December 20, 2020: A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a-16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 . . . the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested . . . (Romans 16:25b) “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” (Teilhard de Chardin) Decembers can feel like that, can’t they, Jesus? The light tapers off a little bit…
December 19, 2020: Eve of the Fourth Sunday of Advent Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Shelter of the Word.” Shelters can be many things. Some fancy, some just a place where we stay for a little bit and move on and it is then quickly left behind. Or they can be a place…
December 13, 2020: A Reflection for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year B John 1:6-8, 19-28 “Who are you? . . .” “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’”( John 1:25-26) “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” So says Augustine. Today’s Gospel seems to throb with that…
December 12, 2020: Eve of the Third Sunday of Advent Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Place of peace and holiness.” Peace and holiness. It sounds so perfect and it is. Peace and holiness. Who wouldn’t want it? The thing is, you can’t seek it directly, can you Mary? It is God you desired…
December 6, 2020: A Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8 In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! (Isaiah 40:3-4) In the desert… Jesus, you seem to single out the desert as a place of growth and promise as another person might single out a meadow of flowers.…
December 5, 2020: Eve of the Second Sunday of Advent Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Temple of the Lord.” Temple. Such an evocative word: sacred space, a place of celebration, the altar of sacrifice, meeting-place with the Divine. Mary, God chose well in sending the angel Gabriel to request of your teenage heart…
November 29, 2020: A Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent, Year B Mark 13:33-37 …he orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. (Mk 13:36) Today we open the door and take our first step into the Season of Advent. And what is the first word that the liturgy offers us but “Watch!” That is a very loaded word, isn’t it? There are different ways of watching for someone.…
November 28, 2020: Eve of the First Sunday of Advent This year our lighting of the Advent Candle centers around Mary. This week I will use the first line of the first stanza of a hymn from the common of Our Lady: Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Mary crowned with living light.” Living…
November 22, 2020: A Reflection for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Year A Matthew 25:31-46 Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Mt 25:35) The Kingdom. You speak about it constantly in the Gospel, Jesus. Just what are you talking about? It is our inheritance, you say. Does that mean that we will possess it at a later date, say, when we die? Yet…
November 15, 2020: A Reflection for the 33rd Sunday in Ord. Time, Year A Matthew 25:14-30 Master you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more. His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy. (Mt 25:22-24) We’ve all heard this quote from St. Irenaeus: “The glory…
