“What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands…we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us.” This is the opening of St. John’s first epistle. The apostle stresses that faith in Jesus is not a theory, something we… Read More »

In one sense it is pretty jarring. This is the day after Christmas. You would think that we would continue to “tell tidings of great joy.” Instead this day the liturgical cycle assigns as the Feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr. Why not continue to talk about angels and shepherds and magi and stars?… Read More »

The Christmas story has been told, performed, presented, acted out, staged every year for the past two thousand. It is a story, obviously, that bears repeating. The world keeps echoing the Christmas story through the ages. The combination of the ordinary with the extraordinary, of the mundane with the marvelous creates a compelling narrative. We… Read More »

There are masses assigned for Christmas eve, the vigil of Christmas, Mass at night, Mass in the morning and Mass during the day. It’s like the significance of the feast can’t be captured in a single event. We hear about the meaning of Christmas from the perspective of Old Testament prophecy and David’s kingship, from… Read More »

It wasn’t just John the Baptist. I’m sure that every mother on holding her child asks, “What, then, will this child be?” Every child has an unlimited potential. Which is why the message of the prophet Malachi struck me. The prophet is going to refine and purify the people, to put them the path of… Read More »

We should never lose sight of the human reality which underlies the Biblical stories. Eli thinks Hannah is drunk because of the heartfelt passion of her prayer. He doesn’t understand the lifetime of pain that led to that moment. No doubt when Mary returned to Nazareth with a baby bump after three months in Judea… Read More »

Mary was a first responder. She heard about her kinswoman’s delicate condition and, no doubt, asked herself, “Who will be there to help her?” Even though she was newly pregnant and a four day walking journey away Mary realized that she was the one who could respond. And she did. That models the Christian life.… Read More »

I’ve been puzzled that when the angel told Mary, “‘Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you’ …she was greatly troubled at what was said.” You would think that after hearing such compliments she would be pleased, not troubled. On further reflection, I realized that if someone came up to me and said “John,… Read More »

The account of the birth of John the Baptist in St. Luke’s gospel parallels the story of the birth of Samson in the book of Judges. For example, both fathers (Manoah and Zachariah) are skeptical in hearing the angelic announcement of the coming birth of their sons. Zachariah is struck dumb because of his doubt.… Read More »

Do you ever have strange dreams? I used to have this dream where I could bounce really high – not flying exactly but bouncing kind of like the Hulk. I could leap tall buildings in a single bound. When I woke up I never tried bouncing. I realized it was just a dream and not… Read More »