Next Sunday is the The Baptism of the Lord in Year A. You can read a complete commentary on the Sunday Gospel here.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” 15 Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. 16 After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. 17 And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:13-17) Continue reading
“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)
How many of you, in a fit of anger, in the moment you dropped some heavy thing on your foot, mistook your thumb for a nail, watched a souffle collapse, or any one of a number of things that exasperated, exhausted, miffed, frustrated, irritated, annoyed, incensed or _______ (please fill in your descriptive state of mind) you – have taken the Lord’s name in vain? I suspect that the percentage is quite high. Perhaps approaching 99%? 
Next Sunday is the 
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We’re not celebrating “perfect family Sunday.” Offered as a point of humor, let us remember Jesus was without sin and Mary, by God’s grace was kept free from sin – not such claim was made for Joseph. He wasn’t perfect, but he was holy. And so celebrate and consider holiness this Sunday as we are all called to remember that it was into a family that God sent his Son. A family that has its ups and downs, joys and sorrows, agreements and disputes, and all the things that are tossed into the cauldron called family life. A family like yours in many ways. A family that was holy, not perfect. My point being, that holiness lives and grows apart from perfection and perhaps even thrives best among the flawed and messy. And in family life, that means something far different than a Norman Rockwell painting. 
Unless you happen to be like my muse, Calvin, in the comic strip, I suspect you are about to make some New Year’s resolutions. How did you do on last year’s resolutions? About the same as the rest of us? One ad hominem wisdom saying defines “insanity” this way: to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Perhaps 2020 is a time to consider changing the way resolutions are considered, made, and hopefully, kept. 
Christmas is one of those events that has a lot of anticipation associated with it. Certainly, well before Thanksgiving the retail stores began to decorate for Christmas, everywhere we go there is Christmas music playing in the background, and our mailboxes – of all types – began to fill with promotions for Christmas shopping. 
When I was younger, I liked complicated and messy – especially things that were puzzles to explore, solve, unravel, and provided creative moments in which new, imaginative solutions might emerge. But alas, I am no longer as young as I once was. I feel a part within me that longs for quiet, uncomplicated, resolved, still interesting, but not so messy and complicated as before. 
friarmusings 