Matthew and Luke begin their Gospels by celebrating how God visits His people in the birth of Jesus. A young Jewish girl, Mary, is found worthy and chosen to bear in her womb, the Son of God. Mary is undoubtedly a young virgin, but in God’s plan for the redemption of human race, youth or virginity is never a barrier.

In the Gospel, Mary’s virginity is important, because it points to the truth of who her child is: “So the child will be holy and will be called the son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Having a child is not Mary’s idea; it is God’s.

“In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son” (Hebrews I:1-2).

Merry Christmas to all!

With deep joy and gratitude, I extend to you my prayerful best wishes for a holy and blessed Christmas. As we have come through the beautiful season of Advent in preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord, it has been my prayer that each of you would find opportunities to reflect on your own faith and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.

Advent comes to an end in a few days. How time flies! The prophet Micah announces the great promise of God: that the small tribe which settled in the insignificant town of Bethlehem will one day produce the ruler of Israel. But between that promise and its fulfillment, there is a long interim period of destruction, suffering and exile. I know all about destruction and suffering, as I have witnessed folks who have been overrun by non-state actors back in my homeland.

Today, we are all like St. Joseph. As Christmas approaches on this final Sunday in Advent, we hear again the story of how Joseph, betrothed to Mary, but not yet married, will break up quietly. Through the action of the angel, however, Joseph has a turn-around. He realizes there is something more important—God’s plan—and pushes forward in love, entering into the marriage and becoming the foster father of Jesus.

While today’s kings, dictators, presidents and rulers are all about worldly power, Jesus turned the tables and became powerless as we read in Philippians (2:6-9) “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, Jesus humbled himself, becoming obedient to death on a Cross. Because of this, God highly exalted him.” Jesus shows us the infinite power of His unconditional love. The power of the powerless is love, “The Power of Love.” Yes, I guess that was a hit song by Huey Lewis and the News. Sorry if I made that tune play in your head for a while.

Signs are all around us. They seek to direct, announce news, and proclaim messages. How we engage meaning- making in the world is often dependent on the meaning we attach to the signs we encounter in our lives. Today's Gospel reading presents us with a biblical version of this process. John the Baptist, now imprisoned, seeks to know who Jesus is, and Jesus responds by encouraging the disciples of John to look at the signs.

The nineteenth century French painter James Tissot created this illustration of today’s Gospel reading in the period 1886-1894 as a part of a collection of art works of the life of Christ that are rooted in his own experience of visiting and touring the Holy Land. Tissot pictures John atop a rock formation that appears to be an entry to a cave, helping us to see and know the rough wilderness that was the Baptist's home. Gathered around him, listening, are several individuals. They appear to be from all walks of life: soldiers, townsfolk and, of course, the Pharisees and Sadducees, positioned front and center, sitting in profile, hearing the preaching of the final prophet.

If there is anyone who puts the fear of God in us, it is John the Baptist. What a strange man! A Holy Terror! His cachectic body fighting to stay together because of his meager diet; his eyes sharpened by visions he has seen. His words are strong and to the point. You get that awful feeling that he is talking directly at you and he means every word. And yes, you are right. He is not one to ignore or hide from. He is still very real. John had a huge following long before Jesus appeared on the scene. People flocked from far and wide just to hear what he had to say, and the words of John still apply in our day.