Readings: Hebrews 3:7-14; Mark 1:40-45 Our First Reading today begins with the marvelous words, The Holy Spirit says…to introduce a long quote from Psalm Ninety-four. I find that a vivid reminder of how intimate and accessible the Holy Spirit is in our lives, and how effective. Saint Anthony of the Egypt certainly realized that when, […]

Readings: Hebrews 1:1-6; Mark 1:14-20 When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to follow him, they left their nets and followed him–as simple as that. The stark way Mark writes the scene makes their reaction seem like a reflex. I wonder whether they realized what they were doing. I say that because ten chapters later, after […]

Readings: 1 John 4:18-5:4; Luke 4:14-22 Both readings today drive home the impact of the Incarnation; not only has God come among us in our flesh, but the Incarnation changes our existence. It has revealed that there is more to our lives and future than we could have imagined. However, if you read the continuation […]

They have been called Wise Men, Magi, Kings, and Astrologers and, for all we know, they may have been all these things. That they were astrologers (precursors of our modern astronomers) seems likely given their fascination with the star whose mysterious presence and course they resolutely followed until it led them to the newborn King […]

Readings 1 John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34 Christianity can be quite fractious when it comes to articulating our relationship with God. While Pharisees, Sadducees–even some Essenes–and people who were none of the above, disagreed about the priesthood, doctrine and the books that constituted the scriptures, they managed to worship in the same Temple and observed the […]

Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 Looking at the traditional Nativity scene, we usually see a pleasant pastoral idyll. There’s a good reason for the charm of such representations: they try to communicate something of the beauty of God’s graciousness. Today’s Gospel reading is stark by contrast and definitely odd. There we find a […]

Readings: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18 As we round out the Christmas Octave, we’re returned to the Gospel of the Christmas Day Mass. One reaction could be, “Here we go again.” And, in fact, life often feels like that. Again and again in confession, for example, penitents talk as if nothing ever changes. In actual […]

Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 The community Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM (preceded by the Office of Terce at 9:45 AM). It is a non-work day for the community and we follow the Sunday schedule. Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament follows Vespers (5:30 PM).

Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 In the beginning as the Word…We’re familiar with that majestic and mysterious verse. It may be less familiar that in Hebrew there is no word for “thing.” Instead, all existent beings, objects, every element of the world around us is referred to as a “word”–not an abstract object, […]

Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Luke 1:67-79 The narrative impact of the Benedictus follows on Zachariah’s nine months of enforced silence. His too narrow religious perspective did not allow him to believe Gabriel’s announcement that his wife would bear them a son. Throughout Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Zechariah, too, had to conceive anew his relationship […]