“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity”! Today begin with our First Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes in which the Prophet declares that all is vanity. What is the definition of “vanity”? Webster’s dictionary says it means “pride”. The original meaning of “vanity” as used in the readings: “an...
Today we hear the story of Jesus sending seventy two disciples ahead of him to preach the good news. Jesus gives them a simple mission; he told them to say, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” It is important for us to ask at this time: What exactly is...
During the Easter season we have focused on Jesus’ two-step plan: faith and action. In the Gospel we see how faith guides action. This can be seen in the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Jesus prayed this aloud at his last supper meal with his...
The Gospel reading this week includes one of Jesus’ greatest parables. It contains many themes and images that represent what this season of Lent is all about. That of “hope, mercy and love.” The Parable of the Prodigal Son opens with “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to...
An Unknown Poet once wrote: “I dreamt death came the other night and heaven’s gate swung wide. With kindly grace an angel came and ushered me inside. And there, to my astonishment, stood folks I’d known on earth. Some I had judged `most unfit’ and others of `little worth.’ Indignant...
Surprised by Jesus’ words and actions, the people shouted in villages of Galilee, “a great prophet has arisen among us!” They had heard that He had performed miracles, and they wanted Him to perform some for them. However this isn’t what happens in Nazareth when he appears among his neighbors...
“Where is the newly born King of the Jews?. . .We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord was where we recall that moment in the History of Salvation when God revealed...
During the 1st weekend of Advent, I shared with you as to how Advent is a time of waiting. The experience of waiting is not merely in preparation for something or someone. Waiting has a fullness, a significance, a meaning of its own. Witness the joy and desire in waiting. ...
Penance, Preparation, Patience, Perseverance… Advent – It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of patience as we get ready to re-live the birth in Bethlehem. And...
The Book of Genesis tells us that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). The New Testament book of 1 John tells us that “God loved us first that we might love Him.” (1...