Six years ago, in 2019, Pope Francis estabished this Sunday, the third Sunday in Ordinary Time, as “Word of God Sunday.” By doing so, he invites us to devote more time in our lives to the celebration, the study and the spreading of the Word of God. He feels that the Word of God is a word of hope. I agree. If Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, then naturally he is also a word of hope for ...
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Last weekend, you may recall, we had John the Baptist telling us to prepare the way of the Lord. He told us—in broad, general terms–to make the Lord’s path straight, fill in the valleys, and flatten the mountains. The scriptures are often deliberately left open-ended like that, encouraging us to determine concretely what filling in the valleys and flattening the mountains actually means in our particular lives and in the life of the world. This time, however, John the Baptist, ...
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On this 3rd Sunday of Advent we are invited to rejoice and be at peace. As we prepare for Christmas let’s remember to find joy and peace in our relationship with God and share that joy with others. The 3rd Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudette Sunday. Gaudette is a Latin word that means “rejoice”. There is a pink or rose candle instead of a purple one on the Advent wreath. It is a reminder that the Advent season is a ...
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The readings for today remind us that Jesus is our advocate. They reassure us that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us and for our sins extends beyond us to the whole world. In the Gospel, first Jesus said to the disciples: ” Peace be with you! ” Knowing how disturbed they were , the state of their minds, the Lord asked, ” Why are you so troubled? ” In other words, Jesus was asking them ” Can you give me reasons ...
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This story of Jesus upsetting the tables of the moneychangers and speaking about destroying and rebuilding the Temple is not only very visual but also is found in all four gospels. John, the gospel writer we heard from today, places the story at the beginning of Jesus ministry while Matthew, Mark, and Luke place it near the end. By placing it near the end of Jesus’ ministry, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are suggesting that this talk and action of Jesus ...
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A common thread from the three Scripture readings we just heard from, is that they are all “call stories”; someone is being called by God. And, like all Scripture stories, they are not just stories about people during Biblical times, but they are speaking to us here and now. In the first story, God calls Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and preach repentance to them. In the second reading, Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians says ...
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Sunday Celebration of the Liturgy of the Word
From the first century onward, the Church (the people of God) has always insisted on the importance of gathering on Sunday. Early Church documents attest to Christians gathering on the Day of the Lord to break bread and give thanks in remembrance of Christ. Each Sunday was, and still is, considered “Little Easter” since the Resurrection of Christ is the central event in our faith. Moreover, we believe it is the Risen Lord ...
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John the Baptist, to put it mildly, is an interesting character. He was a prophet, and according to Jesus, the greatest of all the prophets (Lk. 7:28). Prophets have always, and still do, want more for us than what we want for ourselves. Once I get comfortable in my little kingdom, my little control tower, I really don’t want anyone else rattling my little world even if the rattling come with a promise of a bigger and better world, like ...
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The Consoling Joy of the Gospel1
In a world that has not enough of any, the themes of Advent are significant – hope, peace, joy and love. This Sunday the focus is on joy. The prophet Isaiah, a key character of the season, reminds us of the ‘good news’ which he has been sent to proclaim, for which he is ‘greatly rejoicing.’ Mary, on arriving at her cousin Elizabeth’s home, responds to Elizabeth’s greeting with her beautiful Magnificate – a prayer ...
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