This week the Church celebrates the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Until 1959, this Sunday was known as Passion Sunday because it marked the beginning of Passiontide, a period of intense preparation for the rites of Holy Week. This year we hear the Gospel...
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as Laetare Sunday. It marks the halfway point in our Lenten journey. The priest is able to wear rose–colored vestments which are symbols of the anticipated joy of the upcoming Easter season. The...
The Gospel reading (Jn 4:5-42) for the Third Sunday of Lent is one of my more favorite passages of scripture. In fact, when Archbishop Allen Vigneron held a consultation for priests recently, he asked us, “What is your image of priesthood?” Mine was...
On Ash Wednesday, we began our Lenten journey with the imposition of ashes and the admonition: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” The Gospels remind us that temptation abounds. We are always being enticed to do the wrong thing. The tendency toward...
The readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Is 49:14-15; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Mt 6:24-34) remind us not to be worry-warts. We cannot dwell on the past because we cannot change what has been done. We cannot focus on the future because we do not know...
In the Gospel of Matthew (5:17-37), Jesus engages his disciples in a process known as “exegesis” which is an explanation or elucidation of a particular text of scripture. Jesus addresses some of the difficult aspects of Mosaic law: killing...
When we are in darkness, even a small amount of light permits us to see. For example, if we are in the forest, the light from the moon allows us to navigate through the brush. If we are in a cave, the light from a flashlight gives us enough vision...
On this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we once again hear about baptism. This time, the perspective is from John the Baptizer. Last week, the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus and God’s voice declared him his “beloved Son.” This...
