Author: admin

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By a show of hands, how many parents took their children to see Santa this year? 

And how many of us remember what it was like seeing Santa ourselves as a child?

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It never ceases to amaze me just how spellbound children are when they first see Santa. 

It’s as if they’re in the presence of the divine.

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Eventually, some of them begin questioning:

“How can Santa be in more than one place at a time? How does he know my name? How does he know if I’ve been good or bad? Why is his beard longer than when I last saw him?” 

Still, when they see him, they’re awestruck.

Every time.

It’s amazing to watch children approach Santa, gently hand him their handwritten letters, whisper in his ear exactly what they want, and walk away with a sparkle in their eyes, knowing Santa has the power to give it.

Ask any child – Santa can do the impossible.

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The way children approach Santa reminds me of the innocence that once was within all of us. 

Maybe it still is.

It’s the innocence of belief.

It’s the ability to believe that someone else is listening to us… that someone else is for us… that someone else wants to give us good things… and this special someone has the power to give us what we want.

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We know, above all, this “special someone” is God himself. He is the giver of every good gift, the one who has the power to give us what we want.

That should be at the heart of our Christmas spirit, our belief in Emmanuel, God with us.

God for us.

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Imagine sitting on your heavenly Father’s lap this Christmas. Put yourself in the presence of the divine. Gaze into your Father’s eyes like children gaze at Santa, and tell him exactly what you want. 

Maybe it’s deeper faith in his Son, Jesus – a faith that can move mountains, a faith that is never shaken. 

Maybe it’s more joy in your heart – a continuous pep in your step. 

Maybe it’s peace. Or a firm hope that 2020 will be better than 2019. 

What is it? What do you want from God this Christmas?

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“Ask and you shall receive,” Jesus says. “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” 

My brothers and sisters in Christ, may every blessing you seek be yours in 2020, for Jesus is more than Santa; he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Merry Christmas!

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If you’ve ever played a video game, then you know that there is always a series of levels.

The first level is the easiest, and the final level is the hardest. Sometimes it takes multiple tries before you succeed in beating that final level.

But if you do, then you’ve mastered the game.

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In a similar way, if Christianity were likened to a video game, then today’s Gospel hints at that final level: the forgiveness of sins.

While Zechariah prophesies that God has come to forgive us our sins, we must remember the other side of the coin:

As Saint Paul says, “Put away all bitterness, anger, and shouting. Be kind to one another, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you in Christ.”

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Over these next several days, we’ll be challenged to do just that. 

In particular, to forgive that aggressive driver who cuts us off on the Parkway, our relatives who may be late or insensitive, that person who gossips about us, or that age-old grudge we’ve nursed against someone we should love.

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If we can forgive others the way God has forgiven us, then we’ve mastered Christianity.

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Christmas is three days away! 

I’m sure everyone’s excited. 

Children, in particular, are counting their boxes beneath the Christmas tree – not only wondering what’s inside of them, but also making sure their siblings have an equal or lesser number of gifts than they do.

Trust me. I’ve been there. It’s only fair, right?

Fairness isn’t too much to ask for. It makes life neat, orderly, and balanced. I’m sure we all appreciate it, certainly when we’re the ones in need of it.

Why, then, is the Gospel today drenched in unfairness?

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Joseph is a righteous man. He’s god-fearing; holy; an honest carpenter who’s never caused scandal in his life.

He’s the good guy, the type of person we want to root for.

But his heart has been shattered. Mary, his bride-to-be is pregnant…and the child isn’t his. 

That’s more than unfair; it’s devastating.

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Though the Gospel doesn’t describe it, we can imagine Joseph’s grief. Imagine him falling to the ground, bursting with tears. 

His life is ruined. The woman he loved has betrayed him… Still, he’s unwilling to expose her to shame.

That’s a man of character.

Joseph knows the only way out is to divorce Mary, but if he does so publicly, then she’ll be shunned by society, left to beg for her daily bread. 

She could even be stoned to death according to the Mosaic Law.

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We don’t know how many days or weeks passed before the angel appears to Joseph, explaining to him what’s actually happened to Mary, that she’s conceived the Son of God by the Holy Spirit.

But that, too, is a tough pill to swallow. 

God invites Joseph to love a woman whose story he doesn’t understand, to protect a baby that he didn’t father, and to accept an heir who isn’t his son.

God’s plans seem unfair, overwhelming, even scandalous.

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But maybe there’s a message in that for us.

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Joseph’s experience of faith reminds us of two things:

That God is constantly at work in our lives. 

But often we don’t understand what he’s doing – not at first. God’s plans take time to unfold; he needs our patience and trust.

When Joseph heard Mary was pregnant, for example, he thought his life was over. But in time he learned this was simply the first step in the salvation of the world. 

Thank God Joseph was patient. Thank God he trusted.

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Like Joseph, at times our lives seem unfair. 

We receive a poor diagnosis, a pink slip at work, a relationship ends, we don’t get into the high school or college of our choice.

When these things happen, it’s easy to despair. 

But Joseph reminds us to never give up hope. God is always at work in our lives, often in unexpected ways. 

What seems like the end is merely a bend in the road. 

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Christmas is three days away.  

I’m sure many of us are wondering what’s hidden within those boxes covered in gift wrapping and bows – at least the ones with our names on them.

Regardless of what’s inside, we trust it’s something good, something given in love. 

We should see our lives the same way, trusting that every moment is a gift from God, even when it doesn’t seem like it at first.

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Saint Joseph, pray for us, that when life doesn’t make sense – when we’re at a bend in the road – we, too, may hang on, trusting the Lord is paving a way forward.