We all know the story of King David. We recall how he slew Goliath. We know how the prophet Samuel anointed him as king to replace Saul. We remember how he had to flee from Saul, who tried for years to kill him. Today’s first reading shows King David finally settled in his palace in Jerusalem. It had been a very difficult journey in faith for him but finally he was at peace. So, we might picture him sitting on his couch playing his harp and singing one of his […]
Rejoice always! Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. We wear rose vestments and light the rose candle on the Advent wreath. Unlike the purple vestments and dark purple candles, which call us to repentance, the rose candle and rose vestments invite us to have a lightness, a joyful spirit as the end of Advent approaches and the celebration of Christmas draws near – it’s less than two weeks away; are you ready? The word, “Gaudete” is Latin for “rejoice” and, in today’s second reading, we hear St. Paul exhort the […]
“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” This, the opening line of today’s first reading, is one of the most reassuring passages in the Scriptures, and one that we all long to hear especially at this time as we continue to struggle through the coronavirus pandemic. We can all use some comfort these days, especially from God. Our first reading goes on to explain the reason for the comfort that God is offering his people: “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at […]
“Be watchful! Be alert!” Three times in today’s Gospel passage we hear Jesus urge his disciples to be on the watch, alert to the time when he comes. This call to be on the watch, to be alert is meant for us, too, and is a very good call for us as we begin, once again, the sacred season of Advent during these stress-filled times. And, we hear in today’s gospel a short parable that emphasizes this message. It speaks of a householder who has a number of servants. As […]
“Off with his head!” This command that William Shakespeare popularized when he put it in the mouths of kings in several of his plays demonstrated the ultimate power that royalty wielded at one time. Those of you who are familiar with the history of western civilization know, however, that rule by royalty came to a bloody end, beginning with the French Revolution in 1789 when so many lost their heads at the guillotine. This revolutionary movement spread quickly through Europe so that today, the few kings left in major western […]
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 […]