Though Dark Our Days May Often Be

Despite all the days of malevolence and hate-filled utterances throughout what has been at least for me a very long year and most especially now during what we called as kids a Season of Hope, today, Gaudete Sunday remains a favorite of mine (since my earliest school days). 

Before I had memorized the entire Latin Mass, in hopes (forlorn) of becoming an altar boy, I had theorized from what I understood of the roots of the word Gaudete and its proximity to the birth of Jesus that it must somehow be Latin for 'just hold on a little bit longer.' I still think I should get partial credit for grasping the feeling if not the exact meaning

A lot of the warmth of our human hearts regardless of your beliefs is reflected by the holiday seasons that fall together this time of year somehow reminding us, I hope, that we are when we can see and live beyond our differences all very much the same people.

Underscoring that is the life of Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness, who, though he passed on before we reached the Third Sunday of Advent, is I think someone we should and could each aspire to become.

We have too many horns in the cacophony of life and can most certainly use another light, especially in this, the most hopeful of seasons. 
-bill kenny