Sunday, December 30, 2012

JMJ

Creche at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Pismo Beach, CA
(c) 2012 On Being Roman Catholic in America
JMJ - Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  The Holy Family.  Years ago, and perhaps still today, Catholic school children wrote JMJ across the top of every paper.  The Most Reverend Fulton J. Sheen popularized JMJ as he wrote the initials across the top of the blackboard during his weekly television series.  Once, as he "signed in" as a guest on the popular television show, What's My Line? he wrote JMJ and then his own name.

The Holy Family--Jesus, Mary and Joseph--models the love of the family unit, which instructs us in the perfect Love of our Triune God found in the relationship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  During Christmastide, we are reminded of the formational love of the Christian family, which love, by its example, teaches us to reach out to all "men of good will."  

In establishing the tradition of the nativity scene, St. Francis continues to teach the world about the love of the Holy Family.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

End of Days

(C) 2012 On Being Roman Catholic in America

Some said the Mayan calendar predicted the end of the world, but doomsday, December 21, came and went.  But not without incident.  In this part of the world, a beautiful rainbow painted a glorious arch across the early morning sky.  A sign perhaps.  As the story goes, after the Flood, the rainbow was given as a sign of the Creator's covenant with Noah for a New Beginning.  (Gen. 9:13-17.)  Only hours from now, if we open our hearts, we may find another sign of a New Beginning:  A Child in a manger.  (Luke 2:7.)  A sign of New Life.   Of Hope. 



Saturday, December 8, 2012

Mary, Full of Grace - Patroness of the United States

Immaculate Conception - Side Altar, Basilica in Denver, Colorado (C) 2012 On Being Roman Catholic in America

 

On December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate Mary, full of grace.  We celebrate Mary's participation in salvation history by her faithful "yes"--her acceptance, fiat, of God's will.  On this day, of all days, we are reminded that our relationship with God, the Creator, begins at the moment of our conception.  We ask Mary, Patroness of the United States, to pray with us for an end to the evil that promotes a cultural of death, and especially to safeguard and protect the child in the womb.