Last Sunday, we heard of the shepherds who visited the newborn son of Mary in the obscure village of Bethlehem.  Today, we hear of the magi who come from afar to pay him homage.  These familiar biblical Christmas stories that we hear during this holy season provide important lessons for us.  They do so through the many unexpected events and characters.  They hardly seem fit for a king, much less a god.  It all begins with a poor young virgin who cannot possibly be with child, yet she indeed conceives […]

MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

“The Lord bless and keep you!  The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!  The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”  What better way to begin the New Year than with this blessing? As we begin a New Year, we are all looking for God’s blessings on us and our world, the peace that only he can give us in the midst of the turmoil of this world.  As we leave behind a year filled with wild […]

Once again, let me wish all of you a Merry Christmas.  We can say that here because that’s exactly what we’re doing.  Have you ever wondered what the word “Christmas” means?  The word dates back to at least 1038, originating from the Old English phrase, “Cristes Maesse.  It means “Christ’s Mass.”  Today, we often use the terms “Eucharistic Celebration” or “Sacred Liturgy” to speak of the Mass.  As you know, “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving,” and every time we gather around our Lord’s Table, we give thanks to God for the great […]

Once again, let me wish all of you a very blessed Christmas!  We gather this evening to celebrate a momentous event in human history: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Although he was born more than 2,000 years ago, his birth impacts each of our lives directly today.  As we will all acknowledge in just a few moments, he is the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world.  As we have heard throughout this Advent season, he is Emmanuel, God with […]