
Faith and Family for January 2: The Epiphany of the Lord
This week we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany and listen to the Gospel recounting the journey of the three wise men to see Jesus in the manger.
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This week we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany and listen to the Gospel recounting the journey of the three wise men to see Jesus in the manger.

Saint Thomas Becket, the well-known archbishop of Canterbury, England, is a saint with a checkered past. As depicted in the movie “Becket,” Thomas did not at first take his responsibilities as a deacon seriously, but when King Henry II tried to use his friend’s lukewarm devotion to his advantage, he found a converted cleric who was a worthy match for any king.

By the time you read this, the year will quickly be coming to an end and opening the door to a new one.

If we are to embrace the next chapter of our lives with open arms, we need to take time to cultivate a sense of closure from the last chapter.

God’s revelation in Jesus has a power surpassing all our modern technological “miracles,” because it speaks to our hearts. Are we listening? Are we open to the Word?

There is always reason to sing a new song because there are always new blessings for which to praise God. Each day, each moment, is a unique experience of our relationship with God.

Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962) had it all—a loving husband, three children, a fulfilling career as a pediatrician. What mattered more than any of those earthly joys was her faith.

According to the account in Saint Matthew’s Gospel, King Herod slaughtered the Holy Innocents in an attempt to rid himself of the perceived threat of a usurper to his throne. What he didn’t realize is that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world─a fact that emerges later in Saint Matthew’s Gospel.

What today’s psalm says about rescue applies to us, too. We are so vulnerable–so subject to attack from within and from without–that if God is not with us to defend us, we simply cannot survive.

When we feel drawn to silent union, it is good to go there and rest in God as long as the Spirit invites.