SOLEMNITY OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
As you may recall, I was the chancellor of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem before I was assigned here in 2011. In that previous position, I had the privilege of working with this international Catholic organization that supports the Christians living in the Holy Land, most particularly in the West Bank and Gaza. We would raise approximately $10 million annually to support parishes, schools, orphanages and hospitals operating in the West Bank and Gaza. This support was essential for the Christians who are trapped there due […]
CHRISTMAS
Have you ever noticed that we human beings have a seemingly infinite capacity to complicate things? It’s like we have a built-in aversion to the simple. We often take the simplest situation and we make it a complicated affair. As they say, we make mountains out of molehills. And, when we do, we often miss the real point. But, when you get the heart of it, often the greatest experiences of life, and the greatest insights, have a way of turning out to be very simple. Take Christmas, for example. […]
CHRISTMAS EVE VIGIL
It is so good to see all of you here this evening, on this the most holy of all nights. And, so many of you are here as families, parents, grandparents and children. So, you all remember the moment when it was time to name your child. It was an exciting time, to be sure. We just had this in our family as one of my nephews and his wife were preparing to give birth. They kept the name secret; we didn’t learn his name until he was born. And, […]
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
I hope you like our nativity display here in front of the altar. It really is splendid and I thank all of you who contributed to our Christmas flowers special collection and those who helped to put it up on Friday. You will notice, however, that the central figure – the infant Jesus – is missing from the manger; he won’t arrive until Christmas and we’re still in Advent for a few more hours. And so, like in the Wizard of Oz, I say, “Pay no attention to the man […]
ADVENT ENDS AND CHRISTMAS BEGINS
It’s not very often that we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent one day and Christmas the next. The last time this occurred was six years ago in 2017 and it won’t happen again until 2028. As I have heard from so many, it seems that Christmas has come much sooner, even though it’s on the 25th of December, as it is every year. As we end the Advent Season and jump right into Christmas, allow me to reflect on the significance this time has for all of us.
Last Sunday, […]
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
Rejoice always! Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. We wear rose vestments and light the rose candle on the Advent wreath. Unlike the purple vestments and dark purple candles, which call us to repentance, the rose candle and rose vestments invite us to have a lightness, a joyful spirit as the end of Advent approaches and the celebration of Christmas draws near. Christmas one week and one day away; are you ready? The word, “Gaudete” is Latin for “rejoice” and, in today’s second reading, we hear St. Paul exhort the […]