Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God – Lk 2:16-21 Today we celebrate the octave of the Nativity of our Lord; it’s fitting that on the 8th day after the Savior of the world was born in time, we should celebrate yet another great gift we’ve received from God the Father. He […]
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas – Jn 1:1-18 – Option 2 Today’s first reading contains an interesting phrase: Saint John tells his listeners “I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.” It ties in
Feast of the Holy Family Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Church always celebrates this solemnity on the Sunday that falls within the Christmas octave so that we can think a little about the family, and the value of the family, taking
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas – Lk 2:22-35 Today’s liturgy places before us the presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and the prophecy that Simeon makes regarding Him. While there’s a lot that could be said about the Gospel, there are two things that really call our attention: first,
Feast of the Holy Innocents – Mt 2:13-18 As we make our way through the Christmas octave, we come to another, perhaps more difficult, feast: that of the Holy Innocents. There’s a lot we could say about this feast, like how it reminds us of the preciousness of life, and how no one is
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist – December 27th – Jn 20:1A and 2-8 As we continue to make our way through the Christmas octave, our festivities continue as today we celebrate the feast of Saint John, the apostle and evangelist. Along with his brother, James the Greater, John was known as a
Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr – December 26th – Mt 10: 17-22 It might seem a little odd that today, the day after Christmas, Christ’s birthday, the Church has us recall a death: the death of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. Yet, far from raining on the Christmas parade, what the Church
Christmas – Mass during the Day Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 Today’s readings all focus on the great gift that we have received with the birth of the Savior. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the overwhelming joy that is to be ours because Christ
December 24th – Lk 1:67-79 In today’s Gospel we hear the culmination of the story of John the Baptist’s nativity as his father proclaims what is called the “Canticle of Zechariah,” or the “Benedictus,” from the canticle’s first word in Latin. If we read closely, though, we see that the canticle we just heard wasn’t
December 23rd – Lk 1:57-66 Today’s first reading describes, in rather frightening terms, what will happen when the Lord’s messenger appears. That reading mentions refining metals three times, and in part it is this language that gives rise to frightening tone of Malachi’s prophecy. Yet, when we consider this analogy more closely, we see a
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