The title of my homily is, “The Lord be with you,” We say some form of this phrase at thebeginning, middle, and end of every mass. I just said it again before I read the gospel. Today’s4th Sunday of Advent readings focus on this very phrase. In the Old Testament we see God theFather using…
The opening statement of our Sunday Gospel introduces a list of seven names: Gabriel, God, Galilee, Nazareth, Joseph, David, and Mary. Seven, the number precisely of totality, because what is about to happen will involve all of history, the depths of heaven, and all the perennial swarming of life. A countercultural Gospel: for the first…
This weekend, we meet John the Baptist down at the river. He doesn’t know how to love a little but entrusts himself entirely to the divine light of God’s grace. A leadership delegation from Jerusalem arrived at the Jordan River, not to listen and follow John the Baptist but to open an inquiry to find…
This weekend, we hear the resounding voices of two prophets from different eras. The first one from the Old Testament, Isaiah, passionately proclaims that God the Father wants to comfort his people with tenderness. In the New Testament, John the Baptist prepares people’s hearts for the king of kings and urges them to be ready…
Today we begin a new Church year, we move to Year A to Year B of the three year cycle. Our masses will be slightly shorter as we read from the Gospel of Mark who has a succinct writing style, but we have to pay closer attention or we might miss his message entirely. Today…
Advent opens a bright horizon in our path. The Gospel tells of one night and its possibilities: “You do not know when the master will come, early evening, or at midnight.” (Mark 13:35). One thing was sure: he would come. But in the meantime, Isaiah struggles on our behalf against God’s timeline: “Return for the…
This last Sunday of the liturgical year shocks us with a powerful, dramatic scene: the “universal judgment” that unveils the ultimate truth of living, the revelation when all fails, of what is genuinely eternal: LOVE. In Genesis, God asked Cain: Where is your brother? At the judgment, Jesus will point at it. In Matthew, he…
There is a Mediterranean gentleman, very rich and generous, who sets out on a journey and entrusts his wealth to servants. He doesn’t look for a financial advisor; he calls people of the household, believes in them, and has faith and plans to move them up from servants to sons. With two, he succeeds. The…
Today, I’d like to use a car analogy to describe God’s role in our lives. He designed andmanufactured us and in today’s readings he operates as our mechanic. A good mechanicconsiders the conditions a car is exposed to, how the driver responds to those conditions,identifies what might fail, and then offers options for keeping the…
Jesus guides us on an adventure where even the faintest light can vanquish the darkest shadows to celebrate life with a joyous feast. At first sight, the main characters in the parable come across as disorienting.The bridegroom with his exaggerated tardiness.The five foolish ones have lamps but no spare oil.The wise ones refuse to help…