Luke 1: 39-45 “Blessed are you that believed what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” I would like to explore the last verse tonight in light of Fr. Alan Carter’s request that we all pray for vocations in the Church, vocations of all kinds–-because we are all called to a vocation […]
Third Sunday in Advent: Gaudete! Is 35:1-6a, 10; James 5:7-10; Matt 11:2-11 Today Isaiah proclaims: “The desert and the parched land will exult and rejoice,” The desert is us. We are in the desert of Advent. It is cold and dark. This is Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice Sunday. Where do we need to see the light? […]
Today we celebrate Mary conceived immaculately in the womb of St. Anne i.e. with no trace of darkness, no sin, no obstacles to God’s grace. She was “full of grace” i.e. full of God’s presence and activity. Grace had free reign. She lived in the presence of God doing her daily, domestic duties as wife […]
Isaías 2: 1-5; Romanos 13: 11-14; Mateo 24: 37-44 Hoy es el primer domingo de Adviento. El Adviento es un tiempo de días oscuros, pero tenemos la creciente luz de velas en la corona de Adviento para ayudarnos a ver más. La luz de Dios ilumina aún más en la oscuridad. Esto es lo que […]
Is 2: 1-5; Rom 13: 11-14; Matt 24: 37-44 “Wake Up!” Stay awake. Listen to your wake up call. One year when I was in Boston for Thanksgiving, my cousin Lorenzo told some of us what had recently happened to him at the graveside burial of a relative. His head was bowed during the service. […]
Today is Thanksgiving Day. Every day is thanksgiving day! Thanking God is at the heart of the examen of consciousness that St. Ignatius recommends we do twice a day. It is a spiritual exercise that directs us to look back over our day to see God there, and to savor those moments where God has […]
Luke 21:5-19 The horrors depicted in the readings from Malachi and Luke today are real to us. They are not far fetched. All one needs to do is to turn on the 24 hour news. We see wars and natural disasters and civil unrest. Calamities shake us. With these readings the Church focuses our attention […]
Luke 19:1-10 The crowd scene in this gospel could remind us of the celebrity craze. It’s like a rally in the current Presidential campaign. But Zacchaeus is seeking more than a crowd attracting political leader. Zacchaeus is a wealthy man. He has it all. Yet he is caught up in the desire to see a […]
Lucas 18: 9 – 14 Tengo una amiga que se llama Dorothy. Ella es viuda, una mujer santa y piadosa. Ella formaba parte de un grupo parroquial que participaba en la adoración del Santísimo Sacramento. Una tarde yo estaba en la capilla con ella cuando un joven estaba presente. Esa noche, ella se quejó de […]
Luke 18:9-14 I have a friend named Dorothy. She is a widow in a suburb north of Boston. She is a holy, pious, widow woman. She was part of a parish group involved in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Like the widow in the first reading form Sirach today, Dorothy had a complaint. She befriended […]