Merry Christmas, Bellarmine. Since we are here in Our Lady of the Woods Chapel the university, I thought it would be appropriate to preach about trees tonight. The Christmas tree has become a central symbol of the holiday. Bellarmine has a beautiful, evergreen up on the quad that’s at least 50 feet tall. Every Advent, it is strung up with lights and the university hosts a lighting event every year in late November. Kate and I have taken our kids there the last few years. We have some wonderful pictures of our kids’ faces lit up by both the lights and with joy at looking at the tree. Last year, our oldest, EJ, got to help Dr. Donovan flip the magic switch that illuminated the tree. It’s well known that German pagans worshipped oak trees before they became Christians and this might have something to do with the tradition. However, they rapidly transformed the Christmas tree into a symbol of Christ, who is ever green. Who is a source o...
These posts are the collected homilies of Deacon Ned Berghausen, permanent deacon of the Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, assigned to St. Agnes Catholic Church. The title "Foot Washer" refers to the Last Supper (John 13:1-20) in which Jesus washed the feet of the apostles and challenged them, "“Do you realize what I have done for you? If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow."