ADVENT COMES TO AN END
On this, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we all realize that Christmas is just a few days away! And, you will notice that the two Christmas trees – one at the St. Therese Shrine and one in the baptistery – that had been filled with about 300 tags suggesting gifts for women and children who will be spending Christmas at Mercy Hospice and Women of Hope – are gone; so are all the tags! Over the past few weeks, so many of you have so generously taken the tags and [...]
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year C)
Micah 5:1 - 4a This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of the Prophet Micah. Like Baruch and Zephaniah of the last two weeks, we don’t hear from Micah very often – in fact, we only hear from him once in the three year Sunday liturgical cycle and five times in the weekday cycle – so let’s review what we know about and his book. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, as you will see from your Bible Timeline. Unlike Isaiah, however, he was not native to Jerusalem – [...]
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year B)
Isaiah 61:1 - 2a, 10 - 11 The Third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday because, in both the first and second readings, we are called to rejoice; the Lord is near! As we quickly approach Christmas, we wait in eager anticipation of the coming of the Lord. Let’s keep that in mind as we reflect on this Sunday’s readings. This Sunday, we will hear again from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The section we will hear is from the 61st chapter, so we know that [...]
THE SEASON OF ADVENT
Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship. (Baruch 5:1-4) With these words that we hear at Mass today, the prophet Baruch helps to prepare us for the coming of our God. As [...]
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year C)
Baruch 5:1 - 9 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of Baruch. The name is interesting; as you all know, it is derived from the Hebrew - בָּרוּךְ - which means “Blessing.” We don’t hear often from Baruch; in fact, this is the only time we hear from him on Sunday in the entire three-year cycle. It is one of the many options at the Easter Vigil, but is seldom selected because others are more appropriate. So, let’s review what we know about him and his book. [...]
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 think of the end of our lives, our final judgment and our final destiny – the Kingdom of God. The apocalyptic vision that we hear in today’s first reading from the Book of Daniel sets the tone by speaking about the coming of a “Son of man” who receives dominion, glory and kingship over all peoples, nations, and languages who will serve him. The passage from the Book of Revelation that we hear today is [...]