The celebration of the Holy Family is the Sunday after Christmas and is one that puts the birth of Jesus into an important context for us. When God sent his Son he did not mysteriously appear out of nowhere, nor did he drop down to earth from Heaven. Jesus is the second person of the […]
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This Christmas eve the source of hope we have all been living on has arrived with our commemoration of the birth of our Lord Jesus in the humble manger in Bethlehem. The creator of time is born in time; the one who fashioned the universe becomes part of it. As we conclude a year unlike […]
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At the end of a year no one will ever forget we come today to the final Sunday before Christmas and hear a Gospel promise about God’s fidelity to his people—something we can all appreciate in these challenging times. In fact, we hear similar promises made in the first reading from the Second Book of […]
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On the Third Sunday of Advent we are more than halfway through the Advent Season. This Sunday is also known as Gaudete Sunday for the Latin “rejoice.” The prayers and readings today call us to rejoice because the day of the Lord is near. In Isaiah we hear the prophet say; “I rejoice heartily in […]
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The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is an important for the United States. At the Sixth Provincial council of Baltimore in May 17, 1846 the Bishops proclaimed Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, as the principal patroness of the entire country. That was eight years before Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception […]
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The prophet Isaiah begins our readings this week pleading: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God” (Isa 40:1). For many people alive today, if we have ever had a season in which we could use some honest comfort it is this year. COVID-19, racial strife, election year politics, and a powerful economic downturn […]
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We begin Advent and the new church year with the same message we heard near the end of the church year; it is a call to be “watchful and alert.” We heard the parables of the wise and foolish virgins, the master entrusting servants with talents, and the clear message last week of being prepared […]
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As we celebrate the feast of Christ the King it is interesting to note that the scriptures express the nature of his Kingship in terms that borrow as much from the pastoral language of the Good Shepherd as from the expected regal imagery of royal courts. We indeed hear that the Lord will be seated […]
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Growing up before the age of mobile phones meant that whenever a relative from out of town was coming to visit us, we knew the day and some general time, but not the exact time. No cell phone call to inform us that they will be there in an hour. Instead, we kept watch and […]
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As we draw to the conclusion of the Church year the scriptures turn to the theme of the end of time and the events that will accompany it. This gives us a great opportunity to review what Catholics believe regarding the final events of history—which differs from what many other Christians hold about them. Saint […]
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