Is it over yet? Are the carols gone from the air waves? Have the stores dismantled their decorations? Has Christmas been put away to make room for Valentine’s Day? It always happens so fast. We waited and waited for Christmas, and then it came and went in a flash. But it did not happen like [...]
At Christmas we turn our attention to an only Son and a young life. Our gospel today brings us up a bit short! For John, “in the beginning” is not measured in human terms; it is a much longer term, back to creation, before time. There the Word already had divine life and was already [...]
Jesus’ birth is foretold in this gospel where Gabriel comes to Mary and announces that within her she has the king that Israel has long awaited. To have found favor with God surprises Mary, a woman with none of the qualities valued in her society. She was female, young, poor, and didn’t even have a [...]
When my nephew was five, he was visiting with my mother shortly before Christmas. Grandma asked him what Santa would bring him. His answer was a long list of the latest toys, but he ended with a surprise! With all the simplicity and honesty of a child, Jason spread out his arms in resignation and [...]
Have you been out to see the Christmas lights yet? It is time for the annual excursion, when you pack the car with people on a chilly December evening, and drive around to all the neighborhoods and parks made beautiful by cities or neighborhood associations with lights, lights, and more lights, in a variety of [...]
