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 »

During the octave (eight day celebration) before Christmas the readings chosen for each day highlight the meaning of the incarnation, of God-with-us. Today’s gospel presents the genealogy of Jesus according to St. Matthew. As in every family there is a collection of saints and sinners in Jesus’ ancestry. The incarnation thrust Jesus into a very… Read More »

According to certain scholars the last ten chapters of the book of Isaiah were not written by the canonical prophet but by one of his followers after the Babylonian exile. If this theory is correct it suggests that God used the dreadful experience of exile — the loss of home, of country, of temple —… Read More »

Certain sayings in the scripture send a shiver up my spine. For example, St. Luke appends this thought the scene with Jesus and the disciples of John the Baptist: “the Pharisees and scholars of the law rejected the plan of God for themselves.” The Pharisees and the scholars were the ones who searched the scriptures… Read More »

Jesus responded to the Baptist’s question if he was “the one” by pointing out that the mercy of God brought healing to those who were hurting. Then he appended a curious statement: “Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” Jesus suspected that he wasn’t living up to John’s expectations. He did not… Read More »

There is quite a difference between the prophetic word of Zephaniah: “Thus says the LORD” and the teaching style of Jesus: “What is your opinion?” Instead of providing a dictum from on high or a catechism answer, Jesus invited his listeners to think with him, to involve themselves in coming up with an answer. The… Read More »

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe outside of Mexico City is one of the great pilgrimage sites in the world. The image left on the “tilma” or cloak of Juan Diego in 1531 after an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary attracts millions of visitors each year. The most remarkable aspect of the image… Read More »

John the Baptist and Jesus. These two were as alike and as different as only cousins can be. Perhaps you too have a cousin or other relative who does things differently from you but you know where they’re coming from. Both John and Jesus were sent by God. Both had committed their lives to following… Read More »