If God so loved us, we also must love one another The verses found in 1 John 4 are quoted often on signs and cards; so much so that the profundity of the words can pass through quickly. Yet this chapter has deep meaning with many themes. Here are but a few: -God so loved …
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity Jesus has been teaching for much of the day. He realizes that it is impossible to send them away without something to eat and challenges his disciples to respond to their needs. They take Jesus quite literally and only refer to a few …
We are God’s children now. This is a reading full of hope. The coming of Christ has redefined God’s people to include all. The love bestowed on us makes us now God’s children. Living in a world with such dehumanization and violence makes it difficult to stay rooted in this hope. John reminds us that …
I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness John the Baptist is being questioned by the priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem. When asked who he was, John first answered by simply saying who he was not. Confused, they continued to present other names, but John, true to his call, declares that …
And Mary pondered these things in her heart. Appropriately, we begin our year with the Solemnity of Mary. The gospel invites us back to the manger, the visit of the shepherds and ending eight days later with Jesus’ circumcision. We are told that Mary pondered these events—the infant in her arms was her son and …
LOVE AND SERVE We close this year, 2024, with many desires in our hearts. One of them is to cultivate the deep desire to love and serve because it will give meaning to the days ahead. In this way we will be able to experience that for God everything is possible, that we are not …
GRATITUDE Psalm 95 is an invitation to praise: “O families of the peoples, hail the Lord, hail the glory and power of the Lord, shout the glory of the name of the Lord.” Let us all proclaim a psalm of praise and gratitude for the year that is about to end. Life is full of …
NEWNESS The birth of Jesus brings us newness and like his followers, we have received the proclamation of life: “We proclaimed to you the eternal life which was with the Father and has been manifested to us.” (Jn.1:1-4) This Christmas Season is going forward and with it, we have the approach of a new year, …
MYSTERY Let us allow ourselves to be amazed today by the mystery of God. It’s Christmas and we’ve been so busy with the preparations and the messages, that you feel the tiredness of these nights full of gatherings and celebrations. Let us take time to reflect on the mystery and contemplate that the divine becomes …
UNITY Christmas is a time of reunion, of unity with family and friends. Unity is the bond that nurtures human bonds, fosters empathy and solidarity. “Elizabeth’s birthing time has arrived. The neighbors and relatives heard about it and rejoiced about it” (Lk 1:57-66). The birth of a child invites family, neighbors, and friends to join …
