I.  Focus for life: Resolution #2—Forgive an enemy. Jesus himself tells us to love our enemies. Who is my enemy? Anyone with whom we are at odds, had a falling out, or just annoys us. It’s not enough to say in your heart, “I forgive” this person; we must seek out this person to be…

I. Respect Life Sunday:  Churches recognizes the third Sunday in January as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. January 22, 1973, was the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion-on-demand in all 50 states. Churches around the our country use January 22 to celebrate God’s gift of life, commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, and…

I.  Year of Saint Joseph:  December 8, 2020- December 8, 2021:  In a new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the…

I.  What’s in a gift?  Since the early days of Christianity, Biblical scholars and theologians have offered varying interpretations of the meaning and significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh that the magi presented to Jesus. These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world. In addition to…

I.  Family Can Be Marvelous and Messy:  Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were a family deeply immersed in rituals and traditions of their people. In today’s Gospel we hear how they kept the feast of Passover by traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate this holy day. In our lives we are given a family and also the…

I.  Plenty of Room! The Mystery of the Incarnation: God sending His only begotten Son to us as a baby, born of Mary; God taking on our humanity so that we can share His Divinity. Jesus born 2000+  years ago, Jesus will come in glory at the end of time, Jesus with us now as…

I.  REJOICE! Today has traditionally been called “Gaudete Sunday.” The Latin tag is derived from Paul’s appeal in the second reading to “rejoice always in the Lord.” The irony and paradox of this Christian joy is underlined by the fact that Paul wrote those words from prison. Even from jail, Paul could see the progress…

I.  Let the Light of the Second Candle of Advent Shine! Not all prophets wear camel skins and eat locusts! There are prophets among us right now who proclaim in their ministries, in their compassion, in their kindness, in their courageous commitment to what is right because it’s right, that Jesus the Messiah has come.…

I.  Strengthen Our Fearful Hearts: Sustain us, O God, on our Advent journey as we go forth to welcome the one who is to come. Plant within our hearts your living Word of promise, and make haste to help us as we seek to understand what we went out to see in the Advent wilderness:…

 I. Are You A Sheep? On this, the final Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. By concluding the year with this feast we are proclaiming our faith that Jesus Christ is the one and only king over all seasons, all peoples, and all of creation.       Joanne…