We just celebrated one and soon will inaugurate another. Epiphany manifests the long awaited Messiah and King. January 20th points to a new political administration for our country. Time for a little history.
Years ago, a king’s servant would fold his hands and place them in the hands of the king. The king would pledge his protection of the servant if the servant would pledge to protect the king.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
It’s my joy to wish you and your loved ones every blessing of Christmas and of this holiday season — blessings which will extend throughout the new year.
It’s a joyful time for all of us, even those of us who might be, for one or another reason, hurting. We are not dispensed from the call to be joyful at Christmas, because Christ our Savior is born, and He is the only true source of our hope and of light for our life.
Many of you know that my current priority focus is on our Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, of which I’ve now taken on personally the role of Director.
There has been little doubt for me, since even before I was ordained a priest, that we have, as a Catholic Church, been seriously lacking in our understanding of and teaching about the faith, for some time. With a string of recent events, it has been made even more clear than before that many of our truly faithful people are overdue for receiving a continually better catechesis than has been previously offered them. There is much work to be done in this area as a whole, and we priests and religious have a good many lay men and women ready and willing to collaborate in this area — though we need more!
This column is adapted from Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s homily at St. Patrick Church, Sunday, Dec. 14.
On the Second Sunday of Advent, we heard about John the Baptist as “a voice crying out in the desert” and we hear it again in this past Sunday’s readings. And we heard, during that second week of Advent, about our Blessed Mother. We heard how this woman who was clothed with the sun, the model of the Church, was sent into the desert, where a place had been prepared for her; the desert meaning, briefly, tough times.
A poll of Americans came out this past Sunday morning saying that 2008, largely for reasons of the economy, has been the worst year within their memory. The poll, in our terms, says that, largely because of the economy, 2008 has been, for most Americans, a desert. Those poll results surprise no one.
Christmas stories. I have one for you. It’s about Mary. Wearing a baggy dress and a saggy sweater, she would enjoy an ice cream sandwich at the summer county fair just like the rest of us.
That’s where I would see her each year when I was growing up. She looked old and lonely, but obviously had not lost her taste for the sweet treats in life. Other than that, Mary was a mystery to me until one Christmas many years ago.
I think I may have become a news junkie. Maybe it is an act of rebellion because I see so many people my age getting out of touch with things. It’s almost as if they are saying, “Stop the world; I want to get off!”
I saw it 30 years ago with my mother-in-law, an intelligent, well-read woman, and now I see it in some members of the senior residence where I visit daily. It makes me want all the more to stay tuned in and in touch.
So I read two daily newspapers, two weekly Catholic diocesan papers, a weekly news magazine from cover to cover, and two monthly Catholic magazines. The reading helps bring focus and detail to the dozens of newscasts I see on TV.
Editor’s note: The following column is taken from bishop’s homily of the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, 2008.
We say to the Lord, at the beginning of this Advent, “Come Lord Jesus; do not delay! Stir up your power Lord and come to save us. Do not delay!” And when we pray that powerful prayer, we believe that it will be answered. And yet, we know that the coming of Jesus at the end of history, at the end of this world as we know it, may not be next week or next month. That return of the Lord is probably going to be delayed . . . at least we think so . . .
One argument that is often made to justify destroying human embryos begins like this:
Suppose there is a fire in a fertility clinic. You are the only adult present, and there is a newborn baby and a tank of liquid nitrogen with 5,000 frozen embryos in the clinic. You can save only one of them before the place burns down — which would you choose?
When it comes to Christmas presence this year, no shopping is required. Body and blood, soul and divinity, the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist remains the real gift of Christmas.
We celebrate the gift of the incarnation of the Word of God all year long in the Catholic Church. However, our turbulent economy and times, this year, are signaling a Christmas where presents will be fewer and peoples’ needs will be greater.
Even so, just like all the times before, there will be abundant Christmas presence for everyone.
Now begins the sending and receiving of greeting cards by the hundreds of thousands. May you enjoy both, especially the messages going and coming to and from your family and friends and all.
Basically, even though you and I do not wear any postage, we might think of ourselves as a greeting all year round. That is because every time a Mass ends, we are sent to our families, friends, and all with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
