Sunday Reflections

  I have been thinking about waiting in this Advent season.  We wait a great deal.  The other day, I was driving and there was something that was holding up traffic on the highway.  We waited.  We did not know what had happened or for how long we would wait.  But, wait we did.  I tend to drive instead of fly whenever I can.  Why?  I hate the “hurry up and wait” in airports today.  Too much waiting for me!   I am sure that we have all had the experience where we are trying to resolve something on the telephone only to be told to “li

I believe there is a distinction between ‘to hear’ and ‘to listen’.  ‘Hearing’ is a physiological function, whereas ‘listening’ implies that I accept (and follow) that which I hear.  We hear John the Baptist today, but are we willing to listen?  Advent is all about preparing ourselves spiritually to celebrate the birth of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  The message of John reminds us of the changes, perhaps drastic, that this may require for us to be prepared for December 25.  We need to identify our ‘valleys’, ‘mountains’, ‘hills’ and ‘winding ways’ that keep us from f

With this Advent Season, we the Church move into a new liturgical year, Year C, when most of the Sunday Gospels come from the Gospel of Luke.  As we enter this Advent, we will experience it as going by very fast.  In our age of Future Shock and Technopoly, it will be over even before we even realize it.  We need to plan to use this time of grace well – otherwise it will disappear before we even realize it!

Gerhard Lohfink explains that the concept of the “Son of Man” comes from Daniel 7, where Daniel has a vision of four gigantic beasts rising from the sea. The first beast looks like a winged lion; the second is a bear with three ribs of the creature it is eating hanging from its mouth; the third is a leopard with four heads; and the fourth beast is the most fearsome, trampling everything in its path, with iron teeth and one of its horns containing human eyes.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, our Sunday readings point us to the end of time.  The reading from the Book of Daniel looks forward to an end for those faithful Jews who were persecuted by King Antiochus IV: “They shall live forever” and “shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament.”  Likewise, the reading from the Gospel of Mark reminds those faithful early Christians in Rome who were persecuted  that they “will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory,” who will “gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth

Jesus has show us – by his life, and by his suffering, death and resurrection – what it means to give.  True giving, inspired by Christ is generous and unconditional.  This is not as easy to achieve as it sounds.  Our gospel today invites us to reflect on what kind of giver we are – a grudge giver, a duty giver, or a ‘thanks’ giver.  Just as the widow in the gospel gave all that she had, in complete confidence in God, we are called to be givers who truly give from the heart, giving of ourselves as faithful stewards of God’s abundant gifts. 

Asking Jesus to name the greatest commandment is a trick question, for there were 613 laws (which included both the “written” laws and the “oral” laws).  Since this is the case, any one commandment that Jesus might pick could lead to a debate about what others might see as more important. However, Jesus surprises his questioners by combining a commandment from the Book of Deuteronomy and another from the Book of Leviticus in an answer that impresses his hearers. 

            Last Sunday Jesus asked James and John a question: “What do you want me to do for you?”  In response, they asked for seats at his right and his left when he comes in glory.  Jesus had just finished telling the disciples that he was to go to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die before rising on the third day.  In response to news of Jesus’ impending death, James and John ask for seats of glory.  (It is worth pointing out that the other ten disciples are no better.  The gospel tells us that “they be

Perseverance is a great virtue.  Many times in the world today we expect things to be done in a moment – just add water and stir.  Things of value are not acquired in a moment, but require a dedication and persistence.  We cannot give up, or give in, but persevere in responding to God and doing his will.  The persistence of the widow in the gospel today calls us to also be persevering in our prayer before God.  We may see ourselves as “pestering” God, but many times our perseverance is the means by which our prayer is purified, that we go from telling God how to ans

It is interesting that in the Gospel, the rich young man seems to have things in order concerning his relationships with others. He seems to be keeping the last seven commandments well.  But, he makes no mention of his following the first three commandments that we usually understand to be connected with our relationship with God.  Jesus understands this and realizes that this young man, who is rich, has put others things before his relationship with God. This is why Jesus tells him that he must leave all behind.