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At Christmas time, I pointed out that Matthew and Luke are the evangelists who gave us all the birth narrative material, and that John and Mark said nothing about a manger, Magi, Bethlehem, and all the other elements of our Christmas story.  Similarly, Matthew and Luke give us the “beatitudes” that are associated with what’s known as “the sermon on the mount” (in Matthew).  However, Luke’s presentation of them occurs on the PLAIN and not a…

This past weekend’s first reading shows you where the “Sanctus” part of the Eucharistic Prayer comes from—“Holy, Holy, Holy” is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  And then these verses from Isaiah speak for each of us—theoretically—when it has the person (intended to be you and I) say: “Here I am, Lord.  Send me.”  That’s what each of us is supposed to feel and think and say after each Mass we…

Presentation of the Lord Sunday refers to Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the Temple and observing the Torah’s command to “purify” Mary and dedicate Jesus to God.  The ceremony is an Israelite example of what’s known as the “menstrual taboo” that anthropologists study in all cultures of the world.  For example, the Lakota Sioux Indians had a special ceremony for girls upon their first menstrual period.  Each month until menopause, the girl was obliged…

What follows is an editorial from the National Catholic Reporter.  Although it directly addresses the remarks at the National Prayer Service last week, it touches on topics that should make all of us uncomfortable.  One reason we come to church is to hear the word of God and act upon it.  We hear it in the reading of scripture, homilies, songs sung, and the presence of inspirational individuals who try their best to live their…

We’ve had feast days each weekend since Christmas but this weekend we are simply in what the Church designates as “Ordinary Time.”  We’re coming off the birth of Jesus and the Gospels beginning His story of God becoming incarnate (taking on flesh)—so where do we go from there?  Answer: his public life and, in John’s case, the first miracle of his public life: the wedding feast at Cana (at which Jesus changes water into wine)…

Once upon a time, there was a baby eaglet who fell from his large nest in a tree and flopped his first flight into a chicken pen.  There he befriended the chickens and they welcomed him to eat with them.  When the owner of the chickens saw the interloper, he also welcomed him.  From that time on, the eagle grew up living with chickens.  Years later, the eagle looked up at the sky and saw…

This weekend is when we celebrate he Feast of the Epiphany—a word that means a new realization or new understanding of something.  In everyday English, you could say “I had an epiphany,” and then proceed to tell one or more people about some new insight you acquired.  The epiphany we celebrate this weekend refers to the Wise Men coming to the realization that this baby in the manger is the King of the Universe, the…

Christmas arrives and families come from near and far to gather.  Family members become Santas who distribute “presents” to one another against the backdrop of specially prepared food that makes everyone gain weight at this time of year.  Churches see their pews fill with persons seldom or never seen in the congregation during the year.  More often than not, “a good time is had by all” when gathering as families in their mother churches.  Their…