"O Magnum Mysterium" - I've often thought that, however amazing it is that God could create this immeasurable universe, there's something much more astounding: He chose to become one of us . . .
2nd Sunday of Advent: Lo, How A Rose
Root of Jesse 2nd Sunday
Reasons for the Season . . . of Advent (1st Sunday)
Mary, heavy with Child, and Joseph are just now leaving Nazareth; the Magi are still far from Bethlehem, doggedly following a strange star in the heavens. Only the still unsuspecting Herod is making merry. There is time yet, so let's make the most of it.
Keep Your Eye on the Ball: 3rd Sunday of Advent
The Good News is good news indeed, but it is not quite a free pass. We have a part we need to play beyond simply waiting for our Savior. We need to keep our eye on the ball.
We Came, We Saw . . . God Conquered
Sobieski’s force was called The Holy League, the same name borne by that alliance which defeated the Turks in the naval battle of Lepanto in the previous century. Like those earlier Christian soldiers, who prayed the Rosary before going into battle with the Turkish fleet, Sobieski’s army prayed . . .
St. Maximilian Kolbe: Witness to the Gospel of Love
What Do You Do? Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15.13) Picture yourself in the death camp at Auschwitz. You’re standing in formation with all your fellow prisoners. The Nazis who run the camp offer a harsh disincentive to escape: for every inmate who breaks … Continue reading St. Maximilian Kolbe: Witness to the Gospel of Love
St. Bridget of Sweden: a Successful Failure?
St. Bridget's success, and our “success” as Christians, consists in fidelity to Christ and in nothing else.
Fruit of the Same Tree: St. Valentine and Ash Wednesday
Fruit of the Same Tree St. Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday, believe it or not, are fruit of the same tree. Granted, that's not apparent to everybody. The last time the two feasts shared the same space on the calendar a priest well known on theh internet posted the following: “This year nothing says happy … Continue reading Fruit of the Same Tree: St. Valentine and Ash Wednesday
The Midpoint Between The Nativity and The Passion
The Midpoint Today is the midpoint, the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Which is to say, today is the Feast of the Presentation, a perfect microcosm of both/and. The official Christmas Season ended a couple weeks ago on the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. The Presentation of the baby Jesus … Continue reading The Midpoint Between The Nativity and The Passion
Divine Patience: 2nd Sunday of Advent
Divine Patience: the Mass readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent remind us that God is patient with us. Lord knows we need it.