Reflections on the Gospel

January 1, 2021: A Reflection for the Feast of Mary, Mother of God Luke 2:15-20 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (Lk 2:19) The December sky this particular night seemed to dance with stars. There was something in the night air that spoke of great things, things yet to be revealed. As the local shepherds made their way in the glimmer of these stars,…

December 27, 2020: A Reflection for the Feast of the Holy Family We move so quickly from the manger to your life and mission, and all that the Incarnation means for us. Today we look at Jesus’ becoming one of our flesh through the optic of the Holy Family in the day-to-day meaning of life together. What do you have to teach us about what being fully human, fully divine…

December 25, 2020: A Reflection for Christmas Day Tiny One, within your swaddled body the mystery hidden for ages and generations is now revealed. The soft glow of the Christmas star bathes you in its rays and points to the intense Light within you, invisible to our eyes, made manifest in human flesh. You are Son of God and ben adam – Son of Adam. Fully a human being, fully…

December 20, 2020: A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a-16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 . . . the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested . . . (Romans 16:25b) “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” (Teilhard de Chardin) Decembers can feel like that, can’t they, Jesus? The light tapers off a little bit…

December 19, 2020: Eve of the Fourth Sunday of Advent Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Shelter of the Word.” Shelters can be many things. Some fancy, some just a place where we stay for a little bit and move on and it is then quickly left behind. Or they can be a place…

December 13, 2020: A Reflection for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year B John 1:6-8, 19-28 “Who are you? . . .” “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’”( John 1:25-26) “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” So says Augustine. Today’s Gospel seems to throb with that…

December 12, 2020: Eve of the Third Sunday of Advent Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Place of peace and holiness.” Peace and holiness. It sounds so perfect and it is. Peace and holiness. Who wouldn’t want it? The thing is, you can’t seek it directly, can you Mary? It is God you desired…

December 6, 2020: A Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8 In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!  (Isaiah 40:3-4) In the desert… Jesus, you seem to single out the desert as a place of growth and promise as another person might single out a meadow of flowers.…

December 5, 2020: Eve of the Second Sunday of Advent Mary crowned with living light Temple of the Lord Place of peace and holiness Shelter of the Word. SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Temple of the Lord.” Temple. Such an evocative word: sacred space, a place of celebration, the altar of sacrifice, meeting-place with the Divine. Mary, God chose well in sending the angel Gabriel to request of your teenage heart…

November 29, 2020: A Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent, Year B Mark 13:33-37 …he orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. (Mk 13:36) Today we open the door and take our first step into the Season of Advent. And what is the first word that the liturgy offers us but “Watch!” That is a very loaded word, isn’t it? There are different ways of watching for someone.…