My Advent song wells last to love, the greatest of virtues, most true. It never will fade, endures for all time. It’s patient, enduring, and kind. It’s the one thing most needful, the goal of all longing hearts. Love is greater than fear, St. John tells us this. Then let love grow strong and sure. Let it ring out! Sweet melodious bells. Join the harp, pipe and strings from before. The song and the wreath…
With strings of hope and harps of peacemy song continues on. My heart bursts forth with notes of joyon this Gaudete day. A day of joy, for Christ is close; a bright and happy tune. The pipe does play a merry liltso sweet and pure and true. Christ comes to us, the joy He brings; I need not strive nor plod. His yoke is light, and too, my heart. The rose candle burns bright still.
My Advent hymn remains; small though lit still more. Another candle lit in my heartjoins hope’s candle from before. The strings of hope swell deep, drawn sweetly on the bow. A song of peace, calm melody, glides gently, mellow, slow. Peace of heart, and peace of mind, even my body in safety and peace does rest. What brings this peace? Why justice, friend, and security in God’sloving embrace. Peace brought by sweet forgiveness, and a…
To You, oh Lord, I lift up a songfrom a place deep dark in my soul. It sings itself, this Advent song, quiet and humble and pure. My heart opens from within;it streams out in peace.From a silent place it sings its notesof longing and stillness and grief. Grief that the world is dark at times,and for the things I’ve lost this year.Stillness and silence I yearn to hold,frenzy and noise break piece by piece.…
Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” – John 18:36 This weekend we celebrate my favorite feast day, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Doesn’t that title make Jesus sound like a superhero? Well, He really is! He is all…
And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory. – Mark 13:36 Advent is nearly here. We have just a couple of weeks left in Ordinary Time. The great cry of Advent: “Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!” is a call to Jesus to come back to us at the end of time. And we believe that the Lord will come! It’s hard to imagine what it will…
“For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” – Mark 12:44 The poor widow in our Gospel passage for Sunday went all in, contributing all she had to glorify God. She gave the last of what she had, “all she had to live on” in some translations. The Lord looked into her heart as she gave and saw the disposition she…
I love you, Lord, my strength. – Psalm 18:2 Love is the number one priority of the Christian life. Jesus confirms that love of God and love of neighbor are His top two priorities for us in today’s Gospel reading where He puts forth the Greatest Commandment to love: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with…
Jesus, son of David, have pity on me. – Mark 10:47 In the early days of the faith, Christianity was called “The Way.” In our Gospel passage for Sunday (Mark 10:46- 52), Blind Bartimaeus “followed Jesus on the way” after his healing. He became a disciple! Bartimaeus recognized his need for a savior. He knew he couldn’t save or heal himself. He cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” What a good…
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. -Hebrews 4:16 We’re coming to the end of the Church year. Our Mass readings start pointing to the end of time, the saints in heaven, and are directed to the feast of Christ the King at the end of November. As our King, Jesus sits on a glorious throne in heaven. If you want to get…