On Sunday night and Monday morning, we celebrated the Feast of the Nativity, or Christmas. (Due to the quick turnaround from Sunday and the extra Masses for Christmas, we had a bilingual Mass at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, but no Spanish Mass.) Fr. Mark's homily shared the story of his own conversion: how, like many people, he sort of believed in God but did not really practice his faith, but once he became convinced God was real, his life began to change. In Fr. Matthew Crane's homily, he chanted the proclamation of the birth of Christ and described how Nativity scenes, especially those that include figures beyond "the usual suspects," get it right: everyone is invited and even those on the fringe of belief are drawn to the infant Jesus. Fr. Newton's homily spoke of the possible reasons for Christmas being such a beloved feast—including gifts, decoration and music—but that the real focus is something bigger: hope and peace are born into the world, and as St. Irenaeus said, "God became man so that men could become god."
- Readings in English (USCCB)
- Homily: Fr. Mark Innocenti (Audio)
- Homily/Homilia: Fr. Matthew Crane (Audio—bilingual)
- Homily: Fr. Arockiya Newton (Audio)