I remember the first time my older sister asked me if I wanted to hold her newborn son. Terrified, I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea. My résumé had nothing to suggest I would be a qualified baby holder. But she warmly told me, “I’ll help you hold him.” It struck me that she is baby’s mother. She is the one who decides who is qualified to hold him. I took him in my arms and soon I began to feel comfortable with that tiny little warm cooing creature in my arms, and soon I no longer feared holding him. Now, twenty-seven nieces and nephews later, holding a newborn child is one of the great joys of my life.

Dear Brothers, & Sisters,

As we gather in this blessed season of Christmas, our hearts and homes are adorned with the festive spirit, evident in the myriad gifts beneath our Christmas trees. These earthly offerings, though wrapped with care, often fail to capture the essence of true gifting – they may not suit our tastes, might be returned, or simply lack the personal touch we yearn for.

Why do we believe in Jesus and the Catholic Church? Why should we continue to do so? We’ve never seen him face-to-face (at least not most of us, I assume). Most of us have never had mystical visions of angels or saints. We live in the same world as our atheist and secularists friends. Why do we believe in Christ if we’ve never seen him?

The road we travel as Christians is not always easy. Sometimes it is smooth; other times, it is bumpy, with potholes and detours. Some days, we are on top of the mountain; other days, we find ourselves in the valleys of life. Sometimes we have sunshine and beautiful sky days; other times, we have darkness and heavy storms of life. While it is true that our faith in God is supposed to bring us inner peace, joy, and fulfillment here on earth and ultimately win us favor in the sight of God hereafter, the truth is that unkind things can happen to good people.

Lately I’ve been listening to a science-based podcast on healthy daily living. The host frequently discusses the wide range of health benefits of sleep. So, each night I’m trying to get more, and better, slumber, and it’s helping me feel energized. So, why in the world should we follow Christ’s advice this week? “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house will come … lest he find you asleep.” Isn’t sleep, especially at midnight and cockcrow, a good thing? Of course, it is.