Christmas Reflections – Mary, Mother of God January 1

Mary, Mother of God – January 1, 2013

(This homily was written for and first published in the book, Hungry and You Fed Me: Homilies and Reflections for Cycle C.)

Many years ago, I befriended a woman with whom I had nothing in common. In fact, we were far apart in many ways. She was one of the “cool people” that a self-professed nerd like me might never get to know. However, academic circumstances brought us together, and we became good friends. What struck me the most about her, when we first became more closely acquainted, was how “human” she turned out to be. From my original point of view, this woman seemed to have it all; she appeared completely self-confident and self-possessed, she was remarkably beautiful, and she maintained an aura of perfection that seemed unattainable to us mere mortals.

Over time we got to know one another, and a real friendship began to develop. This woman began to reveal just how challenging things were for her. First of all, she was not perfect, although I found that hard to believe. At that age, I believed that we were all socially divided into some “have/have not scheme” when it came to perfection. To that end, I was

A Month of Books…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lots of book reviews coming up.

From the “so-many-books-so-little-time” files, I have lots to show you in November – well, starting on October 31, to be precise. Expect to see some book reviews in coming days. I have been reading and reading and reading… and there are other books in the queue! By time the November book-fest is over, you will know what to ask for for Christmas, and what to give!

From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart: Rekindling my Love for Catholicism by Chris Haw.

Loving Work by Mike Hayes.

A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy by Sarah A. Reinhard.

Saved by Beauty: A Spiritual Journey with Dorothy Day by Michael O’Neill McGrath.

This Little Light: Lessons in Living from Sister Thea Bowman by Michael O’Neill McGrath.

I Wasn’t Dead When I Wrote This: Advice Given in the Nick of Time by Lisa-Marie Calderone-Stewart.

My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir by Colleen Carroll Campbell.

And while I can’t review a book that I contributed to, I’ll say – please don’t forget to check out Hungry and You Fed Me: Homilies and Reflections for Cycle C, featuring James Martin SJ and Richard Rohr OFM, featuring cover art by Michael O’Neill McGrath. (I wrote about it the other day)