St. John’s words in today’s reading are at once tender and challenging. He begins not with correction, but with reassurance: “I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven for...
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Friar Reflection
Maybe in my lifetime
Today’s gospel from St. Luke is the narration of the Presentation in the Temple. The presentation that was required 40 days after Jesus’ nativity to complete Mary’s ritual purification after...
The Costs of Christmas
Yesterday the Church sang of angels, shepherds, light, and joy. Quite jarringly, today we are shown stones, hatred, and death. On the very day after Christmas, the Church places before us St....
The Days of Promise
I hope you have been following the readings here during the final week of Advent. These have been the gospel readings: Friday: the “annunciation” of the birth of Zechariah, the father of John the...
The Magnificat
Today’s Gospel is the “Canticle of Mary” also called the Magnificat (from the Latin “to magnify, to praise”). Mary gives praise and thanks to God for calling her to be the mother of Jesus, to be...
How?
In today’s Gospel Luke tells us the story of the Annunciation of the birth not of Jesus but the Annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist. The angel appears to the priest Zechariah as he was...
Fatherhood: Listening and Righteousness
Yesterday we began the celebration of the second stage of Advent. These final days of preparation help us to focus on the joy of the historical birth of the Savior in Bethlehem. The Gospels insert...
A call to remember
Today you might ask a new neighbor or a new parishioner, “Where are you from?” It is a normal question. Growing up in the South it was equally likely for someone to ask, “Who are your people?”...
One City and Two Sons: Listening and Conversion
In this time of advent, time of waiting, the Word of God comes to us speaking of one city and two sons. We are given these images as a call to true waiting – change, repentance, conversion. The...
Authority
In today’s Gospel Jesus’ authority is questioned and challenged. Jesus, a layman, has just performed a prophetic action in the Temple: “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged...