Weekly Reflections

The readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are about freedom.  From the first reading (Neh 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10) we gather that, after returning from exile, for the first time, in a highly charged atmosphere of deep emotions, the Jews were free to celebrate God’s gift of the Torah (the Law). In the second reading (1 Cor 12:12-30), St. Paul tells us how Jesus freed us from sin through his blood on the cross, and how he has poured his Holy…

In an 1894 letter to her newlywed cousin, St. Therese of Lisieux wrote: “I am asking our Lord to be as generous to you as He was to the bridal pair at Cana. May He invariably change the water into wine! I mean, may He prolong His gift of happiness, and as far as possible sweeten the bitter trials you will meet on your way. Trials! Fancy introducing that word into my letter—how could I?—at a moment when I realize that life for…

Have you ever been given a gift and not opened it? Or, have you ever been given a gift and partially opened it? Years ago, I remember watching the movie, Agnes of God, in which a prosecuting attorney (and lapsed Catholic) was interviewing the mother superior of a convent regarding a potential crime she believed had been committed there. As their relationship deepened, the two found themselves beneath a gazebo on the convent grounds. On a cold, crisp Canadian morning, weather…

The importance of the Solemnity of the Epiphany is all in the contemplation of the mystery, hidden for millennia from past generations, and revealed in the fulness of time in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God in human flesh. It is the desire of God the Father to save every one of his children and, at the end, to welcome all of them into his heavenly home, to share in his endless joy. The fulfillment of this grandiose…

The intensity of the Christmas’ solemnity should not dwarf the significance of the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. And the reason is not an exaggeration but a simple reality check: our future as a Church and as a Nation hangs in the balance. The number of religious institutions that cling to this somber realization is dwindling. It consists of conservative Christian groups and the Catholic Church. That’s about it! For decades, we realized that there were covert efforts…

Very many years ago, when the world was oh so new; God created, in his image, people like me and you. He created a world for man that was perfect in every way. A place that gave man all he needs. A place where man could stay. This world was perfect as could be. Free of trouble and strife. A place where man could live happy and free, for his entire life. God asked only one thing in return. He made it simple you see. He said…

This time of year there are many special television programs, movies, and stories about Christmas—and particularly, about how some obstacle had to be overcome or some change of heart effected so that Christmas might truly be understood and celebrated. We have the song about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, who makes it possible for Santa Claus to leave the North Pole in spite of terrible weather. Dr. Seuss’ story on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” describes how a villain became the…

I wish to place before you an image of goalposts. And now, with this image embedded in your imagination, let us twist it and imagine these earthly goalposts as divine. Now regarding divine goalposts, I would wager that certain images come to mind; say: the Ten Commandments, Beatitudes, or Jesus’ words regarding earthly riches in Matthew’s Gospel (Chapter 19), that “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to…

Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. The word gaudete means “rejoice.” We gather to rejoice because we are half-way to Christmas. In the ancient Church, Advent was celebrated as a penitential season like Lent, although to a lesser extent. People were expected to keep a rigorous discipline of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. The priest and deacon wore violet vestments (although the vestments were of a bluer shade of purple rather than a reddish purple). The Gloria was omitted, yet the…

The most common word we hear during the Advent Season is “the coming of the Lord.” For example: And they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30) This phrase needs clarification. Since Jesus, the Son of Man, is God, we cannot speak of him as leaving point A (heaven) to get to point B (wherever we happen to be). As God, he is everywhere at the same time, in heaven, in the…

Many years ago, a colleague sat me down for a “wisdom” conversation. For more than an hour, he shared the story of his family and career. Then in his late fifties, he was filled with regret because of foolish choices, incomplete relationships, and precious time lost. Perhaps the nineteenth century American poet, Henry David Thoreau, best summed up his feelings when he wrote: Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in…

Let me paraphrase the gospel passage for the First Sunday of Advent: This world has ominous sings in the sun, the moon and the stars. There are many nations in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the elements. People are dying of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world. Our world is indeed crisscrossed by heart-wrenching tragedies, by devastating calamities, by deadly, age-long feuds, barbaric, unspeakable acts of violence, deep divisions and prolonged wars. There might even be signs indicating…