Trust in Following God
Sometimes it’s easy to want to know what will happen next. It helps us feel in control. The readings this weekend invite us to a different path, however, one where we are invited to say “yes” to the One who loves us, even if we don’t know all the answers.
The Role of Invitation in Evangelization
Andrew’s willingness to evangelize brought Peter to become a disciple of the Lord. Andrew’s love for Peter moved him to share the truth and joy he had found. How blessed to have someone care enough to step out in faith and share the life found only in Jesus.
An Exhortation: Choose to Live Like Christ
It is through our baptisms that we are gifted with the direction and purpose we need to be productive stewards and faithful Christians. It is not only about eternal salvation. In baptism, we receive what we need to fulfill our purpose and labor for the kingdom of God.
A Journey of Faith
While the visit of the magi, representing the nations of the world, is a sign that the salvation offered by the newborn King is for all times and peoples, theologians also saw the magi’s journey as a symbol of conversion and the journey of faith that each of us is traveling.
A HIDDEN LIFE OF STRENGTH, WISDOM, GRACE
The Holy Family is the model for a Christian family. It was in this simple home that Jesus, our Savior, grew into the man who would save the world. It was in the humble surroundings of his home life that this great man spent most of his life on earth.
The Greatest Mystery
During these last few days of Advent, we are invited into the heart of the Christian faith, a profound and challenging mystery so simple in its outward manifestation that it is easily overlooked and so unfathomable in its depths that it cannot be comprehended by the rational mind.
In Need of a Savior
If the Messiah has come for the broken, the poor, the oppressed, the captive, the ones in need of vindication, do we see with clarity our deep need for a Savior? Are we utterly convinced of our own poverty of spirit, imprisonment by sin and desires of this world, and brokenness of heart?
How Do You Prepare the Way?
Advent is God’s gift to us, our time for preparation. Christmas is not merely a reminder and a celebration of Jesus’ first coming as an infant to Mary in Bethlehem but a reminder that he will come again.
Stay Awake! The Best Is Yet to Come!
It is difficult to stay focused and alert when we are tired. When out in public, one can almost hear a constant hum of anxiety. It’s always there. People are scared. Yet, this new brightly shining liturgical year bids us to stand erect, stay awake and watch!
The Good News of the Reign of Christ
When we limit the focus of this feast to the kingship of Christ, we risk losing the broader view of what we are really celebrating today: our citizenship in the Kingdom of God. We have been claimed by and for Christ in our baptism and our true home is in the Reign of Christ.
Appraising Our Greatest Valuables
What treasure has been entrusted us and how we can multiply it for the glory of God? Perhaps, the treasure is that which all of us have and which we can often take for granted, like valuable antiques gathering dust in our attics — our family.
The Light and the Dark
When the cravings of the five senses are tempered, the soul is more apt to perceive the deeper realities of the sacred mysteries. How can we learn to temper our five senses, then, in order to help our souls be more attentive to the arrival of the Bridegroom?