On this, the last Sunday of Advent, the great mysteries and personalities we have heard from over the past weeks suddenly converge in new ways. The prophetic promises made by Jeremiah, Baruch, Zephaniah over the past three Sundays and today, Micah to Israel foretold a just shoot from the house of David, a messenger of comfort, a mighty savior and a strong shepherd become stories of two children to be born, one the son of an elderly woman beyond child-bearing years, the other the son of a young virgin, conceived […]

“What must we do?”  We hear that question asked three times in today’s gospel account.  What must we do?  Much like the Jewish people in the time of Jesus, Christians have asked that question down through the centuries, as if we could achieve salvation and redemption by ourselves.  It is easy – in our pride – to think that whether or not we will go to heaven is tied to the sum of our good deeds.  Of course, as we humbly admit our sinfulness, we come to recognize that we […]

As we see from the two candles lit on the wreath before us, Advent is well underway; Christmas is only 18 days away!  So, have you found that most important gift yet?  Do you even know what it is?  Everyone has his or her concept of what is most important.  Our lesson on this, the Second Sunday in Advent, presents us with a man who understood what was most important in his life.  His name was John.  We know him as John the Baptist.  Listen again as we hear the […]

I heard an interesting ad on KYW earlier this week.  It was for one of those new vacation packages.  Rather than going on a cruise to some exotic destiny, the ad invites you to a health spa on a ranch in the Midwest where you will be offered the latest health care treatments and learn about how changes in your diet and exercise will help you extend your life.  After all, the ad asserts, the most important destiny is a long and healthy life.

Today, as we celebrate the First Sunday […]

“For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”  We just heard Jesus make this very important, defining declaration in today’s gospel.  And, in just a little more than four weeks, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?  But today, as we come to the end of our liturgical year, we hear Jesus testify why he was born: to testify to the truth.  And, although we didn’t hear it in today’s gospel passage, we’re […]

“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.”  Most of us are so busy with our everyday lives that we don’t give ourselves much – if any – time to reflect on the end of our lives and the end of time.  And yet, we all know that we will die.  As […]

We all know that sacrifice is an important element of our faith.  After all, we are gathered here to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass.  When we think about sacrificing, we usually think immediately about giving up something. At Mass, we gratefully acknowledge that Jesus gave up his life for us.  During Lent, we give up candy or chocolate or coffee in imitation of Jesus who gave up his life for us.  So, it makes sense for us to think of giving up something when we think of sacrifice.  But, […]

“You’ve been on my heart.”  “I have my heart set on it.”
“It breaks my heart.”  “I’ve put my heart into it.”  We’re all familiar with these sayings and others like it and we’ve probably used them ourselves at one time or other in our lives.  Using the heart as a symbol, we speak of our involvement in someone or something at the deepest levels, where our most honest thoughts and feelings are to be found.  We’re not talking about an impulsive response but one where there has been serious thought […]

We all know how important our eyes are to us.  They help us to navigate our everyday world, avoid the obstacles that we find ahead of us and enjoy all the delights that surround us.  Especially at this time of the year, when the fall foliage is on full display, our eyes help us to see the beauty of God’s creation.  Those with impaired vision and those who are blind are limited in their ability to move about safely and to enjoy the fullness of God’s wondrous world.  Of course, […]

We all have ambitions.  Most of us are not satisfied with just being good enough.  We want to excel and maybe even be the best, at least at something.  Whether it’s having the best recipe for our family’s favorite dish or being the smartest student in the classroom or the fastest basketball player on the court or the most successful one on the team at work, it’s a natural desire to be the best.  And, these ambitions are often very good.  They lead us to strive to use our talents […]