Readings for December 15, 2013: Third Sunday of Advent Moses’ mission had taken him quite a distance . . . from the splendor of Pharaoh’s palace, to a stroll through the Red Sea, to wrestling with Israel’s stubbornness for forty…
Rejoice in Hope
First the Fast, Then the Feast
Readings for December 8, 2013: Second Sunday of Advent Christmas cards speak about it. Christmas carols sing about it. Even the angels at Bethlehem proclaimed it. “Peace on earth.” “The lion shall lie down with the lamb.” (Is 11). “Justice…
Keeping Christ in Christmas–Our Family’s Approach
“Actions speak louder than words.” “One picture is worth a thousand words.” “Talk is cheap.” There are lots of different sayings in the English language that generally express the same thing–words alone don’t do the necessary job of communicating, especially…
Advent: The Real Meaning of Christmas Lights
Readings for December 1, 2013: First Sunday of Advent As fall moves onward towards winter we have places to go, things to do, people to meet. Yet as we go about our business, we notice the days are getting shorter. …
The Power of Pilgrimage
Salvation history is the story of a journey. Abram goes from civilization to the desert, Moses from the Pharaoh’s palace to a mountaintop. The people of Israel repeat Moses’ journey, and then are led through the desert to the promised…
Feast of Christ the King
Readings for November 24, 2013: Feast of Christ the King From the dawn of civilization, kings have arisen who have dreamed of possessing a world-wide dominion, a universal kingdom that would last forever. Some have come close to conquering much…
Apocalypse Now!
Readings for November 17, 2013: Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Whenever I lead a trip to the Holy Land, the question inevitably comes, “Will we visit Armageddon?’ This refers, of course, to the battlefield surrounding the ancient city of Megiddo…
Will There Be Marriage in the Afterlife?
Readings for November 10, 2013: Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Given their history, it seems rather strange. After all, for hundreds of years the Jews lived alongside a race that was totally preoccupied with life after death. The Egyptians built…
Who Needs Church Buildings?
Readings for November 9, 2013: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome As a rebellious teenager, I thought that Catholics should stop wasting their money on expensive churches. We ought to sell them all and buy food…
Will You Open the Door for God’s Offer of Grace?
Readings for November 3, 2013: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Tax collectors have never been popular. But in Roman Palestine, they were particularly hated. It was bad enough that they collaborated with the foreign oppressors. It’s understandable that the Jews…