St. John in the prologue to his gospel uses a common literary technique. The poem is constructed as a series narrative motifs situated as brackets. It begins: “and the word was with God.” It ends: “only-begotten Son, God, is at the Father’s side.” Next ring: “What came to be through him was life” opposed to… Read More »

In the days after Christmas we read from the first epistle of St. John. He starts off the epistle reminding his readers (us) that he is talking about what he has seen, what he has heard, what he has touched. The presence of God in the world with the coming of Jesus is not theoretical… Read More »

The first years of life are crucial in a child’s development. You only have to look at an infant or young baby taking in everything with wide-eyed openness to know they are absorbing the world around them like a sponge. If what they take in are trust, acceptance, encouragement, comfort, inspiration, reassurance and love they… Read More »

Unlike the first angelic dream bearing good news, Joseph’s second dream was dire. “Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. Like refugees right up to the present, a young family flees violence in hopes of a… Read More »

What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands … we proclaim what we have seen and heard. St. John begins his first epistle reminding his readers (us!) that the faith was produced by his experience, his encounter with a real person. The fact… Read More »

The story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen reminds me of another martyrdom several centuries later (1996) — that of the Trappist monks from the monastery of Tibherine in Algeria. The abbot, Father Christian de Chergé, wrote a sort of last will and testament. He addressed his killer, “the friend of my final moment,” with… Read More »

God gathered together with his advisers: the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Oh, and Fred, Archangel Fred was there too. God asked them, when you look at the world, what do you see. Gabriel answered: I see a people who walk in darkness and dwell in a land of gloom. Raphael said, “I see those… Read More »

King David decided that the God of Israel needed a worthy temple to show forth divine majesty. However, the prophet was ordered: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in? The LORD reveals to you that he will establish a house for you.” David is… Read More »

The Christian Bible is arranged so that the prophetic books come at the end of the Old Testament and lead into the New Testament. The last Old Testament book is Malachi whose prophecy ends with these words. “I will send you Elijah, the prophet, … to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children… Read More »

Let’s try to hold back the final gush of Christmas in all of its various aspects by taking time to reflect on the theme of the last days of the season of Advent: Emmanuel, which is translated God is with us. In fact, St. Matthew brackets his gospel (which we will be reading during the… Read More »