Having reached the midpoint of our Advent journey, the prophet Isaiah reminds us of a great and important reality not to be forgotten: in the eyes of God, the smallest is the greatest, because his eternal compassion measures us not from our presumed achievements, but from our radical need for…
“Come to me, all you who are weary,” Jesus urges us in today’s Gospel reading. Few calls resonate so deeply as this open-armed invitation to every tired soul. Who among us has not known the trials and weariness of everyday life? “Come to me” offers the balm of restoration. Yet…
The general theme of Advent is enmeshed in hope, and particular to the third week is the message of God’s love for us. Today’s readings surround us with palpable hope expressed in the most compassionate terms. God’s word in Isaiah 40:1-11 appears as a twist of fate. The passage, which…
“Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Dear Friends, the Church celebrates today the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on December 8, yearly. This celebration commemorates Mary’s preservation from original sin at the…
The Gospel opens with St. John the Baptist’s famous call to action, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” This can seem like a strange reading choice as we near the Christmas season, a season we rightly associate with the coming of the Infant Jesus, meek and tender.…
As we make our way through the first week of Advent, today’s readings all remind us of how the upcoming feast at Christmas, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ among us, is an incredible act of mercy on the part of God the Father. Mercy In the first reading,…
There is a statement in the first reading that, in my opinion, summarizes the theme of today’s readings and responsorial psalm: “And out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.” This reading is taken from the prophet Isaiah, and it describes the signs that will accompany…
O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has given us light.. The Alleluia refrain today gives the best synopsis of the readings and…
In my life recently, I’ve noticed how much the Holy Mass has really become the focal point of my day. It’s the place where I get to unload the troubles, imperfections, and sins of my day. Further, it’s the place where I get to abandon it all. It’s the place…
The Lord praises the Father saying, “I give you praise Lord of Heaven and earth for you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned but have revealed them to these little ones” (Luke 10:21). He made this statement (of prayer) when the seventy-two returned from the mission…