The Pope has established this Sunday as raising up the scriptures. Scripture has been used to justify misogyny, racism, homophobia and violence. The list goes on and on. We need a hopeful and Cosmic interpretation of scripture. Jesus read between the lines to find and follow God’s mercy, inclusion, and compassionate justice. Relationship and transformation are the pillars of Jesus’ viewpoint. ~ Fr. Matt
John the Baptist is the herald of One who will bring good news. John’s announcement sets the stage for the ministry of Jesus as he takes up his mission of preaching forgiveness and calling his disciples to follow in his footsteps. This too is our mission: to seek the forgiveness of the Lord and to be willing to forgive with the same spirit as he did. The exclamation of John appears in our celebration of mass as we prepare for communion: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”
Trappist Monk Thomas Merton said, “If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for.” It forces us to identify our deepest values. ~ Fr. Matt
It takes our entire lives to accept the truth of our baptism, to realize we are God’s beloved. To live under God’s gaze means letting all of who we are to be loved – not just our best sides! The good news consists in this: not that we are perfect, but that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for us. As sinners loved by God, we are called to be heralds of a new creation constantly renewing the world through the Redeemer’s grace. To the God who created us by love, for love, and to love, let all creation say, Amen.
As we reflect on our own baptism on this Feast of the Lord we acknowledge the Sacrament is a beginning not an end, not an empty ritual. We begin the lifelong process of becoming one with Christ, in Christ, and for Christ. ~ Fr. Matt
The magi have been known for many things, but here they may be considered “wise” especially because of the way they understood their lives, and all thy possess, within the larger frame of God’s kingdom. Like Herod, a part of us seeks to cling to what we have, but the magi call us to move beyond our needs and wants in order to be more responsive to God’s presence in our midst. They remind us not to worship creation but the Creator, not the gifts of his world but the One who generously gives them to us. In what ways do I make an idol of the things on this earth?
The Feast of Three Kings evokes in us the desire to give our best. When we receive a gift we feel the need to do something in imitation of that generosity. Gift giving reveals new mysteries about ourselves and also activates hidden resources and talents. May we look at Christmas gifts as symbols of God’s evocative grace. ~ Fr. Matt
The Epiphany is not just about the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Disbelief, rejection, and persecution of the future ministry of Jesus are foreshadowed in this event. ~ Fr. Matt
The Epiphany is not just about the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Disbelief, rejection, and persecution of the future ministry of Jesus are foreshadowed in this event. ~ Fr. Matt
When we take the ordinary for granted, we may treat our family with contempt or forgetfulness or with a hard heart incapable of forgiveness. Through these celebrations may we perceive the mystery of godliness in our family life. ~ Fr. Matt