I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. It certainly was white. For my money, it was too white. I drove to church through the worst part of the heavy snow. I could not see beyond my head lights at 7:15 AM and it was really dark, too. When I arrived at St. Augustine's the plowman was plowing the lot, however, when I drove out at noon, it looked like he had never been here. As you know in South Bend we got 12.8 inches of that beautiful white stuff. Once the sun came up, it really was beautiful.
I want to thank you all for your kind thoughts, wishes, cards and gifts. It is good to remember that God gave us the gift of Jesus on that first Christmas morning. Thank you, Lord!
On Friday, January 1, 2021 we celebrate the New Year by observing the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. We will have one Mass here at church at 10:30 AM. This is a Holy Day of Obligation, but the Bishop's dispensation is still in effect. If you don't make it to church, please remember the Blessed Virgin Mary on the first day of the year.
Today on December 27th we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We will have our usual Sunday Masses at 8:15 and 10:30 AM, masked and socially distanced. Our Nativity Set will be up through out the Christmas Season, so you can visit Jesus, Mary and Joseph in miniature. If you don't come to Mass, please recall them again as the Holy Family.
Our readings today tell us how each of us can have a holy family. The first reading from the Book of Sirach tells us that God sets mother and father over their children to love them and teach them how to love themselves and others. It goes on to talk to adult children about returning that love to their parents in their old age. We are told that family love will be rewarded. St. Paul in the second reading tells the Colossians and us: "Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection." In the Gospel, Mary and Joseph perform an act of love by taking the baby Jesus to the Temple and offering a pair of turtledoves in sacrifice for Jesus. We also have the wonderful events with the old man Simeon and the old prophetess Anna. Both announce to Mary and Joseph the greatness that will follow through Jesus. The reading concludes that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth where "the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." Let us ask God that our families will follow the example of the Holy Family and really be another holy family.
Since New Year's is this week: Please God, that we all have a Happy New Year!