Making him known :: The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and made the Father known to us. The last line of our Gospel today says, No one has ever seen God, it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Generous and charismatic :: What is striking about the portrait of John the Baptist is his generosity of spirit. This was a very charismatic person who drew people to himself. As a result, he had his own disciples. Yet, in today’s gospel we find John directing two of his disciples away from himself and towards…
The question put to John the Baptist, “Who are you?” is one of the great questions of life. Going below our job description (what we do) to who we are in inmost our core is much more difficult. ..
Marvelling and Treasuring: Today we see Mary marvelling at what has happened, treasuring the events of Christmas in her memory, and pondering them..
Positive Thinking: Tomorrow we begin the new year 2015. Even though we are in mid winter, we know that each day is now that little bit longer than the previous one….
The widow Anna in today’s gospel is one of those lovely characters that feature in Luke’s stories about Jesus’ childhood. What distinguishes Anna from the others is her age, eighty four years old, and . .
Holding the Child: Babies are endlessly fascinating; they engage us at so many levels. There is something about holding this bundle of new life which is very special. We focus on them and…
On this first Sunday after Christmas, we honour the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We entrust our families to their patronage, and pray for all who have been part of our families, those still alive and those whom we hope have joined the great family of God in heaven.
A family tested and tried: While the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is put before us as a model to imitate, this does not mean that they were exempt from the problems and difficulties that every family must face . . .
He who recognised: It is right to celebrate Saint John the evangelist soon after Christmas Day. The opening lines of his gospel sum up in a few words what we are celebrating at Christmas, ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ This, the last of the four gospels to be written, is based on the…
The power of example: The one who would later become great missionary Saint Paul was present at the death of Stephen and entirely approved of the killing. Saul would go on to become the great apostle to the Gentiles. Perhaps the courageous witness of Stephen left some kind of impression on Saul and sowed a seed which would later bear much fruit…
The Word of Life:
Words are important at this Christmas time of the year, both the spoken and the written word. This is especially clear in our efforts to speak to those close to us…
Zechariah who has had nothing to say since the annunciation of John’s birth because he was struck dumb now breaks out into a great hymn of praise. At the beginning and the end of his hymn he refers to God’s visitation of his people…
A costly Yes to God: The gospel records the moment when Mary said “yes” to God’s call to be the mother of God’s Son. It suggests that her “yes” did not come without a struggle. When God first spoke to her through the angel Gabriel, Mary was “deeply disturbed” . . .
The Converter of Hearts: Christians have seen in John the Baptist the messenger promised by Malachi, preparing for the Lord to “suddenly come to his temple. ” In other words, John was the messenger of the covenant, now offered to us all, in the Jesus in whom we delight. ..
Advent is drawing to a close, so we have just a few days left to prepare for the birth of Christ. On this Sunday, we’re invited to follow Mary’s example and imitate her faith.
Receiving the Grace of God …We are only four days from Christmas. We have lit our fourth Advent candle. On Christmas day, we will light the final candle on the Advent wreath, the white candle…
Luke’s account of the annunciation concludes with Mary’s total response of acceptance, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.” Greatly favoured, she responds generously, with her whole life, to the grace she has received. For St. Luke, Mary is not simply the mother of Jesus; she is the perfect disciple of Jesus…
Luke has annunciation stories to both Zechariah and Mary, in parallel yet distinctive accounts. Each is startled at the angel’s appearance. Gabriel instructs each not to be afraid…
Joseph: God’s devoted servant. Today we find Joseph struggling to do the right thing, what he believed God wanted of him. Mary’s unexplained pregnancy left him in a very difficult situation…
