Deacon Kirk

  Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. The Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s every year is dedicated to the Holy Family of Nazareth. Our Lord Jesus Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem, and was placed in a manger because there was no room in the inn. Jesus was born into the humblest of situations, the Son of God was born in humility and born in poverty. And yet, he was born into a family, born in love to a loving mother and a loving father. We honor this family of humility and love, this family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I grew up being part of the final generation whose custom it was to put the initials of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at the top of our homework papers at school, “JMJ.” It was when I was in the second grade that we began to learn cursive writing, and we were taught to write, in giant looping cursive letters, these three initials at the top of the first page of every assignment. We did this as a prayer to invoke the Holy Family to guide our minds...

  The Season of Advent - Preparing Spiritually Good evening everyone, my name is Kirk Altenhofen, Deacon Kirk Altenhofen. I am a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Seattle, and my current assignment is at St. Pius the tenth parish in Mountlake Terrace. It is my honor and it is my privilege to be here this evening to spend some time with you. Deacon Leon asked me if I might be able to share some thoughts on the Season of Advent, and how we might prepare ourselves spiritually, and what that means for us who want to progress in the Spiritual Life during this time that the Church sets aside for us each year. The great prophet of Advent is Isaiah, and his most famous prophecy is this: “ Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:  the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,  and shall name him Emmanuel.” Is 7:14 Advent is a season for waiting . We are spending a period of four weeks, waiting, patiently waiting. Bishop Barron calls Advent a time of “Sacred Waiting.” ...