Is 58:7-10:3; Cor 2:1-5; Mt 5: 13-16 Salt and Light. Salt preserves and purifies. Light shines us forward. The message today is simple: Our good works preserve and purify us, and they are also good for others. Let your light shine. We have recent literal examples, in our midst. Just before Christmas our prayer shrine […]
The Nativity of the Lord. Christmas Readings of Mass During the Night Is 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14 Last Christmas I told you about the first Christmas creche with live animals created by St. Francis of Assisi in the town of Greccio in 1223. Then I told you about the first non-animate scene created by […]
Matt 3: 13-17 Jesus gets baptized today. In doing so, he foreshadows his crucifixion, going down into the water, dying for our sins. As we bring Christmas to a close today, the wood of the manger foreshadows the wood of the cross. The one without sin makes the waters holy. The God who hovered over […]
Recibimos el Espíritu Santo en el bautismo. Esto es lo que celebramos hoy, el bautismo de Jesús y el nuestro. Siente el amor abrumador de su Padre. Él oye: “Tú eres mi Hijo amado; contigo estoy muy complacido “. ¿Puedes recordar un momento en que sentiste el placer de Dios? Ojalá lo sientas cuando realizas […]
Is 35:1-6,10; James 5:7-10; Matt 11: 2-11 “Rejoice with joyful song.” We hear the word “joy” five times in the first reading today, Gaudete Sunday. Rejoice Sunday. What’s there to be joyful about? Last week Deacon Brian spoke of the pressures of modern life, that woman with all those woes. Remember her? No denying this. […]
Is 35:1-6,10; James 5:7-10; Matt 11: 2-11 Alégrate con una canción alegre ”. Hoy escuchamos la palabra“ alegría ”cinco veces en el evangelio, el domingo de Gaudete. Alégrate el domingo. ¿De qué hay que alegrarse? La semana pasada, el diácono Brian habló de esa mujer con todos esos problemas. ¿Recuérdela? No lo niego. Necesitamos conocer […]
Is 2: 1-5; Rom 13 1-14; Mt 23: 37-44 On Black Friday I was reading the Weekender section of the Herald Leader. It details all the entertainment one can take in during the holiday season. Many offerings are repeats: Messiah, Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol. Why is that? For one thing, they make us feel good. […]
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 20: 27-38 The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. We however know and believe that we are all heading toward the resurrection of the body. It really won’t matter who was married to whom. We belong to God. Human needs and longings will no longer apply. The brothers […]
We are all heading toward the resurrection. We will belong to God completely. Human need and longings will no longer apply. There are no needs in heaven. God fills all the needs. We will not be alone. We will be part of that great communion, the Communion of Saints. That’s why in this month of […]
Fun and festivity. This could be the theme of today’s holy day. We are ALL called to be saints! That’s what we celebrate today. We the Church celebrate all who have died who are now with God and “see him as he is” (St. John). Last year, when I was on sabbatical, I arrived in […]