And now I’m found… The shepherd in this gospel could seem a little foolish. He leaves ninety nine sheep on the hillside to go in search of one sheep who has rambled off and is now lost. He leaves the flock defenceless to go looking for one. He risks all ninety nine for the sake of one sheep…
Our preparations for Christmas always include Mary, the Mother of God. Today’s feast celebrates her conception free from sin, a miracle that displays God’s power for believers. We worship God, for whom everything is posssible.
Most Highly-Favoured One . . . This feast reminds us of God’s loving power to make us holy. Our Blessed Lady’s sinlessness from the moment of her conception is not something earned by her own power. It is a pure gift of God, given to her for a saving purpose…
John the Baptist is the focus of the liturgy on the Second Sunday of Advent each year. His challenge to us to ‘prepare a way for the Lord’ is at the heart of the Advent message. We worship the one who will surely come to us.
A preacher’s vocation . . . John the Baptist could be the central figure in today’s homily. He prepared the minds of people in his circle to welcome the bringer of salvation. That is how God seems to work: sending the message of salvation and meaningful living . . .
Widening horizons . . . Isaiah seems more adventurous than Jesus today. The prophet implies the immediate presence of God to his people: “No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher”; while Jesus sends out others to cure sickness and disease instead of doing so himself. Isaiah’s vision sweeps across the world, “over high mountains and lofty hill” . . .
Dreaming Aloud . . . As we listen to Isaiah’s visions of the future, we may feel that his poetic hopes ignore all common sense realism. Is he dreaming as he writes: “The deaf shall hear, the eyes of the blind shall see, the tyrant will be no more, Jacob shall have no longer be ashamed”? Something of the same impression can be felt in hearing stories from the Gospel …
Who shall build up our church?… In Isaiah God builds the city, setting up its walls and ramparts to protect it; in the Gospel we build the house solidly, setting it on rock. While Isaiah summons into the new city those who trust in the Lord, Jesus promises salvation to the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. The prophetic text emphasises faith while the Gospel stresses action…
A vision of paradise created by the Spirit…At times we seem too caught up in enforcing laws and discipline, however well intended, so that some are excluded from the joy of eucharistic communion on account of their lapses from matrimonial fidelity. In our time, clergy and laity are re-thinking what Our Lord would want by way of disposition, in order to be allowed receive this gift of the Bread of Life. “Lord, I am not worthy…
Keeping up our hope…
The passage from Isaiah seems an idyllic fairy-tale, not to be taken literally. The calf and the young lion will never graze together babies should not be allowed to play near the cobra’s den. Yet the dream of universal peace and trust is worth holding on to and praying for. When our faith dreams of a better future…
1st December. Monday of Advent, Week 1 First Reading: Isaiah 2:4-6 Learning wisdom and peace from the Messiah, they shall beat their swords into ploughshares Thus says the Lord: “On that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of…
Advent begins today. During the first part of the season, the Church focuses on the end of time, when Christ will come in glory. Then, for the last week of Advent, we will prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Do you ever watch people at airports, waiting for loved ones to arrive from a flight? They often seem excited, eager for the first appearance of the familiar face, ready with the broad smile of greeting to embrace the returning traveller. We too wait for the Lord’s coming with eagerness, because we long for his presence.
Ending on a hopeful note: On this last day of the liturgical year we are told that while our passing from darkness to light is coming it may not come soon. Meanwhile we must live with faith in God’s eternal plan for us and for the entire world. Whether in darkness or light, we are not alone but are united with all of God’s holy ones who have gone before us…
Like people at airports . . .
Do you ever watch people at airports, waiting for loved ones to arrive from a flight? They often seem excited, eager for the first appearance of the familiar face, ready with the smile of greeting to embrace the returning traveller. We too wait for the Lord’s coming with eagerness . . .
Colourful symbols for here and now. . . While the Revelation text is typical of apocalyptic literature and full of elaborate symbolism, today’s gospel speaks in plainer language. From the example of the budding fig tree we know that summer is near; so when you see all the things happening, know that the reign of God is near….
Memorial of Saint Fergal, bishop and missionary. Fergal or Vergilius was a monk in the monastery of Aghaboe, Co. Laois, when in 745 he left Ireland on peregrination pro Christo (missionary pilgrimage for Christ). He settled first in France, later in Bavaria where he founded a monastery at Chiemsee, and then moved to Salzburg where…
By your endurance you will gain your souls: The Greek for endurance (hypomoné) is like our modern “hanging in there” and reflects an inner attitude of perseverance, consistency, not giving it. In hard times we must continue in our loyalty to God.. It has a nice ring in the Latin translation of Saint Jerome: in patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras..
When will that day come? Towards the end of the year we meet some of the most alien-sounding literature in the Bible, dealing with the end of the world, which also fascinates so many people. We must be careful in interpreting it, as the language is highly symbolic and non-literal…
Unconditional Love: Today we have the moving story of the widow who drops two copper coins into the treasury. Jesus declares that by giving what she could not afford, what she gave was worth more than the wealthiest donation. We too must be ready as and when the spirit inspires us to give until it hurts…
