The Gift of Stability

It is simply astounding how important stability is in our lives.

Today my family and I delivered gifts from my school's giving tree to another family. We arrived at the home of this single mother and her four daughters earlier today. She has only recently moved into their apartment which was provided through "section 8 housing".

What was remarkable to me is how difficult life is for families who lack stability. What I mean is when families rely on only one parent and then that parent gets cancer and then another child becomes sick, stability for the family is gone. Oh, and add to that a power outage which spoils the food in the freeze, what do you do? You don't have extra money. You don't have extra time. You don't have extra energy. The success of a family is deeply connected to stability.

Consider then, Joseph's decision to stay with Mary. The stability of the holy family is so profoundly important. As we approach Christmas, remember those like the family I met today; pray for them. If you can, find a way to make them have Christmas. Families are praying for our help. Just like Mary and Joseph was praying for a place out of the elements.

The Incarnation and the Resurrection

This is a photo that I took one Christmas Eve at St. Matthew's Church, Bedford New York. I love the simplicity of the candles, crucifix and poinsettias. The power of the colorful flowers remind me not only of Christmas, but in this picture make the tie of the Incarnation to the Resurrection.

Does everyone talk about these things?

At dinner tonight, I overhead a heated conversation between a married couple. She was complaining about his brother's wife. This woman was a complete dissapointment. She was lazy. She couldn't even keep a job answering the phone at an Episcopal Church. She wasted money that they didn't have. She had trouble paying the bills, but continued to ordered expensive take out. All the while the wife complained, the husband listened patiently until a smirk crossed his face and suddenly ended the conversation. The funny thing about families is that all of us, who have been married for sometime, have experienced these kinds of conversations.

I wonder if Joseph's family members had similar conversations with their spouses. While we'll never know, I have to think they did; it's just too common. So let's assume that a conversation like the one I heard happened between one of Joseph's siblings and his or her spouse. It might have been very similar: "Can you believe she's pregnant? I don't understand your brother. How could he stay engaged to her? What is he thinking? I think she's crazy, all caught up with that talk of the Holy Spirit causing it. Thank God, they had the sense to leave town. Your poor mother..."

If your are having trouble with your family at Christmas time, think of Mary and Joseph. They were the first one's to have holiday famliy trouble.