Fr. Andrew’s Monday Conversation Podcast (24 Minutes)
Christmas offers a rich opportunity for story telling amid the backdrop of the Great Story of the birth of Jesus. Fr. Andrew discusses some of the comments and insights he has received from his Facebook page, inviting us to consider how film can help us all enter into this holy season.
Midnight Mass Podcast from the Cathedral – 95 Minutes
Fr. Andrew’s Christmas Homily Podcast
Like a bridge that connects two shores, Jesus Christ comes into our world to unite us to God and one another. Fully human like us, he teaches us about God and guides us to heaven. Fully divine, he has the power to overcome sin and death and bring healing and reconciliation to our lives.
Merry Christmas!
Study: Consider your life. Are there any parts that are wounded?
Pray: Invite the infant Jesus into the humble stable of your heart. He is familiar with simple surroundings; nothing you have is too poor, and everything you offer will be warmly received.
Serve: Is there some way you can be a bridge that unites others this Christmas? Some way that you can unite, heal, or help?
The Readings of Christmas:
Midnight Mass Podcast from the Cathedral – 95 Minutes
Fr. Andrew’s Christmas Homily Podcast
The birth of the Lord celebrates a great mystery: God takes on our human form in the person of Jesus. Fully human and fully divine, the Son of God and the Son of Mary – Jesus comes into our world with a mix of what seems like incompatible qualities:
Why are these extremes so great? Why do we see in Jesus both the lowliness of our human limits and the heights of God’s glory? To put it simply, Jesus Christ is the bridge between heaven and earth.
Think about it. Because of sin we have been divided from God and one another. Isolated by fear, temptation, weakness, sin and lies, we often find ourselves cut off from the Lord and at odds with those around us. While the media is filled with examples of this division, we really only have to look into our own hearts to find the struggle that is part of the human condition.
And this is why Christ was born – to restore our relationships and unite us with a strength that is greater than anything we can do on our own. Born like us, he enters our world so that we can know God; as the the Son of his Heavenly Father he will one day destroy the power of sin and death when he carries his Cross to die and rise that we might have eternal life.
Jesus forms the bridge that allows us to span the void caused by our sins. He offers mercy and forgiveness to reconcile our hearts to God, and through this forgiveness our relationships on earth are renewed. We are united; we are connected; we are graced with divine love, peace, and joy.
Where are the gaps in your heart this Christmas? Where do you see the need for Jesus Christ to restore what was broken or wounded? Draw strength from the one who knows exactly what it feels like (he is fully human after all) and yet has the grace to make it whole (which comes from his power as the Son of God.)
And may this Christmas bring healing and hope to your heart! Merry Christmas, my friends!
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The Adoration of the Shepherds, Gerard van Honthorst, 1622, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany.
Study: What one thing can you choose to do this Christmas to make it better?
Pray: Ask God for the help to do that one thing wisely and well!
Serve: How can you help someone make their Christmas better?
Christmas Readings
Vigil Mass Mass during the Night Mass at Dawn Mass during the Day
A Christmas Carol
Part V: Christmas Day
When Scrooge finally awakes on Christmas morning, he is a changed man. Filled with joy and newfound hope, he begins to live his life very differently from the day before. Reaching out to the people in his midst, Scrooge recognizes the beauty and richness that has always been around him.
Whether it’s buying an enormous turkey for the Cratchit family, wishing a small boy “Merry Christmas!”, accepting a dinner invitation at his nephew’s home, or raising Bob Cratchit’s salary, what we discover is that Scrooge is transformed. He has recognized something powerful in his life, and he is following a new course of action.
In the Gospel today Mary greets her kinswoman Elizabeth, who also recognizes something wonderful has happened. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy – a sign that God was present in a powerful way. Elizabeth understood that God was working in Mary’s life, and she responded to this insight accordingly.
There comes a moment in our lives when we discover something new. Perhaps we have seen a mistake in the past or regret an action that we have done; at these times we encounter a reason to hope and start over. We have a reason to live.
The reason? Christmas joy! Our lives are transformed by the grace of Christ; through the birth of Jesus all barriers between heaven and earth have been removed and we are united with God. Once we throw open the doors of our hearts, the power of the Christ child brings a renewal and healing – we live in hope!
It is this sense of hope which can give us new life. Emerging from doubt or despair, we rediscover that God walks with and among us – helping us in moments of sadness and leading us to peace. Yet God requires that we actively accept this invitation. The promise of hope needs our action, and it relies on our willingness to follow.
Scrooge provides an example for us. With the help of the Spirits of Christmas, he saw a world filled with very different possibilities. He discovered that he need not be unhappy; he could change his life and embrace the joys which were all around him. His willingness to see, judge, and act become an inspiration for us – reminding us that life gives us opportunities to change our ways and follow God’s call.
As Elizabeth recognized God’s presence in Mary, we too are invited to discover the Lord in our midst. May our eyes be open to see God among us, and may we respond with hearts that are open to the abundant love which is our inheritance.
Merry Christmas!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 