The joy of conversion, Christian community, and the Catholic faith
Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. (Luke 12:35) Advent reminds us to stay ready to serve our Master when he comes. Do you feel ready for your Master...
Malachi 3:19-20a; Ps 98:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19 Jesus, we thank you for showering on our nation and us your mercy and great wisdom for our election last Tuesday. We thank you that our polling places were protected. I think most of us were quite surprised at the results. Most citizens realize we need...
Micah 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 In a little town of Bethlehem our new king was born almost two thousand years ago. The Jewish community had been pointing to the coming Messiah some 500 years before his birth. And we the disciples and followers of Jesus have been proclaiming him for...
Baruch 5:1-9; Ps 126:1-6; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6 In the European countries they give presents to others on December 9th, the feast of St. Nicholas. Why? So Christmas can be totally focused on God’s greatest gift to humanity, his Son, Jesus Christ. The money side gets us to focus on presents, wrapping and gift-giving...
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Ps 25:4-5, 8-10, 14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:2; Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 We have finished another church year. Each liturgical year we think about some aspect of God’s loving plan for us, his creation. We have some sense of humanity’s disobedience to God’s plan as revealed to us in the Bible. We also have some...
Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b: 64:2-7; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37 What is Advent? Advent is not a penitential season as is Lent. Advent is a "joyful preparation for remembering the birth of Jesus, our Savior." It is a time of doing fall and winter cleaning, to prepare ourselves for the second most...