Saturday after Epiphany
Today’s first reading offers a strange relationship between our petition and God’s providence. Here is what John says, “We have this confidence in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked Him for is ours.” This text seems like an appropriate clarification on Jesus’ “Ask and you shall receive,” but it also adds something to our side of the equation. I not only read this and see John calling us to rely on prayer, but I sense him pushing us to discernment, particularly in three ways.
Friday after Epiphany
It just always feels like there’s so much work to do. Yes, we both work full-time and have three (soon to be four) young kids, but beyond our careers and family life, there is so much work to do in our community, in our country, and in our world. There are so many needs, tragedies and instances of injustice… and so little time. I often feel this sense of tension, especially when the needs of our brothers and sisters are so vast and so immediate to their quality of life, that it seems we must do something now. I fall into the false thinking that there is no time to just sit and pray because I must act. But as we see from today’s Gospel, and from the wisdom of Jesus and Mary throughout their lives, we cannot divorce contemplation and action. Our Gospel tells about both Jesus’ miracle of curing the leper AND about how he withdraws to deserted places to pray. Following this model, we must maintain a healthy balance of praying and acting, listening in the silence and responding to the crowds. How can we balance both action and prayer as two equally integral parts of our faith?
Thursday after Epiphany
After reading and praying on the words John puts to us today from his first letter, I have to ask myself a really important question. Am I a liar?
Wednesday after Epiphany
Sometimes the most powerful messages are the simplest ones. I’m struggling a bit to craft this reflection, because I don’t want to come across as flippant or to inappropriately simplify the message. But I am sitting with the question, “Is Jesus in Your Boat?” I invite you to set sail in prayer today, positioned in whatever boat you currently find yourself in, welcoming the Prince of Peace into your vessel.
Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop
“God is love.” It is easy for me sometimes to forget how important the message is that is conveyed by this simple phrase. These words have been spoken and heard so often that their meaning for Christians can become lost. The readings in the lectionary for today focus our attention on the question of what it means to say that God is love. In short, they teach us that God’s love is revealed to us through God’s gift of Godself in the person of Jesus Christ.
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
I was recently in a conversation with two folks and one of them mentioned their dislike of the epistles from John. They said they much preferred straightforward, black-and-white writing instead of John's style. They said they feel like John just talks in circles. Today's reading captures some of his spiraling style. In particular, I wish to focus on one part of his musings.
Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
St Francis spent entire nights praying while meditating on these two reflective questions. Taking time to recognize who we are as God’s beloved and understanding God as Trinity help us to grow in our realization of what it means to be a child of God. Today’s readings provide insights that illustrate God’s presence in our lives and our response as God’s presence in the world.
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
I don’t recall exactly when we started blessing our children before bed each night, but I know it was when they were very young, maybe even infants. Making a sign of the cross on their forehead with our thumb or finger, praying for their protection and well-being. This comes to mind as I read the first reading and psalm for today’s Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the last day in the Octave of Christmas. “The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Numbers 6:24-26) This also seems fitting for beginning our new calendar year today; the world could certainly benefit from a blessing for this new year, a fresh start.
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Today we read the powerful opening to John’s Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” In this Christmas season we celebrate that very light who was born in a humble stable in Bethlehem, where the incarnation of God’s word first became visible.
The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
The saints of the Church are inspirations to us. Their lives give witness to a sold-out commitment to Christ, selfless sacrifice, humility, love for neighbor, generous yeses, lifestyles of prayer. We can look to them as models for our own lives. Sometimes, however, we can easily become discouraged by falling into comparisons. We place the saints on pedestals and revere them as super-heroes. They can seem so other-worldly that we despair of ever approximating such lives of faith. At first glance, Anna, whom we meet in today’s Gospel, might seem like that. Such a super-saint was she that she never left the temple, devoting the entirety of her life to worship, fasting, and prayer. Intimidating? Perhaps. But I believe we can emulate Anna in very practical ways and adopt her lifestyle more easily than we might think. That lifestyle of living in God’s presence positions us to be able to more readily recognize Christ whenever and wherever and in whomever he enters our daily lives. Let’s press into the possibility of becoming more like Anna today.
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Do you know Jesus? Have you met our Lord? We’d all like to say ‘Yes, of course, I’m Christian aren’t I? I’ve received the Sacraments, haven’t I?’ But today’s first reading gives me pause. I am fairly certain that no one who knows me would consider me a hateful person. Considering Jesus’s number 1 and number 2 commandments are ‘love God,’ and ‘love your neighbor,’ the most I can say is that I am doing number 1 as best I know how, and I am doing number two, except for a few people that really bother me. In all humility, I’m concerned this is falling short of what Jesus commanded! Do you love your neighbors…(ALL of them)…as you love yourself?
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
“Christ is light. In him there is no darkness. Come to him and he will bring you light.” My children sing this in catechesis of the Good Shepherd each week. The tune is catchy and it stays in my head and theirs, throughout the week. I find it a constant reminder to continue to seek out Christ - seek out the light in the darkness. This same message is relayed in our first reading today, as we hear that “God is the light and in him there is no darkness at all.” As we are in the Christmas season, this season of light and life and hope, this message seems very relevant and poignant.
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen- the first martyr. At first glance this seems an odd time to celebrate this feast day, since just yesterday we were singing “Joy to the World” as we gathered around the manger of the Christ child. And yet, our church wisely reminds us that we are called to leave the stable and head out into the world to proclaim the “Good News.” Jesus tells us that our lives will not be free from pain and suffering. And yet, as we celebrate the death of St. Stephen there is still reason for joy. Jesus promises us that His Spirit will always be with us to provide all we need as we live out our discipleship.
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to people of good will! (Lk 2:14) Joy to the World, the Lord has come, let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing! For the last four weeks, we have focused with our children on the themes of peace, hope, joy, and love in addition to lighting our purple and pink candles in preparation for the birth of Jesus. Emmanuel has come. God is with us in the infant, Jesus, lying in the manger.
Thursday in the Fourth Week of Advent - Mass in the Morning
If one were seeking a theme for these days, darkness would certainly work. Just three days ago we passed through the longest night of the year with fifteen hours and thirty-nine minutes of darkness leaving just eight hours and twenty-one minutes of light. Three days out, we’ve gained all of one minute of sunlight. And that amidst some rather grey Ohio skies.
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Today marks a wonderful moment in our Advent journey to pause and ask the Lord to purify us. Advent is a time of waiting for the Lord’s coming anew into our hearts, lives, and world, and a season to anticipate the Lord’s coming again in glory. Advent is also a time for repentance, to humble ourselves before the Incarnate One who is also our Savior and Redeemer. Purification is one of God’s loving processes within us. Let us consider today how we might yield and surrender to this gracious and merciful work.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
When you were a small child, do you ever have the experience of someone picking you up, turning you upside-down, and holding you there by the legs as your pockets emptied? I have a few memories like this, as both the one over-turned, and later as the one doing the flipping. It was a favorite way for older cousins to bond with younger ones while we were playing outside at family events. Sometimes there was a lot of tickling and snorting and laughter involved. It’s a moment when power wasn’t misused, but instead was a source of joy.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
The hustle and bustle of the holidays are all around us even in the midst of the pandemic. Shipping times are delayed, retail stores are still packed, and the frantic stress of the season is here. All of that frenetic energy has an end though. It culminates in Christmas and family. One of my favorite memories from Christmas gatherings with my extended family is the Hargadon Family Greeting. It wasn't a secret handshake or a delicate kiss on the cheek. It was a rousing chorus of shouted welcomes as each person walked through my grandparent's front door. It didn't matter whether you were in a conversation or getting some food. It was irrelevant whether you could see the door or not. When someone walked through that door, they were greeted like we had all been awaiting their arrival. Now, I'm not saying everyone has to be like my family, but I do want to reflect on families and our coming together during Christmas in the light of our reading of the Visitation.
Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
The cold gray days of winter have officially arrived in Ohio. Many people (myself included) have a sense of exhaustion. The anxiety and sorrow of the pandemic, the racial and political division of our society and the physical isolation from our quarantine seem to create a barren landscape that adds to the darkness of these winter days. Today’s scripture readings, however, give us reason for hope and joy. Hannah and Elizabeth believe in God’s promises and bring new life into the world. As we anticipate Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birth, God is reminding us that the promise of new life is for all of us. We must remain hopeful and faithful to God’s promise, so the Spirit of God can bring new life to us and to our world.
Friday of the Third Week of Advent
I have long been fascinated by dreams. My family knows this and they sometimes share theirs with me, especially if it’s a particularly vivid or troubling dream. The Bible has numerous examples of God’s angels speaking to people through their dreams. Dreams have been referred to in contemporary times as “God’s Forgotten Language” and “Unopened Letters from God” (both book titles), perhaps indicative of how we have gotten away from dreams as a potential source of divine communication. With today’s gospel passage (Matthew 1:18-25), we are reminded that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The gospel reveals that this is how God chose to communicate a very important message about the conception and birth of Jesus and what role Joseph would play in that. Certainly something he was not expecting.