Holy Family

Merry Christmas!. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we also remember the Blessed Mother and St Joseph, the Holy Family. Many Catholics used to place JMJ on their assignments when in school, which stands for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It was with great joy that we honor the Mother of our Lord and the foster father, St Joseph. They lived fully the tenets of what a family is supposed to be. St Joseph was asked by God to be a guardian for His Son, and St Joseph raised Jesus, teaching Him about the Law and the prophets, taking Him to the Temple and loving His Mother. St Joseph lived his fatherhood as a chaste man, someone who sacrificed in order to honor and cherish the Mother of God. And Mary, as weknow from her Magnificat in the Gospel of Luke, lived her motherhood with the joy and the sorrow of knowing that her Son is destined to be the downfall of many nations, as St Simeon prophesied to her.

We ask for their intercession that our families today would understand the essence of sacrifice, as well as the essence of chastity. And this chastity does not begin only at the exchange of vows. Let us ask the Holy Family that our young people would understand the essence of chastity before marriage. It is no coincidence that with an increase in promiscuity and cohabitation, that divorce is on the increase, sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase, abortion is on the increase, and adultery is on the increase. And it is not only the husband who is guilty of adultery. There is an increase in adultery by the wives as well. Our families are being torn apart because men and women have no idea how to be chaste and how to sacrifice for the happiness of the other. There must be mutual love and respect, gentleness and kindness, and a love for purity and chastity, which, far too often, does not exist in the hearts of our husbands and wives.

St Joseph, you are the model of purity for men. We pray through your intercession that our men would be good husbands and providers. Mary, ever Virgin, you are the model of purity for women. We pray through your intercession that our women would be examples of purity and holiness.

Joseph's Lullaby

Mercy Me has a beautiful Christmas song, called Joseph's Lullaby, which takes the viewpoint of St Joseph as he holds his newborn Son in his arms. St Joseph seems to be the forgotten man during the season, as even our postage stamps have picture sof the Blessed Mother with Jesus, but Joseph was given a great privilege to be the foster father of God's Son, Jesus Christ. You can imagine what must have been going throough his mind as he held Jesus in his arms, and as he watched with love in his eyes how Mary held her Son in her arms as well. Mercy Me captures this in their Christmas song, and it is worth downloading to listen and contemplate on the words put in the mouth of St Joseph. If only our fathers today would be more like St Joseph, a pure, chaste spouse of the Blessed Mother.

reputation

It seems that people have no problem destroying the reputation of others, including those who used to be friends. Why is it that we feel free to air dirty laundry and frustration about friends with others, in effect destroying their reputation? If you have a problem with another person, then why don't you go to that person and talk with him or her rather than join in the sin of detraction or defamation with others. It all comes down to how we handle conflict, and frankly, many people, including those who call themselves committed Catholics, fail in handling conflict. It is very disappointing to find that some people have no problem throwing away friendships because of misunderstanding, a misunderstanding that could probably be cleared up with some honest talk. But even if you have no desire to reconcile, there can be NO EXCUSE for sharing in the sin of destroying another's reputation. During this Christmas season, let us search our hearts and find if we have failed in this area and seek out confession.

Advent

We have just celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and now we are really moving quickly to the Christmas season. Advcent is this time of preparing for the birth of our Savior. There are many ways to prepare, of course. But the most important way is to approach the sacrament of Confession. Afterall, Christmas is about Christ, and the baby Jesus, laying in a manger, points the way to the day when he will be food for your souls. To truly receive the graces and blessings of our Lord in Holy Communion, a soul purified and cleansed through confession will allow you to experience a closeness with God as you receive communion. Ask the Blessed Mother to pray for you that you may find a good confessor and that you may unburden yourself of any attachment to sin and to free you from any mortal and venial sins you may have committed. Mary always points the way to her Son.

Jesus Christ: The Answer?

The Prophet Isaiah mentions that when peace comes to Mount Zion, then the lion will lay down with the lamb and the wolf with the kid. It is the peace of Jesus Christ that brings to fulfillment this vision of all the countries living in peace. Yet, today we see so many countries at war with each other. We see even Christians fighting with other Christians. What happened? Why do we fight and spread hate when we claim to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? And with four billion people on this earth rejecting Jesus Christ outright and following other religions or no religion at all, it begs the question whether there is any relevence to be being a Christian. Of course, I believe that answer to be a yes. There is no other name in heaven or on earth that will save us. Jesus is the way to the Father. And for countries to live in peace, for Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Lybia, Syria, Israel, and all the countries of Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa, then this peace will come only when we all turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, and live by his teachings, and seek the will of the Father in our lives.