Kathy will receive a copy of The Catholic Family Connections Bible, a $27.95 value.

The Catholic Family Connections Bible helps families connect to:

• Each other—through family faith conversations
• Faith—through practices of prayer and devotion
• Community—through participating in Christian service together

The Catholic Family Connections Bible uses the New American Bible Revised Edition text and is woven around the core content of the bestselling Catholic Youth Bible® (loved by nearly two million Catholic young people), which includes:

• Over 700 lively articles help you Pray It! Study It! Live It!®
• "Catholic Connection" articles providing a presentation of key Catholic doctrine
• 28 articles addressing the seven principles of Catholic social teaching
• 75 inspirational illustrations
• Helpful index to life and faith issues
• Easy-to-use glossary of Scripture-related terms
• Sunday Lectionary readings for all three cycles
• "Catholic Connections" index
• "Sacraments Connections" index

The Catholic Family Connections Bible
ISBN: 978-1-59982-088-0, paper, 1968 pages

by Joanna Dailey

One of the nicest things about being Catholic is having a Christmas crib in church. (Thank you, Saint Francis of Assisi!) I still remember the Christmas crib from the parish of my childhood. It completely took over one of the side altars in our church. It was surrounded by a ring of tall--and real--evergreen trees dotted with blue lights. With its wooden roof, it looked like a cozy cabin in the woods.

In my parish church today, the Christmas crib sits in front of the Mary altar on the left side of the sanctuary. The figures are life-size, so that if you kneel at the railing there, you are kneeling right across from Mary and Joseph, right near the shepherds, their sheep, and, eventually, the Three Kings. After Midnight Mass last year, I expected to wait for some time while families visited the crib with their children. But, sadly, such was not the case. A few families knelt and prayed, but, considering the number of families there, not so many stopped to show their children "the reason for the season," as the saying goes. It seems to me that if you are going to disrupt your schedule enough to take children to Midnight Mass, you ought to show them the big Christmas crib and Baby Jesus. (The little miniature cribs at home are wonderful but no substitute. To a child, the church crib is huge.)

It always seemed to me that the Christmas crib was an invitation into the very home of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. This stable was their first home, and the shepherds were their first visitors. On Christmas, we are allowed to join them. The Spanish saying, "Mi casa es su casa" could not be more true. Especially on Christmas, when the Word made flesh came down and made his home with us, his house is now our house. The new Temple of God, the Body of Christ, is now our body and our home. And, no matter where we are physically, in Jesus we are always home at Christmas.

Blessings on your ministry!

Peace and joy this Christmas!

Joanna

P.S. I usually do not single out any one Saint Mary’s Press product in this column, but I am making an exception for an inspirational desktop flipbook titled: Let Us Remember: Words of Wisdom for Teachers by Teachers. With the combined wisdom of the Scriptures, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, and the participants at the Saint Mary’s Press 2013 Summit, this little book is worth a look. As its editor, I appreciate the contemporary wisdom of teachers of religion juxtaposed with the still-practical advice of Saint John Baptist de La Salle.

To paraphrase one of his quotes, "Never expel a student who is yelling. If you do, others will yell in order that they might be released from class." This book would make a great gift for a teacher or catechist you know—or even for yourself. You can find it at http://www.smp.org/product/3837/Let-Us-Remember/. (An app will also be available shortly.)

You might like to remind your students to save their family’s Christmas cards. The cards can be recycled to support St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. Check this Web site for details: https://stjudesranch.org/about-us/recycled-card-program/.

Unfortunately, St. Jude’s Ranch cannot accept Hallmark, Disney, or American Greeting cards. It will help if you send the front of the cards only.

St. Jude’s also recycles birthday cards and thank-you cards, so you may want to make this a service project that can be done indoors in January!

Donated cards can be sent to:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2013
Matthew 1:18-24

Opening Prayer

Jesus, help us to be aware of your voice in our world today and to understand more fully your will for us. In understanding your desired direction for us, just as Joseph did in the dream, we can then embrace it with confident enthusiasm. Amen.

Context Connection
The Gospel of Matthew gives us most of the information that we have about Joseph, the adopted earthly father of Jesus. In Sunday's Gospel, Joseph is described as "being a righteous man" (1:19). Other translations describe Joseph as being just, which may be more accurate to the original Greek. Matthew wants us to understand that Joseph is a religious man steeped in Judaism and that he is also a descendant of King David (1:1-17).

Matthew's story of Jesus' birth is told through the experience of Joseph rather than of Mary, as in Luke's account. Matthew tells us that Joseph and Mary are betrothed, and not yet married, when Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The Jewish custom of marriage then was very different than marriage customs of the United States today. Marriages were arranged by the elders in the family. Once the elder had agreed to the terms of the marriage contract, the betrothal ceremony took place in the home of the young woman. The betrothal, where two individuals are set apart for each other, was the first step in the marriage process. The young man and his father went to the home of the young woman and presented her father with the prearranged contract and the so-called bride price. From this point forward the agreement was binding, even though the young man and young woman remained living in their own parents' homes. The young couple were considered husband and wife from the time of betrothal. The wedding ceremony was complete when the groom took the bride into his home or that of his parents. This took as much as a year to several years after the betrothal. As we learn from Matthew's account, Joseph and Mary are betrothed but have not yet completed the ritual of Joseph taking Mary into his home.

During this in-between time, Joseph becomes aware that Mary is "found to be with child" (1:18). Joseph has a couple of options according to Mosaic Law. Because Mary is Joseph's wife and becomes pregnant before they have consummated their marriage, Mary is technically guilty of adultery. The first option that Joseph has is to publicly expose Mary's infidelity by returning her to her father where she will be stoned to death according to Deuteronomy 22:23-24. Joseph's second option, the one he plans to execute, is to quietly dismiss Mary through a formal divorce. This dissolves the marriage contract and frees both Mary and Joseph to marry different individuals. Matthew tells us that Joseph is resolved to go through with the divorce. However, before the divorce takes place, Joseph has a dream in which an angel appears and says, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit" (1:20). Luke uses these same words to tell of the angel who appears to Mary to announce that she will conceive a child: "Do not be afraid" (Luke 1:30). These are words of assurance from God. In the dream Joseph is given further instructions, "She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (1:21). In biblical times, dreams were a way of conveying divine communication. The name Jesus is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua or Yeshu, meaning "God saves." Yeshua originates from the name Joshua, which means "Yahweh helps."

Joseph's dream puts to rest his fears about how Mary became pregnant and also reveals that this child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Following God's direction communicated in the dream, Joseph completes the marriage ritual by taking Mary into his home: "When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife" (1:24). In all his decisions, Joseph acted as a noble and honorable person.

Tradition Connection
Saint Joseph models for all of us, but in particular all men, how to live a life of honor and faithfulness to God. For Catholics, Joseph is a patron of virtuous living. A profile of the saint, found on page 421 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Third Edition, says this:

Saint Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. Joseph was a just and compassionate man, and protected Mary from shame when he discovered that she was pregnant, even though he did not understand that her unborn child was the Son of God. We see evidence of Joseph's deep faith when he changed his plans in response to messages from God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also recognizes Saint Joseph as the patron of a happy death:

The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the ancient litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: "From a sudden and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord";1 to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us "at the hour of our death" in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death (Paragraph 1014).

Dying in the loving arms of Jesus and Mary would indeed be a happy death.

Wisdom Connection
For Matthew, the story of Jesus' birth concludes the genealogy listed in chapter 1, verses 1-17. It is definitive proof that Jesus is a member of the Davidic line through his earthly father, Joseph. From the opening verse of his Gospel, Matthew declares Jesus as the Messiah: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way" (1:18). By using the word "the", Matthew emphasizes that Jesus is the one true Messiah that has been long awaited. Matthew makes this more concrete by giving proof of Jesus' ancestry--as a Son of David through Joseph.

We believe that God breaks into the human experience to make God's will known. Jesus is a living sign and gives witness to this when he takes on human form. What does it mean that God became human? It tells us that God found goodness in a world that sometimes is steeped in despair. It means that God does not look down on the human body as something weak but, rather, as a means for salvation to enter the world.

Matthew also holds up Joseph as a noble person--a model of a just person--one who is willing to place his trust in God even when everything around him points in a different direction. For Joseph and for all Christians, the key words to remember are "do not be afraid" (1:20).


Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The profile on Saint Joseph is taken from The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Third Edition. Copyright © 2013 by Saint Mary's Press, Winona, MN. All rights reserved.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Roman Missal, Litany of the Saints.

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 29, 2013
Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Opening Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for embracing our humanity by taking on human form and becoming a member of the family of Joseph and Mary. Teach us to be more engaged members of our own families by being more charitable to others each day. Amen.

Context Connection
Matthew continues to use in chapter two of his Gospel the pattern he established in chapter one: an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, the angel gives Joseph a command and explains why he should obey, Joseph carries out the command, and the narrative closes with a quote from the Old Testament.

The angel commands Joseph, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him" (2:13). Joseph does as the angel tells him, fleeing by night to Egypt with Jesus and Mary. Matthew concludes by saying, "This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, 'out of Egypt I have called my son'" (2:15). This quote from the prophet can be found in Hosea 11:1. Sunday's Gospel does not include verses 16-18, the account of Herod's massacre of boys two years old and younger. Herod was known to be a ruthless king, even killing family members to preserve his position. This account is told as part of the Gospel on December 28, when the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

At this time in history, Egypt was a place of exile for many individuals from Israel. Most of them were waiting for the death of Herod so they could return to Israel. The Romans had captured Egypt in 30 BC. Herod's kingdom did not extend into Egypt but it did border Egypt. As a carpenter, Joseph would have been able to find work quite easily in Egypt.

The time of exile in Egypt for the Holy Family is short--just a couple of years, until Herod dies. Once again, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream to let him know that Herod has died and that Joseph and his family can return to Israel. The angel commands Joseph to "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead" (2:20). Upon the death of Herod, the Romans split Herod's kingdom among his three sons. Archelaus was given Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Herod Antipas, whom Jesus refers to as "the fox," was given Galilee and Perea. And Philip was given Iturea and Trachonitis. See map 6 in The Catholic Youth Bible®.

When Joseph "heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee" (2:22). Archelaus's reputation was similar to his father's. He was cruel and quick to suppress any challenge to his throne. After only a short time as king, the Romans dethroned Archelaus and replaced the role of king with that of governor--one of the most famous being Pontius Pilate.

The Holy Family settled in Nazareth, a small town in the Galilee area: "There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, 'He will be called a Nazorean'" (2:23). This is why Jesus is associated with Nazareth and why he begins his public ministry in Galilee.

Tradition Connection
Jesus shows us the importance of family by choosing to be born into the family of Joseph and Mary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary" (paragraph 1655). The Catholic Church, in recent writings, places emphasis on the importance of family by referring to it as the "domestic church." The family is considered a sacred community where parents, by word and example, are the first evangelizers of their children. Their vocation as parents is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus' love to their children through their words and deeds.

The Christian family "is a community of faith, hope, and charity; it assumes singular importance in the Church, as is evident in the New Testament"1 (Catechism, paragraph 2204). As a whole, united in love, the family makes up an important component of society. It is within this domestic community that we learn how to be productive members of other communities throughout our lives. "The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society" (Catechism, paragraph 2207). It is in family that we come to know how to care for others--to be other-oriented. This understanding of self-giving, one that Jesus models in the Gospels, should be the cornerstone of family life: "The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor" (Catechism, paragraph 2208). Authentic family life naturally spills over its own boundaries and affects everyone who comes into contact with it. It is true that Christian charity begins in the family, or, should we say, it is learned in the family.

In choosing to be an active member of the family of Joseph and Mary, Jesus heightens the dignity of family life. The domestic church not only serves its own members but also the whole Church and society.

Wisdom Connection
Throughout Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is presented as the new Moses. Early on, Matthew wants his readers to understand that the future promise of the People of God rests with Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, who has been called from Egypt to live, work, and die in the land of God's own people. God is acting through Jesus, as God did through Moses, but in a new way, to bring about the salvation of all people.

Through the genealogy listed in chapter one, Matthew demonstrates continuity between Jesus and the Jewish tradition. Then, in chapter two, Matthew directs our attention to how Joseph's actions, guided by the angel, fulfill what the prophets had spoken. Note that Matthew does not say that Jesus discontinues the covenant of the Old Testament. Rather, the history of Jesus and Christianity is grounded in the Old Testament. The New Testament does not make the promises of God to the Israelites obsolete. The Vatican Council II documents speak of God's covenant with the Jews as never having been revoked. (See Nostra Aetate, no. 4, at http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html.) Each Sunday the first reading is usually taken from the Old Testament because the Old Testament sheds light on the New Testament and, likewise, the New Testament gives fuller meaning to the Old Testament.


Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. Ephesians 5:21--6:4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7

The saints of December 25 are of course overshadowed by the solemnity of the birth of Jesus, and they probably would not have it any other way. But perhaps, this year, we could recall their names and a little bit about them.

The following were martyrs: Saint Eugenia (of Rome), Saint Anastasia III (she is remembered in Canon I of the Roman Missal, one of seven women, excluding the Virgin Mary), and Blessed Michael Nakashima of Japan (martyred 1628). Saint Adalsindis was a Benedictine nun in France (died 715). She must have been a very good one, because nothing else is known about her. Saint Alburga was born a princess in Wessex, England, and married as part of a political alliance. While married, she founded Wilton Abbey, and then, upon her husband’s death, entered the Abbey and became abbess. She died in 810.

Check http: //www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/dec.php for more December saints.