Lots of people today will tell you what makes a family well-adjusted, functional, and peaceful. But in this week’s readings for the Feast of the Holy Family, which center on two exemplary women, Hannah and Mary, the Church wants to tell us what makes a family holy.
Dec 2024
Freeing Your Family for God
Friends, I always love preaching on the Feast of the Holy Family because I think the biblical message here is very surprising. We say the Bible is associated with family values, and indeed it is, but they're probably not the ones we would automatically think of. We see this in th ... Show More
15m 12s
Today
Become Someone for Others
Friends, a great professor of mine at Mundelein Seminary, Dr. Richard Issel, once said, “If you want to be happy, stop worrying about being happy and get on with becoming fulfilled.” We find something similar in Jordan Peterson’s observation that “self-consciousness is equivalent ... Show More
14m 38s
Dec 2023
A Syriac Catholic priest and father in Bethlehem preaches on the Feast of the Holy Family
Yunan Frédéric, a Syriac Catholic priest living in Bethlehem with his Latina-American wife and their three children, preaches on the Feast of the Holy Family, even though the Syriac Church does not observe this feast in its liturgical calendar. For the past two years, he has serv ... Show More
34m 48s
Dec 2022
When Family is Messy (Christmas Edition)
<p>For most of us, the Christmas season means quality (and quantity) time with family!</p><p>Family can bring so much joy—but it can also surface pain, resentment, and grief, among other unwanted challenges to the holiday season.</p><p>Whether you’re hosting your extended family ... Show More
28m 22s