FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT From the prophet Micah 5: 1-4a Thus says the LORD: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the LORD…
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT From St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4: 4-7 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. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,…
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT From St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11 Brothers and sisters: I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who…
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT From the prophet Jeremiah 33:14-16 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right…
Bridget Puzon, O.S.U. As I prepared a Thanksgiving prayer for a community meeting, the great and the small things to be grateful for in our lives sprang to mind, as they do every year. But now they didn’t seem to be enough. The ache I feel this year in saying thank you to God comes…
Elinor Shea, O.S.U. Recently, a memory of childhood delight returned to me. I was searching for help. Help to hold together, in some meaningful and ordered fashion the rich and varied experiences constantly flooding my awareness. Experiences of myself, my world, my universe; my relationships, my work, my friendships; my God, and my place in…
Bridget Puzon, O.S.U. An article by John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter (July 9, 2012) resonated with some of what I have felt about the present political climate and perhaps overlapping with the effect of the Catholic church’s official positions. Allen pays tribute to the many years of principled, faithful service of John Carr…
Joseph Flynn, OFM Cap. The fifty days of celebrating Easter have come to a conclusion with the Feast of Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit. In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles in the liturgy for Pentecost, we listen to Luke’s astounding portrayal of the descent of the Holy Spirit and…
Margaret Mary Kelleher, O.S.U. “We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered.” These are the words of the Entrance Antiphon of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Lent comes to an end and…
Does that title make you think the writer might be a bit jaded about Lent? Or, did the title give a hint that the writer is excited that Lent is here again? For most of us Christians, Lent can offer mixed emotions. It is a time of repentance (a sinner … who, me?). To be…