The Valley Catholic
Spirituality/Family Life
Fr. Brendan McGuire is pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in San Jose and a Vicar
General of the Diocese of San Jose. As Vicar General, he is responsible
for special projects such as the recently launched Saint Katharine Drexel
Initiative to revitalize Catholic Schools in the Diocese. Before being ordained
in 2000, Fr. Brendan was an executive in a technology company and still
loves to use technology such as Facebook, podcasts and YouTube to bring
people to a deeper relationship with Christ. Email him at [email protected].
Sunday, December 22
Fourth Week of Advent
BEGIN
Spend a minute or two in silence. Set aside whatever might hinder your prayer.
PRAY
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.
–Matthew 1:23
LISTEN
Read Matthew 1:18–24
The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” When Joseph awoke, he did
as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. —Matthew 1:20, 24
Staying By Those in Need
Rick Reinhardt was not a particularly nice guy. He hung around the wrong people
and was regularly in trouble with the law. One day a few years ago he was arrested on
suspicion of murder. Because of his criminal background it was not difficult to convict
Rick of first degree murder despite onlycircumstantial evidence. Everybody who knew
him disowned him—except for his sister. She was able to convince a public defender
that Rick was innocent.
After further investigation by police, it was discovered that Rick was indeed framed
by his best friend. It was a sordid story about murder and betrayal. After a speedy second
trial, Rick was acquitted of all charges and set free. The only person who gave Rick hope
in an otherwise hopeless situation was his sister.
In today’s Gospel we hear how Joseph was planning to quietly divorce Mary. She
was pregnant before the marriage and justice in that time in history would have dictated banishment or being stoned to death. But Joseph chose to listen to God through a
dream! It would have been easier to walk away and not get any further involved since
after all he was not the problem. It would have been easier to pretend that the dream
was “just a dream” and to leave. But Joseph chose to stand by Mary during this time of
great vulnerability. Instead of turning his back, he chose to listen to God. Maybe there
are people we know who have made mistakes and need someone to stand by them
through tough times. May Joseph’s courage give us the strength we need to reach out
and lend a hand to someone who is hurting or in trouble.
ACT
Make a single commitment toward spiritual growth for today. I will reflect on the year
that is ending and the times I failed to help someone in need. I will ask God’s forgiveness for those failures and determine to right my wrongs.
PRAY
All-loving and forgiving God, open my heart to your tender mercy and grant me
healing forgiveness for all of my sins. Allow me the grace to stand with others who
have been hurt or who have hurt others. Work through me to bring them peace. Amen.
December 10, 2013
9
The following homilies are excerpts from Father McGuire’s latest book, “The
Living Gospel: Daily Devotions for Advent,” from Ave Maria Press. It can be
purchased on Amazon in paper copy or Kindle version.
Sunday, December 15
Third Week of Advent
Begin
Spend a minute or two in silence. Set aside whatever might hinder your prayer.
Pray
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he is anointed me to bring glad tidings
to the poor. –Isaiah 61:1 (cited in Luke 4:18)
Listen
Read Matthew 11:2–11
John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one
who was to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Go
and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news
proclaimed to them. -- Matthew 11:2–5
Words and Actions That Match
On this Gaudete Sunday, this day of great rejoicing, let’s consider our words like
seeds we plant. What type of words do ??????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????=???????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????)Q???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%?)???????????????????????????????e???????????????????=????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????))??????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????+?q????????=????t????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)U?????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????5???????????)??????? ????????????????))??????????????????????????????????????????????????????1???)??)5??????????????????????????????????????????????)Q?????$???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????)A??)!????????????????????????????????????????????????1???????????$)???????????????????e??????????????? ?????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????()]]5??????????????????????????????) ??
?????????????()]???????5?????????????()Q????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????U????)M????????????????]???????5??????????????]]5????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????)Q???????????5???????????]??????-????????????1???????9??)5????????????????????????)???????????????????????]????????)Q????????????1??Y?????9???????)????????????????)Q?????)??????????? ?????)?????????
P????????????????????)????????????Q?????????????????)????????????????????????????)??????????????Q????????????????(?????????????????????????????????)????????]?????????????????????)??????????????????????+?q=????????????????????????)???????????????????????????U????)M?????????????????????????????????)????????????9????????????????)?????????????????Y????????e?]???((??????????????????????]???)5??????????????????M?????)??????t???????????????????????) ???????????????????5???????????????)????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)A???????????????????????????)??????????????q]??????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????t??????????????????)9?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????? ????????????A???????I???????M??(????
????
????????0??????????????(????????????9???????????????)??????????)????????????)????????((0