In many ways, the holidays can be considered a season of blessings; and I don’t just mean the blessing of spending time with family and friends to celebrate Our Lord’s birth. This time of year is marked by many special blessings in the life of the Church.
It’s hard not to be discouraged, even despairing, in an age growing in darkness. We hope that COVID-19 is conquered. It roars back. A devastating earthquake strikes Haiti yet again. Shouting matches over vaccines, masks and critical race theory fill public spaces and arouse worry about the future of our democracy. Unprecedented wildfires and floods destroy communities worldwide. Winter tornadoes devastate the Midwest. Evacuees from Afghanistan add to record numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers.