In this 4th Sunday of Advent we hear Matthew's account of the announcement of the birth of Jesus, which focuses on the perspective of Joseph. St. Joseph's anguish over what to do in light of Mary's unexpected pregnancy is pretty clear. There is a deep suffering there. What we may forget is what he will need to sacrifice in taking Mary into his home: He tacitly acknowledges that the child is his, and he sacrifices his good reputation. But Joseph is unwavering in his obedience to God, and he receives in return his bride and child.
In today's Gospel, the disciples of John the Baptist, who is in prison, deliver a surprising message to Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?" All of the saints carried the Cross of Jesus, as he promised they would. St. John the Baptist's was not only suffering imprisonment and martyrdom but also the painful experience of the darkness of doubt. John shows us what we must do when our soul is suffering: Bring it to Jesus. He will illuminate the darkness, as he does today for John.
On the 2nd Sunday of Advent we are reintroduced to the strange and wonderful figure of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel tells us that people left the Holy City and traveled into the desert wilderness to be baptized by John. Inspired by this pilgrimage to the Jordan River, we reflect on three practical ways we can prepare our hearts to be ready for God.
Our Gospel reading for this 1st Sunday of Advent focuses us on Jesus's Second Coming, and he compares it to the flood of Genesis. He says that people were going about their business, doing their normal tasks, and suddenly they were swept away. This is the mean of when Jesus gives us the image of the two men in the field and the two women grinding at the mill. One is taken and the other is left. There is no external difference between the one taken and the one left. The difference is internal: One was ready for the Lord; one was not. Which one will I be when He comes for me?!
It's interesting for us as Americans to celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King because our very identity as Americans is based on the rejection of kingship. If the experience of our forefathers told them that submission to a king limited their freedom, then wouldn't we ourselves be suspicious of any outside claim on our autonomy and freedom? But indeed, this is what the Church teaches we owe Christ our King: Our time, our money, our freedom and relationships; in a word, we owe Him everything. The good news is that Christ does not operate in the same way that earthly kings operate. He does not "need" anything from us to increase his power. But the more that we hand everything over to our king, the more power and freedom and fulfillment he gives us!
Today we have the unique opportunity of celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of Rome. Our readings today zoom in on the Temple, and in our first reading we are privileged to hear the vision of the prophet Ezekiel of the healing waters flowing from the side of the New Temple. In John's Gospel, Jesus is revealed to be the New Temple, and at the end of John's Gospel, water in addition to blood flows from the open side of the Savior, making clear who Jesus is: The True Temple from whose Heart flows the healing water that is our medicine and salvation.
On this All Souls' Day the Church invites us once again to pray for all of the Faithful Departed, which is a reminder for us that death does not end our connection to one another. While purgatory seems to be a "bad word" to some Catholics, and many seem to have rejected this teaching all together, if we understood what purgatory actually is we would be grateful for it and want to go there!
The parable we hear today, in which an arrogant judge gives justice to a widow only because he gets sick of her asking him, is similar to another parable in Luke's Gospel. There, a man refuses to get out of bed to assist his neighbor in the middle of the night. Jesus simply concludes, "If the man doesn't get up to help his neighbor because of their friendship, he will because of his persistence." I.e. He will get tired of the knocking! The point is similar for both parables: If arrogant or lazy people will do good because of the persistence of the one asking them, how much more will our perfectly good Father in heaven do good to those who ask Him with persistence?!?
Today's first reading gives us the last part of the great story of the healing of Naaman the Syrian. The important military commander, seeking a cure for his leprosy, consistently humbles himself ... and finally receives that for which he had been searching. May we who also need healing imitate him in his humility!
In today's Gospel, Jesus says to us, "If you had faith the size of a mustard tree, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and cast into the sea' and it would happen." While this is impossible for man, nothing is impossible for God. What is the impossible thing -- the miracle -- that you desire of God? May our faith be strengthened so that we will believe that God can do even this!
Today's fascinating Gospel is full of symbolism and vivid details that stick with us as we grapple with the meaning of Jesus' story and reflect on its implications for our lives... A rich man lives in lavish luxury, and he does nothing to help the impoverished man who is, literally, lying in his doorway. The rich man did not share with the poor man, and he was judged accordingly. Who is the needy person whom God has put in front of me?!?
Today's Gospel contains one of the strangest and challenging of Jesus's parables. A steward is about to get fired for stealing his Master's money, so he gives his Master's away, and his Master approves of the action! We reflect on this confusing passage and how God is directing us to think of eternity and invest wisely today.
Today's first reading from the Old Testament is very strange. The people Israel sin against the Lord, and, as a result, serpents invade the land and bite the people, killing many. As a remedy, the Lord directs Moses to make a serpent out of bronze and mount it on a pole; whoever gazes at the bronze snake will be healed. It wasn't until the Passion and Death of Jesus that this mysterious episode was better understood: Just as the people gazed upon the consequence of their sin mounted on a pole, so now, we gaze upon the One who bore the weight of our sin -- "becoming sin" on the Cross as Paul said -- and in gazing at Jesus, we are healed. On this Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, may we appreciate anew this tremendous gift of the forgiveness of our sin and our salvation!
Today we celebrate this morning's canonization in Rome of new Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. These saints lived today's Gospel: That to love God first means to have our hearts expand so that we love others as we ought.
Our readings today revolve around the theme of humility, and this gives us the opportunity to reflect on the place of pride in our lives. The question we will focus on today is, "Am I willing to ask for the help that I need?" Am I willing to be vulnerable before others? Our experience (and the Scriptures) tells us that, when we are willing to share our struggles openly and honestly, we are loved more, not less. By God and by the people who care about us.
In this third and final "Summer School" presentation, we explore how St. Ignatius's "Rules for the Discernment of Spirits" help us to navigate those times when we are in spiritual desolation. For the text of the Rules, please visit the following link.
Today Jesus's Gospel message challenges us! He tells us that he did not come to bring peace but rather "division", particularly between family members. To understand this difficult teaching, we explore what Jesus means at the beginning of the passage when he says, "I have come to set fire to the earth!" The Scriptures and the Tradition often speak of God as fire, and as we get close to Him, we will experience the effects of fire: illumination, warmth, and purification. The fire is God's love that does not want to leave us in our impurities and attachments but must burn those things away, so that we can belong completely to Him and become the person that He made us to be.
In this second talk of three in our series of prayer, we examine the first four rules of St. Ignatius's Rules for the Discernment of Spirits!
The dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary tells us not only about the life of Mary but also about herself, who will follow in her footsteps. We, too, will be in heaven body and soul, healed of every impurity and blemish, finally the person that we've always wanted to be and the beautiful creature God created us to be!
The expression "gird your loins" comes up a number of times, most notably in the account of the Passover. Israel must be ready to be on the move, to get to work, at the moment the Lord commands. It makes sense, then, when Jesus tells his disciples to gird their loins. They too must be vigilant and ready to get to work, waiting for his arrival and command. But for Jesus to gird his loins? This means that the master has become the servant.