Prayers for Family

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Best View in the House - Weekday Homily Video

By: Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C. December 15th, 2025

There is a story about a father who bought a telescope for his family. On a crisp winter night, he took his young son into the backyard to look at the moon. The father set up the tripod, aimed the lens, and told his son to take a look. The little boy squinted into the eyepiece and said, "Dad, I don't see anything. It's just dark." The father checked the alignment. "It's right there. Look again." The boy insisted, "No, it's just black." Finally, the father realized the problem. He reached over and gently twisted the focus knob. Suddenly, the boy gasped. "I see it! I see the craters! I see the light!" The moon hadn't moved. The sky hadn't changed. The only difference was that the focus had been adjusted from darkness to light. Are We Looking for the Light? As we draw closer to Christmas, today's readings ask us: Is our focus adjusted to see what God is showing us? In our first reading, we meet Balaam, hired to curse God's people. Yet when he truly looked, Scripture says he became "one whose eye is true." The focus knob of his heart was turned by God. What did Balaam see? He was looking at thousands of dusty tents in the desert. But with "true sight," he didn't see a mess. He saw "gardens beside a stream" and "cedars planted by the LORD." He saw beauty where others saw only tents. In that moment, he prophesied: "A star shall advance from Jacob"—the very star we are preparing to welcome this Christmas. But in the Gospel, we meet the opposite. The Chief Priests were experts with the best education and highest positions. Yet when Jesus stood right in front of them—healing, loving, teaching—they refused to see Him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. Their question reveals the problem: They were too busy managing their rules and reputation to recognize the Savior. They had decided not to see because truly seeing Jesus would require them to change. Here is the challenge for our families ten days before Christmas: Are we going to be like Balaam, or like the Chief Priests? It's easy to get caught up in the "management" of Christmas—decorations, gifts, schedules. We can become like the Chief Priests, so stressed about how Christmas should look that we miss the Jesus standing right in front of us. We look at our "tents"—our messy kitchens, our tired spouses, our energetic children—and just see the mess. We don't see the "gardens beside a stream." The invitation of Advent is to let God twist the focus knob. To see our homes not as burdens, but as places where God's life flows. Three Ways to Open Our Eyes 1. For Parents: When the house is loud or messy today, stop. Take a breath. Say silently: "Lord, thank you for these people in my tent. Help me see them as You see them." 2. For Children: Be "Joy-Spotters" this week. When you see your mom or dad looking stressed, remind them to look at the light. Give them a hug. Tell them, "It's going to be okay." 3. For the Whole Family: Don't let stress blind you to each other. The gifts under the tree are temporary; the people around the tree are eternal. Let us ask God to twist the focus knob of our hearts today. Let us stop seeing just the darkness and stress. Let us see our homes as God sees them: beautiful gardens, the perfect place for Jesus to be born. Amen.