On the first Sunday of the new liturgical year, the Church does something that is a little unexpected. She doesn’t ease us into the new year gently. She doesn’t take us to a cozy scene from Bethlehem or give us a comforting word about new beginnings. Instead, the year opens with what feels like a…
As we come to Mass today, we officially begin the season of Advent. It is not only the beginning of a new liturgical year within the Church, but, most importantly, it brings about a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of our Lord at Christmas. Throughout this season, the Church invites us to…
The passage that we have heard this morning in our Gospel comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. At the time, the things that Jesus was saying were viewed as being radical. Throughout the preceding chapters, He was telling His disciples and those who came to listen to Him about a new…
The Lord called Isaiah to be a prophet to the people of Israel at a critical time in their history. He was sent to not only warn them of their impending doom at the hands of the Assyrians but to also reassure them of the promise that God would restore them to glory and greatness.…
Today marks a very special day in the life of the Church. It’s a day when we not only begin a new liturgical year, but it is also a day when we begin an extraordinary time of grace. Today, we begin the Season of Advent, a season when we focus on waiting and hopeful expectation…
Fr. Tom Pringle 