“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 […]

“The end is near! The end is near!”  As we continue to struggle with the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and a record number of hurricanes and tropical storms, devastating wildfires and even earthquakes, it’s easy to wonder if the end is near.  Of course, people have been making that prediction for thousands of years.  In fact, in today’s second reading, we hear St. Paul address a community anxious about the predictions they are hearing regarding the end of time and the return of the Lord.  Like some people are doing today […]

Do you remember the day last April when the Notre Dame Cathedral was so badly damaged by fire?  We all looked on with horror and gasped as the spire collapsed into the roof.  Was the entire cathedral lost?  It was a great relief to learn days later that much of the interior had been spared and the walls were still intact, for the most part.  For those of us who have visited this magnificent cathedral, it was a time of great sadness and a feeling of tremendous loss. 

This experience […]

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God.”  As we heard in today’s second reading, we are privileged to be called God’s children; we become his children as his Spirit comes upon us at our baptism.  And, as with any good parent, God wants us to be happy and to achieve our goals.  And, as any loving father would do, God our Father has given us clear direction on how we are to reach our final goal – heaven.  He has […]

What is love? Each of us probably has our own understanding of love, as well as varying experiences of loving or being loved. We need love as much as we need the air we breathe.  So, it’s important to ask ourselves: what is love?  Is it just an emotion, or a virtue?  Is it chemistry or a psychological commitment, or is it a rational decision?  As Catholics we will find the answer by looking to Jesus and his teachings.  And, as you know, Jesus came to fulfill the law and […]

Wow – those scribes and Pharisees were slow to learn, weren’t they!?!  Over the past three weeks, we’ve heard Jesus try to teach them about their disobedience, avarice and indifference toward God and today, instead of repenting and turning back to God, we hear them plot against him.  Let’s quickly review.  Three weeks ago, we heard Jesus speak to them through the parable of the man who asked his two sons to go work in his vineyard.  You’ll recall that the first son said “yes” but did not go; the […]

I hope you paid careful attention to today’s readings, especially the first reading and the Gospel.  If you did, you noticed that both of these readings tell of a wonderful banquet.  Just reading the first line from Isaiah makes my mouth water:  “On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wine.”  Who wouldn’t want to join in that feast?  But, we hear in the Gospel that those who are initially invited refuse […]

Vineyards are all in the news these days, unfortunately because several of them have been destroyed by the ongoing wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington State.  I have family living in California and I’m a wine lover, so I’ve been watching all of this with great interest and concern.  When we think of a vineyard, we think of visiting a winery and tasting their selections or of enjoying a nice glass of wine with friends over a leisurely dinner.  It’s a luxury that many of us enjoy.  For the people […]