SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year B)
Isaiah 40:1 – 5, 9 – 11 The first reading and Gospel passage this Sunday speak of St. John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament who would prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. Unlike last week’s readings, which focused on the coming of the Lord at the end of time, this week’s first reading and gospel focus on his first coming – and the preparation for his coming through John the Baptist’s prophetic proclamations. For our first reading this Sunday, we will again hear from [...]
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 [...]
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year B
Isaiah 63: 16b – 17, 19b, 64:2 – 7 We begin Year B in the Sunday Liturgical Calendar this Sunday. The Gospel featured this year is Mark; the oldest Gospel and the shortest. And, as we do in year A, we will hear for the next three weeks from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. This Sunday, it is from the chapters that are often called Trito-Isaiah (56 – 66) and most scripture scholars assign to the time after the people have been allowed to return to Jerusalem. But, as [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL UPDATE
Did you know that there have been nine National Eucharistic Congresses here in the United States of America? Many of us fondly recall the 41st International Eucharistic Congress that our archdiocese hosted in August of 1976. It was a great boost to our faith and followed a long line of Eucharistic Congresses held around the world since the first one in Lille, France in 1881! But, there have also been National Eucharistic Congresses – nine in all – beginning in 1895; the last one was in 1941. And, you will [...]