THE GOSPEL OF MARK
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.” (Mark 1:1-2)
As we enter into this new liturgical year, we hear again today from the Gospel of Mark. As I mentioned in last week’s article, we will be hearing almost all of Mark’s Gospel over the course of this year since it is year B in the liturgical calendar. As we begin to hear from this, […]
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Once again, Happy New Year and welcome to another liturgical year … another Advent … a new opportunity to prepare our minds and hearts for the coming of Jesus into the world on Christmas Day and at the end of time. How blessed we are to believe that the infinite, almighty, eternal God came among us in time. We are even more blessed to believe that his coming offers us the hope for eternal live in God’s loving embrace. Advent Season speaks of both of these comings and it’s important […]
THE SEASON OF ADVENT
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. …Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” (Mk 13:33, 36-37).
With these words, our Lord calls us to prepare us for his coming; he comes to bring us to God’s kingdom. As […]
FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
Whether we like it or not, judgment is a fact of life. That is true whether we are talking about the histories of nations or the events of our own personal life. If we break the law – exceed the speed limit on the road, for example, – the law enforcement officer will judge us and give us a ticket. If we eat or drink too much or live a lifestyle of constant stress then our bodies will judge us and we get sick. We simply cannot escape judgment in […]
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
On this, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Church calls us to reflect on the kingship of Jesus Christ. It’s quite different from how we ordinarily think of a king. Rather than a ruler who makes his power known over his subjects, our God is like a shepherd tending his flock. As we hear in this Sunday’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, God will look after his sheep “as a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep” (Ez […]
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus once told a story of a wealthy man who was preparing for a long journey. He called his three servants and divided his possessions among them, each according to their ability.
Why is life like that? We are all equal in the eyes of God. But when it comes to our abilities, we are as different as different can be. God simply did not make us all the same. Each of us is a unique, partial reflection of God. And, depending on our talents – that is, the abilities he […]