I make a lot of jokes involving in-laws or a "tongue-in-cheek" laugh at how tough and tiring marriage can be. Of course, I do this as a celibate priest who has exactly zero firsthand knowledge of this. If a priest is married to the Church, I cannot blame my mother-in-law for anything!

But while I joke about husbands and wives and in-laws, I am going to be making a much clearer and intentional point this year about how beautiful the covenant of Holy Matrimony is. The first reading today, from Isaiah 62, reminds us that throughout our long history, God has used marriage imagery to show how strong His love for us is and how permanent His commitment is:

This past Monday, at Notre Dame, many of our Holy Cross religious priests and brothers gathered together to pray for Fr. Tom Lemos, C.S.C., in his funeral Mass and burial. As well, many of his family, friends, and parishioners from all over the country were there. Fr. Tom's classmate and dear friend Bishop Daniel Jenky, C.S.C., preached and told stories of Father's kindness, wisdom, holiness, joy, and love for God's people. I had the honor of a lifetime in laying The Profession Cross that we receive at Perpetual Vows in the order - on his casket at the beginning of Mass. Fr. Tom was my novice master and gave me my Habit at my First Vows.

Happy New Year! Hopefully these past weeks of celebrating the Lord’s Birth in Bethlehem, the Holy Family and today’s Epiphany have been blessed for you and your family.

At the Christmas Mass in the Vatican Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s, marking the official beginning of the Jubilee Year. Every 25 years (and sometimes one in the time-between) the Holy Church celebrates a jubilee. There are many special events and prayers this year - in Rome, throughout the Diocese of Phoenix and here at St. John Vianney.

I think two of the funniest quips I’ve ever heard about family life are from the notoriously irreverent comedians George Carlin & Phyllis Diller:

“The other night, I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going” and
“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.”

You may have heard the phrase “you can’t see around the corner”, meaning that you generally cannot know what’s going to happen in the future, even when it’s near. I learned this in a literal sense working in Chicago’s “Loop” district - full of skyscrapers. Walking from the train station to the office I would go down streets that were full of people but otherwise pretty calm air. Turn the corner onto another street however and you’d be blasted by a wall of wind. You had know idea that it was coming until you made that turn… but you sure found out!

One of my favorite things about December is the back-to-back celebrations of Our Mother Mary: her Immaculate Conception on December 8 and under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Certainly we are preparing ourselves in Advent for Christmas and the Birth of Jesus. This time of year we also are busy with parties, travel, gift-giving (and receiving, if you’ve been good…) and wrapping up study and work before a holiday break.

Last evening, Saturday Nov. 30, at sunset we began the sacred season of Advent and our new Church year. As I hear it said (more often around Jan. 1), it can mean a “new year, new you!” In our faith this is better called conversion and over the coming weeks we will hear much from the Prophet Isaiah and about the Precursor, John the Baptist. Both proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and the need for each of us to prepare ourselves - by leaving behind sin and self-seeking and looking toward the Light and Liberty our Messiah will bring.