Our readings this Sunday focus on the gift of the Commandments and the explicit invitation by the Holy One of Israel to follow them. Seeing the Commandments as a gift is a particular challenge for us, as in our progressively more anti-law culture, the law is seen as somehow inhibiting our freedom. This was not … Read more
Our readings this Sunday focus on the first act of God’s creation: Light. But not just any light, the light that we are called to be as followers of the Lord Jesus. The first reading speaks of the light that will be given to us as a result of us being obedient to His … Read more
All four of our readings this Sunday speak to that same reality: “blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” But what does that mean? Many interpretations have been given over the years, I like the approach that suggests that it refers to all who not only are poor … Read more
“I urge you brothers and sisters…that there be no divisions among you!” Thus St. Paul issues one of his most difficult challenges to the Christians of his time and to the Christians of all times. In St. Paul’s day, the biggest internal division was between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians, and often focused … Read more
We have just concluded celebrating some of the most magnificent Feasts of our Church year, and hopefully have grown more deeply in love with the King of Kings as we have done so. Now, we enter into Ordinary Time, whose color is green which is meant for us to indicate a season of hope. As … Read more
“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you!” The meaning of this glorious feast, Epiphany, literally is “to shine upon.” In the Biblical usage, it refers specifically to being physically visible, observable to the senses. As we celebrate the Feast, the Gospel makes clear that the … Read more
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given!” For the last few days before Christmas I put my iPhone music app in a constantly repeating loop, treating me to an endless play of the chorus of Handel’s great rendition of that verse. Every time I hear it, there is that … Read more
As we continue our Advent journey, in the Scriptures for the Fourth Sunday of Advent we hear the wondrous prophecy in Isaiah of the Virgin who will bear the great Immanuel, “God with us” and then in the Gospel, we hear unfolding of that prophecy, as Joseph is brought ‘on board’ to share in the … Read more
As we continue our Advent journey, we come across the great St. John the Baptist. We are reminded of the joy of this season when we recall the great joy that marked his first encounter with the Lord Jesus, how his mother recounts how the baby in her womb literally leaps for joy in the … Read more
What does it mean for us to be disciples of the Lord Jesus? This is the most important question in our lives. We see a great variety in the lifestyles and choices of those who are followers of the Lord Jesus; choices that are often incompatible with the choices made by others who also consider … Read more
