Waiting for the arrival of a blind date causes anxiety and the arrival, at times, disappointment. Waiting for the return of a loved one from military service causes excitement and the arrival brings great joy. The difference is in the preexistence of a love relationship. Advent is an opportunity to evaluate our love relationship with Christ as preparation for the holy days that are near as well as the eventual meeting with Him face to face.
Sunday Scriptures
We Have Work to Do
IN THE FIRST reading from the prophet Baruch, the word “glory” is used six times. He proclaims a joyful message, calling all of Jerusalem to rejoice because they have been remembered by God, Who comes in splendor to bring them into a share of His glory. Their sufferings and pains are at an end and God’s majesty and justice is to be revealed through them.
Jesus: Dark Stranger or Bright Brother?
It is hardly the biggest surprise in the world, but one that we forget so frequently that it would be funny if it were not so sad: Jesus is on our side. He is no one of whom to be afraid. In Advent, when we confront the fact that the Second Coming is closer now than ever before, we start to think about the end of the world and do so with discomfort. Do we forget so easily the one with whom we are dealing? I’m afraid we do.
A King Like None Other
This is the solemn feast of Christ the King and I am going to begin our column with a reference to the famous movie “The Bride of Frankenstein.” It will be a long time before you read another “Sunday’s Scriptures” column that begins on this note, so hang in there.
For Heaven’s Sake, Choose Wisely
In those days, there was quite an emphasis on eternal punishment as an assistance to keeping young and old alike on the straight and narrow road that led in the opposite direction from the place I saw in that picture. In the past generation or two, there has been much less of this kind of “assistance” as the emphasis has shifted rather to the mercy of God and the sacrifice of His Divine Son to inspire us.
Insane? Or People of Faith?
In the First reading today and in the Gospel, two women appear who, by our usual human standards, seem to be out of their minds.
Goodness Never Dies
ON ONE HAND, I was very unlucky with respect to grandmothers. I was born in 1948 but both of my grandmothers died in the late 1930s. Whenever my classmates in school talked about their grandmothers, I always felt kind of sad because I didn’t have one, at least in this world.
Preparing for the Year of Mercy With Eyes Wide Open
In just seven weeks, Pope Francis, who has proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, will open wide the doors of the Church’s Holy Year of Mercy. He is calling us to “gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.”
What Wavelength Are You On?
The incident we hear proclaimed in today’s Gospel is around two questions posed through different lenses and leading to all sorts of reactions. Jesus has foretold His impending Passion for a third time now, and those disciples who have remained with Him – who have worked with Him – still seem to be avoiding what’s right in front of their noses.
Leaving Behind the Obstacles To Eternal Life
God knows us through and through. From the womb, and before, we are loved in every fiber of our beings. God knows the secret longings and the desires of our innermost hearts. Today, and every day, we hear an invitation to leave behind whatever gets in the way of that intimacy and deep relationship with God. Jesus has shown us and will show us the way.