Tag Archives: christmas

The Joyful Mysteries – Epiphany Edition

Yesterday when I was praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in preparation for the vigil of the Epiphany, it struck me how the standard mysteries parallel the journey of the Wise Men (aka Magi or Three Kings)! I wanted to share these reflections in case you find them helpful. I am sure others have come up with a similar approach, but this is the one that occurred to me-

First Joyful Mystery – the Annunciation

Epiphany correlation: the Appearance of the Star

The Annunciation refers to the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to announce  to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Redeemer (Luke 1: 26-38). This parallels the appearance of the star to the Wise Men: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2: 2).

Like the message of Gabriel, the rising star did not signal the immediate appearance of Jesus, but began the process of preparation. It was the catalyst that set everything else in motion. The hearts of Mary and the Magi began to long to see what these signs were preparing them to see. May we foster this desire to see the Lord in our own hearts!

Second Joyful Mystery – the Visitation

Epiphany correlation: the Journey to Bethlehem

After receiving the message of Gabriel, Mary traveled in haste over the hill country to visit her relative Elizabeth (Lk 1: 39-45). This parallels the journey of the Wise Men: “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem” (Mt 2: 1). 

In both cases, the initial message prompted a response of action. Traveling was not an easy thing, involving either foot travel or the care of animals, and likely camping in the open when an inn was not available. What is now a simple “day trip” for us would have required a journey more difficult than most of us have ever taken! But, these challenges did not cause Mary or the Magi to give up their quest. May the gift of faith inspire us to action, persevering in the journey of love of God and neighbor!

Third Joyful Mystery – the Nativity (Birth of Jesus)

Epiphany correlation: Encountering the Child Jesus

After nine months of pregnancy, Mary finally had the joy of seeing the child she had been carrying in her womb (Lk 2: 7). Likewise, after their journey, the Magi at last found the “newborn king” they had been seeking: “After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary, his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage” (Mt 2: 9-11a). 

The Wise Men respond to the encounter with Jesus by paying him homage – experiencing part of the joy, gratitude, and love that Mary felt in looking down at her Child. Let us make time in our life for this grateful prayer, especially when we have the opportunity for Eucharistic adoration!

Fourth Joyful Mystery – the Presentation in the Temple

Epiphany correlation: the Presentation of the Three Gifts

After forty days, Mary and Joseph went to present the infant Jesus in the Temple, according to the Law (Lk 2: 22-38). It was a concrete moment of entrusting their greatest treasure back to the Lord. The Magi did not have to wait forty days after meeting the Child to offer their treasures, but did so immediately: “Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Mt 2: 11b). 

The joy, gratitude, and love in the previous mystery inspire us to make an offering of our very self to the Lord – our time, talent, and treasure, pointing to the deeper gift of our heart. As our Diocesan vocation prayer says, “Lord, help me to want to be what You want me to be!”

Fifth Joyful Mystery – Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

Epiphany correlation: the Return Home

Jumping forward in time again, at age twelve Jesus was temporarily lost in Jerusalem – significantly for three days, at the time of Passover – before being found in the Temple (Lk 2: 41-52). This passage ends by stating, “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart” (Lk 2 51). Likewise, the account of the Magi ends by telling us, “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way” (Mt 2: 12). 

Mary returns home, continuing to reflect about the significance of what had happened. The Magi also return home “by another way,” a phrase that can signify both a different course of travel as well as a different manner of life. Surely they spent much time thinking about what had happened, and its significance for their lives. As we finish the Christmas season (and the meditations of the rosary), how is the Lord inviting us to return to our daily lives in ‘another way?’

Noel: A Christmas Poem by JRR Tolkien

JRR Tolkien was much more than just a fiction writer – as any regular reader of this blog should know! He was a devout Catholic, and like CS Lewis (his good friend) his faith provided a rich theological backdrop to his writing. Here is a poem that Tolkien wrote about the birth of Jesus. It was published in 1936 (the year before the Hobbit), which means it came out before he was well-known. For this reason, the poem had been relatively obscure until being included in a collection of his works in 2013.

My favorite part is the way it contrasts the cold and dark of winter with the joy, light, and bells of Christmas. In particular, this can be seen by looking at the close parallel of opposites between the first and last stanza (a device he will also use to great effect, in reverse, in the Song of Durin that Gimli recites in Moria!).

Its image of the star is very appropriate as we celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, with the emphasis on the journey of the Magi. It is also fitting as today (Jan. 3rd) was Tolkien’s birthday! I pray all who read this have a merry conclusion to the Christmas season, and a blessed new year!

Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.

The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind,
the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.

The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.

Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.

Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.

Christmas Images and St. John Damascene

Advent/Christmas is a time filled with images – manger scenes, the Holy Family, angels, Saint Nicholas, and many others. This is not unique to the Catholic Church, but something you see almost everywhere this time of year!

What is ironic, is that for some the Catholic use of images is in fact an obstacle and stumbling block to belief in the Church. Many believe that this violates the Old Testament prohibition: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth” (Exodus 20:4). How can we fill our churches with graven images, when this is specifically prohibited? The extreme view of this position is called iconoclasm (literally, “image breaking”). It is the belief that all forms of images are against the teaching of the Scriptures and the respect due to God, and must be removed or destroyed.

Therefore, I think that it is very fitting that we always celebrate the feast of St John Damascene (Dec. 4th) near the beginning of Advent. He was an active writer in the early 700’s at a time when iconoclasm was very strong. In his writings we find a wonderful defense of the practice of sacred images – seeing them not as an obstacle to authentic worship, but a powerful aid!

First, the extreme position against images is not even a fair interpretation of the Old Testament. Just five chapters after the supposed prohibition against all graven images, God commands that the Israelites make images of the cherubim (a type of angel) to be placed on the Ark of the Covenant: “Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the cover” (Exodus 25:18). Likewise, wooden statues of the cherubim are included in the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem: “In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, made of pine.” (1 Kings 6:23). Thus, the Old Testament does not forbid the creation of all sacred images, but only in the narrower sense of ones specifically worshipped in place of God (i.e., idols). As Catholics, we do not worship the saints in place of God, but rather see them as living brothers and sisters near to the Lord – “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive” (Luke 20:38). We give thanks for the grace of God at work in them, and ask them to pray for us.

Second, St John Damascene specifically draws out the way that things have changed after the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity- Jesus taking on human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary, true God and true man. Many of the Old Testament laws were connected to the particular time and situation, or as a preparation toward later fulfillment. There are many times that Jesus declares this about Old Testament teaching: 

  • “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’… [and] ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5: 38, 43-44).
  • “He said to them, ‘Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile…’ Thus he declared all foods clean.” (Mark 7:18-19). 
  • “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” (Matthew 19:8). 

In each of these cases, Jesus speaks of an Old Testament teaching that was pointing toward a deeper fulfillment, not one that was binding for all time. Many other examples could be found – for example, the animal sacrifices in the Temple.

Along this line, St John Damascene pointed out that when the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:15), God made a living image of Himself. Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). The prophet Isaiah speaks of the way that the Messiah will remove what veils God: “On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations” (Isaiah 25:7). Indeed, we see this at the death of Christ on the Cross: “And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51).

For all of these reasons, it is a mistake to take an overly strict interpretation of the prohibition against images in the Old Testament. I provide these abundant Scriptural references, since the attack against Catholic sacred images is often motivated by a desire to be faithful to what the Bible teaches. We can see that the Scriptures themselves teach us that God has reached out to us in a new way. The New Testament proclaims a closeness to God. Saints or sacred images do not keep us from seeing the glory of God as if they were competing lights, but rather they are mirrors that reflect the divine goodness in radiant beauty. It is a wonderful practice during Advent and Christmas to spend time praying in front of the art of the season, calling to mind more and more deeply the presence of God in our lives!

Advent Ideas 2024

This time of year we are bombarded by many different lists of Christmas gift ideas – instead, I thought I would put together a list of ideas of spiritual prep for Advent! While we may find it difficult to fit in a lot each day, it is amazing how much impact small habits can have. Even 1% effort can make a huge difference.

On that note, the most fundamental way to keep Advent is to celebrate the four Advent Sundays! This is what outlines the season, and is reflected in the tradition of the Advent wreath (one candle for each Sunday). Fittingly, 1% of our week is 100 minutes – enough time for Mass even including preparation/travel. The readings of the four weeks are chosen especially to prepare for Christmas, and the connection with the community is good for us.

If you want to have an even more transformative experience, I encourage you to extend this “1% challenge” into the weekdays as well! That amounts to roughly 15 minutes per day. This is a goal that is pretty achievable even with a busy schedule. We often find that we spend at least this much time per day on low-quality time (e.g. social media) anyways!

Where might we find the 15 minutes? Classic times are during the morning, during lunch break, or in the evening. For some it may work to make this time right before bed, although for others it may be a time of too much drowsiness (or at risk of just falling asleep in the middle!). So, in the evening it might work better to schedule it just after some other activity concludes (e.g. after work/school, after dinner, right after the kids go to bed, etc). Other ideas might be during some activity when our body is occupied but our mind is able to engage in some real prayer/reflection. For example – during an easy drive, during a walk, or during simple chores (like folding laundry). 

What can we do during these 15 minutes? Here is a list of ideas-

  • Attend a daily Mass (these are simpler than a weekend Mass, usually closer to 20 minutes, and deepen our Scriptural dive into Advent texts)
  • Pray the rosary (especially reflecting on the Joyful mysteries)
  • Spiritual reading (e.g., the daily Mass readings, a devotional, or the writings of a saint)
  • Parish small group study (fittingly four meetings for four weeks! Available here – https://www.stmalachyschool.org/s/Parish-Mission-Small-Group-Study.pdf)
  • Pray the Angelus in the morning, noon, and evening (after spending a couple of minutes reflecting on God’s action in our life that day, basically three sets of 5 minutes – Angelus | USCCB)
  • Quiet meditation in front of religious art (e.g. a Nativity scene), perhaps with journaling (reflecting on God’s role in one’s life, goals, obstacles, intentions, brainstorming, etc). 
  • Audio options – podcasts, formed.org (free through our parish subscription)
  • Video options – formed.org, Chosen tv series
  • Works of mercy idea – place straw/paper next to the empty manger in your family Nativity scene. After a work of mercy, secretly add the straw to the pile. At the end of Advent you will have prepared a soft resting place for the infant Jesus, as well as have a visual representation of moments of grace.

Whatever you choose, I hope you have a very blessed Advent, and an even more Merry Christmas!

An Appointed Time for Everything

[I wanted to share this as a last-minute prep for Christmas – I originally wrote it for the News-Gazette Faith & Worship guide this year. God bless!]

“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens” (Eccl. 3:1). It may seem odd to see these words from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes in an article about Christmas, as it is a reading more often associated with funerals! However, in addition to speaking of a “time to weep… [and] a time to mourn,” this chapter speaks of “a time to laugh… and a time to dance” (v. 4). It is wisdom to understand the grace proper to each time, and to live in accord with it. The liturgical year (in other words, the church calendar of seasons, holy days, etc) applies this Biblical wisdom to our lives. As much as we give great significance to changing calendar years, I believe we should give even more significance to the change of liturgical seasons.


Advent encompasses the four Sundays before Christmas Day. The Christmas season is more than a single day, but continues through the traditional twelve days to Epiphany. Too often we miss the grace of the season of preparation, and cut short the celebration of its fruits. I want to look at three ways that Advent complements and prepares for the grace of the Christmas season. Advent is a time of reconciliation – with God and neighbor. This entails receiving forgiveness, granting forgiveness, and working to form stronger bonds. The fruit of this work is peace – the true, profound peace we desire to celebrate on Christmas.


Advent is a time of charity – a generosity that flows from gratitude. Commercialism may drive us to “shop till we drop,” and leave us worn out and in debt. The fruit of helping those in need and service to others opens up an interior freedom that leads to joy – the true, profound joy we desire to celebrate on Christmas.


Advent is a time of prayer – conversation with God. Whereas the world around us is filled with noise, prayer allows us to hear clearly. Scriptures, sacraments, devotions, and personal prayer give us the opportunity to spend quality time with God. The fruit of this time is love – the true, profound love we desire to celebrate on Christmas.


Ecclesiastes wraps up its reflection on the various times of life by stating, “I have seen the business that God has given to mortals to be busied about. God has made everything appropriate to its time, but has put the timeless into their hearts…” (vv. 10-11a). There is a timeless grace hidden in the Child Jesus. What a gift to have this appointed, appropriate time of year to once more make our way to Bethlehem.