He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  (Lk. 4:16-19)  Imagine being present in the synagogue when this dramatic scene took place.  All the eyes are on Jesus and He reads this dramatic reading from Isaiah 61, and then succinctly explains that the passage refers to Him.  There are three important Greek words in this passage … [Read more...]

“There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servers, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (Jn. 2:1-5)  The Gospel this Sunday is the very first Gospel that I preached about as a newly ordained deacon in October of 1998.  The Mass took place in a very small chapel called the Clementine Chapel, which is located under the main altar of the Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican.  It’s the closest altar to the Tomb of St. Peter the Apostle.  I had decided that I wanted the Mass to be a Votive Mass for the Blessed … [Read more...]

Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. (Is. 7:14)   Behold [Mary], you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:31-32a)   In William Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo and Juliet,” the two lovers have a dialogue about their own names.  It begins with Romeo hearing Juliet call his name:  “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?”  Later in the dialogue, Romeo responds:  “It is my soul that calls upon my name:  How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears!” This quote has been paraphrased to something like:  “there’s nothing so sweet as the sound of one’s own … [Read more...]

“Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again:  rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.” (Phil. 4:4-5 ) This third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” from the Latin St. Paul uses when he tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always”: gaudete in Domino semper!  The spirit of the Liturgy in Advent is one of expectation and preparation for Christmas and the Second Coming of Christ, but our penitential attitude is suspended on Gaudete Sunday so that we might focus on the joy of our Redemption, which should never be far from our hearts. To highlight the importance of Gaudete Sunday, the priest wears rose vestments and lights a rose candle on the Advent wreath. Why do we mark this day by focusing particularly on joy?  It’s because the … [Read more...]

“John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, a voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” (Luke 3:3-4)   In the ancient world, there were no interstates.  Roads were little more than worn down paths that were constantly being affected by traffic or weather.  One of the hallmarks of the Roman army is that they built roads wherever they went.  But when there was a battle, roads and bridges would be destroyed in order to stop the advance of the enemy.  But one thing was certain: when word came that someone important was coming, the people would do their best to fix the roads or build new ones … [Read more...]

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.  All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.” (Lk 2:15-18) Christmas can carry with it a lot of nostalgia for many of us.  The season brings back memories of past Christmases, and might be particularly difficult for those who’ve recently lost loved ones.  We might remember the happy times that we had, and we might be filled with a little heartache.  It’s interesting that the word “nostalgia” is formed by two Greek words, ?????? (nóstos), … [Read more...]

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 21:36) This Sunday we begin the Holy Season of Advent, a time when we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ in the manger at Christmas while looking with expectation toward His second coming in glory.  It’s a time when we’re called to be “vigilant,” meaning to “keep watch” for danger.  And what is that “danger”?  In the Gospel today, Jesus mentions “there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.”  In one sense, this is really our experience in the present world that has so much access to information technology.  We hear about … [Read more...]

Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. […] For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. 15:20-21,25-26) How many times have we gazed at a crucifix and seen that inscription: “I.N.R.I.” We know it means something about Jesus being “King of the Jews,” even if we don’t remember that it comes from the first letters of the Latin inscription meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum.  The key is understanding what’s behind that inscription. Is it just a “mocking” inscription provided by Pontius Pilate? Was it placed there to enrage the Jewish Sanhedrin? Or … [Read more...]

“Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God.” (Heb. 10:11-12) Every Sunday, something important happens in our parish.  The event is centered on the “Paschal Mystery.” What is the Paschal Mystery?  Simply put, the Paschal Mystery is the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, God told them to slaughter a lamb in the evening twilight and to place its blood on the two posts and the lintels of their houses.  Seeing the blood, the Lord would “pass over” their homes in striking down the first-born of the Egyptians, and they would be released … [Read more...]

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents [into the treasury].  Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mk 12:42-44) The description of the treasury here shows how the people supported the Temple at the time of Jesus as they had since the building of the temple 960 Before Christ (B.C.).  The First Temple in Jerusalem was built by Solomon, and it stood from the time of its completion in 960 B.C. until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.  After the Babylonian captivity, construction began on a new temple – … [Read more...]