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, νόστος … [Read more...]

“Behold, 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) A few Saturdays back I was praying the Rosary with a small group at 11:00am in front of the abortion clinic on St. Charles Avenue near Louisiana (in what was once a Protestant church), and I got yelled at by a Fundamentalist. Although I'm used to experiencing taunting while I'm praying there, I'm not used to being yelled at by a fellow “Christian” because I'm praying the Rosary. One would think we could take a moment to set aside differences in a mutual effort to pray for an end to abortion. The point of the man's rant was that I was “glorifying” Mary by saying the “Hail Mary.” He was yelling at us “Mary is dead. Why are you … [Read more...]

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5:23) As I looked at the readings for Mass this weekend, I had a little sense of “déjà vu.” They seem to be very similar to the readings from last Sunday. Both Sundays have readings from Isaiah, and both have Gospels about John the Baptist. It shouldn't really be a “surprise” since this is a season when are remembering the first coming and preparing for the second coming. The coming of the Messiah was something eagerly anticipated by the Jewish people. His coming was to be a time of great rejoicing (Gaudete!) It represented the intervention of God into the affairs of men. No longer would they be hungry or thirsty or … [Read more...]

[John the Baptist said:] “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals. I have baptized you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mk. 1:7-8) One of my favorite books by Archbishop Fulton Sheen is called “Life of Christ.” It's a book that explores the life of Jesus using a great deal of reason and human history. As a seminarian I recall being taken in by the first words: History is full of men who have claimed that they came from God, or that they were gods, or that they bore messages from God - -Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Christ, Lao-tze, and thousands of others, right down to the person who founded a new religion this very day. Each of them has a right to be heard and considered. But as a yardstick … [Read more...]

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” (Mt. 13:33) One almost hopes that Jesus would announce His Second Coming simultaneously through a text message, Twitter, Facebook, a Google News Alert, PSA's on all of the broadcast and cable television stations and talk radio. Because if that were the case, He'd be bound to reach 90% of the world population who are immersed in technology through tv, radio, the internet and cell phones. But I don't think that's the “watching” that Jesus is calling us to engage in. In fact, I don't really think he's talking about our using our “eyes” at all. Jesus says “watch!” as the last word in this Sunday's Gospel. And that word comes from the Greek word γρηγορεῖτε (gregoreite) really has … [Read more...]

Then the king will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” (Mt. 25:34-36) What does it mean to be “king”? The word calls to mind different images for each of us. Some of the older parishioners might recall King George VI, the father of the current Queen Elizabeth of England who died in 1952. For younger people, the word king might call to mind something completely different. One person might think of Rex, the King of Carnival. Another might think of using the word as being a superlative, like “Elvis … [Read more...]

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” (Mt. 25:14-15) When I was a child, I remember having a picture book outlining this week's parable. And in the book, the word “talent” was translated “bag of gold.” And that's precisely what Jesus is talking about here. In the original Greek, the word used is τάλαντον (talenton), which is a unit of measurement. It was the amount of a precious metal that would fill an amphora, which was approximately one cubic foot.  The weight (and value) would depend upon the type of metal. While certainly a “liberal” translation, the term “bag of … [Read more...]

“We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thess. 4:13-14) One of the more obvious jobs of a pastor is presiding over liturgical events, whether it's Sunday Masses, weddings or funerals. I mentioned a few weeks ago that we were currently in the fall New Orleans wedding season, during which I have at least one wedding every weekend. But I've also provided over a few funerals recently. Although most people understand the purpose of a funeral, sometimes some people don't. They might call it a “celebration of a person's life.” While I am always happy that … [Read more...]

“Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt. 23:9-12) Occasionally, I've jokingly observed that the hierarchy of the Church made sure that Popes, Cardinals, Bishops and Monsignors weren't on Jesus' list of prohibited titles! But seriously, this is a Gospel passage that is sometimes used against the Catholic Church in criticism for priests being called “Father.” Such literal fundamentalism is misguided and un-Biblical. If Jesus were prohibiting the use of “father,” then why does Jesus Himself use the term in other contexts? He confirms the commandment to “honor … [Read more...]

I love you, LORD, my strength, LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold! Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! I have been delivered from my enemies.” (Ps. 18:2-4) “Love” is a very difficult thing to define. We use the words in a lot of ways. We might use it to describe our favorite restaurant, “I love La Petite Grocery.” We might use it to describe our favorite tech device, “I love my iPhone.” Or we might use it to describe bigger things, like our city: “I love New Orleans.” And in all of these usages, it's used primarily as a superlative of the word “like.” When it comes to people, the usage of the word “love” can also vary. We might love our grandparents, our parents, our spouses and our children, but the way we … [Read more...]