November 28, 2024
Thanksgiving Day (in the USA) This is a beautiful feast for Americans and priests, religious, and lay members of the Eucharistic Family. For many, Thanksgiving is on the same footing as Christmas, as families choose to celebrate on alternate sides of their families for one holiday and then the other. As Americans, we know we have […]
November 27, 2024
Strange and even lurid visions from the revelation to John are not rare in the weekday Mass readings. Today brings the third day in a row with a passage from this Book of Revelations: the section called Seals, Trumpets, and Plagues. The angels of the Apocalypse have brought sickles, seals, and trumpets. Now, they bear […]
November 26, 2024
GETTING READY FOR THINGS THAT LAST We are into a series of readings that sound a little frightening. This is the beauty of the liturgical year. Remember how it all started last Advent when we reflected upon the coming of the son of man before the celebration of his historical birth? The liturgical year begins […]
November 25, 2024
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria As the author of Daily Reflections for the 4th Monday of the month, I wrote a reflection for October 28, my birthday, and I am now writing a reflection for November 25, the date of my Baptism. I was born and baptized in 1945 when it was customary to christen […]
November 24, 2024
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Several years ago, my parish’s art and environment committee wanted to create an environment that would bring attention and focus to the Feast of Christ the King. After brainstorming, a decision was made to create a large crown that descended from the ceiling and hung over […]
November 23, 2024
Jesus does not hide truth from those who seek truth. Our Lord Jesus is not a God of confusion but a God who wants us to spend eternity with him. Even my five-year-old grandson knows that Jesus loves him and died for him. In today’s Gospel, we read Luke 20:35-38, in which Jesus couples the […]
November 22, 2024
Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr Over the last several weeks, we have been following Saint Luke’s story of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. We have heard challenging sayings (getting through the narrow door), healings (the ten lepers in Samaria), parables (the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son), dining with the despised tax […]
November 21, 2024
Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Today, we celebrate the memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin at the age of three by her parents, Ann and Joachim, in the Temple of Jerusalem. Her consecration reflects the most perfect sacrifice that can be offered. It is the surrendering of one’s whole […]
November 20, 2024
Our first reading proclaims the glory of God, who created all that is. God is the master of Creation, and all are called to praise the omnipotent God. Our second reading reminds us that each of us is responsible for being stewards of that gift in our own way. Yesterday, we celebrated the Memorial of […]
November 19, 2024
You would expect a child to climb a tree to see what was happening. But for a full-grown man of business to act like a child and climb a tree, why would he act so childishly? He could have had secondhand accounts from his taller friends, but he wanted much more. He wanted to see […]