Beads of Joy Blog II (2025)

The Holy Family Relatable to All Families A Reflection of how all 3 Readings connect: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 On this feast of the Holy Family, we encounter a powerful truth woven through today's readings: holiness grows in the soil of everyday family life, especially when love meets sacrifice. In Sirach, we hear the ancient wisdom that honoring our parents brings blessing and atonement for sins, a reminder that family relationships aren't just about feelings, but about faithful commitment that mirrors God's own faithfulness to us. Saint Paul takes this further in Colossians, painting a portrait of Christian family life clothed in compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, bound together by love, "which is the bond of perfection." These aren't just beautiful ideals; they're the very qualities we see lived out in the Holy Family when Joseph awakens from his dream, gathers his young wife and infant son, and flees into t...

Jesus Alone The Pursuit of The Empty Tomb A Reflection on John 20:1a, 2-8 On that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene discovered something impossible: the stone had been rolled away from Jesus's tomb. In her shock and confusion, she ran to tell Peter and John, and they immediately raced to see it for themselves. John arrived first but hesitated at the entrance, while Peter rushed straight inside. What they found was exactly what Mary had reported: the tomb was empty, with only the burial cloth remaining. In that moment, seeing those undisturbed linens, John believed. He didn't yet understand all the scriptures that had foretold this, but something in his heart recognized the truth: death had been conquered. This wasn't a truth discovered in crowds or through grand proclamations; it came in the quiet intimacy of entering that tomb, of looking closely, of allowing the evidence to pierce their hearts. Their personal encounter with the empty tomb changed everything. Today’s go...

Unshakeable Faith Standing Firm in the Storm A Reflection on Matthew 10:17-22 Jesus speaks words to his disciples that might seem frightening at first: they will be handed over to courts, flogged in synagogues, and brought before governors and kings. But notice what he promises in the midst of this warning: the Holy Spirit will speak through them. This is Jesus preparing his friends not to be terrified, but to be ready. He's teaching them that following him isn't about seeking comfort or popularity, but about remaining faithful even when it costs them something. The Lord never promises his followers an easy road, but he does promise his presence. I learned this in a stark way back in the early 1990s when I was promoting the rosary online. I received a threatening message, someone with their face completely covered, holding a rifle, with text in what appeared to be Aramaic and English words telling me to stop. I didn't know if it was a man or a woman, where they were from,...

December 25 Jesus Christ is Born! Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10 / Hebrews 1:1-6 / John 1:1-18 Reflection JESUS CHRIST IS BORN! Merry Christmas, Everyone! The day we've been waiting for! Isaiah's messenger is running up the mountain shouting, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation!" That's today! That's this moment! That's Christmas! "Your God is King! The LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God." Every nation. Every person. Every heart. Salvation has arrived! Not someday. Not eventually. Today! Right now! In Bethlehem! In a manger there is a baby! And the joy, oh, the JOY, is overwhelming! The watchmen shout for joy together! The ruins of Jerusalem break into song! Why? Because "they see directly, befor...

December 24 Tomorrow Our Savior is Born Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 / Luke 1:67-79 Reflection It's Christmas Eve! Tomorrow, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the moment heaven touched earth, the day Jesus is born. Can you feel it? The anticipation? The wonder? Tonight, the whole world holds its breath before Emmanuel arrives. And today's readings are bursting with the same excitement. King David sits in his palace and tells the prophet Nathan, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" David wants to build God a temple. But God says something stunning through Nathan: "I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went. And I will make you famous like the famous on earth. I will establish a house for you; your throne shall stand firm forever." Wait. David wants to build God a house, and God says, "No, I'M going ...

December 23 His Name Is John Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 / Luke 1:57-66 Reflection Elizabeth gives birth. The neighbors and relatives rejoice with her; the barren woman has borne a son! Eight days later, they gather for the circumcision and naming ceremony. Everyone assumes the baby will be named Zechariah after his father. But Elizabeth speaks up: "No. He will be called John." The relatives protest: "But there is no one among your relatives who has this name!" They turn to Zechariah for the final decision. Remember, Zechariah has been mute for nine months because he doubted Gabriel's announcement. He asks for a writing tablet and writes, " His Name is John ." Immediately, his mouth opens, and his tongue is freed, and he begins praising God. The neighbors are filled with awe. Fear comes upon them all. Throughout the hill country of Judea, people ask, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him." John...