Today’s readings tell the story of Easter according to John and how it unfolded. The story seems to indicate that the disciples of Jesus needed each other to understand what was happening. In the days after the crucifixion and before…
On a beautiful sunny day in Auburndale, Fla., I attended a ceremony held by a group of Young American Dreamers to honor Pearl McGivney’s work with them. Auburndale is where Pearl worked for so many years. People gathered to sing…
If the book of Leviticus was written during the time the Israelites were in exile, it is interesting to hypothesize about all of the rulemaking in the book of Leviticus. In a time of fear and uncertainty, did rules give…
The readings today talk about things that we are familiar with and that are an integral part of Christmas. They are the parts of our faith that we need in difficult times. The readings speak of signs and wonders, calls…
When I first read this Gospel it was perplexing. When Jesus says “I have come to set the earth on fire” I am reminded of the raging fires in the West and in Europe, and it is hard to attribute…
We see the long pattern of human behavior and the even longer pattern of God’s invitation in today’s readings. Starting with the Book of Deuteronomy, which was written 700 years before Jesus became human, Moses reminds the people to listen…
Robert McAfee Brown, in a talk given five years after the end of the Vietnam War, said, “Where we stand determines what we see. Who we listen to determines what we hear. What we see and hear determines our actions…
In the second reading we have a strong reminder that things have changed with the coming of Jesus in human form. We are told “… the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is…
When I first read the readings for today, I thought I had made a mistake. I double checked and then looked back to find that the first reading today was also the first reading at the Christmas Vigil Mass on…
There seems to be a focus on doing God’s will in these readings. Jesus came to do God’s will from his birth until his death and resurrection. Mary agreed to do God’s will as spoken to her by the angel,…
The Jewish people had just completed their 40 years of wandering in the desert. Moses has brought them to the promised land. They had time and many opportunities to learn valuable lessons along the way. God has promised them an…
When I first read the readings for today I wished that I had chosen a different Sunday. As I sat with these readings in these weeks leading up to the launch of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and went back…