How Can We Serve Christ’s Mission? This Sunday’s gospel reading about the wedding at Cana. Jesus and Mary are at this wedding as guests. It is important to note that a guest at a traditional Jewish wedding feast was not to step outside their role and start operating as if they were father or…
Jesus is Baptized by John In today’s Gospel, as in the other Gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism, we hear John the Baptist address the confusion of the people who thought that John might be the Messiah. In response, John contrasts the baptism that he performs with the Baptism that Jesus will inaugurate. John the…
The Magi Seek Out Jesus and Do Him Homage The visit of the Magi occurs directly before the story of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt. Matthew’s Gospel tells a version of Jesus’ birth that is different than the one in Luke. Of the actual birth of Jesus, Matthew tells us little more than,…
A Child’s Wisdom Our gospel today is one with which many of us are familiar. We often relate to Mary and Joseph in this story and the fear they must have felt as they searched for their son (Luke 2:44–45). However, I often think of the teachers and people in the synagogue. They did…
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord On this the last Sunday before Christmas, our Gospel reading prepares us to witness Christ’s birth by showing us how Jesus was recognized as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah even before his birth. Our Gospel reading recalls Mary’s actions after the announcement of Jesus’ birth by the angel…
The justice of God is the Joy of the Poor On this Gaudete Sunday, this gospel invites us to reflect on something unique as the foundation of the source of our Joy: Sharing what we have as a source of God’s justice for the poor. Today, the third Sunday of Advent, let us remind…
Prepare the Way for Justice This week Gospel readings invite us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. To affirm this, Luke quotes at length from the prophet Isaiah. John baptizes…
As we begin another liturgical year, our world cries out, begging for peace. On this first Sunday of Advent, God hears the sorrowful laments of many throughout the world, from Ukraine to Sudan to the Middle East. So many of us, myself included, want peace. During these terrible times, I am reminded of Pope Paul…
True Kingship At the end of the liturgical year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. But Christ’s kingship is different from any with which we’re familiar – his kingdom “does not belong to this world.” His kingship doesn’t demand violence, but truth. Following him brings us closer to God’s grace. Jesus must…
During the month of November, the feasts of our Church remind us that this world is passing: We must remember where we are going and what we must do to get there. Throughout this month, the readings have continued to emphasize these themes: that we will one day die, we will experience the judgment of…