Dear Folks,

As we continue the Christmas season, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.

This year, we will be doing Cycle A readings, which means lots of the Gospel of Mat-

thew. I’m challenging everyone to look at the Gospel stories through the lens of God

bringing order out of chaos that life may flourish. The Gospel warns us that if we seek to

follow, there are some things we can expect:

It will cost us; there will be sacrifice. We will face opposition, sometimes from

those we most expected support. Sin will bring chaos. God will let bad things hap-

pen. Notice how often family is the way the plan happens, even though these fami-

lies are not perfect, often very messed up. If we trust in God, He will do great things

in their proper time.

Genesis chapter one shows our story beginning with God bringing order out of chaos that life may flourish.

The Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy. It shows generations of families, each with their own stories. Some we know the stories, and others are just names. What we do

know of the stories tells us there was a lot of chaos going on. Looking at the overall sto-

ry, however, we notice there are three sets of fourteen (twice the divinely perfect number

seven). This is a hint that God is carrying out a well-ordered plan, though it would not

have seemed like it at the time.

Many have observed that families can have a lot of chaos in their daily lives, but also that great things can happen in families. People learn basic things about how to function,

what is right and wrong, what is of value and what is worthless. It also gives us connec-

tion to something bigger than ourselves that is still there even when it’s really difficult.

This is a fuller way to live than dedicating ourselves to material possessions and pleas-

ures.

In “A Christmas Carol” Scrooge disconnected from relationships, likely because they

had caused him pain and that he feared poverty. He saw his wealth as a security against

the pain he had suffered when he was younger, and, as vices do, his greed consumed

him. During his ghostly wakeup call, he reconnected with that neglected aspect of him-

self. He was able to see life greater than the pain of his past. He no longer let his grief

over losing his little sister Fan stop him from connecting with his nephew Fred. He even

saw his employee, Bob Cratchet, as not simply an instrument for conducting business,

but saw him and his family as human beings, and formed a more human relationship with him. He would, short term, see his profits decrease, but he would see that in perspective.

Besides, perhaps this more fully expressed self would enable him to connect to people

better in business, and he might find his profits increasing.

Our families are all flawed, and they can give us wounds as well as treasures. If we re-

spond in faith, in hope and in love, maybe we can unlearn bad habits, do some healing,

build on what we were given, and do a bit better than the last generation, leaving the

world a little better.

God Bless us everyone, and God bless our families,

Fr. Jim