If Jesus were a modern person Matthew 11 might be entitled: haters gonna hate. ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ One thing you can be sure of — no matter what you do you are going to be criticized. If they… Read More »

If you want someone to listen to you, it doesn’t seem like the best strategy to start off insulting them. Yet that is what God does in getting the Chosen People’s attention: Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD. Israel had been brought very low, crawling in… Read More »

Devotion to the immaculate conception of Mary did not become widespread until the eleventh century in England. It stirred theological debate — Thomas Aquinas and the Dominicans frowning on the devotion since it was not scriptural. Duns Scotus and the Franciscans spoke in favor of the devotion since it demonstrated the grace of God at… Read More »

Dorothy Day was described as one who “comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.” Although that description is not particularly religious — it goes back to her days as a muckraking journalist — it is an apt definition of the activity of a prophet. For example, in Isaiah the beginning chapters are challenging Israel to… Read More »

The cure of the paralyzed man is very instructive about how Jesus operated. The scene is set around Jesus as healer. The power of the Lord was with him for healing. Presumably seeking a healing was why his friends brought paralyzed man to Jesus. It must have been somewhat of a surprise when instead of… Read More »

John the Baptist was a major figure in the early Christian movement. The image they had of him was drawn from the prophet Isaiah, that of “the voice:”  A voice of one crying out in the desert. Jesus was, by contrast, “the word:”  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the… Read More »

The promise of the Biblical prophets  is that God would care for Israel. The Lord GOD will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. What the Bible does not spell out is how that will happen. When we come to Jesus we see that prophetic… Read More »

Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”  But they went out and spread word of him through all that land. It seems that people have had a hard time listening to Jesus right from the beginning! We think we know better — or at least  what will be better for us. … Read More »

The readings suggest that the Advent theme for this day is to have a strong foundation in the faith. Isaiah says, A strong city have we. Jesus says,  “A wise man built his house on rock.” Happily I live in a house with a strong foundation. Even though it is 130+ years old it is safe… Read More »

In ordinary time the readings for the day are done as a “continuous reading,” chapter by chapter. During Advent (and Lent) the reading of the day is more thematic — the first and second readings comment on each other. Today the connecting word is “mountain.” In Isaiah we read: On this mountain the LORD of… Read More »