Friday after Epiphany
I think one of the hardest things about being a Christian is living like we believe. It's so, so easy to get caught up in worrying about the future (or the past) and to forget the great love God has for us. That's especially because we don't (usually) feel or see that love all the time.
Thursday after Epiphany
What would you say if you were asked if you love God? It seems like a silly or at least very simple question, especially for someone reading a daily scripture reflection. I think my immediate response would be, “Yes, of course I love God.” Today’s first reading (1 John 4:19-5:4), however, can bring us to pause and consider how much we truly love God. It challenges that if we say “I love God” but then hate our brother, then we are a liar, for “whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (vs.20) This reading is saying that our love for God is shown in our love for one another. It may seem obvious, but if that is the measure of my love for God, then I’m afraid it wouldn’t measure up as much as I would like to think or say it does.
Wednesday after Epiphany
It is amazing how blest we are and yet how often we fail to recognize it. Driving to work on one of these icy days, my car slid a whole lane on the highway. My reaction, after I got beyond the fear, was that I was lucky that no one was in that lane. Recently, my brother was driving in a snow storm and had to swerve to miss a carpet and carpet tacks lying across the lane in which he was driving. After safely getting past this carpet, he decided to stop and pull the hazard to the side of the road so that no one else might be put in danger. While moving the last piece of debris, which was heavier than he expected, a car came flying down the road towards him. In nearly, white conditions he just barely got off the road. After he got past the fear, he realized that he had been protected by something beyond natural. My brother believed an angel saved him and that it was a miracle.
Tuesday after Epiphany
Today’s scriptural passages are so rich for reflection that it’s a bit difficult to narrow it down to a few paragraphs. My thoughts for today will revolve around the term empowerment. Empowerment is a common term, applied in a multitude of contexts. However, I’d like to focus on how these scriptures speak to our empowerment as disciples and the Body of Christ.
Monday after Epiphany
A friend of mine and her husband have been going through a difficult time the last few months. She was diagnosed with cancer and has undergone major surgery and months of chemotherapy. Many people have been praying for them and will continue to do so. My friend has good days and rough days. Sometimes she becomes very fatigued suddenly and their activities are arranged so they can get home quickly in case she needs to rest. Her husband takes to her chemotherapy, and appointments and Mass and has even tried his hand at cooking. Their relationship and devotion to one another touches me. What they have been through these last months and how they have lived it reminds me that, on this way to Jesus, we do not bring only ourselves—we bring one another.
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
Of all the gifts you received this Christmas, was there one gift that pulled at your heart string? This Christmas, I had requested that instead of buying gifts for me, people make a donation to the recovery efforts in The Philippines. The response has been overwhelming. But there was one that is my favorite. Little Isabelle George, a seven year old in the parish religion class, broke her piggy-bank. She had all of $50 in it. She gave it all to me to send it the Philippines. Now, that was more than a donation! That was more than a gift! This girl transformed me. That one gift has had the most impact on me this Christmas.
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
A very wise friend of mine told me of a habit he practices while reading scripture. He said that whenever he encounters the word “behold” he pauses. He closes his eyes or finds a way to stop from reading ahead and he prepares his mind and heart to behold what he will read next. It may sound like an odd habit, but it makes a lot of sense.
Christmas Weekday
In today's first reading (1 John 2:29-3:6), John proclaims that the world does not know us Christians because it does not know the Father. And it is also because the world does not know the Father that Christian life can seem so strange and different from secular life. That fact is made all the more apparent at Christmas time.
Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
One word jumps off the page at me in today’s readings: liar. This is the worst thing that someone could call me. I want to be authentic and have not only my words but my whole life be truthful and trusted. To be called a liar is to have your whole being called into question. John asks us, his beloved, “Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.” (Jn 2:22) John is telling us that we are our most authentic and real selves when we lead lives that reflect the life of Jesus and show others our love for Jesus, the Christ.
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
In today's Solemnity we celebrate many feasts, both secular and religious. Most people know this day as New Year’s Day. It is a day of rest where we spend time with family and friends. It is a day where we continue our looking forward in hope to the upcoming year, especially as we begin trying to make good on our New Year's resolutions.
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Today is the last day of the calendar year. It makes sense, then, for today’s reading to begin like this: “Children, it is the last hour.” We may not feel as if the world will end tonight but we do have a sense of finality this week. Most of us take some time, however little, to reflect on the year just passed. TV shows and websites count down the “best of 2013.” Many people take stock of their own years, asking what was great and what was not so great. At the end of this tally, many people will find ample things to change and make resolutions to do so.
The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
The phrase “It’s not about me!” has been on my mind a lot recently. The idea that what I want should not be the driving force for everything I think, do and say is a challenging concept, and yet this “other-centered” perspective is how we are called to live as Christians. Today’s scripture reminds us that living for God and others and not becoming caught up in worldly pursuits is how Jesus calls us to follow Him. If we examine the life of Christ, we will see that He lived out the phrase “it’s not about me” to perfection, since He gives of Himself even to the point of dying for us. Although He is God, His life here on earth is not about bringing attention to Himself. He lives to do the Father’s will and give Him glory. We are called to do the same. When we take the “me” out of the center of our lives and put Christ in the center, this is when we are best able to do as Psalm 96 proclaims: “Give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!”
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Today is the feast of the Holy Family. The very word ‘family’ evokes mixed feelings. On the one hand, our family is our most prized possession. On the other hand, each member of our family is unique and different. Some of them are more unique and different than others. Every family has at least one person who is more than a challenge. You have yours and I have mine. I call home every day to speak to mom and dad. On Christmas day, I called home twice, both because my parents are by themselves, and because I really missed them. Dad hardly spoke two sentences the second time I called, and said, “We are praying the rosary. We will talk to you tomorrow.” And he hung up! I said to myself, “Thanks for calling!” If we could all tell our family stories right now, we would be here all day. Don’t you think?
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… pretty challenging Mass readings to reflect upon. Today, we read about the darkness of sin and the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under. These are certainly not the most uplifting themes to reflect upon during the season of Christmas. But, in them, with the heart of St. Joseph, we are charged with the mission of the Gospel and awakened by the call of the Lord– a call to rise, to take with us Jesus and Mary, to move, to act, to respond, and to live our discipleship anew.
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
We Christians celebrate many, many important things about Jesus at Christmas, but perhaps the most important is that we celebrate the Incarnation, the fact that God takes on flesh and becomes one of us. This is so important because we know instinctively that God cannot, in fact, be merely one of the many creatures on the planet, or even merely human. If he were, he would just be that thing, and not capable of being the creator of the universe, the fashioner of every single human being, the lover of all of us. A god who was merely one of the things on our planet isn't capable of being God.
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Just yesterday we were celebrating the birth of Christ and today the church celebrates the feast of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. While we still have our hearts and minds on the birth of Jesus, we are asked to also take a look at a man, a disciple, who gave his life for this very Jesus.
Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Early this December, Pope Francis issued an apostolic exhortation. In lay person’s terms, an apostolic exhortation is a teaching in the tradition of the apostles. In the Catholic Church, only the Pope issues such a teaching. The 200 page long exhortation is entitled, “Evangelii Gaudium,” or The Joy of the Gospel. The exhortation begins with the statement, “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” This is very similar to the message of the angel the night Christ was born: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Christmas eve is an occasion for great anticipation. While there is much to say about the scriptural passages for today, I wish to diverge from the standard format by offering Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Christmas Sermon on Peace” as my reflection for today. It is as relevant now as it was then. I apologize for its length but I cannot think of a better expression of the hope and anticipation that this day represents.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
If you have ever had the opportunity to attend a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous you probably heard someone say “Carry the Message”. The simplicity of this little phrase belies its significance and, in fact, is so important that long term recovery is considered dependent upon it. The notion that someone may recover on their own or fail to share their experience with others contradicts the very foundation of recovery. As I read today’s Scriptures, I was reminded of how important “carrying the message” is in the life of a Christian.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
This holiday season, there was one sales-pitch that got under my skin. It went something like this: “Get more Christmas this Christmas,” or as some even said, “Get more Christmas for less.” Some stores invited people to begin their shopping early and begin paying in installments so that when Christmas arrived they would have more Christmas. I hate, abhor, detest, despise, loathe statements like these. It is great sales pitch, but don’t call it Christmas. As it is, St. Nicholas has been stolen from us and gimmicked into the mascot of free market. And now “How the Grinch stole Christmas,” looks like a real possibility. I get this very bad sense that Christmas very soon will go the Santa way. Part of the blame lies on us. Many Christians have succumbed hook, line, and sinker to the lure of a bargain Christmas. But the reality is this – you cannot get more Christmas for less. Christmas is about God becoming one of us, God coming to dwell among us, God taking birth in every human heart. If Christmas must happen then we need more than a bargain.