The native peoples of Mexico were conquered by the Spanish in 1519. A great sense of despair and helplessness overwhelmed the local population as their way of life was slowly being destroyed. In 1531 a local Indian, Juan Diego, was met on the hill of Tepayac by a woman who said she was the “mother… Read More »

One popular saying among believers is that God doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle. I don’t know if that is true. In fact some of the terrible things that happen in our lives or even in the world at large are beyond handling. They overwhelm our poor abilities to cope. There are somethings that… Read More »

The second part of Isaiah was written at the time of the Babylonian Exile. The nation, temple, king of Israel had all been destroyed. How easy it would have been for the Jewish people to give up. The prophet offers a word of comfort.  Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his… Read More »

Groucho Marx once said,  “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.” We can feel a similar sense of unsuitabilty about our membership as one of the people of God. We know our faults and failings which would seem to disqualify us from the kingdom of… Read More »

Once upon a time… If someone starts off like that you are alerted that what follows is not factual. However, that does not mean that what follows is not true. There might not be wizards like Harry Potter or hobbits like Frodo Baggins but what they stand for is true. The fairy tale teaches us… Read More »

One truth that focuses one’s efforts at generosity: the needs are infinite, the resources are few. There are times when difficult decisions must be made to say “no” to worthy causes. Jesus focuses the efforts of his apostles when he sends them out:  Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the… 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. As my mother used to say, it’s hard to get adults to obey. You would think after Jesus had done so much for the blind men, curing them of their illness,… Read More »

The prophet Isaiah, writing in 721BC assures the people in the face of the Assyrian army. “A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.” The threat was averted and Jerusalem was saved. Several generations later the prophet Jeremiah warns the people about the approaching Babylonian army. He doesn’t get… Read More »

During Advent the readings are chosen to complement one another. Today’s reading from Isaiah speaking of the mountain of the Lord where there will be “rich foods and choice wines” serves as a counterpoint to the gospel of Luke which reports the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Both passages suggest the… Read More »

There is something sad about a stump, particularly a large stump. When you think of the decades it took for the tree to grow — leaning over the stump you can count the rings — that the life of the tree was snuffed out in an instant by a chain saw seems wrong, somehow. But,… Read More »