Since New Year's Day, the Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary, falls on a Monday, the Holyday of Obligation is dispensed in accordance with the norms of Church Law.     

Church Law states:   If a Holyday of Obligation falls on a Saturday or Monday, it is to be dispensed.   That is true for all Holydays, except in our nation the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception are never dispensed, if they happen to occur on a Saturday or Monday.      Those two Feasts are always celebrated and observed as Holydays of Obligation.
 
Because of the dispensation from Mass observance, there will only be two Masses on January 1^st, 2001, 9:00 a.m. and

During these Christmas Days, we focus this Sunday on the Holy Family.     This Holy Family consists of Jesus, His mother, Mary, and His foster-father, Joseph.     These are held-up as the model for all Catholic Christian families.

This feast was established by Pope Pius XI due to the breakdown of the traditional family and its values.     Filial respect for authority, devotional love and commitment of one spouse for another, parental love and affirmation toward their children by parents, and devotional love and care for our elderly parents.     We all have a lot to reflect upon, and possibly learn, from this feast as we compare our family with the Holy Family.    So many things today give rise to the breakdown of family life and values: culture, friends, media, recreational patterns, careers, etc.    Many in high pressure careers are encouraged to put their careers first and foremost to the detriment of family life.    Media teaches to enjoy life even if family values are destroyed.  Our very culture pushes its narcissistic values to the detriment of commitment, fidelity and children, leading to abortion, divorce, infidelity, etc.

From the first moments of our life, family values need to be imparted both by word and, more importantly, by example.     Parents need to discuss family values regularly as children grow before God and the world.     Parental authority needs to be constantly reflected upon, so that it is done from love and care, and with much affirmation.     A sound substitute for parental love and care has not yet been found.     The value of family life is priceless. 

Let us each try to make our family, like the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.