Articles for Christmas

  The late Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, confounded many with his philosophical distinction between different kinds of national intelligence issues. There were, he said, known knowns – those things we understand exist – and there are also unknown unknowns – things we are neither aware of nor understand. There are also unknown knowns. This…

  In the movie 500 Days of Summer, a woman asks the sad sack protagonist why he became a greeting card writer when he had trained as an architect. He sardonically replied, “I figured, why make something temporary like a building, when I can make something like a greeting card that lasts forever.” The cutting…

  When I was a young monk, the abbot wanted me to take voice lessons to improve my singing. Probably because he wanted more investment on my part, so he did not order me, only suggested it. It was obvious, though, that he wanted me to do this. I joked that my parents would be…

  It’s the end of the calendar year. John’s First Letter says, “Children, it is the last hour.” At the same time, the opening verses of our gospel states: “In the beginning was the Word.” Today, we end at the beginning. A recent survey of Americans discovered that there are fewer people who identify as…

  The American Catholic author, Flannery O’Connor, wrote short stories with underlying theological symbolism. However, many who read them do not find anything resembling holiness and are even scandalized. Her novels are populated by very flawed characters who meet tragic endings. She described her stories as grace being offered and frequently rejected. In fairness, we…

  One of the hardest things to overcome as we mature spiritually is this: self-deception. We rationalize our sin or the gravity of it. “Nine out of ten commandments ain’t bad…” “Well, I’m not as bad as that person over there…” “I know this is a bad habit, but I will stop doing it… tomorrow…”…

  “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son” (Heb. 1:1-2). This reveals a central truth of Christianity: God is Trinity. Our God is a communion of divine Persons. This tri-personal God revealed by Jesus is…

  John begins his letter with striking simplicity. He speaks of what he has heard, seen, touched, and witnessed. He does not offer theories or abstractions. He offers experience. And he offers it so that you may have communion with God, the same communion that shaped his entire life. His words invite you to look…

  The day after Christmas places us before the witness of Stephen and his story might feel jarring. Yesterday celebrated the gentleness of Christ’s birth, yet today shows us the cost of following him. Stephen’s courage was not loud or defiant. It was the kind that grows from an interior life rooted so deeply in…

  In this time of wintry weather and long dark nights, we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus who is God’s light, joy, and love. Isaiah spoke in the first reading: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” With the birth of Jesus, God entered our world which we made dark,…

   “We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the Evil One cannot touch him.” What does this saying mean for us Christians who profess faith in the one true God and His Son who brings us salvation? To be honest, at first glance,…

  In today’s Gospel, I am struck by the story of the man full of leprosy. He sees Jesus coming and falls prostrate and cries out to him, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” It is his faith in Jesus that gives him the courage to cry out to him. Jesus’ response…

  “Beloved, we love God because he first loved us.” These words from the first reading remind us that all we have is from God, even our ability to desire and love our Heavenly Father. We are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore are created in the image of His eternal…

  “No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.” Today we see one of the ways that God is revealed to us. It is through a radical love for each other that we come to an encounter with…

  In today’s gospel, notice how we are both fed by Jesus and are called to feed those in need. Jesus sees the vast crowds coming to see him and his divine heart is move to piety for them because he knows their desire for the word of God and that they are seeking a…

  In today’s first reading from the first letter of St. John, we hear that, “We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” Upon reading this, the first thing that may come to mind is that we can get whatever we want as long as we…

      “We celebrate a holy day adorned by three miracles: this day, a star led the Magi to the manger; this day, water was changed into wine at the marriage feast; this day Christ, for our salvation, willed to be baptized by John in the Jordan, Alleluia.” This Antiphon, which is chanted by…

  “What are you looking for?” St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born into an Episcopalian family in thoroughly Protestant society of the early United States. Accompanying her husband on a work trip to Italy, her husband died. Staying with a Catholic family during her period of mourning, she observed their piety even while she continued…

  The late Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, confounded many with his philosophical distinction between different kinds of national intelligence issues. There were, he said, known knowns – those things we understand exist – and there are also unknown unknowns – things we are neither aware of nor understand. There are also unknown knowns. This…

  In the movie 500 Days of Summer, a woman asks the sad sack protagonist why he became a greeting card writer when he had trained as an architect. He sardonically replied, “I figured, why make something temporary like a building, when I can make something like a greeting card that lasts forever.” The cutting…

  Not many of us have left Mass on Corpus Christi crying out: “Transubstantiation!” Not many of us here have probably ever left the Feast of Christ the King to shout: “Viva Cristo Rey!” Yet in the year 431 after the Council of Ephesus, the common folk of that city ran through the streets in…

  As we become more technologically advanced the less we think about times and seasons. Even farmers who are tied to land and weather have found ways to overcome much. Here in the country, farmers’ wives lament that farm implements now have headlights and they plant and harvest without ending when the sun goes down.…

  I find myself jealous of the Evangelists at times—only four men got to write Christ’s story, inspired by the Holy Spirit. When we consider the differences in the gospels, we consider that they were not just chroniclers of facts but also storytellers. In other words, they used details to bring out greater meaning to…

     When we imagine the Holy Family, we could imagine an idealized family – the first century version of Leave It to Beaver with unpleasant episodes being nothing more than worrying if Jesus prayed a little too much! The sweetly beautiful paintings and statues of a placid-faced Virgin Mother, wise-beyond-His-years Christ Child, and rock-solid St. Joseph might…

  When I was in third grade our house alarm went off in the middle of the night. All the bedrooms were upstairs, and we feared that an intruder had entered the house downstairs. My brothers and I ran to my parents’ bedroom. My Dad went downstairs to investigate. Alone. In the dark. Unarmed. While…

  St. John is beautifully called, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” And, it’s true, Jesus loved John in a special way. In my experience, however, I come across a lot of faithful Christians who do not truly believe that they are loved by God. Because of their sins, past failures, or current struggles in life,…

  St. Stephen did not die in vain. He witnessed the power and love of Jesus Christ even to the very end, and the Holy Spirit was powerfully at work in him. Those who were stoning Stephen “laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.” The man who would later…

   We all want to be home for Christmas and will travel great distances to get there. We monks are happy to be home for Christmas, even though our home is not where our natural family lives but our monastic family. We decorate it similarly, and we have our own set of rituals and…

  Our first reading from the Book of Revelation paints a scene of the “holy ones” who delight in eternal peace: “…with him [the Lamb] a hundred and forty-four thousand…were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne” Who are these one hundred and forty-four thousand who follow the Lamb? The answer…

Looking for the Lord “Okay, people, it is time to seek the Lord!” That’s basically what the prophet Hosea is saying in today’s first reading. The Israelites were feeling good—with all their production, with all their success, with all their sacrifices—but they were not really doing it for the LORD, the God of Israel. There…

   Today, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The Greek word “Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “appearance.” In the Gospel, Jesus is manifested and appears as a King who is adored. This is somewhat surprising. After all, Jesus is not even a month old. Yet he is recognized as a King.…

  On this Marian Saturday during the Christmas season, St. Maximilian Kolbe once said, “I thank you very much for your prayers and ask for many, many more, that I may serve the Immaculata with zeal, ‘suaviter et fortiter‘ [gently and bravely].” Let us always pray for one another through the Immaculata so that we…

  “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.’ And he said to him, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on…

  Today is the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton! She once said, “Blessed a thousand, thousand times be God who governs all and will bring light out of darkness.” During Advent, I kept pondering how God brings everything that is dark into light, so that nothing will be left in darkness! Why? Because God…

  In our Alleluia verse today, we hear, “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him, He gave power to become the children of God.” Why did he give us power to become children of God? Not only because we accept him, but because we have Our Lord…

  In our first reading today, we hear “Beloved: Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.” One of our saints…

  A very Happy New Year to all. It is very fitting that we celebrate this solemnity of Mary, Mother of God! Yesterday, we read from the prophecy of Simeon: “And you yourself a sword will pierce—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” I am reminded of what a priest friend shared…

    I think it is very fitting that the last day of the year is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Family. We read in our Gospel today the Canticle of Simeon and his prophecy to our Lady, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my…

  O come, let us adore Him! Our Savior is Born! Many of you sang that hymn at the beginning of the Vigil Christmas Mass or the Midnight Mass. It’s my favorite Christmas Mass hymn! After singing O Come Emmanuel for weeks, and after begging the Christ to come and save us, now we sing…

  Merry Christmas! Our Savior is born! In today’s gospel, we see the Holy Spirit’s promise fulfilled. The Holy Spirit told the holy, devout, and righteous man Simeon that he would not see death until he had seen the Christ. After waiting for what seemed like forever, Simeon sees the Christ in the temple when…