Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

In our Gospel this weekend, Jesus Christ explains that marriage is a earthly institution, that people marry here, but in Heaven it will not be so - they will be like the angels. Not a merely sentimental statement, Jesus is most likely referring to the fact that the angels exist to praise and worship our Heavenly Father, and they are not created through procreation. This helps us find 'ends' (the philosophical reason) of marriage, unititive and procreative, are for here, and helps us to understand why the Lord would call some men and women to celibacy: as a witness of the way we shall all live in heaven. As we look at the seven brothers in Maccabees, we hear of their faith in the Resurrection, knowing that to break the law to continue to live (at least for now) has eternal consequences. Let us live aware of heaven, and make our decisions in the light of eternity.

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2010

This weekend, we hear of Jesus' first miracle - the transformation of water into wine for the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus transforms 120-180 gallons of water, in jars used to stay kosher according to the Mosiac Law, a true super abundance, at the request of His mother. The headwaiter states that this is the best wine, saved for last.

Is not that exactly what the Father does with the Covenants? Jesus does not undo the covenant, but fulfills it and makes it better, giving the very best. Jesus blesses this marriage, and transforms marriage into a sacrament. For those called to marriage, may they seek the grace of Christ, inviting Him into their lives. But even those not called to Marriage, we should take the Blessed Mother's words "Do whatever He tells you" as our task: To listen to the Lord, and to ask for His grace

Feast of the Holy Family

This weekend, we continue our Christmas celebration with a contemplation of the Holy Family. The feast allows us to ponder the love and model of the Holy Family, how St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother provided a stable home for Jesus Christ.

This Feast also gives us the opportunity to thank God for our own families, in which we were raised to respond to our vocations, and to ask the Lord fro his grace in forming that safe place for those who have been placed in our care.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Marriage is a vocation, and as such it requires a commitment that is lifelong. Marriage, like priesthood, is under attack. So many seem to simply desire to define these sacraments their own ways, claiming a moral superiority over the Church, Tradition, and ultimately even Christ, based on their 'conscience'. Marriage is between one man and one woman, who willingly, knowingly choose to enter into the union for the good of the couple and the good of children, until death parts them. Anything else ceases to be marriage and rather a perversion of the truth. Christ gives marriage a sacramental grace, and those who enter it enter for life do so with this gift of grace. Just the same, those who are called by God to be priests and respond do so for life, and are given the grace that is needed to live it out their entire lives...

The Blessed Virgin Mary's Role in Celibacy

In a post Ignatius Insight: The Blessed Virgin Mary's Role in the Celibate Priest's Spousal and Paternal Love, the author Carl Olson writes of the role of the Blessed Mother in the celibate priesthood, based on the book of the same title by Fr. John Cihak, STD.

The Ingredient for Priestly Vocations

Insight Scoop has an article online - The Ingredient for Priestly Vocations, about the necessary ingredient for vocations - priestly inspiration.

In order to fulfill their ideals and challenges, young people are in desperate need of priestly inspiration.

The whole articlewhole article at deserves a read.

Parents' Duty Website

The Catholic Culture site often provides great reviews of various Catholic (or so-called Catholic) websites. They recently reviewed a site called Parents' Duty. I perused the site briefly, and it looks like an excellent resource for parents to help them raise their children aware of a Vocation. Check it out at www.parentsduty.com

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel reading details the first followers of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist points out Jesus to Andrew and another unnamed follower, calling Him the Lamb of God. They begin following, and Jesus invites them to stay. They get to know Him. John the Evangelist then backs up the events to say that first Andrew went to find his brother, Simon. This three-fold movement, while difficult to follow by timeline, is the progression of our lives in Christ, at least for most of us. We have someone point Christ out to us, we follow Him, spend time with Him, and then we become the one who leads to Christ.

Is this not exactly what happens in the Church? We receive the Sacraments, and while all of us are called to lead others to Christ, some are called to lead as priests, others are called to lead as religious. May we all be like St. Andrew, and be willing to not only follow, but to lead others to an encounter with Christ.

Baptism of the Lord

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is the formal close of the Christmas season, and perhaps no better feast to close it. These last weeks, we have taken the time to contemplate the face of Christ, born for our redemption. In the Baptism of the Lord, Jesus, now an adult, formally begins His ministry. As He begins to proclaim the Kingdom of God, He brings the saving message of forgiveness to all. As we celebrate this feast, we move from a wonder and awe of great feasts to the 'ordinary' time in our lives where we live that wonder and awe. We live out what we have celebrated. Further, just as Jesus begins to proclaim the kingdom, we recommit ourselves to proclaiming it.

This feast also begins National Vocations Awareness Week. We all have a vocation, a mission, that has been given by Christ to spread the Gospel message. National Vocation Awareness Week serves as a good reminder that all Christians are called to live out their baptismal commitment on a daily basis.

When John objects to Jesus' baptism (according to Matthew's account), Jesus responds that it must be done to "fulfill all righteousness." His willingness to be baptized begins the fulfillment of God the Father's plan for salvation. Jesus embraces the waters of the Jordan as God-made-man, undoing the sin in the Garden of Eden as Eve and Adam took the forbidden fruit in an effort to become like gods. Jesus, as the sinless Son of God born of Mary, had no sin and no need of repentance. He identifies himself with those who recognize their sins, faults, and failings; those who know that no human being on his or her own can ever find redemption. In his baptism Jesus identifies himself with the human race as more than merely than one who shares the human nature, but as one who is bringing true change. He accepts the baptism of John the Baptist and transforms it. In doing so, he inaugurates a new baptism, though not fully enacted until his death and resurrection.

Baptism begins a real transformation in us as we are given grace to respond to God's will. While we are given the grace to contend with the effects of original sin (death, sickness, concupiscence or disordered desire and darkened intellect), we are also given the ability to be transformed and to be in relationship with our creator. Baptism creates in us the ability to respond to the voice of God in a new way. We are given the opportunity not just to go back to the Garden, but to Heaven, into the very presence of the Holy Trinity.

Our life in God begins with baptism. Thus is the first sacrament of vocation. We all have a vocation, a particular role to play in God's plan of salvation. Some are called to sacraments of service, marriage and holy orders. Some are called to profess the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience and live as a priest, brother, sister, monk, or nun. But all are called!

This National Vocation Awareness Week we should call to mind the great gift of our baptism and pray that we would be able to cooperate with the grace that God gives us through it. For those who are parents with children still at home, take the time to talk to them about why you had them baptized, and also take time to pray with them and for them that they would be able to discern God's will for theirlives.

Let us pray for vocations, from our homes, our parishes, our Area Faith community, our Diocese. It is not out of a feeling of despair but of great hope: we need more priests, deacons, and religious! Yes, we need priests to feed and nourish us with the Sacraments. We need the witness of deacons, their ministry of presence in many areas. We need the witness of holiness and the various charisms in service to the Church. May all people responding to God's grace, to live God's call. May we encourage priestly, diaconal, and religious vocations, as well as support those already in the discernment process. To every young man: Consider the priesthood! To every young woman and man: Consider the religious life. We need you! The Church needs you. Christ loves you, and all of us, young and old, are called to service - may He be calling us to priesthood, deaconate, or religious life.

Taipei Times - archives

The Taipei Times printed an article on the Pill, and while their take is pretty polemic, the truth of the Matter still comes to the fore.

‘HORROR SCENARIO’: The fall in the birth rate in Austria, a chemist wrote in an article, is an ‘epidemic’ far worse than obesity and represents national suicide

THE GUARDIAN , BERLIN AND ROME
Thursday, Jan 08, 2009, Page 6
Roman Catholic leaders have pounced on a “confession” by one of the inventors of the birth control pill who has said the contraceptive he helped create was responsible for a “demographic catastrophe.”

In an article published by the Vatican this week, the head of the world’s Roman Catholic doctors broadened the attack on the pill, claiming it had also brought “devastating ecological effects” by releasing into the environment “tonnes of hormones” that had impaired male fertility.

The assault began with a personal commentary in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard by 85-year-old Carl Djerassi. The Austrian chemist was one of three whose formulation of the synthetic progestogen Norethisterone marked a key step toward the earliest oral contraceptive pill.

Djerassi outlined the “horror scenario” that occurred because of the population imbalance, for which his invention was partly to blame. He said that in most of Europe there was now “no connection at all between sexuality and reproduction.” He said: “This divide in Catholic Austria, a country which has on average 1.4 children per family, is now complete.”

He described families who had decided against reproduction as “wanting to enjoy their schnitzels while leaving the rest of the world to get on with it.”

The fall in the birth rate, he said, was an “epidemic” far worse — but given less attention — than obesity. Young Austrians, he said, were committing national suicide if they failed to procreate. And if it were not possible to reverse the population decline they would have to understand the necessity of an “intelligent immigration policy.”

The head of Austria’s Catholics, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, told an interviewer that the Vatican had forecast 40 years ago that the pill would lead to a dramatic fall in the birth rate in the west.

“Somebody above suspicion like Carl Djerassi ... is saying that each family has to produce three children to maintain population levels, but we’re far away from that,” he said.

Schonborn told Austrian TV that when he first read Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical condemning artificial contraception he viewed it negatively as a “cold shower.” But he said he had altered his views as, over time, it had proved “prophetic.”

Writing for the Vatican daily, L’Osservatore Romano, the president of the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, Jose Maria Simon, said research from his association also showed the pill “worked in many cases with a genuinely ... abortive effect.”

Angelo Bonelli, of the Italian Green party, said it was the first he had heard of a link between the pill and environmental pollution. The worst of poisons were to be found in the water supply.

“It strikes me as idiosyncratic to be worried about this,” he said.

A leading gynecologist and member of the New York Academy of Science, professor Gian Benedetto Melis, called Simon’s claims “science fiction,” saying that the pill blocked ovulation only.

Feast of the Holy Family

In the Readings for the Feast of the Holy Family, we hear again of God's Promises. God made a promise to Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation, and God (eventually) kept that promise, though time had passed and Abraham attempted to take matters into his own hands.
In our Gospel, we hear of Simeon and Anna. Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would live to see the Messiah. While we can safely assume that he did not live another 30-plus years to see that fullness of salvation, he had seen the messiah, Jesus Christ. It was only a matter of time before the fulfillment. Anna, too, waited in fasting and prayer for the Messiah, and seeing Him, proclaimed Him to all who were also waiting. Can you imagine her joy? Can you imagine her words? "It is just a matter of time... He's here!"
God is the God of promises. He promised a savior, and He has sent Him.
Every year, the Church gives us the feast of the Holy Family to contemplate the face of Christ born to the Virgin Mary. The Holy Family is the school, as Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI proclaimed. May our families receive degrees from this school, and all priests and religious graduates of the School of Nazareth.

A Powerful Conversion

Priests for Life Forces Members of Congress to Face Carnage of Abortion by bringing in a former abortionist. The whole article is powerful, but Dr. Levatino's testimony is especially powerful. While the goal of the campaign was simply to present the truth of what abortion truly is (the ending of a human life) and therefore based on facts and logic, it was a personal tragedy that helped him see the truth. May many more, from our lawmakers to the abortionists, hear the truth.

Despite recent 'statements' from high-ranking Catholic politicians (culturally Catholic, at least) stating that the Church has no clear teaching on this, life begins at fertilization. It is an article based on science. That life has dignity and value, this is the article of faith. The choice of abortion is a choice to kill that life. There is no wiggle room - abortion is murder. The fetus is a unique life with different DNA, eventually (still in the womb, of course) unique fingerprints, brain activity, heartbeats, fingers and toes. The child may have a different blood type than the mother, even! This is not a tumor, a mass of flesh, or a product of conception.

Dr. Levatino points this out. Warning: his descriptions are graphic, but necessary.

"Once you have grasped something inside [the uterus], squeeze on the clamp to set the jaws and pull hard - really hard. You feel something let go and out pops a fully formed leg about 4 to 5 inches long. ... Reach in again and again with that clamp and tear out the spine, intestines, heart and lungs.

"The head of a baby that age is about the size of a plum and is now free floating inside the uterine cavity. ... You will know you have it right when you crush down on the clamp and see a pure white gelatinous material issue from the cervix. That was the baby's brains. You can then extract the skull pieces.

"If you have a really bad day like I often did, a little face may come out and stare back at you."

Dr. Levatino, while still practicing as an obstetrician-gynecologist, told CNSNews.com that he ended his career as an abortionist after personal tragedy struck.

"My wife and I had an infertility problem," Levatino said. "We were unable to have children, and after several years of effort, we were very, very fortunate in being able to adopt a little girl whom we named Heather. As sometimes happens, after years of effort -- and I mean three surgeries on my wife's part and everything else -- we finally adopted a child, and my wife got pregnant the very next month. We ended up with two children just 10 months apart. We were very blessed that way.

"On June 23, 1984, my son was trying to cross the street, and my daughter, who was always the little mother, was running after him to tell him not to do that, and she was struck and killed by a car.


"If you haven't gone through that kind of tragedy, you don't have a clue. You may think you can imagine it, but trust me: You have no idea what it's like to lose a child, in any way.

"What do you do after a tragedy? You mourn for a while and you try to get back into your routine. I don't know how long after her death I had to do my first D&E abortion. I remember reaching in and literally ripping out an arm or a leg and looking at it in the clamp and I got sick. When you start an abortion you can't stop. If you leave anything behind, you [can] bet your patient is going to come back infected, bleeding or worse.

"I soldiered on and I finished that abortion."

But, Levatino said, something had changed.

"For the first time in my life I really looked at that pile of goo at the side of the table, and all of a sudden I didn't see her wonderful right to choose, and I didn't see the $600 wad of cash that I made in 15 minutes, and I couldn't think about what a great doctor I was because I took care of her problem. All I could see was somebody's son or daughter."

Feast of the Triumph of the Cross

This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. This feast is a double-anniversary. It first commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena (mother of the emperor Constantine) and the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of the Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast, though, is bigger. It is like a mini-Easter - it is a celebration of the Cross, a reminder of the grace that we have been given because of the Cross.

We know that our modern world is filled with so much evil. At times, it might even seem that the evil is winning. But the Cross stands as witness that there is something infinitely more powerful than evil - God. In the cross, Christ accepted what was vile, ugly, and utterly destructive. In His death, he submitted himself to the forces of evil. But His resurrection destroyed death and sin. Everything is changed, transformed, by Christ, though for now we ourselves continue to deal with evil, knowing that it is already conquered. Nothing can conquer God, nothing can overwhelm Christ and His love for us.

Understanding the love of Christ for us, and the triumph of the Cross, how can we give less than our All to Him?

The 40th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae

Cardinal Stafford, of the Sacred Penitentiary in Rome and an American prelate, has a thought-provoking article in the California Catholic daily on his personal review of the events surrounding the publication of Humanae Vitae entitled “In 1968, something terrible happened in the Church”. While it is long, it is a well-written piece that helps to tell the history of the dissent. I will not begin to do justice to his clarity, so please take time to read it.

With the fortieth anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae today (promulgation was actually on the 25th, the Feast of St. James), perhaps we ought to recapture what Pope Paul VI wrote. In Humanae Vitae, for a little review, the Pope taught that there is an inseparable, intrinsic link between union and procreation in every sexual act. He stated that acts rendered infertile by artificial means cease to honor this link, and could not be viewed as moral. He predicted that the embracing of contraception would lead to several evils: The objectification of women (and I would add men), the rift of husband and wife and weakening of family, and the intrusion of the State into other affairs (while he meant forced sterilization and abortions, I think that a good read would also include other areas).

There was an immediate outcry of dissent. Dissent, for whatever reason, is never to be taken lightly, and when that dissent is against the Vicar of Christ, one is placing oneself in judgement against the Holy Spirit. With Humanae Vitae, too many dissented without even reading this beautiful encyclical. They 'taught' that one's conscience should be the sole guide in the decision to use contraception (except of course when it was rejected, of course). They belittled the Pope's suggestion of Natural Family Planning as unscientific and unsuccessful (such as the Rhythm method which does not work well because a women's fertility is affected by many variables), and mock the successful methods. We have seen the fruits of contraception and the contraceptive mentality: an increase of 'legal' abortions on demand, at all stages of development and by any means including Partial Birth, the spread of pornography including all sorts of perversions, the rift of husband and wife and denigration of the family, the shirking of responsibility of men who father children, a raise in single mothers, cohabitation, perpetual adolescence especially of men, increase in violent crimes, etc. This is not even to delve into the homosexual agenda or the push for euthanasia. We see that our culture says that the only unsafe sexual act is one of complete openness that could result in the transmission of life. Sex is no longer a gift given among two married adults, but a means of taking pleasure. While not all of these fruits may be solely and directly caused by contraception, there are connections. These fruits of dissension, the fruits of contraception are all around us.

On the other side, though, those who embraced Humanae Vitae, have developed methods and understandings in conformity with the Church. The science behind Natural Family Planning is solid, and freeing. By teaching a woman and man the signs of fertility that can be scientifically verified, a true empowerment has occurred. First, it recognizes that God is God, we are not. For grave reason, a couple may refrain for sexual activity during their joint fertile times (about 100 hours a month). But it also can assist a couple in bearing a child. Instead of treating fertility as a disease with pills and latex, NFP treats it as a state of health, a means of being responsible for one's choices. Women are revered. Those practicing NFP have also gained fruits: open and honest dialog (after all, if you can talk about fertility, what can't you talk about), an openness to life and love, an ability to see children as gifts, an ability to see the other as a gift, a profound respect for all humans, and of generosity in other areas of life. Couples practicing NFP have a low divorce rate. In my experience, couples using NFP and their families tend to be happier.

Following the fruits, I know what tree I want for my parishioners! It makes it easy to preach Humanae Vitae, the Theology of the Body, and in reality all that the Church teaches. It makes the recommendation of NFP programs easy. It reminds me that the Holy Spirit is in charge. I believe consensus for Humanae Vitae is building, despite the critical dissenters. It is simply because 40 years of the fruits of dissent have been far too bitter for far too many, while the fruits of assent sweet and refreshing!

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In our Gospel, Jesus tells us about the sower and the crop he reaps in various types of soil. The seed is the same for all, but in places, that seed cannot grow. So important is this that St. Matthew never used the word 'seed' in his telling of the story - it is not a variable. What is? The ground! Sometimes, the ground is packed hard. The seed cannot sink in before the birds take it away. Sometimes, the ground is shallow, and the roots cannot reach water and it dies. Sometimes the ground is covered in weeds and the seed grows but cannot grow. Sometimes, though, the seed hits good ground and sinks in roots, grows up strong and sure, and produces a bountiful crop.

We are that ground - our hearts are the place were the seed is sown. Can we allow Christ, the Sacred Sower, till our hearts, give us depth, remove the choking worries of the world, so that we can allow it to grow and flourish?

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, the only truth to believe, and the only life that is eternal. The Apostles miss the meaning of what Jesus says to them, and keep asking to be shown the way to the Father. It is simple - follow Jesus, see and believe in Him alone.

In the Second Reading, St. Peter tells us that we are living stones, built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. United with Him, we are called to put all of our talents and skills to the use of the Church. Some, of course, are called as priests and religious. Some, perhaps most, are called to live out their vocations of marriage in the world, to lead others to Christ through a faithful witness in the secular sphere. Yet, all are united in the Church, which is the Body of Christ.

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

The first sermon of Jesus recorded in Matthew's Gospel (of five - calling to mind the five books of the Torah) starts with Jesus proclaiming 8 beatitudes - blessed. To the original hearers, it must have taken them a little off-gaurd. After all, isn't having health and wealth, having enough to eat, laughter, etc, a good thing. In the time of Jesus, those who lacked were seen as falling short of God's blessings, and even today we can often hear of preaching that wealth is a sign of God's favor. But Christ preaches the opposite - blessed are the poor, the sorrowful, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. It is a reminder that true blessedness is not in what we do (or even perhaps what we are), but is a state of being in union with God. While we will experience the good and the bad in life, we must allow God to give us His blessing, and receive those blessings.

Article on the Ten Suggestions

This month, we mark National Vocations Awareness Week(January 13-18). While so often we single out priesthood and religious life, we know that we need holy husbands and wives, following the model of the Holy Family. We need holy married couples to raise children in an environment of holiness. Any response to the call of God is first made possible by the loving example of family. Without holy families, the chances of responding to a call are greatly diminished, simply because no one has modeled how to respond to any call, whether to priesthood, religious life, the deaconate, the missionary life, or even holy marriage.
There seems to be a certain confusion among parents for the best practices that would open their children’s hearts to responding. Perhaps we should take comfort calling to mind Pentecost – despite all the confusion, it was the work of the Holy Spirit in which we find the trust that God to still be in control. We also know that more than the minimum is necessary. Following the precepts of the Church are the minimum. What follows are some humble ‘hints’ for parents in how to create an environment in which children will be open to hearing God’s voice and responding in love to that call.
1. Develop your relationship with Christ and impart a desire for discipleship in the lives of your children. Especially important would be participating in Eucharistic Adoration and even if possible daily Mass. Silence is necessary for growth (both your own and for your child), and in the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we are profoundly touched by His loving embrace. In frequent reception of the Eucharist, we grow in grace and freedom.
2. Live your vocation to marriage out as fully as you can. By responding to your vocation to marriage, asking for the fullness of grace that God offers, you will model to your children how to live and respond to God’s grace.
3. Speak of the holy and influential priests and religious in your life. Sharing these stories helps to show the impact a religious life can have.
4. Provide opportunities for your children to speak with priests and religious. Invite them to your house, or let your children interact with them after Mass or at various functions. Your children will see them as human beings and begin to ask if God might be calling them, too.
5. Pray for your children’s vocations, that they may understand their call, and place them in the care of the Blessed Mother, through praying the rosary as a family. By placing your children’s vocations to her maternal protection, she will lead them to Christ.
6. Speak of your children responding to whatever vocation they have, showing your support of them without pushing them. Be aware that the vocation comes from God, and that their free response will lead them to lasting happiness. Parents walk a fine line between showing support and forcing a response. Let your children know you are pleased by their response to God’s call.
7. Instill in your children a desire to serve and a proper understanding of stewardship. This can be done through your ‘open’ service and stewardship. Let your children see your joy-filled gift of self, and help them to find opportunities to do likewise.
8. Inspire a heroic life of virtue in your child by reading to them or with them about the lives of the saints and encouraging moral choices.
9. Help your child develop a wide range of activities and discern what gives them joy and what their talents are. By knowing their talents and gifts, your child may be able to know what God desires. There are certain skills that are useful in any lifestyle and vocation, and by learning to place these in the service of God, your child will more readily be able to cultivate other ‘specialized’ gifts that will led to discerning God’s will.
10. Develop a sense of the sacred and transcendent in your child. Great art, literature, and music can inspire us and teach us of the human condition.
There is nothing profound in any of these things. Together, we can build a culture for vocations in our homes, parishes, area faith communities, diocese, and world. We can create an environment which enables and encourages all of us to respond more deeply to God’s call. We can inspire our youth to take their proper places at the altar as lay men and women, as religious, as deacons, and priests, together worshipping God with one unified voice of praise!

Reflection on the Feast of the Holy Family

This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Held within the Octave of Christmas, we remember that Jesus Christ, Son of God, is born into a family, and that He submits to St. Joseph's paternal protection and the Blessed Virgin Mary's Maternal nurturing. It is through His family that Jesus understood His humanity on an experiential level. Yes, He 'knew' what it meant to be human - He had a role in creating humanity, after all. But in taking on flesh, in becoming man for us, He now experiences it, and because of it, redeems all of humanity.

Most of us have families that more or less are attempting to follow the model of the Holy Family. Families have an important role in helping us discern our vocations. It is through the modeling of holy parents that children learn of God's love for us, and become willing and eager to respond. This does not mean, however, that in families where this is not the case that the child has no hope - we are never without hope - but that there is the difficulty. In most cases, the child has to be embraced, knowingly or unknowingly, by a father-figure at least, and perhaps even a mother-figure. It could be a grandparent, teacher, neighbor, or parent of a friend. We need families to help us understand our vocations!

Fourth Sunday of Advent

This last Sunday of Advent in the current cycle, we hear of Joseph's dream in which the angel tells him to take Mary as his wife. Unlike Mary, he is not immaculate, but he is a righteous man who desired to do what is right. Because he, too, experiences original sin like the rest of us, the fear that he had is understandable. Yet he responds and does as the angel tells him.

St. Joseph models to us how to respond to our vocations. He responds in faith to the message, and though he is not the biological father of Jesus, he provides the home and safety in which Jesus grows and matures. So too should we. Men especially should follow the example and to provide the environment in which Jesus can 'grow' in the hearts of those around us and those in our charge.