Ok friends, here we are in the New Year, 2024!  Religiously, or maybe better, spiritually, we gather today on the final, official, last day of Christmastime, but the beginning of a time, “to shine our own personal lights” in a world that we probably would all agree holds a great deal of darkness, needing the “light” that we all have to bring.  Let’s leave that for a bit and look at the feast we have come to celebrate today. 

   Officially, Church-wise, we name this feast, “the Epiphany,” a Greek word meaning, “showing forth.”  In everyday language, most of us think of this feast as the coming of the “Three Kings.” 

   As the story goes, these “kings” were astrologers who watched the stars for what these heavenly bodies could tell them. It was thought that when a new, even grand star appeared, it would have an equally grand “manifestation” on earth.  Thus, when this new heavenly body appeared, the astrologers followed its “journey” to its destination, which we believe to be Bethlehem. 

   The Wise Men, as they were also known, were aware of ancient writings –Scriptures that foretold, “a child being born” one who would save the people… To start out on such a journey would require a great deal of faith, not knowing what they would find at its end, but it was a journey that they felt compelled to make.

   Now whether the visitation of the three astrologers, who were perhaps kings, who visited from a far land, and returned there to proclaim what they saw and experienced, happened as the holy book says or not, the idea that when we experience “light” in our lives—some might think of as a miracle, we are meant to share it with others. This idea is one that I feel we should hold onto.  That having been said, I have no problem believing that these Three Kings did arrive in history—that they did experience something wonderful and that they did return to their home country and share the “good news” with others. 

   Now we can get caught up in the fact that we never hear about these royal visitors again, or we can simply hold onto the truth that they did arrive, along with many others, over time, to confirm for Jesus’ parents that their baby truly was the gift from God that they believed him to be.  And if we only stay on the surface of the story, it is a good story! 

   But, as I always tell you, and Jesus our brother told all who followed him, always go deeper to find “the pearl” that the surface story only suggests. 

   The prophet Isaiah, in the 1^st reading today, foretells what the Epiphany really means: “Arise, shine, for your light has come!”  In the beginning of this homily, I make mention of the fact that there is much “darkness” in our world.  Isaiah continues: “though night still covers the earth, and darkness, the peoples, [remember], “your light has come!”  Going deeper friends, means that we don’t just “see the light,” but we allow it, to “show us the way,” to what we need to do. 

   The “manifestation” that the Three Kings should represent to us, is our call to “shine our [own, personal] lights” too, in our world, so in need of that light.  I am always saddened when I hear so-called religious people trying to unite the Incarnation of Jesus at Christmastime, with the Crucifixion, not even waiting till his death is remembered in the sequence of the Church Year, but in effect saying by this connection that the only reason for Jesus’ coming was to “save us from our sins!” 

   If we were to believe this fact, then what is our purpose in having a human experience? Do we honestly believe that our God put us here with so little expectation for us as to allow us to live for a while our “imperfect human existence,” and ultimately be “shamed for our imperfection, with Jesus “riding in on a white horse” to save us?  If that is the case my friends, then I feel that I don’t need such a God! 

   So here is perhaps a better story.  What I believe the Three Kings did when they returned home was to share the miracle they experienced in the face of a child and his poor parents—what that was exactly, we don’t know, but we do know that they wished to protect the baby by helping to keep him safe, so that he could, “grow in wisdom and grace” and do all that was expected of him. 

   Each of us too friends, as followers of our brother Jesus are expected to live as he did, showing us the way.  The psalmist today encourages the same, basically telling us that “we aren’t there yet,” if the poor, the lonely-sad, the homeless, and the abused are still among us. 

   Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians reminds us that, “all are welcome” in the family that our brother Jesus started, and as in all good families, the invitation, “to be part” comes with the expectation, “to do our part,” “to shine” and bring “light” to our world.

   Anna Quindlen, one of my favorite authors, in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, says it like this of the expectation of doing her part to make her world better, “I show up, I listen, I try to laugh.”

   The Three Kings, in the gospel from Matthew today spoke their truth, “We [saw] his star rising.”  And as the story goes, they followed the star, and when they found what the heavenly body represented on earth, they shared with others what they had found! 

   Martin Luther King Jr., in all his tireless work fighting against racism in our country said clearly, “Darkness cannot put out darkness, only light can do that!” These are profound words as we contemplate war in Ukraine and in the Middle East in this New Year. Another thought that came across my desk the other day comes from Charlie Munger, long-time business associate of billionaire, Warren Buffet, who said, “Stay away from all that is toxic!” –we Catholics used to call these “occasions of sin!”

   So my good friends, with a new year upon us, as we strive again, “to be our best selves,” shining our personal lights in the way that only we can do, don’t be easily discouraged by all that seems, at times, impossible to change, or fix, but keep your focus on one good thing, at a time, and believe that the good will win out. Amen? Amen!

My friends, Holy Family Sunday, referring mainly to Mary and Joseph and Jesus is a wonderful time to consider what “family” means to each of us—the families that we grew out of, and perhaps the families that we helped to establish and maintain as adults, and into the present.  And, from a certain viewpoint, to consider how each family is a “holy” family.

   The original “holy” family is a good example for all of us to follow in our own “holy” families.  We know from their actions that Mary and Joseph loved each other—always the best place to start when forming a family. 

   Now, you might be asking, how do I know that Mary and Joseph loved each other? –as the Scriptures don’t tell us that.  If we take the Christmas story at face value, and accept the fact that Joseph had nothing to do with the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb, then his action of taking her as his wife was indeed a loving thing to do. In the times that Joseph and Mary lived, a man in his position could either divorce a woman with child—not his own, make the “sin” known publicly, and open her up to the possibility of death by stoning, or he could do what Joseph did. It only makes sense that Joseph loved Mary before she “was found to be with child.” 

   Again, you may be wondering why I am spending time on this purely human component of whether this couple, that we have heard about all our lives in religious lore, loved each other or not, when the teaching authority of the Church never mentions this aspect either. 

    On Holy Family Sunday, as well as any time during our Church Year, really, it is most important, in my mind, at least, to remember, and never forget, that our loving God chose to become one-with-us, in our humanity, living life, as each of us does, attempting to be our own, “best selves.” 

   As we look around our own personal “world”—life, we might say, it is clear that most of us don’t accomplish that task as well as we might like to.  A further look around the world-at-large shows us the same.  So, having a model like Jesus to follow, in living to be our best selves is truly important.  Also, in moving into a loving relationship with another human being, Mary and Joseph are good models to follow. 

   We see from the gospel story today that this couple was faithful to the Jewish laws and precepts that they grew up believing in, by presenting Jesus at the temple, even though they were, “on the run” from Roman authorities—but to Mary and Joseph, this was an important action that they must do!  And the Spirit of their God worked through Simeon and Anna to confirm the truth of the miracle that had befallen them in Jesus.  So, we could say, with quite a bit of assurance, that Joseph and Mary were people of character, as well as a couple who loved each other. 

   And into the home that Joseph and Mary established, the baby, later child, Jesus, grew “in wisdom and grace” the Scriptures tell us.  Another aspect of their characters was the fact of the “faith” with which Mary and Joseph lived their lives.  Again, if we think about the story as given us in the Scriptures, only faith and trust in a Loving God makes it possible to believe such a thing.  And we only need to put ourselves into the story to see how we might have reacted to the tale that Mary told. “Love and faith can move mountains” our brother Jesus said during his public ministry, and it would seem that both had to be present, along with other strong character traits to make this “Holy Family” function as it did—to be able to eventually give Jesus to the world, a man of love who witnessed this example within the family he grew up in.

   Scripture also doesn’t mention whether our brother Jesus had siblings, but more than likely he did. In some exegesis on this topic that I once read, and the author I can’t remember at present, stated that we can’t find the answers to every question in Scripture because generally that which was understood wasn’t written down, only that which was different.  In other words, it would have been natural for more children to have followed Jesus’ birth for a loving couple such as Mary and Joseph, so it wasn’t written down. 

   The other chosen Scripture readings for this feast from Sirach and Paul to the Colossians, lay out more elements that make for good families to somewhat show us the way, in general terms.

   Sirach basically tells us that “respect for parents” should be part of a family; but also this must go both ways—respect for children coming from their parents as well. 

   Paul goes on to say to the Colossians that, [parents should not] “nag” their children.  He also addresses the original “relationship” between two people “committed to each other” that they would submit to each other [equally] and that they should “love each other.”

   So my friends, knowing that most of my brother priests would be addressing this “Holy Family Sunday” on a more ethereal level, I wanted to speak in a more human way about the purely, everyday lives that I believe Mary, Joseph and Jesus lived,  in what we might call, “the growing up years” for Jesus, as he more than likely came to terms about who he was and what was expected of him, a little at a time.  Again, we must remember that God, in Jesus chose to come into humanity as a human, to truly know our existence, and to show us how to live it well. If Jesus is to be emulated by us, than he would have needed to have lived the same life that we do.  And to me, that is a great love story!  And one that I can try to emulate!  Amen? Amen!

Dear Friends,

This is wishing each and everyone a happy and merry Christmastime! Our world isn’t all that we would hope for by way of equality, and justice in the very simplest of everyday needs, as well as a semblance of peace in our war-torn world, but yet, today we remember the coming of our brother Jesus into our midst–one who is continually coming, if we allow it, into our lives, showing us the way to work for that equality, justice, and peace.

I offer the following homily for your reflection. Have peace, love, and joy–Pastor Kathy

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My friends, first of all, a merry Christmas to each of you!  Every year as Christmas approaches, I look for a “good story” to share that says, in plain, everyday language what Christmas is all about—what it means to be a Christian, a follower of our brother Jesus, who became the Christ, and as Father Richard Rohr says in his Christmas meditation, “is forever incarnating in the human soul and [into] history.”

   This year, it dawned on me—I didn’t need to go looking for a story, because the story was right in front of me, the Christmas Story, and if I told it perhaps in a new way, it would be most meaningful!

   This age-old, and really timeless story, spoken of as the “Incarnation,” is a simple, yet profound “love story.”  It is about God, first loving us, coming into our existence, in a form that we could recognize, living with us, and among us, showing how to truly live our one, wonderful life, enjoying it, and sharing it with all the others who come into our lives. 

   The wonder of God choosing to be, “one-with-us” is probably best said by Paul in his letter to the Philippians, chapter 2: “His state was divine, yet he did not cling to it, but became as all humans are…”  To me, this speaks of a God who wants to be close—that is the whole point of the “Incarnation”—God choosing to take on our existence, put on our human skin, so to speak, live, love, and struggle as we do, to be our best selves, for the good of the earth and all people, ourselves included. 

   There is a wonderful story that I have shared in the past about a flock of geese lost in a Christmas Eve storm, and of a farmer who wanted to get them into the shelter of a barn until the storm passed.  After trying to shoo them, and round them up, to no avail, he realized that he needed, to get down among them, on the ground, somehow looking like them, in order for them to trust him, and follow…that’s what the Incarnation is really all about—simple.

   I think we can get caught up in all kinds of religious jargon and theories about why God would choose to be “one-with” the creation that God had made.  As is the case, in other mysterious things that we can’t truly understand, the reasons that make the most sense, are often the simplest!  God loves us as all good parents love their off-spring, and wants us to get it right—therefore, shows us the way. 

   Later in our Church Year, we will concentrate more on the fact that living, as Jesus did, proclaiming equality for all, is not always easy and there will be some suffering that goes with that, but at Christmastime, it is more than enough to focus on the great love behind this Incarnation! 

   Sister Joan Chittister says, “Only Christianity, of all the religions, argues that the Creator has taken on the flesh and blood of creation in order to bring us to [in fact] assert the divine in ourselves,” or as I often tell you, “the best that each of us has to offer!”  The poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning says of it, “Earth is crammed with heaven!” 

   Theologies of old used to teach that we should “long for heaven”—that our time as humans, basically isn’t as important, and thus came, the practices of “hanging our heads,” and “beating our breasts,” awaiting a time when we would die, go to heaven, and be reunited with God. But when Jesus “graced” our earth, as the letter to Titus referred to him in the 2^nd reading today, Jesus said, and I paraphrase, heaven is here, now, among you! 

   That’s what we celebrate now at Christmastime, that Jesus/God is among us—with us—now!  It seems though that through religious history, we humans manage to get this really simple message of love wrong. 

   Today, along with it being the Eve of Christmas, the Church calendar also tells us that it is the 4^th Sunday of Advent, and that our time of “expectant waiting” is almost over!  The readings for this 4^th Sunday of Advent, from Samuel, Romans, and Luke, first establish the House of David, with a shepherd boy as its head—the line that Jesus, the Messiah will emerge from, with Paul naming him as this long-awaited One.  The gospel reading clearly names the earthly parents of Jesus as belonging to the line of David, with one missing piece. 

   The Scripture reading for Christmas Day from Matthew traces the line to Jesus through Joseph, who apparently had nothing to do with his conception in Mary’s womb, who, by the way, also came from the lineage of David, but when the Scripture was recorded, it wasn’t known that women played a roll in conception, and the ultimate look and quality of offspring except that of a vessel for the growth to take place.  So, after 2,000+ years, it seems appropriate to say that our sister Mary provided the human component!

   The other piece that humans got wrong over the years is the purpose of Jesus’ coming as well as what his earthly life would be about.  We see in the 1^st reading from Samuel for the 4^th Sunday of Advent, that David is concerned that the God of the Israelites would have a temple equal to his own, which we know was lavish.  God’s answer to David was to ignore the question about God’s temple, but simply to tell David that he should be a “good king” to his people.  It would seem that even to the present day, the hierarchy of our Church haven’t heard, nor taken this message of simplicity of living and strength of character in serving and leading, to heart. 

   Moving then into the Christmas Eve Scriptures, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the “people walking in darkness, having seen a brilliant light.”  We know that “a child born to us,” who will grow, “in wisdom and grace” is the source of this “brilliant light” –probably the reason that we decorate trees and our houses with much “light” at this time of year, whether we always consciously relate the two or not. 

   A few years back, in a Christmas column, Sister Joan Chittister, reflecting on the “light” that Jesus brings, said, that when we make the conscious effort to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, answering the call to his first disciples, “to come and see,” “We must realize,” [that it may take some of us] “where there are no lights—to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and dark neighborhoods.”  We all need “the light” as it gives us the hope that, while everything may not be good in our world, there is much that is good, plus light and hope, faith and love will all give us the strength to carry on in the sometimes-dark places in our lives. 

   The 2^nd reading from Titus speaks of, “the grace of God” [appearing], offering salvation to all.”  Titus goes on to open up what he means by “salvation” naming Jesus as our “blessed hope.” This “blessed hope” –this “brilliant light,” is about so much more than, “saving us from our sins!”  It is rather, about, “showing us the way,” about letting us know that none of us have to walk our earthly journey, alone—our God, because of Jesus, is always with us! This is the hope that should sustain us in the good and not-so-good of our lives.  St. Joseph Sister, Mary McClone, in one of her homilies for Advent, in the National Catholic Reporter, said it well. [We have] “hope-soaked promises in the process of growing in grace.”

   So, my friends, as we gather at this time of relative, peace-light-love, and hopefully, joy, we are called to remember how our brother Jesus came, to-be-one-with humanity, especially in those struggling as evidenced by the fact that his earthly parents could find, “no room at the inn,” much like many poor and suffering people at our southern border.  Our God, in Jesus, graced our humanity by his presence in it, by the example of love that he gave us, not so that we would “fear,” but that we could follow his lead, and do the same. 

   One of the memorable characters in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, was known for saying this:  I like to think of Christmas when it comes around each year as a kindly time, when people open up their “closed hearts.” This action, I would suggest, is why most people truly love this time of year. 

   Again, as we look around our world and see so much that needs fixing, I was pleased to hear a news piece recently speaking about the war in the Middle East— “we can’t hate our way out of this—we must love our way out!” Yes, and Jesus, I believe would agree! Amen? Amen!