January 23, 2022, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Today’s First Reading (Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10) is an intriguing and inspiring story from the Old Testament, but what is really interesting is the contrast it presents when compared to the Gospel (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21) for this weekend and the event with Jesus. The passage from the book of Nehemiah consists of an event which involves two of the most important Israelites from the Judean post-exilic period, Ezra, and Nehemiah……
January 16, 2022 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) In this weekend’s Gospel (Jn. 2:1-11) we find the story of the Wedding at Cana, a passage from John rich in symbolism in its own right and worthy of intense scrutiny. However, when we consider the theme from Isaiah in the First Reading, we can get a glimpse of an even deeper meaning of the story about the surplus of wine produced by Jesus as his first of signs at…..
January 9, 2022 (Year C) In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit When one studies evidence for the historical factuality of stories about Jesus as found in the Gospels there are several criteria which are used. For example, one of these is known as the principle of embarrassment. This idea proposes that an author might include a story about Jesus that was actually embarrassing to indicate its truthfulness because the author was…..
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……