BAPTISM OF THE LORD – Year A             The powerful forces in nature are used in the Scriptures to help us realize the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah spoke of the chosen Servant in whom God was pleased and on whom His Spirit and favor rested. He would carry out the saving and life giving works of the Lord. Jesus was revealed as the Servant Son of God whom the Father was well pleased and upon Him was the favor of the Father, the Holy Spirit.             Like the powerful f

The Epiphany

EPIPHANY – Feast of the Epiphany, Year A             By God’s choice, the Israelites were chosen to be the bearers of a unique revelation. In bearing this revelation for God they also shared in its light. To them was revealed the one eternal God. To them was given the promise of the Messiah. They were told that the revelation was not just for them, but for all the nations of the earth. Up to that time, no nation believed in only one God but in many gods. The nations remained

Holy Family

FAMILY VIRTUES – Feast of the Holy Family, Year A             We are familiar with the differences in families’ material possessions. Some families have too many material possessions which block their growth emotionally and spiritually. Some have too few material possessions, which create strains and tensions, which block their emotional and spiritual growth. Many have sufficient material possessions, are relatively satisfied, and draw greater life from their emotional and sp

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

JESUS SAVIOR – 4 th  Sunday of Advent, Year A             The Good News of the first Christmas nineteen hundred and twenty-five years ago was that the Eternal Son of God became human. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary fulfilling a prophecy spoken through Isaiah. “…the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel” , which means “God is with us”.             The entrance of the Savior into the world created problem

ENCOURAGEMENT -3 rd  Sunday of Advent, Year A             Discouragement is experienced when we feel there is nothing we can do in a given situation. We become discouraged if the resources to meet our needs are not present. We become discouraged in the light of injustices, falsehoods, misrepresentations. To be discouraged is to be de-energized because the prospects of something good coming may be dim. Discouragement can be experienced on many different levels of human life, a

The Second Sunday of Advent

DO YOU BELIEVE? – 2 nd  Sunday of Advent, Year A             The message of Advent is The Lord is Coming, so get ready! It’s a test of our faith. “Do I really believe the Lord is coming now into my life in a deeper way?” It’s a test of hope. “Is my hope for my overall life truly based in the Lord’s coming or is it in something or someone else?” It’s a test of love. If I truly believe the Lord is coming and He is the hope of my life, I have to make a response of love to so gre

BE PREPARED – 1 st  Sunday of Advent, Year A             People can and do undergo sudden changes in their personal lives. The circumstances and conditions of life can change for the better or for the worse. Sudden deaths, accidents, good fortune, new experiences, new graces, new growth and new life do happen. While some things in life seem to remain the same, most things that are alive are changing. There is truth in the saying that change is the only thing constant. Constan

The First Sunday of Advent

Christ the King

CHRIST OUR KING – Feast of Christ the King, Year C             Everyone serves some kind of king or ruler. Some establish themselves as their king and become their own servants meeting their own needs. Some make their nation, their president, their company, their work their king. Some allow some addiction, some sin to be their ruler. Money is the king many serve. In the service of their king there is nothing some won’t do. Some make their possessions their king/ruler, and all

END TIMES – 33 rd  Sunday Ordinary Time, Year C             The movement from the Industrial age to the Information age, and a smaller world due to communications and technology, has brought a renewed and increased interest in the teachings of the Scriptures about the end time events of the Lord’s return, and the end of the ages. Each year the Church presents the end time teachings at the end of the liturgical year and the beginning of the new one. “Christ has died, is risen,

Dedication of John Lateran

All Soul Day

TIME AND ETERNITY – Feast of All Souls, Year C             What we do in time, what we experience in time, who we spend our time with, affects our eternity. The non-renewable resource of time is a gift from God. What we do with our earthly time is a gift back to God. Whatever time we have lived thus far can never be repeated. Being time conscious without being anxious makes sense. God works in time. We too need to be about the important work of building our relationship with

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

HUMBLE OR SELF RIGHTEOUS? – 30 th  Sunday Ordinary Time, Year C             Have you ever wondered how the Lord sees you? Would you rather be seen by the Lord as a powerless sinner trusting in God’s mercy, or a proud self-righteous person placing faith in your own power to save yourself by being able to keep the law and do a lot of good works? Jesus’ descriptions of the two men in the temple praying can help us in our description of ourselves before the Lord.             The