“Son, why have you done this to us?  Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Luke 2:48

Yesterday, the Nativity of Our Lord, was a great family day for many, packed from beginning to end with tradition and celebratory moments.  Most of us find purpose and meaning in our families, and Christmas is often when our expectations for “comfort and joy” are highest.

And yet… Christmas can be a lonely and painful time especially if there are disappointments or unresolved conflicts.  Well, guess what?  The Holy Family experienced conflict and tension, too.  In some ways, they were like us:  imperfect human beings struggling to overcome the challenges of their day—and trusting that with God’s help they would succeed.   

Read Luke’s Gospel today and you’ll see what I mean.  Jesus is already 12 years old now, accompanying his parents to Jerusalem for Passover.  After the feast, the family returns home with a caravan of friends and relatives, but Jesus decides to stay behind—without telling his parents.  Really?!  When Mary realizes that her little boy is not traveling with the other children, she panics.  She and Joseph return to Jerusalem filled with dread.  Eventually, their search takes them to the temple where their child is actually sitting with the elders, asking and answering questions like a scholar.  Mary couldn’t hold back her relief, but she wasn’t exactly happy either.  She says, “Son, why have you done this to us?”  I don’t know about you, but my sympathies are with Mary.  When Jesus answers his mother with, “Why were you looking for me?,” don’t you wonder how Mary responds?  What do you do with a child who is reprimanding his own parents?  Luke doesn’t tell us, but just so you know, my mother wouldn’t have remained silent! 

Throughout her life Mary endured many upsets just trying to be the best parent she could.  And we have to believe that Joseph did, too.  Were they always meek and mild in the face of events they couldn’t completely understand?  Probably not.  How did they resolve conflict?  Ultimately, by trusting in God.

Healing a wounded family may seem beyond our ken at times.  I realize that a change of heart

doesn’t happen in a few hours around the dinner table.  And we all know that life isn’t a performance of A Christmas Carol.  But when a rebirth happens, it’s so rewarding—it’s the very celebration of life that we memorialize in all the traditions of Christmas. Rebirth and renewal are possible if we just pause to ask ourselves, “How much healing can I offer someone right now?  And how much healing am I willing to accept if offered to me?” 

Friend, the Holy Family was not a collection of stick figures.  These were real people who experienced sorrow, anxiety, and disappointment just like the rest of us.  Who knows, maybe Mary and Joseph were the inspiration for St. Paul who taught us to always express “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.” 

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Feast of the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

You have given us a beautiful example

of family and holiness by

overcoming problems, facing dangers

and resolving misunderstandings

by Your faith in God and through

Your love for one another.

Give us patience to endure setbacks,

courage to confront injustice

and faith to accept God’s will

even when we cannot be sure

of what to do.

Grant every family a mother’s love

a father’s wisdom and a son’s devotion

that our family might reflect Yours.

May we be ever mindful that a family is

made holy not by the absence of problems

but by the presence of God.

Amen

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Luke 1:45

The women in Luke’s Gospel always amaze me.  The two I remember today with affection are Mary and Elizabeth—devoted cousins, faithful servants of God, and expectant mothers.   

Carrying the gift of life in their womb, the women prepared themselves for their unique calling.  They could not understand the fullness of their mission.  But they placed their complete trust in God—Mary a virgin, Elizabeth a woman well past her prime.   And like most mothers-to-be, they had dreams for their children.  Because that’s what mothers do.

Some of you know that I spent decades in Africa, most recently in Kenya.  In the week before Christmas, I am praying for the mothers and pregnant women I served in Nairobi.  They have dreams, too, and some are managing new lives transformed by the grace of mission.  In the waning days of Advent, I want to share their story.

When the pandemic hit Kenya, many cities and towns went into a tailspin.  Jobs dried up and unemployment in the informal economy topped 50%.  Then the government imposed a curfew and by 7:00 pm the streets were empty.  People who ate two meals a day were the lucky ones.  Among the people who suffered the most were the commercial sex workers and their children.  They had no food—and no money for rent, school fees, or medical care.

We found a way out of this nightmare.  In East Africa small businesses import used clothing from the global north that is then sold by local street vendors.  As I had hoped, many women were eager to give street vending a try.  Some even decided to band together as a group business for protection and safety.  Keep in mind… many of these women had been thrown out of their homes by husbands who wanted another wife or partner.  Their life choices were made out of desperation.

What did those mothers dream about?  Not unlike Mary and Elizabeth, I can tell you they dreamed about providing for their children.  They dreamed about a transformed world—a Promised Land—where justice overcomes hate, where the poor, the hungry and the abused are free of deprivation, where mothers can raise their children in safety.

Friend, the Christmas story about to unfold is richer for me than ever before.  I give thanks for the dreams that motivate people to survive, and I give thanks for those who participate in dreams by rescuing people in crisis.  May the birth of the Christ Child be your inspiration to share His love in ways that only you can.      

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

O come, Emanuel, God-with-us,

into our world, our homes, and our hearts

even as You made the Virgin Mary the living Tabernacle

of Your glory and Elizabeth a sign of hope in old age.

Bless all expectant mothers with the grace

and strength they will need to bring new life

into our world, and the wisdom to raise their children

in love of the Lord, bless all fathers with gentleness

and courage to be models of virtue to their sons and daughters.

May all people work together to build a

better world where children are wanted,

loved, fed, clothed and educated

the better to reflect the divine image

in which we are all created to the glory of God.

Amen.

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“Your kindness should be known to all.” Philippians 4:5

Luke the evangelist returns today with what I like to call “Rules of Thumb.”  His storytelling centers on the preaching—once again—of our friend John the Baptist who was asked by a restive crowd what people should do to prepare for the Messiah. 

John answers them, not as a politician but as a missioner.  If you have two cloaks, he says, share one with someone who has none.  If you have extra food, give some to the person who has little.  Even the dreaded tax collectors asked John for advice.  These were predators who routinely bilked people with threats, keeping what they stole.  John told them what they probably knew in their hearts:  don’t exploit people or harm them; be satisfied with your wages.

“Rules of Thumb” come about when people recognize an injustice and commit themselves to ending it.  What better time than Advent to take an inventory of the soul and decide how our baptismal call to serve can guide us in the New Year.  Big reforms are always welcome but ending climate change or extremes of wealth may be beyond our personal reach.  John the Baptist is saying small-scale changes are meaningful, too.  Let charity, especially for the poor, help you do the hard work of day-to-day living.

Friend, when the crowds heard John preach, they were “filled with expectation.”  We are filled with expectation, too, because we know the promise of the Christ Child is at hand.  May the next two weeks be rich for you in prayer and preparation, and all the small gifts of caring and service that honor your call to mission.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Third Sunday of Advent

We long for peace and thirst for justice

O God of Mary, Joseph and John.

Give us the sight to recognize injustice

and the courage to right the wrongs we see.

Help us help others, especially those who

have lost hope and joy of life.

May we build a better world by

being better ourselves.

Even as we await the return of Christ

may we discover anew all the wonders

and miracles with which You have blessed us.

Remove from us, Lord, anything that keeps us

from knowing, loving and following You

more and more everyday.

Fill our hearts with a fervent expectation

of Your kingdom here on earth

beginning with us, here and now.

Amen.

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” Jeremiah 33:15

Advent… a time of expectant and hopeful waiting… the time we prepare ourselves for the birth of Our Lord and Savior.  Could there be a more important moment in the life of the soul?

Today we begin our journey toward Christmas and the miracle of Bethlehem.  We can be secure in our hope because we have the promise of the Christ Child… we have the wisdom of scripture… and we have one another.

On the first Sunday of Advent I draw special meaning from today’s readings, and I hope you do, too.  Jeremiah says the time is at hand when a descendant from the House of David will bring righteous judgment and justice across all the land. 

This was reassuring in the prophet’s time, and remains especially so now.  We are, at times, confronted with seemingly impossible challenges.  But scripture tells us never to despair because one called by God will redeem us.  I also find solace in Luke’s Gospel, my favorite evangelist.  He says rather than be afraid of change, stand tall and embrace it “because your redemption is at hand.”

We have endured a lot of tests this year.  So Advent begins with a plea from the psalmist for God’s ways to be made known to us, and for our vigilance and humility to guide us toward justice.  We pray during Advent for the strength to overcome whatever obstacles may come our way, knowing that in the Christ Child we have the promise of salvation.  And as always, we take comfort in the prayers we offer one another.

Friend, we have such wonderful traditions at this time of year.  When you light the first of four candles in your Advent wreath, know you are beginning the most hopeful journey of the liturgical year.  Embrace the gift of love we are about to receive on Christmas Day.  We may not know all that the New Year will bring.  But we know that God will be with us for the journey in the presence of the Christ Child.  May your Advent be full of expectation and joy.  I am walking in hope beside you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

First Sunday in Advent

My heart longs for Your love, O Lord,

and my heart for Your peace

and my soul for Your grace.

Come into my life again

as You came to holy Mary

and Joseph in Bethlehem.

Help me to prepare a place for You,

welcoming and warm, in my family,

among my relatives, with my friends and neighbors.

Open my eyes to see Your presence

in everyone I meet today: among the poor as well as the privileged,

the weak as well as the powerful.

During this holy season of waiting

grant me the patience to keep silent

when I should, and the wisdom to speak

at the proper time that my words and actions,

my thoughts and prayers this Advent might

glow as a candle in the growing darkness

to lead others back to You.

Amen.

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.” Revelations 1:8

Today we celebrate the joyous feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of All—a day on the Church calendar commonly known as Christ the King. 

We may think of a king as someone with great power.  But today’s feast day has a different meaning.  The Church is asking us to acknowledge the power of Christ to forgive our sins… deliver us from evil… and to grant us eternal life with the Father and all the saints of heaven.

Today’s feast day is another way of saying that God is greater than anything we can imagine.  God’s love is immense and eternal, not subject to measurement.  God’s grace is infinite, too, a wellspring of divine favor that renews our spirit and refreshes our soul.  So in honor of Christ the King, today is a good day to renew our consecration to the living Christ whom we venerate in the Eucharist.

One practice that can help us comprehend, in human terms, the enormity of God’s love is developing the habit of being grateful.  Our celebration of Christ the King just happens to fall a few days before Thanksgiving, our great national holiday.  If you want to glimpse who God is, practice gratitude.  Everything we have comes from God.  To live that thankfulness is our calling.

Friend, even though we can’t completely grasp the concept of eternity or infinity, it’s good to remember this:  God is the alpha and the omega in whom we are fulfilled.  Be joyful and messengers of gratitude.  I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving in the company of those you love.  May the blessings of our faith be the gift you share without measure.  I wish you a rich harvest.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Prayer for 3^rd Sunday

Christ, our Savior, Lord, and King

the Beginning from which all life and

love flow and the end toward which all things

grow we give You thanks for all that is,

all that was, and all that will be.

In You we live and move and have our being.

Without You we can do nothing

for without You we are nothing.

May Your praises fill the Earth

as they do the heavens

and help all Your children know

Your loving-kindness and forgiveness.

Into Your most merciful hands

we commend the souls of all

our departed family and friends.

And from the wellspring of Your heart

may we receive every good blessing

we need to follow You more faithfully

through Jesus, Your Son and our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to [escape the tribulations that are imminent and to] stand before the Son of Man.”   Luke 21:36

  Time to take stock.  In just a couple of weeks, we begin a new liturgical year.  But before then, we have a little work to do.

Rather than think about a literal “end of the world”—the images in today’s readings—let’s think instead about the fulfillment of God’s reign on earth, something each of us can contribute to because we are all missioners.  The world we hope to end is one of darkness and disillusion.  The world we want to create is built on God’s eternal love and the promise of salvation that we are gifted in the Christ Child.

From this perspective, preparing for the arrival of the Son of Man becomes a more hopeful kind of challenge.  So I suggest taking the time between now and the beginning of Advent to see where God in your life right now.  How do you reflect the joy of our faith at home? At work? In your neighborhood? In your parish?  How much time are you making for prayer and self-reflection?  Where God is absent, how are you being called to make the Lord’s presence known?

Friend, as Advent approaches, now is a good time for an examination of conscience—a checklist for the soul that results in eyes that see, ears that hear, and a heart that overflows with the love of Christ himself.  That’s all we really

need to prepare for as one season ends—and a new one begins.  May your journey be rich and rewarding. 

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Prayer for 2^nd Sunday

God of all times and seasons

we long for the coming of Your reign

where love, peace and justice prevail

over the powers of darkness and sin.

Help me to do my part by defending

the weak, protecting the powerless

and lifting up the downtrodden to their

rightful place as sons and daughters

of You, our most merciful God.

May I reflect Your joy to everyone I meet in public,

at work, at home or in church that they too might

experience Your forgiveness, healing and

fullness of life.

Amen.

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.  For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:43-44

Everyone has something to give, so the saying goes—whether in wealth, talent, or time. 

Today’s Gospel, the story of the widow’s mite, is a great lesson in giving—but not so much from abundance as from poverty.  The widow who had little to give made her contribution in the temple as the wealthy were making theirs.  Her gesture was very modest—just two coins probably worth pennies—and accomplished without calling any attention to herself.  But Jesus noticed her modesty and compared it to some of the wealthy who liked to give as a way of impressing others—and giving away only what they really didn’t need in the first place. 

When Jesus addressed his disciples, he had another kind of giving in mind.  He talked about giving from a place of challenge or even deficit… giving out of concern for someone else’s well-being or just because the greater good is more important than our own.  That was the widow in Mark’s Gospel.  And many other people who have graced my life.

With our remembrance of Veterans Day approaching this Thursday, I thank God for the example of our dedicated service men and women.  They defended our country with valor and distinction, and in some cases with their lives.  Their sacrifice can never be repaid.  But we can honor their service to our nation by serving in our communities.   

Today’s reading also makes me think about the role of people who are challenged by physical impairment or special needs, or are in some way shut off from society.  Some may write them off as non-contributors—people with nothing to give—but to me these are valued persons with unique gifts of their own, gifts that can be ours if we are open enough to receive them. 

The joyful irony is that gifts like these are also opportunities to deepen our faith—with acts of compassion and solace, and with the hands of healing and renewal.

Friend, we are approaching the end of the liturgical year now and our readings will turn to themes of judgment and deliverance, all in anticipation of Advent.  Time to get ready for the gift of the Christ Child.  And a very good time to think about giving even when we’re feeling a little vulnerable… giving when we think we can’t give any more… and giving when we have a need of our own that needs filling.  That’s what the widow did.  I believe her reward in heaven is very great.  And ours will be, too.   

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Prayer for 1^st Sunday

God, I come before You in my lowliness,

hear my humble prayer to You

who created the universe and

all the worlds and galaxies it contains.

Yet neither suns nor stars

neither angels nor animals

but humans alone carry Your Divine Image

in which You created us.

Therefore all that I am I offer to You

all that I do I dedicate to You

and all that I have I give for the sake

of Your name and Your Reign on Earth.

Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all

may my every breath give You praise

and my life give You glory

asking only that You fill my emptiness

with Your peace, love and joy.

Amen.

Prayer by Father Joe Veneroso, M.M.

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

“And no one dared to ask him any more questions” Mark 12:34

Mark’s Gospel today is a journey into the simplicity of a life well lived:  Love God with your whole heart, soul, and strength; then love your neighbor as yourself.  As Jesus reminds us, there is no other commandment above these.   

When a scribe confirmed that these two commandments are even greater than burnt offerings and sacrifices, Jesus saw that the man understood the meaning of God’s reign.  In response he told the scribe, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”—an observation we would surely want to claim for ourselves.

But it’s Mark’s final words that give us pause:  “And no one dared to ask him any more questions.”

What were the others afraid of?  These were undoubtedly learned men schooled in Mosaic Law.  Asking and answering questions of one another would have been commonplace.

We can’t know for sure why the scribes felt threatened—and then fell silent.  But I can say that in any relationship of value, asking questions is not only good but necessary.  If one of us had been standing among the scribes that day, these are the questions we might have asked Jesus:

• How can I build God’s reign on earth?
• What can I do right now to welcome God into my life?
• How can I reflect love of God in all of my relationships?

Friend, I’ll try to answer my own questions this way:  We build God’s reign through intimacy with Our Lord and his teachings, by witnessing compassion and love as Jesus did, and by sharing the joy of our faith with all those we know.  That sounds a lot like living the two great commandments.  With God’s grace, we, too, will not be far from the Kingdom of God.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Prayer for 5^th Sunday

Jesus, my Lord, my Master and Savior

what must I do to enter Your kingdom?

Help me to do it.

What must I pray to have eternal life?

Help me to say it.

What must I be to give You glory?

Help me to become it.

O holy fountain of love, mercy and grace

restore in me Your divine image

that I may reflect Your truth In everything

I say and do that I might see Your face

and hear Your voice In everyone I meet

each day especially the poor, the weak and the sick.

You alone, Lord Jesus, are the answer

to all our prayers, the goal of our life

and the hope and dream of every heart.

In You my soul finds heavenly peace

and with You by my side

my every longing is fulfilled.

Amen.

Prayer by, Father Joseph Veneroso M.M.

“I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child; they shall return as an immense throng.” Jeremiah 31: 8

Transforming the world may sound like a tall order for just one person.  But imagine the good that can happen when each of us takes on the role of missioner and proclaims the joy of our faith.  That’s what we celebrate today on World Mission Sunday:  the good we have accomplished… and the good yet to be.

Our calling in baptism is to go beyond our personal boundaries and engage with people and communities at all levels.  Our gift of faith is precious.  How can we not share it!  The story of Bartemaeus in today’s Gospel is a good example of the power of faith—and the spirit of mission.

Jesus encountered Bartemaeus on the road home from Jericho.  A blind man, anxious to be healed, Bartemaeus repeatedly called for Jesus, probably disturbing the crowd that had gathered to hear Jesus preach.  But Our Lord acknowledged Bartemaeus and rewarded his faith by restoring his vision.  For present-day missioners, the eyes of faith are a window to the soul.  Like Bartemaeus, we believe because we have experienced God’s love in deep and intimate ways.

In proclaiming today World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis, too, is as overwhelmed as Bartemaeus, by the goodness of God.  This is how he invites us to mission: “Dear brothers and sisters, when we experience the power of God’s love, when we recognize his presence as a Father in our personal and community life, we cannot help but proclaim and share what we have seen and heard.”

Friend, on World Mission Sunday, this is my personal take-away:  Like Bartemaeus, never be afraid to raise your voice in search of Jesus or in proclaiming his mercy.  Let the world know the depth of your faith.  Be the missioner you were called to be.  And celebrate with joy because one day your reward will be very great.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lance Nadeau, M.M.

Prayer for 4^th Sunday

World Mission Sunday

Jesus, Savior of the world,

You send disciples to the ends of the earth

to share the Good News of Your kingdom

with all peoples in every place and time

that all might receive and experience

Your merciful love, forgiveness, joy and peace.

Shine the radiant light of Your Gospel

in those areas of my own life yet

to be transformed by Your grace.

Illumine my darkness and loosen

whatever binds me to unhealthy habits.

Set my spirit free from chains of the past

that my life may be renewed in You.

Send me forth, Lord, to go in joy

beyond the barriers that divide us

and across borders that separate us

to make friends of strangers, and

brothers and sisters from friends

that together we might create

a new family of faith

In your holy Name we pray.

Amen.

Prayer by, Father Joseph Veneroso M.M.