To Call God Father is to know yourself His Child

It is better to be the child of God than king of the whole world - Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Gospel text (Jn 1:1-18): In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome.

A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but a witness to introduce the Light.

For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was already in the world and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God. And the Word was made flesh; he had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness.

John bore witness to him openly, saying: «This is the one who comes after me, but he is already ahead of me for he was before me». From his fullness we have all received, favor upon favor. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Father.

As the days of the Christmas Octave draw to a close, we are privileged to hear the moving Prologue of the Gospel of John. Among the many stately phrases that pour out one after the other, I am struck by the following: “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.”

Having power to become a child—it is a curious phrase. We normally do not associate the words “power” and “child.” Yet, it is the heart of the Christian mystery. Incapable of saving ourselves, we need a savior. But the path to salvation is not “upward mobility,” but rather “downward humility.” Christian maturity consists in “growing up” enough to become a child, dependent on and totally confident in God. To be “saved,” is to become a child.

And this must come from a power that does not originate within us. The power comes through the choice to “accept him” – to say “yes” to being saved, rescued, by the Word made flesh, the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We must be born “of God.”

And so Christmas is surely about a birth, in Bethlehem long ago. But just as surely it is about many births, the births of all those who accept Jesus and consent to be born again as children.

Patience and fortitude conquer all things

“My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn" (Ps 130:6)

Gospel text (Lk 2:36-40): There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father's home, she had been seven years with her husband, and since then she had been continually about the Temple , serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem .

When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee . There the child grew in stature and strength and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.

What can we learn from this passage about our own lives? We can reflect that Mary and Joseph were faithful to the Jewish traditions as they understood them. We can reflect that Mary and Joseph were chosen from the working class of people who were not distracted by riches and power. We can reflect that Jesus grew as a normal human being – as we do.

He grew in wisdom...and “the favor of God was upon him.” Jesus grew in the wisdom and knowledge of the Father and he fulfilled all the prophecies about him. He was obedient unto death for the love of us.

We also grow in “wisdom” about who we are and what we are supposed to do in life. We are to grow in wisdom and knowledge and actualize the potential God has given each one of us. Today, we can ask ourselves these questions: Why was I born? What am I supposed to do with my life? How should I serve the world?

St. Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is man (and woman) fully alive.” How can we be fully alive with all the frailties we observe in ourselves and others? That’s the mystery of our lives. We need to find our unique gifts – among our frailties – all during our lives. When we are young, middle aged, older, whether rich or poor, whether in good health or poor health we are to actualize our unique gifts for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Loving God, help us reflect on our own lives and understand the gifts you have given each one of us. Help us actualize those gifts – no matter what our age – in the service of the poor, the powerless, the sick, their caregivers, those who do not have education. Help us, with your Son, give ourselves in service to the world….All for your greater honor and glory. Amen

Temptation is necessary to make us realize that we are nothing in ourselves

"To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something beautiful for him." - Blessed Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Lk 2:22-35): When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, they brought the baby up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice as ordered in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel , and he had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law. Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God, saying, «Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation, which you display for all the people to see. Here is the light you will reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel ».

His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, «See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel . He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light».

Today, we contemplate the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple , to accomplish what the Law of Moses prescribes: mother's purification and presentation and ransom of the firstborn child.

This scene is described by Saint Josemaría Escrivá in the fourth Joyful mystery of his book The Holy Rosary, while inviting us to get involved in it: «This time, my friend, it will be up to you to bring the cage with the turtledoves. —Do you realize? She —the Immaculate!— submits to the law as if she was unclean. Will you ever learn, you silly child, to submit, no matter what personal sacrifices, to God's Holy Law?

»Purified! It is certainly you and I who need to be purified! To atone, and, over and above atonement, Love. —A love that sears, that burns away our soul's dirt, and a fire, that inflames with divine flames our heart's misery».

This Christmas it is appropriate to take advantage of Mary's example to “clean” our soul, by making a sincere sacramental confession and to be able to receive our Lord with our best attitude. Thus, Joseph offers the pair of turtledoves, but most of all, with his work and his pure love, he offers his own capacity to carry forward God's established plan for the Holy Family, example to all families.

Simeon had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Christ. He goes to the Temple and when, full of joy, he holds in his arms the Messiah, he says: «Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation» (Lk 2:29-30). With the eyes of faith, this Christmas, let us contemplate Jesus who, with his birth, has come to save us. Just as Simeon intoned a thanksgiving song, let all the families gather around the manger and, together, sing in joy, for we are aware we have been saved by the infant Jesus.

Feast of the Holy Innocents – "Lord, you give us life even before we understand"

The Holy Innocents are few, in comparison to the genocide and abortion of our day. But even if there had been only one, we recognize the greatest treasure God put on the earth—a human person, destined for eternity and graced by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Gospel text (Mt 2:13-18): After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, «Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt , and stay there until I tell you for Herod will soon be looking for the child in order to kill him». Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt , where he stayed until the death of Herod. In this way, what the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled: «I called my son out of Egypt ».

When Herod found out that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old or under. This was done in line with what he had learned from the wise men about the time when the star appeared. In this way, what the prophet Jeremiah had said was fulfilled: «A cry is heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation: Rachel weeps for her children. She refuses to be comforted, for they are no more».

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs. Embedded within the Christmas celebrations, we cannot ignore the message the liturgy wants to convey to us to define with two clear accents, and even more, the good news of the birth of Jesus. In the first place, St. Joseph 's predisposition in God's design for our salvation, by accepting God's will. And, at the same time, the evil, the injustice we often find in our life, determined in this case by the martyrdom of those innocent infants. All this requires a personal and social attitude and response.

St. Joseph offers us a very clear and responsive testimony to God's call. We can, thus, identify ourselves with him when we are to take decisions, from our own faith, in difficult moments of our life: «Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt » (Mt 2:14).

Our faith in God entails our own life. It wakes us up, that is, makes us fully alert to those things happening around us, because —quite often— it is where God speaks to us. He makes us take the child and his mother, i.e., God becomes closer, our travel companion, and He strengthens our faith, hope and charity. And He makes us leave at night for Egypt , i.e. He invites us not to be afraid of our own life, which, more often than not, is full of shadows too difficult to illuminate.

Today, those infants martyrs also have specific names in other infants, youngsters, old people, immigrants, ailing persons... requesting the response of our charity. So, John Paul II, tells us: «Many are, indeed, in our time the needs questioning our Christian sensibility. It is time for a new idea of charity that can be displayed not only in the efficiency of the help provided, but in our capacity to become closer and more supportive with those suffering».

Let us hope that God Infant's clear and strong new light fills up our lives and reaffirm our faith, our hope and our charity

The Beloved Disciple – The Feast Day of St John the Evangelist

Because of the depth of his Gospel, St John is usually thought of as the eagle of theology, soaring in high regions that other writers did not enter.

Gospel text (Jn 20:2-8): On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala ran to Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. And she said to them, «They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him». Peter then set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not enter. Then Simon Peter came following him and entered the tomb; he, too, saw the linen cloths lying flat. The cloth, which had been around his head was not lying flat like the other linen cloths but lay rolled up in its place. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and believed.

Today, the liturgy celebrates the festivity of Saint John , Apostle and Evangelist. The first day after Christmas, the Church celebrates Saint Stephen's day, the first martyr of the Christian faith. And the following day is the feast of Saint John . Saint John is the one who better and most deeply understood the mystery of the Word Incarnate. John was the very first “theologian” and best example for any other true theologian. Today's proposed fragment of his Gospel helps us to consider Christmas from the perspective of the Lord's Resurrection. Indeed, when John arrived to the empty tomb, «he saw and believed» (Jn 20:8). Trusting the Apostles’ testimony, every Christmas we are stimulated to ‘see’ and ‘believe’, too.

We can also find these same words “see” and “believe” in connection with Jesus' birth, the Verb incarnated. Pushed by his heart's intuition —and we should add, by “grace”— John “sees” beyond what, at that time, his eyes cannot yet see. In fact, he believes without “having yet seen” the Christ; and receives the praise of those «who haven't seen me and believe anyway» (Jn 20:29), that ends chapter twenty of his Gospel.

Peter and John “run” together towards the tomb, but the text says John «outran Peter and reached the tomb first» (Jn 20:4). It seems that the desire to be again by the side of the One he loved —Christ— was stronger than that of physically being next to Peter, with whom, however —by waiting for him and allowing him to be the first to enter the tomb— he shows that it is Peter who holds the primacy of the Apostolic College. Yet, it is his ardent heart, full of zeal, John's impassionate love, which impels him to “run” and “outrun”, in a clear invitation for us to equally live our faith with such a fervent desire to see the Resurrection.

The family unit is the domestic church

Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other - it doesn't matter who it is and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.
- Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Mt 2:13-15.19-23): After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, «Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon be looking for the child in order to kill him». Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. In this way, what the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled: ‘I called my son out of Egypt’.

After Herod's death, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, «Get up, take the child and his mother and go back to the land of Israel, because those who tried to kill the child are dead». So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when Joseph heard that Archilaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. He was given further instructions in a dream, and went to the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way what was said by the prophets was fulfilled: «He shall be called a Nazorean».

Today, we contemplate the mystery of the Holy Family. The Son of God begins his path through men in the midst of a plain family. It is the Father's design. The family will always be the irreplaceable human habitat. Jesus has a legal father that “carries” him and a Mother that is always by his side. God always used St. Joseph, a just man, faithful husband and responsible father, to protect the Family of Nazareth: «An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you’» (Mt 2:13).

Today, more than ever before, the Church is expected to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of the Family and of life. Today, more than ever before, a deep inhuman culture trumpets, while trying to inflict it upon us, their anti-gospel of confusion and death. In John Paul II's postsynodal apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa, he reminds us: «The Church (…) must faithfully proclaim anew the truth about marriage and the family. She sees this as burning need, for she knows that this task is integral to the mission of evangelization entrusted to her by her Bridegroom and Lord, and imposes itself today with unusual force. Many cultural, social and political factors are in fact conspiring to create an increasingly evident crisis of the family. In varying ways they jeopardize the truth and dignity of the human person, and call into question, often misrepresenting it, the notion of the family itself. The value of marital indissolubility is increasingly denied; demands are made for the legal recognition of de facto relationships as if they were comparable to legitimate marriages...!».

«Herod will soon be looking for the child in order to kill him» (Mt 2:13). Once again, Herod is striking, but we are not to be afraid, for God's help is not lacking in our life. Let us go to Nazareth. Let us rediscover the truth about the family and about life. Let us live it up joyfully and let us proclaim it to our brothers thirsty for light and hope. The Pope invites us to: «It is necessary to reaffirm that these institutions [marriage and family] are realities grounded in the will of God. Furthermore, it is necessary to serve the Gospel of life».

And, again, «an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said: ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and go back to the land of Israel’» (Mt 2:19-20). The return from Egypt is imminent!

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me…………..

The baby Jesus in the manger reminds us what God can do with something small - Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Jn 1,1-18): In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome.

A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but a witness to introduce the Light.

For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was already in the world and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but all who have received him He empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God.

And the Word was made flesh; He had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness. John bore witness to him openly, saying: «This is the one who comes after me, but He is already ahead of me for He was before me». From his fullness we have all received, favor upon favor. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Father.

Today, with children's simplicity, we are considering the great mystery of our Faith. Jesus' birth emphasizes the arrival of the “Fullness of Time”. As a result of the original sin of our first parents, the human lineage diverged from its Creator. But God, grieving over our sad condition, sent his Eternal Son, born from the Virgin Mary, to us, to redeem us from the slavery of sin.

John, the apostle, explains it by using expressions of great theological deepness: «In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God» (Jn 1:1). John names the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, as “the Word”. And he adds: «And the Word was made flesh; He had his tent pitched among us» (Jn 1:14).

This is what we are celebrating today; this is why it is a great feast. We marvel at Jesus, newly born. He is a baby... but also, God All Mighty; He is God, but now, He is also one of us.

He has come to Earth to bring us back to our condition of children of God. However, we must welcome within us the salvation He is offering us. As St. John explains, «but all who have received him He empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name» (Jn 1:12). Children of God! Let us prize this ineffable mystery: «The Son of God has become son of man, in order to make us sons of God» (St. John Crysostom).

Let us welcome Jesus, let us seek him: we shall find salvation, and the true solution to the problems of our world, only in Him; He only is giving us the ultimate meaning of life, of our pains and setbacks. This is why, today, I am proposing you: let us read the Gospel, and let us mull over it; let us try to truly live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, the Son of God that has come into us. Only then, we shall realize that, together, we could truly build a better world.