For some few weeks now you must have seen many depictions of the Holy Family. Perhaps you saw Jesus, Mary and Joseph on Christmas cards, or perhaps in Crib scenes, or perhaps you were as lucky enough as l was to see them in action at a Nativity play here in Lake Havasu. Each depiction whilst telling the same essential story, conveys something slightly different, putting the accent on a different aspect of a story at times dangerously familiar. There’s variety, too, in the many beautiful paintings of the Holy Family, depicting in almost every conceivable geographic, climatic, racial, economic, and cultural setting. It is almost as if the Holy Family carry a kind of ‘everyman’ quality, as it were; standing outside of time.

The gospel account is about two pregnant women: Elizabeth and Mary. These were remarkable women. Remarkable in the sense that under ordinary circumstances they would not have been pregnant. One was a virgin; the other was beyond, way beyond childbearing. These two great women understood the miracle of conception and birth. To add to the unexplainable mystery, they both bore within their wombs mysterious babies. One bore the Christ, God's only begotten Son; the other bore John the Baptist. Both of them were full of joy for themselves and for each other despite their age differences. Indeed God was at work within them!

In the church’s Latin days, the third Sunday of Advent is always called "Gaudete Sunday”, and its message is comfort and joy (gaudete means rejoice). We are urged not to worry, for the Lord is near. Yes, don't worry be happy! With St. Paul, “There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving”. We need not wait until after God has granted our requests before saying thanks. Even as we ask, we should already be grateful.

Advent is a hopeful season. Hope is such an important Christian virtue, something deeper than simple optimism of temperament. We can feel cheerfully optimistic about all kinds of things, but, strictly speaking, the true object of hope is union with God. We are hopeful because we believe in a God who can bring life out of death, light out of darkness. It is above all in dark times that we need hope. And we pray for hope and help for those going through dark days at the present time, for people insecure in their jobs or their health or their home life, and even more for those who have been displaced as refugees.

Today we begin a new liturgical year. Jesus said to us 27 times in the Gospel, “Follow me!” and each liturgical year we do just that, tracing his footsteps along the route of salvation history, trying to become more and more like him whom we’re following. The New Liturgical year also begins with ADVENT, a special time of waiting and hoping, of renewing our trust in God’s merciful love and care, and of reflecting on the several comings (advents), of Christ into our lives. Besides his first coming at his birth, we are asked to reflect on Christ’s coming as the risen Lord at Easter, in the Sacraments (especially the Eucharist), in our everyday lives, at the moment of death, and at the end of human history (the second coming).