January 2, 2022 (Year C) The Three Wise Men Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, otherwise known as the Feast of the Three Kings. It is a familiar story at this time of year even for people who are not frequent churchgoers. This is because most of our homes have crèche, or manger scenes underneath our Christmas trees which represent the Nativity, or birth of Jesus. Along with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, we find the stable…..
December 26, 2021 (Year C) Today we celebrate the Holy Family in a special way. Bonded in love and in obedience to the Lord of life, reflecting the holiness of the Holy Family, centered on Jesus. By the grace of union with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, family life – with its challenges and joys – becomes a path to holiness. The reading from the book of Sirach sets the tone. God sets a father in honor over his children; a…..
December 19, 2021 Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C) Once again as we prepare for the coming of Christ this Advent, we have a popular reading from a minor prophet to serve as the background (Mic 5:1-4a). It is the very last prophet which appears before the New Testament and so serves as an appropriate introduction to the Gospel from Luke (Lk. 1:39-45). Here in Micah, we are introduced to Jesus, the ruler with a background from “Bethlehem-Ephrathaha, least among…..
December 12, 2021 Third Sunday of Advent (Year C) It is only fitting on this third Sunday of Advent that we have readings of glad tidings and preparation as we anticipate the arrival of the savior. The First Reading is from one of the lesser-known minor prophets known as Zephaniah (Zep 3:14-18a). He is writing about a day of warning known as the Day of the Lord. It is a call for repentance and reform for the nations surrounding Judah,…..
December 5, 2021 Second Sunday of Advent (Year C) During this season of Advent, a time of announcements and preparation, it would seem very fitting that our readings today hold special announcements for the people of Israel at different times during their history. The First Reading (Baruch 5:1-9) is from Baruch, the scribe who recorded many of the words of the prophet Jeremiah and the Gospel (Luke 3:1-6) is a pronouncement of good news from John the Baptist heralding the…..
November 28, 2021 First Sunday of Advent (Year C) This is the third week in a row we have heard of the coming of the Son of Man, who is the divine, messianic figure from the book of Daniel specifically chosen by God to bring salvation to Israel, and all the world. As seen previously his coming is associated with a time of tribulation and the end of days. This week’s version from Luke seems to be the most threatening…..
November 21, 2021 The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Year B) As we approach Advent, we celebrate a special Feast Day – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Yet there is something ironic about the readings for today. This is because if we take a close look at them, they seem more appropriate for Lent and Holy Week than they do for the Christmas season. In the First Reading (Dan……
November 14, 2021 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Today’s readings are the type which are very difficult to interpret and understand. They are from a genre known as apocalyptic literature, named for the word “apocalypse,” which means “revelation.” They are concerned with the events of the future and last things such as death, resurrection, judgment, and the afterlife. At first the themes between the two readings today seem identical, but of course we find some extra words of…..
November 7, 2021 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) It would be difficult to miss the similarities between the First Reading (1 Kgs. 17:10-16) and the Gospel (Mk. 12:38-44) for today. Two poor women subsisting on barely anything yet willing to give away the last of their livelihoods for the sake of the men of God they encounter. But much can also be said for what they receive in return for their generosity. We begin with a story about…..
October 31, 2021 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) In today’s Gospel (Mk 12:28b-34) we find one of the many times that Jesus uses a direct quote from the Old Testament to teach his followers. This one in particular is from the book of Deuteronomy, which, other than the psalms, is the most quoted book from the Old Testament used in the New Testament. This fact serves to show just how important the Hebrew Scriptures are for understanding the…..