December 26, 2023
Legend has it that 415 AD was the discovery of the body/relics of our first martyr, Stephen. Since the liturgical calendar of Christmas had not been set until some centuries later, these early historical days of memory bring treasures of the Paschal Mystery to our present calendar. We know that at each celebration of the […]
December 25, 2023
The Nativity of the Lord Merry Christmas! My Christmas gift to you is a trick question that can be used as an evangelization tool with friends and family during the Christmas season: How many of the Gospels refer to the Incarnation in their opening pages? Many people would say that the Gospels of Matthew and […]
December 24, 2023
4th Sunday of Advent Every few years, we celebrate the end of the Advent season on Christmas Eve. The last was in 2017, and the next will be in 2028. In a few hours, we will gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We feel the excitement in anticipation of God’s […]
December 23, 2023
The responsorial psalm has been speaking to me lately. Please read Psalm 26:4,5ab. Did anyone instruct you on King David’s words when you were a child? Were you taught to ask God to teach you his ways? Were you taught to seek his truth? We had a Bible in our home that was at least […]
December 22, 2023
In yesterday’s Gospel, we heard about pregnant Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. We listened to the greeting that Elizabeth exclaimed. Today, we hear Mary’s response. Imagine the conversations these blessed women might have had during the three months Mary stayed at the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah, especially “unpacking” the words […]
December 21, 2023
Mary took Jesus within her on the road to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and when she arrived there, Christ’s presence enacted a change in reality for Elizabeth and John, one that fulfilled scripture. John the Baptist received what he needed to live that life of faith and reverence for God we all know very well […]
December 20, 2023
As we move ever closer to the celebration of Christmas, our readings today are laser-focused on anticipation. From Isaiah, we read again the famous prophecy, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name shall be Immanuel.” Today’s reading from Luke brings that prophecy to life in Mary’s […]
December 19, 2023
Today’s readings from the gospel are about two married couples, one from the Old Testament, Manoah and his wife, and the New Testament, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Both couples had a common issue in that the wife was barren and in her old age. These marriages have something in common with my and many other Christian […]
December 18, 2023
Tending His Flock My husband had something in common with God the Father! In today’s reading, Jeremiah 23:5-8, God is really angry. My husband was fairly even-tempered until something didn’t work, and he couldn’t fix it. He was always patient with people, and their habits and faults, but broken things like lawnmowers, edgers, cars, and […]
December 17, 2023
3rd Sunday of Advent People are telling me they can no longer watch local or international news because it’s so distressing. I understand their response, and I admit that I, too, have been limiting my daily news consumption. Reading today’s scriptures was like grabbing onto a life jacket. Advent is our yearly dose of hope, […]