12/26/25
12/25/25
A merry and happy Christmas to all!
I'm very grateful for, but can't possibly respond to all your many holiday greetings and wishes! So please accept the following as my response to all your kind words!
Merry Christmas!
Long
before there was any question about the political correctness of
wishing others a Merry Christmas, my childhood pastor took the occasion every year of telling us why he preferred to wish everyone a Happy
Christmas. He’d point out that we never wish anyone a Merry Easter and would question whether this adjective for Christmas (dating back to
the 17th
century) was the best one for us to use today. The first printed
Christmas card (1843) wished recipients a Merry Christmas but in 1823, at the
end of A Visit From St. Nicholas (‘Twas the night before…"), Clement Moore's Santa wished all a Happy Christmas... e're he drove out of sight.
The
history, then, is mixed. Actually, neither merry nor happy may be strong enough to bear the weight of this day's substance. (In a homily eleven years ago, I suggested wishing folks a Righteous Christmas!)
So what kind of
Christmas do we hope and pray our family and friends will have?
My prayer is that you'll have a Joyful Christmas:
a Christmas rooted in the serenity that deep faith provides - strong
enough to survive the disappointments and sorrows life delivers to our
doorstep and exuberant enough to celebrate life’s happiest times. May
the birthday of Christ touch you with deep joy...
And I pray that you'll have a Peaceful Christmas,
the peace the world is so clearly unable to give itself: the peace that
broken hearts long for; the peace that's ours to share with one another
in forgiveness, kindness and charity; the peace that might end wars and
bind nations together. May the birthday of Christ sow seeds of peace
in your heart...
Finally, I pray that you have a Hopeful Christmas.
So much in the world around us encroaches on our capacity to hope. There's a
spirit abroad intent on draining the beauty and poetry from
our lives. Our ever burgeoning knowledge often robs us of awe and
reverence before the mystery of life, of love and of God. May the
birthday of Christ renew and refresh hope in your heart...
So, I wish you a Joyful, Peaceful, Hopeful - and Righteous- Christmas! And should your Christmas be merry and happy, too – all the better!
Christmas Homily 2025
Above you'll find the audio for my homily for Christmas Eve. While in Georgetown, I don't have the services of my faithful videographer which I especially missed this weekend because I used some props in my homily. (Some may remember that I've used these props before - but the larger share of the rest of my homily is new.) I began with comparing the differences in how a woman or a man might open a Christmas gift - by opening two wrapped boxes. On the audio, you'll easily pick up the feminine approach - and her finally finding a gift of colorful socks. The masculine approach is verbal - I opened the gift card - and shook it to see if a some cash or a check might fall out - then I opened the gift box and threw the tissue paper inside all over the sanctuary floor. All this I did at a small table in the middle of the sanctuary and the pick up on the mic wasn't perfect. But the main portion of my homily was delivered at the ambo where the sound is fine. Between the audio above and the text below - I think it will come together for you! (If a video doesn't appear above - click here!)
Have you ever noticed that women and
men open Christmas gifts - differently. You have?
This is how a woman opens a gift. “A
card! It's beautiful! Where did you find these? It’s a beautiful verse and this
little note here from you - thank you so much. Look at this box! I'm saving
this for next year. I can't really imagine what’s in here… Oh! I don't know how
you knew! But I had been looking at these in the store for weeks and I was
hoping that somebody might get these for me for me for Christmas! I I'm gonna put
them on right now.”
A man. “Thank you.. Socks – they look great.”
Wrapping and unwrapping. Christmas is all about wrapping and unwrapping. Gifts under the tree? Yes. But even more… Christmas is about the Divine on wrapping itself and revealing to the human mind, to the human heart, imagination, conscience, and intuition - unwrapping for us to see - what is true, holy and wise.
This all began with Divinity wrapping itself in Mary's womb. For nine months, Divinity was hidden in the body of a young Jewish woman. After a few months, of course, everybody could see just by looking at Mary that she was carrying a gift, wrapped in her own flesh and bone.
And then Mary delivered her gift, and in unwrapping her child, she gave us Jesus - the very Word of God, the truth and peace of God - in the flesh.
And curiously, as soon as Mary unwrapped Jesus from her room, she wrapped him up again - in swaddling clothes. She wrapped him - so that he might feel like he was still in the womb - where it had been so warm and so close and intimate and safe.
And having wrapped him in swaddling clothes, you know what she did next? She put him in a box. She put Jesus in a box - a feed box - that goes by the name manger. A feed box. If you know a little bit of French, you know that the word manger comes from manger, to eat. How appropriate then that Jesus in the last hours of his life would wrap himself in food and drink in bread and wine - that we might eat and drink of his love, that he would become food for our souls, that we might take him into ourselves, into the womb of our heart, and carry him there, as did Mary, his mother.
Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes, and now Jesus wants to swaddle us, to wrap us in his mercy, his peace, in his arms.
Wrapping and unwrapping.
Well, is there anything practical in all of this? Is there some lesson here that extends beyond Christmas Eve and into our daily lives?
There is.
Jesus calls you and me, not just on December 24 or 25th, but on every day of the year, Jesus calls all of us to unwrap ourselves as gifts for each other… To unwrap myself and to offer my neighbor my mercy, my peace, my arms. The Lord calls me to embrace and keep safe those who live on the margins of my family. The margins of my neighborhood, on the edge of society. And the Lord calls you and me to feed and to nourish others with our own resources: to feed those who are hungry for food and hungry for freedom; to slake the thirst of those who are thirsty for justice and for dignity.
Jesus unwrapped his divinity by surrendering all that was rightfully his, as the Son of God. Now he calls on me and you, he calls on me to surrender what may seem to be rightfully mine - but in doing so, reveal the image of God within me, the image of God within you - the divine image in which each of us was created. Jesus calls on me to unwrap myself - to free me to wrap others in all that I have to offer.
Making this message practical means applying it to every situation we find in our families, in our nation, in the news, in the world.
So…
- whatever the question, the tension, the conflict or dilemma I face
- no matter who I perceive to be my adversary, my enemy, my opponent, my rival
- in spite of how convinced justified, confident, and certain I am of my take on things,
- regardless of how hard I've worked to have what I have, to own what I own
this night and every day, Jesus calls me to unwrap myself: first, to see what I have to offer, and then to discern how, in humility, I might thank God for all my blessings - and devise how I might begin to share them more freely with others.
The greatest gift I have to give at Christmas - is the very same gift I have to offer every day of the year.
The greatest gift I have to give at Christmas is the humbling of myself to the message of Jesus - that I love my neighbor as myself.
The greatest gift I have to unwrap at Christmas is the free offering of the bounty that's mine to those who have so much less, or nothing at all.
The greatest gift I have to give at Christmas is the surrender of myself to the love of God, who surrendered himself for me in Jesus, his son - in Jesus, my neighbor, my sister and brother at home at work, next door, anywhere around the world, anywhere where Christ is wrapped and bound: in the grip of hunger and homelessness; in the terror of war; or in the chains of injustice.
God is smart! God unwrapped himself as a newborn child because he knew we would be drawn to a baby - who isn't drawn to a baby – “Can I hold a baby?”
He revealed himself that was so that we would reach out to care for, to protect and defend one so innocent, helpless, and dependent on others for life itself and for love.
If this message tonight hasn't made each of us feel at least a little uncomfortable - then I have not been as clear as I wanted to be.
In unwrapping divinity as a child, as an infant, God delivered himself into our hands as vulnerable, defenseless, exposed, unarmed, fragile, powerless. You know: human…
As human as the person, as the people, I am least inclined to acknowledge and welcome, and accept and embrace, and love as the brothers and sisters they are.
So, perhaps we can pray tonight that first: we find that Christmas grace to unwrap ourselves for the sake of others. And second, that we do that unwrapping with the attention and the care - with which a woman unwraps a Christmas gift. And with the urgency in the drive - with which a man does the same thing.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. In Hebrew, Bethlehem means "house of bread.” So we are gathered in this house of bread, this house of the Eucharist. We go to the Lord's table, where once again, this Christmas Eve, Jesus will wrap himself - in gifts of bread and wine - to feed and swaddle us in his mercy, in his peace and in his love.
Pause for Prayer: CHRISTMAS DAY
This old photo takes me to a place deep in my heart
where some of my most cherished childhood memories are stored. This was my family's nativity set (we called it "the
manger") which sat atop our television - and don't ask me why because I don't know! It was right here that my parents first taught me the story of Jesus' birth.
And do you see on the left, in a grove of four pines, a small church? An
interior light gave a warm glow from within and a tiny bell with a clapper hung in the steeple. On the right are
four members of a children's choir, each a candle
with a wick on top which we never lit: that
little choir sang from year to year. Oh, how incredibly well I remember all these!
This photo holds the key to a store house of memories in my heart. Some Christmas memories bring us joy, others bring us tears... Some we want to remember forever, some we might want to forget. I'm struck by how my own words in this prayer "sound" differently from year to year, depending on what's happened in my life since last Christmas...
Let's pray...
All it takes, Lord, is an old photo,
an ornament on the tree,
or a special song or carol
to open my heart to memories
of Christmas long ago...
When memories make me sad, Lord,
with loss, regret and hurt,
let your healing Christmas touch
mend and heal what's broken in my heart...
And when memories bring me joy
let me revel in and cherish
what my heart has kept for times like these
when I so long to touch once more
what's passed beyond my reach...
Let my joyful memories give me faith
to find within my heart
those I wish were in my arms:
the ones I hold in love, in prayer
in memories dear of Christmas past...
And as this season stirs and opens
treasures in my heart,
help me handle each one gently
and with your gentle hand, Lord,
help me treasure all I find...
Amen.
You certainly know this carol but you're not likely familiar with this wonderful arrangement!
If a video doesn't appear below, click here!
Silent Night arranged by Michael Garrepy,
Unto Us a Child Is Born!
12/24/25
NIGHT PRAYER: Christmas Eve
Our popular Christmas song, Carol of the Bells was first composed as The Little Swallow, a shchedrivka, a Ukrainian folk song sung at beginning of a new year. The Ukrainian lyrics tell the story of a swallow who flies into a household to announce that a bountiful year and fruitful springtime lie ahead. "The Little Swallow" was composed in 1916 by Mykola Leontovych who was assassinated by a Russian agent in 1921. Our English version was arranged with new lyrics by the American composer Peter J. Wilhousky in 1936.
As we find ourselves on Christmas Eve, my heart turns to the people of Ukraine, our brothers and sisters in Christ whose birth we are celebrating. The gospel was first preached in Ukraine in 988 and today nearly 70% of Ukrainians claim the Orthodox Church as their spiritual home as Christians. The icon below is "Christ in the Rubble" by artist Kelly Latimore.
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Though we hail you as our Prince of Peace, we're unfaithful to you and your command that we love one another as you have loved us...
We've learned to tolerate oppression and war as segments on the evening news; our sisters and brothers are dying, their cities and homes are destroyed while we change the channel to a sitcom - or reality tv...
Send your Spirit as a sparrow, Lord, to the people of Ukraine: anoint them with courage, perseverance and healing...
Refresh the promise of your love in their weary, wounded hearts and bring them hope that peace will triumph when the world has heard their cry...
Lift their eyes and hearts to you, Lord, born to save them from their grief, and be for them the Prince of Peace in whom they trust and put their faith...
Help all peoples work together for a new year and new ways to find a springtime of the mercy born in you on Christmas day...
Protect us, Lord, while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
Tonight's song, The Little Swallow, is the original composition, sung in Urkainian and followed by an English translation. In listening to this performance: keep in mind a little swallow flying into someone's home... the music supports the image of a small bird fluttering about the house as much as it does the bells in a great steeple.
The Little Swallow by Mykola Leontovych
If a video doesn't appear below, click here!
Bountiful evening, bountiful evening, a New Year's carol;
A little swallow flew into the household
and started to twitter,
to summon the master:
"Come out, come out, O master,
look at the sheep pen,
there the ewes have given birth
and the lambkins have been born
Your goods [livestock] are great,
you will have a lot of money, by selling them.
You have a dark-eyebrowed beautiful wife
If not money, then chaff from all the grain you will harvest.
A little swallow flew into the household
and started to twitter,
to summon the master:
"Come out, come out, O master,
look at the sheep pen,
there the ewes have given birth
and the lambkins have been born
Your goods [livestock] are great,
you will have a lot of money, by selling them.
You have a dark-eyebrowed beautiful wife
If not money, then chaff from all the grain you will harvest.
Advent Blessing
composed by Michael Joncas and Alan Hommerding
Prayer by an empty chair...
As promised, here a re-posting of my prayer for those of us who are grieving in this season, missing those who used to gather with us around the tree... Please share this with any who might find it helpful...
There's an empty chair near the tree, Lord,
and an ache in our hearts,
and tears on our cheeks...
We'll try to shield one another
from the loss and the grief we bear
but we know we can't hide it from you...
We pray for
(name the loved ones you're remembering)
whose presence we miss so much
in these days meant for peace and for joy....
Open our hearts, our minds and our souls
to your healing, and the warmth and light
of your presence...
We pray and we trust that those we miss
are now in the place you prepared for them:
their home in your heart of hearts...
Gently open our hearts, Lord,
to memories of all the love we shared
with those who've gone before us...
Help us tell the stories that draw us back
to Christmases shared with the ones we miss...
Teach us to lean on you and each other
for the strength we need
to walk through this season a day at a time...
Be with us as, Lord, as we trim the tree
and sing and cry through Christmas carols;
help us find and open the present you bring:
a gracious gift from the Prince of Peace...
Give us quiet moments with you, this week,
calm our restless hearts in prayer;
bless our memories, stories and tears
with hope of finding joy in your birth...
Be with us, Lord, and hold us as close
as you're holding our loved ones,
slipped from our arms into yours...
Help us look to the day when we'll meet again
when your mercy gathers us home to you
in the joy of the life you promise...
Christmas - a day that you've made, Lord -
a day of promise, of love and grace!
Help us find in this day and the year ahead
your blessing of peace and joy...
Amen.
Pause for Prayer: Christmas Eve Morning
Advent has dwindled down to just a few hours:
if there's time for last minute shopping
then there's time for some last minute praying...
Whether you've kept the season of Advent -or not-
take just a few minutes, now, alone,
on the morning of Christmas eve (it's not too late!)
and slow down,
sit still,
take a few deep breaths
and find yourself in God's presence,
which is, of course,
precisely where you always are...
Tell the Lord
how and where
how and where
you want and need him
to come into your life
and into your heart
this Christmas...
to come into your life
and into your heart
this Christmas...
He's listening
and waiting to hear from you...
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Let this beautiful and haunting song
be the background for your reflection
and for your prayer...
be the background for your reflection
and for your prayer...
O Come, Emmanuel by Enya
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12/23/25
NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 12/23
Regular readers will remember this from previous years: the story of the best Christmas gift I ever gave - which became the best Christmas gift I ever received. And it's a story I love telling! Today's Night Prayer flows from and follows my story...
The Best Christmas
Gift
Michael would stop by about once a month just to talk, delighting me with his keen and critical eye
on matters religious and political, all filtered through his Irish-born sense of humor.
Our conversations were equal parts political debate, spiritual direction, and
brotherly banter.
By nature he was, and by nurture he became, a self-sufficient man: longing, aching to know that he was loved by God - with whom he had a
life-long sparring match. Unfortunately, his early church experience had offered
little to convince him of God’s favor - and much to make him deeply doubt it.
Over a few years’ time Michael shared with me his personal oral history, recorded not on tape but in
my heart. Especially sharp with detail were stories of his
youth, his love affair with horses and the adventures of making his way in and
around the world. I don’t know which I enjoyed more: his stories or the look in
his eyes as he told them. His words told the tale while his eyes beckoned me
into his soul, indeed a sacred place to visit.
One late October morning, complaining about the commercialism of Christmas
items for sale alongside bags of Halloween candy, he segued to a remembrance of
an early Christmas when his heart had been set on only one gift: a copy of Boy’s
Cinema Annual.
He’d made sure his parents knew what he was hoping for but among his presents under the tree on Christmas morning he didn't find the one gift he so dearly
wanted. He was old enough to know the real identity of Santa Claus and he knew what he has asked for was something his parents could have easily afforded. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time a cherished hope of his had gone
unfulfilled.
It’s painfully early in life that a child can learn to expect to be
disappointed. Some of our earliest disappointments, as simple as they are, shape our
souls and how we see things – even how we see God. My friend’s story touched
my own soul-shaping memories right in that place where the heart’s hopes and hurts are
collected and carefully guarded.
Perhaps you know such a place in your own heart...
Well, it took me only a few hours online to locate (at a used-book
shop in Australia) an issue of Boy’s Cinema Annual published in the era of my friend’s
youth. I ordered it and was pleased with the condition in which it arrived. I
remember wrapping it in red tissue paper and attaching a store-bought bow to
top it off.
Michael stopped by in early December and we talked for about an hour. When he was
ready to take his leave I produced the gift from my desk drawer. He was
embarrassed not to have a present for me and I assured him that his wit and
wisdom were more than generous gifts all year 'round. He opened the
package very carefully, even tenderlly, and for several long minutes simply looked at the magazine until his
tears began to fall upon it. Then he looked up and, as so many times before,
his gaze invited me into his soul. He asked me if I knew how much this meant to
him. Through my tears I told him yes, I thought I did.
I believe a wounded corner of Michael’s soul was healed in opening that present and I know a broken place in my heart was restored in giving it. If only for a
moment we both knew for sure that love finds a home between our hopes and hurts
- in that very place where God longs and aches to be with us, to heal us and to love us..
An old, used issue of Boy’s Cinema Annual turned out to be the best Christmas I ever gave -and the best Christmas gift I ever received.
Let us pray...
Lord,
teach me to recognize
the true gifts,
the real gifts, the
authentic gifts
that are mine to share
with others...
Preserve my heart, my soul and my imagination
from wanting what I don't need,
from wanting what I don't need,
from desiring what I
ought not have,
from seeking what is passing,
what has no lasting vallue...
Teach me, Lord, to long for and to share
the gifts of
love and patience,
generosity and kindness,
and selflessness and mercy.
gifts I need and want to share
with neighbors near and far...
Teach me to receive
as well as to give freely, Lord:
give me an open soul,
not too proud to welcome in
the gifts that others offer
when they reach out to share
what you have shared with them...
May the gifts I offer others, Lord,
bring healing, joy and
wholeness
to broken, wounded hearts
where others have trod
roughly,
without care, on tender ground...
Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake
and watch over me while I sleep
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
The Gift of Love arranged by Hal Hopson
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Though I may speak with bravest fire,
And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain,
As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
Though I may give all I possess,
And striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within,
The profit soon turns strangely thin.
Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
By this we worship, and are freed.
Counting my blessings and memories...
Last night I helped my sister decorate her Christmas tree here in Georgetown, Colorado. This was the first time I've trimmed a tree with family since I helped my mother, Ruth, with hers 32 years ago in 1993.
In the photo above are 7 of the ornaments we hung, handmade by my Aunt Dot Murphy - 55 years ago.
For the photo, I placed them on a doily crocheted at least 85 years ago by my great-grandmother, Hermione Cordeau .
Growing old definitely has its problems - but living long enough to savor and enjoy these moments and memories: priceless!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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