Lent, that season you would say is marked by penance, masterfully takes us by surprise with a Gospel full of sunshine and light. From the 40 days in the desert of sand to the mountain of transfiguration; from the yellow scorching heat to faces bathed in heaven’s light. Lent follows the seasons, beginning in winter…
Lent is beautiful. It does not impose itself as a season of sadness, but rather as a season of new beginnings: of springtime renewal, of life moving straight towards the light of Easter. It is a time of newness, of new, simple, supportive, concrete lifestyles, cared for by the “common home” and all its inhabitants.…
We made it through Superbowl Sunday and we are headed into Lent. Today, I am to bridgethe gap between the two. As we prepare for Ash Wednesday and our “spiritual springcleaning” during Lent, we read some of the most intense scripture in the bible, setting a highbar to aim for as we work on our…
Jesus introduces a transformative perspective, emphasizing that it’s not just about following rules but embodying God’s ideal with compassion. He addresses violence, desire, and lies, stating that anger at a brother equates to murder, urging us to examine our inner motives behind actions. The apostle John makes an enormous statement: “Whoever does not love his…
When Jesus speaks, his voice caresses the soul with imperatives; he always uses them to assure the crowd that God the Father is always attentive, and his love is constantly flowing. His imperatives don’t pontificate; instead, they offer life, with an unassailable embrace. He tells the crowd: You are the salt and the light, instinctively…
Jesus ascends the mountain with his disciples to explain the essence of blessedness, nurturing every person on Earth to experience a taste of heaven. It is the first lesson of the master Jesus, outdoors, on the mountain, with the lake as a backdrop, and he has chosen happiness as his first topic. Because it is…
Our first reading from Isaiah speaks of the great promise of salvation. “The people who walkedin darkness have seen a great light. You have brought them abundant joy, and greatrejoicing.” We are living the great promise of God’s light and joy in our lives. As we start anew year, we look for new ways to…
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Behold the lamb, behold the sacrificed animal, the spilled blood, the innocent victim; in Jesus’ commitment of salvation instead of condemnation, he took the place of the lamb. Jesus brings a profound reversal: while religions generally involve humans sacrificing for God, in…
The voice crying in the desert fell silent, but a striking voice rises above the Sea of Galilee. A bold young rabbi emerges by the Sea of Galilee, approaching a diverse crowd in Capernaum, a hub of cultural influences. Jesus chooses this place to welcome all, rather than Mount Zion. Jesus began to preach, saying,…
Into the water for baptism, out of the water as a son and daughter of God. From that glorious day, I am forever submerged in God, and God is gripped in me; I am in His life, He is in my life. We are imbued with God, inside God, as in the air we breathe,…