Today we conclude the Christmas season with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In the gospels, this marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. Today’s feast is an appropriate day to recall our own baptism in which we were given a share in divine life and made members of the Body of Christ, the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches us:   
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Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives us access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (CCC, #1213, quoting the Council of Florence)

     Let me recommend that if you do not already know it, search out the date and place of your baptism. Who was the priest or deacon who baptized you and where were you baptized? Who were your godparents, if any? I always make it a point to observe the day of my baptism as a special day of prayer and gratitude and to give thanks for my parents, the priest who administered the sacrament and my godparents. My godfather, my Uncle Bill, is still living.

The Rite of Baptism is particularly rich in both its wording and symbolism. Of course, water is an especially powerful symbol with multiple levels, symbolizing the gift of divine life, the gift of divine cleansing, and the working of God’s power to shape us into conformity with Christ. Early in the ceremony of the baptism of children the person to be baptized is signed with another great symbol, the cross. As the minister and then the parents and godparents trace the cross on the forehead of the one to be baptized, the prayer accompanying this signing says “…the Church of God receives you with great joy. In her name I sign you with the Sign of the Cross of Christ our Savior.” Among the intercessions in the ritual, we pray that God will lead those to be baptized “through holiness of life to the joys of the heavenly Kingdom.” In the first anointing before baptism the priest or deacon prays, “May the strength of Christ the Savior protect you.” The prayer accompanying the post-baptismal anointing proclaims:

     Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has freed you from sin, given you new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and joined you to his people. He now anoints you with the Chrism of salvation, so that you may remain members of Christ, Priest, Prophet and King.

The prayer accompanying the presentation of the baptismal garment proclaims, “…you have become a new creation and have clothed yourself in Christ. May this white garment be a sign to you of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring it unstained into eternal life.”

Today, let us indeed give thanks for our Christian identity and dignity as the baptized daughters and sons of a loving God. May we indeed move forward by holiness of life, signed and led by the cross, strengthened by the Lord, living always as members of God’s holy people on the road to eternal life.

Jesus, “beloved Son” in whom the Father is “well pleased,” embrace us with your love. Holy Mary, our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

Merry Christmas! But let me go farther. The word “merry” is indeed a great one. It means cheerful, lively, exciting, a time full of merriment. But while Christmas should indeed be merry, isn’t Christmas much, much, much more than that? Truly, “Merry” does not do justice to the mystery of faith we celebrate. And so, I wish you a Joyous Christmas – full of the deep powerful joy, fulfillment and peace that comes from God. I wish you a Wonderful Christmas – in which that child-like sense of wonder and awe is awakened within us and we stand astonished before the amazing love of God. I wish you a Blessed Christmas – for indeed the Birth of Jesus blesses us in ways we could never have imagined.   

The wonder of Christmas is of such beauty and importance that in the Church’s liturgy it unfolds over a period of twelve days. Today, the Fifth Day of Christmas, is also the Feast of the Holy Family. 

Think for the moment of Jesus growing up, first in exile as immigrants in the strange land of Egypt where his parents fled to save him from Herod, and later in the home at Nazareth. Mary and Joseph changed his diapers, taught him to walk and talk, taught him the prayers precious to them as good Jews. As he grew, Jesus had chores to do. He played with the neighboring children and certainly must have fallen and skinned his knees and elbows like any precocious little boy. I can picture him coming home in tears with a scrape, and Mary cleansing the wound and kissing him to “make it better.” He was given enough education to be able to read the Scriptures in the synagogue. As he grew, he learned Joseph’s trade. As we see in the incident when he was lost in the Temple at age 12, his parents did not always understand him (as parents and children do not always understand each other today). His family was like our families! 

The family of Jesus had its stresses and strains, its economic challenges (which must have been particularly difficult dur ing their exile). It can be easy for us to romanticize the Holy Family, but that would miss the mark. As St. Paul reminds us, Jesus emptied himself and became like us in all things but sin (Philippians 2:7). He was not pretending. He chose to share our life to the full, not to put on an act or go through the motions. Family life is a great challenge in our age, but it has been so in every age. So, we look to Mary, Joseph and Jesus not to escape the challenges of family life, but to learn how to face those challenges with courage and wisdom and grace. We call them the “Holy” Family not because life was smooth, not because they had everything under control, not because they had all the answers, but because they faced all those challenges with trust in God. Joseph and Mary and Jesus knew that God loved them and walked with them. That is what lifted them up. That is what gave them hope. And that is what gives us hope! Just as surely, God loves each and every one of us! Just as surely, God walks with is!

Our families have various shapes and sizes. Our families need to cope with their misunderstandings and struggles. Cer tainly, our families have their imperfections. And this is also true of our parish family! But God walks with us even in the mess, even in the valleys of darkness.

Whether we are currently alone or living with family members, whether we have close ties or are alienated from family members, let us all pray we take to heart the wisdom of the Holy Family – the awareness that God’s love abides with us.

 Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us! 

Blessings to you on this First Sunday of Advent and all through this marvelous season of hope and expectation! These three and a half weeks invite us to reflect deeply on the unfolding of God’s plan that ultimately led to the “advent” (the arrival, the coming) of Jesus. That is God’s plan for you and me, for our redemption, for our ultimate fulfillment.

Advent is like a symphony with multiple movements. We reflect upon and celebrate the past coming of Christ, born among us in Bethlehem so many centuries ago. We reflect not only on that mysterious, magnificent moment of Christ’s birth, but also on the centuries of preparation for the coming, culminating in Mary’s “fiat” (her “yes”) to the Angel Gabriel accepting her vocation to be the Mother of God. But Advent is not simply about the past; this season moves us as well to the future, the “advent” that lies ahead when Christ will return in glory with the fullness of salvation. That first coming inaugurated a new age directed toward this ultimate fulfillment of the second coming. The first “advent” only reaches its completion with this “advent to come.”

Yet while Advent symphony has us look both to the past and the future, it also moves us to recognize the sacredness of the present moment. “Now is the acceptable time, now is the age of salvation” as St. Paul tells us (2 Corinthians 6:2). “The Reign of God is at hand” as both John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-3) and Jesus tell us (Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17). And so, Advent is a time of wonder, of gratitude, and of anticipation. It is a sacred time in which we are called to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3). Christ comes to us each and every day.

Traditionally, the weeks of Advent have a special focus. The first week of Advent emphasizes hope (the other three weeks emphasize peace, joy and love). This focus on hope is particularly relevant this year as we will enter a Holy Year with the theme Pilgrims of Hope. Below is a prayer for hope that is designed to be used in personal or family prayer throughout the first week of Advent as you light the first candle of your Avent wreaths:

    --Today we light the first candle of Advent, the candle of Hope [light candle]. We put our hope in the one to come, the promised one who comes from God to bring good news of salvation. We hope in the one who will lead us to walk in the light of the Lord. We hope he will not let us live in dark valleys, but on the high mountain of God. We light this candle in Hope. On this day, we remember to hopefully look for the coming of Christ. (from Liturgy Link)--

Advent also begins the Church’s new liturgical year. This year we will use the Cycle C readings of the Lectionary, and most of those readings will be taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke. Let me suggest that during this season of Advent, you make it a point to read the entire Gospel of Luke. You might aim to do a chapter a day, which will allow you to complete the twenty-four chapters during Advent. Luke’s is a gospel of hope and joy, a gospel that emphasizes the compassion of our God, and especially God’s tender loving care for the poor and lowly. Prayerful reflection on Luke’s Gospel will definitely nourish your spirits.

Jesus, the long-awaited Emmanuel, may we take advantage of these days of Advent and prepare your way in our hearts. Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, may we live as you lived, with a heart open to God’s grace and a willing ness to put yourself at God’s service.

​Father Craig