relating to liturgy or public worship
Elizabeth and Mary and Us (4th Sunday of Advent: Micah 5:1-4; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45) The opening lines of Micah’s prophecy about Bethlehem, in today’s first reading, are best remembered as the text used by the scholars of Jerusalem to tell the Magi where to look for the Christ child. Bethlehem…
Mission of Joy (3rd Sunday of Advent: Zephaniah 3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18) Today is Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday, so we are not surprised to hear Zephaniah telling Jerusalem, and Paul the Philippians, to rejoice. Both are beyond enthusiastic! But someone else is rejoicing, too. Look at the end of the first…
From Misery to Glory (2nd Sunday of Advent: Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6) The opening of today’s text from Baruch is wonderful: “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever.” In fact, the entire reading brims over with hope…
Teach me your Paths (1st Sunday of Advent: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thess. 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-36) Today we begin Year C in the Church’s three-year liturgical cycle. We have been this way before, and much will be familiar. Still, it is a new year, a new spiritual journey, for we have changed,…
Gathered in Hope (33rd Ordinary Sunday: Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-18; Mark 13:24-32) Today, Daniel prophesies “a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began.” Jesus describes alarming signs preceding the end-time. We may be tempted to draw a correlation between these readings and our own time. If so, we wouldn’t be the…
King Forever (Christ the King: Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37) Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet; Omega is the last. In the New Testament (written in Greek), they appear only in Revelation, always together, four times, on the lips of Jesus who says, “I am Alpha…
The Last Full Measure (32nd Ordinary Sunday: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44) “Here, my child, eat some bread while we still have it this year; because I don’t know who will eat any next year if the wheat keeps up like that.” When the Beautiful Lady reminded Maximin of…
Great Commandments (31st Ordinary Sunday: Deuteronomy 6:2 6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34) When we see images of the tablets of the Ten Commandments, they often show on one tablet our obligations to God and, on the other, our duties towards our neighbor. The question of the scribe in today’s Gospel, and…
Redemptive Suffering (29th Ordinary Sunday: Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45) Selfish people are usually willing to make certain sacrifices to achieve their goals. Along the way some may abandon relationships and values in their pursuit of personal advantage. If you could distill all your prayer requests down to one, what…
More Thoughts on Prayer (28th Ordinary Sunday: Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30) Very often in these reflections we allude to Mary’s question, “Do you say your prayers well, my children?” She concluded this part of her discourse with, “When you have time, say more.” But prayer is not just words. We…
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