Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 7:10; Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 TRUST IN GOD On this final Sunday of Advent our scriptures focus on the historical birth of Jesus, who is son of David and Son of God, child and king, Jesus and Emmanuel. Isaiah the prophet begs Ahaz to ask for a sign,…

Sunday’s Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalms 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:32-48 FAITH AND HOPE Faith and hope are closely united in today’s readings. The Israelites knew when the Passover was coming, and so were not in fear, but had faith and courage, “putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.” In this…

Sunday’s Readings: Joshua 5:9, 10-12; Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 GOD FORGIVES The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” After forty years of wandering in the desert, this hard-headed people have finally reached the Promised Land. No more do they eat the manna…

Sunday’s Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26 BLESSED When we think of the word “Beatitude” we think of today’s discourse from Luke’s Gospel, or the more familiar one from Matthew (which begins “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . ”). Actually, beatitudes occur throughout the…

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8; Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 GOD’S SUMMONS Confronted with God’s power and majesty, the first response of the prophet Isaiah was to acknowledge his sinfulness. “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips,” he said aloud. Likewise, with his empty…

Sunday’s Readings: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; Luke 4:21-30 AN ONGOING MISSION In his hometown synagogue, Jesus’ neighbors are amazed by his words. Nevertheless, they remind each other, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” Surely the people know who he is. The carpenter’s son. The young man who had learned in…

Sunday’s Readings: Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10; Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 TIME The holidays are well behind us; the year stretches out ahead. And what sort of year will it be? To judge by the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, it will be “a year acceptable to the Lord.”…

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalms 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 A VISIBLE GOD We find it difficult to convey ideas to people unless we can actually show them something, demonstrate what we mean. God, who is invisible and truly beyond human understanding, apparently faces the same difficulty. People want to see, not…