2015

O Holy Night is a timeless Christmas hymn that can touch us deeply. In the first v. we hear, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining
till He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth.”


That verse captures the depth of the mystery we celebrate now: God loves us so much that the Father sent his Son to defeat evil for us and to be one of us.  Together the Father and Son gave us the Spirit to empower us to continue the Divine Presence and lead others back into an intimate union with God, making his presence felt by what we say and do.

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ChristmasRead More »

For me, Advent is more than a time of preparation and  anticipation of the birth of the baby Jesus.  It is the beginning of a new liturgical year—an exciting time when we move from one Gospel’s focus on Jesus to another focus or emphasis. 

As you may know, each of the gospels have a different emphasis—Mark is the gospel of the humanity of Jesus; Matthew of the mission of Jesus; Luke of social justice  and John’s gospel is one of contemplation. My favorite is Luke’s gospel, in part, because it is only in Luke’s gospel that we find the annuncition (the angel Gabriel’s announcement that Mary would conceive the Son of God) and the visitation (Mary’s visit to Elizabeth.).  

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4 Sunday of AdventRead More »

Despite its penitential overtones with shades of purple, Advent is really meant to be a time of joy. Paul tells us from his prison cell, “Rejoice in the Lord, always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Zephaniah urges his community, “Sing joyfully! Be glad and exult with all your heart!”

Gaudete Sunday, the midway point of Advent, directs us toward joy and away from the more somber view that is so common through this season of preparation. Deep down, joy is what we want in life. The quest for joy is what motivates many of the choices we make. That likely prompted the question repeated three times in today’s gospel, “What should we do?”

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3rd Sunday of AdventRead More »

It is said that Christmas is for children. There is truth in that statement. It is also said that Christmas is the celebration of family. There is truth in that statement as well, however, we should not overlook that fact that the celebration of Christ’s birth is for each of us, young and old, personally and individually as well as for community.

The wood of the crib will eventually be the wood of the cross. It is because of Christmas that we will have a Good Friday and an Easter Sunday, the ultimate celebration of God coming to us in his Son’s body and blood in the Eucharist.

Advent is a time when we pay attention to the fact that God came to us in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary in the wonder of stars and angels over Jerusalem. And Advent likewise looks for the coming of God to us at the end of the world when the elements of the universe will be shaken, the stars will fall from heaven, and the sun and moon will no longer give us light.

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2nd Sunday of AdventRead More »

As you can readily see from the change in color from green to purple, we have with Advent entered into the beginning of a new liturgical season and year. Thanksgiving and Black Friday are now history. Staring at the calendar, we are aware that Christmas is less than a month away. Will we be ready when that day comes? Will the cards and packages have been sent in time? Will the shopping be done? Will all the decorations and tree be in place? Will the menu be planned and the pantry stocked? Will the travel itinerary be worked out? Undoubtedly, the deadline of Christmas can be a bit overwhelming for a fair number of us.

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1st Sunday of AdventRead More »