“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. — Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob” — Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85:1
The Introit of today’s Mass invites us to Rejoice in the Lord.
Thanks. What’s an introit? More…
There are many profound reasons why the newborn Jesus was laid in a manger, or better said, a feeding trough. It shows that right from the first moment of his life he is the bread of life, giving himself to us as food. Even the name Bethlehem means, “house of bread”. It also shows that Jesus has embraced poverty and so he identifies with all the poor of the world. It also shows that he is not afraid of humbling himself in order to dwell in an imperfect place. More…
Desert Rose, a Sign of Contradiction, expresses the meaning and color of Gaudete Sunday
As I’m going over tomorrow’s readings for Gaudete Sunday, I find myself asking with John the Baptist, am I looking for the right thing?
The first words of the first reading: the desert and the parched land…
Second reading, first words: Be Patient…
In the first line of the Gospel reading we learn: John the Baptist is in prison…. More…
We all have an inner discontent that we feel, an inner thirst, an expectation of fullness that we haven’t yet achieved, a yearning and a longing for something. Remarkably, no matter how much we have or experience, no matter how good, never fully satisfies our thirst. We shouldn’t be afraid of this inner angst; rather, it’s good to recognize and embrace it, and recall that life itself has an advent dimension to it. Part of life is a longing for God to act. We are made for God and so we yearn for him. But we need to More…
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23)
Reflections on the Kingdom for Advent by Fr Martin Connor, LC
Contained in Christ’s invitation to his followers (but often missed) is actually a four-stage process to check your realism in the daily following of the Lord through sacrifice.
We can break this invitation up into four parts: (1) “if anyone wishes, (2) he must deny himself, (3) take up his cross, and (4) follow me.” More…
“May God our Father, enlighten the eyes of our hearts, so that we may see the great hope to which we are called in Christ Jesus”(Ephesians 1:18).
Hope is the first characteristic in constructing this new creation born in Christ through baptism, how could it be otherwise?
From the very beginning of human existence, the battle for the human heart was at stake: More…
John the Baptist is a prominent figure during the Advent season. We see him announcing the coming of the Messiah along the banks of the Jordan, washing people in baptism, and not holding back any words in calling people to conversion.
I believe God sends John the Baptists into our lives. People, places, circumstances, events, moments that remind us: Jesus is here, Jesus is coming, Jesus lives. More…
If we’ve been living Advent with interest, we’ve probably prepared the nativity scene (minus the Christ child), prepared Advent candles, listened attentively to the readings and beautiful liturgical prayers at Mass, and perhaps taken a little extra time for spiritual reading and retreat, in order to prepare ourselves to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas.
Today’s second Advent tip is simply to More…
Reflection for the Second Week of Advent, by Fr Martin Connor
To establish the Kingdom is to teach Christ by giving Christ.
To give Christ is to teach that love is a choice, the choice of making yourself a gift to the other rather than use another as a means for some pleasure or end, which is so very common in our world.
Ultimately, love is a choice for Good over evil. More…
The time leading up to Christmas is often packed with things to do, people to see, gifts to be wrapped, cards to send, travels to be planned, and parties to attend. This is all well and good and even important. It can even be helpful, if we live it properly. More…
Biltrix 