Christmas is over and the New Year has dawned. Hopefully we are not exhausted from our Christmas celebration – the shopping, the traveling, the parties and the exchange of gifts. People are eager to dazzle their loved ones with their amazing finds. The more unusual and more novel the gifts, the better! At the same time we hear that baby-boomers are looking for retro-gifts, artifacts that will remind them of their youth and the decades that they made famous. As I was contemplating our desire for things both new and old, a news story that took place a few months ago came to mind.
When I was a young seminarian we used to sing a Marian hymn composed by an Englishman, Kevin Mayhew. I can never forget the first line in the chorus: “It all began with Mary.” That statement is so true. It all began with Mary – indeed! St Bernard, in one of his reflections, pleads with Mary to say “Yes” to Archangel Gabriel. This is what he writes:
It is such a sad commentary on the state of affairs in our society that mass killings happen with a certain frequency and we keep returning to our normal lives. However, for those affected these senseless acts of violence the days ahead become unbearable. In those times of tremendous anguish family support is always crucial. Without the solace of faith or the support of family and friends, we cannot survive such horrible losses in our lives. In these moments we need to retire to that safe haven that we call home. It is our family that sustains us in difficult times and nurtures us in ordinary times.
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Born in India to deeply-committed Catholic parents, Fr Britto is one of seven children. He joined the Salesians of Don Bosco as a young man and was ordained a priest in 1981.
After he completed his priestly formation and his early education in India, he came to the US for his graduate degree in Journalism at...Read more...
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