I think a lot of Catholics have this rosy picture of the Holy Family. The mother was without sin. The son happened to be THE SON OF GOD. And the third member, St. Joseph, wasn’t exactly a slacker. (see: SAINT Joseph)

What problems could a trio like that actually have? Let’s come back to this thought.

This is the time of the year when many of us find ourselves wondering why our families don’t look anything like those Hallmark Christmas movies. A husband who participated in the purchase of every card and gift. A mother who finds all her husband’s idiosyncrasies as charming as the day they met. Children thrilled to spend hours laughing with each other. Their spouses relaxed by the roaring fireplace. Grandchildren grateful for every gift and perfectly behaved. The turkey a glossy golden brown.

Advent should’ve been more.

More than a search for the perfect gift for a loved one. More than favoring everything with peppermint and pumpkin. More than Hallmark movies with predictable plots where everyone looks like they were created in a central casting laboratory.

Advent should’ve been more.

More than a time for family. More than a time to make a yearly pilgrimage to the confessional. Even more than getting ready for the arrival of the infant Jesus.

It should’ve been a time where we renew our commitment to be ready for when Jesus comes again. It might be the second coming. Or it might only be Jesus coming for us individually.

You have got to reread Mathew 11:2-11! John the Baptist is back!

He gets word of Jesus and sends his people to ask this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” It’s almost like he is saying, “Check to see if he knows the secret handshake.”

When they arrive and ask Jesus, he chooses the Golden Rule for writers: show, don’t tell.

As members of my R.C.I.A. class know by now, Biblical typology refers to things (as Catholic author Scott Hahn likes to say) “concealed in the Old (Testament) and revealed in the New (Testament).” In this weekend’s Gospel, we have one such example.

John the Baptist is described as slightly unfashionable. He is wearing “a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist.” He is dressed exactly like the prophet Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8!