Today is Good Shepherd Sunday on the liturgical calendar. Traditionally it was the third Sunday of Easter, which would have been last week. Don’t ask me how or why it was changed. The Latin name for the Sunday was Misercordias Domini, which has a nice ring to it even if you don’t…
How do you know something is true? That’s a big question these days, when truth seems to have taken on the consistency of Jello. Some people think the only way to the truth is science. That’s why the phrase “studies have shown” is so compelling. Even if you never see the…
There are two kinds of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus - negative and positive. The negative evidence is the open, empty tomb, the grave cloths folded and set aside, the head covering folded separately, and most important of all, no body. If there had been a body, there is no doubt the…
Temptation. Have you ever been tempted? Of course you have. You may as well admit it. Temptations come big and small. Cheat on the income tax. Cheat in the exam. Crib the term paper. Lie about the business deal. Cheat on a spouse. Fudge the…
If you wanted to find Jesus on a Sabbath day, you went to the synagogue. The synagogue was the “gathering place.” That’s what the word “synagogue” means, a place to gather. We would say, “congregation.” Every sabbath day Jesus went to the congregation. Even if it was “Super Bowl Saturday”…
Today is the twelfth and last day of the Feast of Christmas. One last day to rejoice in the incarnation of God, munch one more Christmas cookie, open one more present, if there are any left under the tree, if the tree is still standing. Or simply sit back and delight in this…
Today is the fifth day of Christmas, and I hope you’re still going strong with the holy days now that the holidays are behind us. It makes me sad to see the Christmas trees already curbed for the trash man. It’s like baseball fans who go home in the sixth inning to beat…
Before there’s a birth, there has to be a conception. Nine months usually, give or take a few weeks. That’s why this morning’s Gospel is traditionally read on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, the day Mary heard the Word of God through the angel and conceived the Son of God, our…
Witness. What comes to your mind when you hear that word “witness”? The courtroom, perhaps. You think of that person sitting on the witness stand who is under oath to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” A witness is someone who speaks about what he or…
Preparation. The season of Advent is about preparation. Preparing for the holidays and the holy days of Christmas. Preparing for the end of all things and the coming of Jesus in glory. Preparing the way of parents expecting their first child prepare - with anticipation, excitement, fear, and joy all at…