Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him.” – Matthew 1:24 Both St. Joseph and St. Paul are examples par excellence of holy men who fully surrendered to God’s holy will. In our readings this Sunday, St. Joseph demonstrates his faith and trust in God’s will when he changes his plans to quietly divorce Mary (Matthew 1:19). God communicated His holy will for Joseph through an angel who appeared in a dream,…
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” -Isaiah 2:4 Blessed Advent! Last week, on the feast of Christ the King, we talked about the Virtues of the Kingdom of Christ. This year during Advent, I want to take a look at one virtue that has a theme in our readings each Sunday. This…
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…
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.- John 10:10 The Bible verse above is one worth memorizing. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, gave us a secret to joyful, fulfilling life in this summation of His rescue mission to save us. He came to give us His abundant life, both in this life here and now and the next. So if Jesus came to give us an abundant life, why do…
Blessed are they…-Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes are a rule of life that can help us live a life that is truly happy and holy. It’s a picture of a life lived virtuously, full of faith in the Lord, confident hope in His promises, and love of God and neighbor. Following the Beatitudes is like a blueprint for conforming our hearts to Christ’s Sacred Heart. Christ is the exemplary image of each one of the Beatitudes.…
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.- Psalm 72:7 During the first week of Advent we focused on the gift of hope, which is connected in a deep way to this week’s gift: peace–pax in Latin. St. Paul taught that God is the true source of our peace: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound…
Third Sunday of Advent “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” – Mary, the Magnificat, Luke 1:47 Our world is in desperate need of joy after a long year of uncertainties, societal unrest, political strife, sickness, quarantines, and death. Did you, like me, notice that folks started turning their Christmas lights on in early November? Yes, we all seem to “need a little Christmas, right this very minute!” as the song goes. How can we,…
Have you ever seen a watchtower? You could imagine a tall tower in a castle where knights keep watch for dangers. Take special note of the watchtower in the parable of the vineyard in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Matthew 21: 33-43). The watchtower is a place of safety, a place to keep a lookout for things that might damage the vineyard, like thieves and enemies. But pay close attention, because the tenants in this reading…
There was a time when I could not forgive. I’m not proud of this, but it’s true. I wanted to forgive. I asked many people for advice on how to forgive. But still, forgiveness eluded me. You see, I grew up in a house characterized by addiction, neglect, and abuse. For many years, I carried around the wounds from those years. In fact, I still carry them and probably always will. But the choice to…
For this week’s reflection, I want to focus on just one of the types of soil from the parable of the sower: the thorny soil. Jesus said, “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Matthew 13:22). It’s important to remember that God has chosen us, His disciples, to bear fruit. Jesus told His…