It was a cold winter's day back in the early nineties in New York City. I just hopped on the downtown Lexington Ave #4 Express to get to work. As usual, the passengers were crowded into the subway car like little sardines in a can. 

         As we pulled out of the 86th Street Station heading down the tracks to the next stop (59th St.) The train slowly came to an abrupt stop. The dreaded and muffled words came over the PA system: "This is your conductor..we are experiencing delays....sorry for the inconvenience..."

         One of the things that "strap-hangers" do when they do not want to have eye contact with another person is look at the advertisements all around the train. This is not the best way to socialize.

         I always wondered what advertisement I would see above my head as I pondered on what kind of a day lay ahead. This one advertisement changed my heart that day. It was a picture of a Church in the midst of dark, cold, and wintry night. What was striking to me was that the doors were open, and there was a soft bright glow that emanated from the inside. The caption read: "Come home at Christmas."

         Getting back to Church for me changed my heart for the better. God opened up many doors for me that day: my work ethic improved, my family relationships became stronger, and my love for God strengthened. 

          The simple message from the prophecies that we have been hearing about in the scriptures (Malachi 3: 1-4, 23-24; Luke 1: 57-66) is that they were fulfilled. God keeps His promises. What about us? We made baptismal promises that we would grow in our love for God by practicing our faith. It is time to come home and make do on those promises.

         We have a marvelous opportunity on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Bring someone we love who has been away from the Church for a while. They may not be in a good place, and God will use us to fulfill His promises. All we have to do is "gently" ask them to Come Home at Christmas.

        See you in Church!

       Fr. Pat