Isaiah 42:1,4.6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 Since the earliest days of the Church it has been the practice that we baptize infants into the faith.  In presenting a child for baptism, it is actually the parents of the child who are making the commitment to faith.  But children come into this world completely dependent...
Read More »

The Christmas story is filled with a colorful cast of characters that is essential for any good story.  First we hear of a young Jewish woman named Mary, and her fiancé, Joseph.  We hear of angelic messengers and shepherds in a field. We hear of foreign dignitaries who are ancient astronomers being led by...
Read More »

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 Today our attention is drawn to the visitation of the magi, star-gazers from foreign nations who came to pay homage to the newborn king.  And so our feast has three important elements to capture our attention.  Let’s look first at the stars. If you look throughout the scriptures...
Read More »

Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:22-40 In the infancy narratives of the birth of Christ, Mary and Joseph are the key characters.  We hear about the shepherds and their response to the newborn king.  We hear about the foreign dignitaries who paid homage to the newborn king.  We hear also about a jealous local...
Read More »

Isaiah 7: 10-14;  Romans 1: 1-7;  Matthew 1: 18-24 Isaiah the prophet tells the story of Ahaz who heard God but would not listen.   God told him to ask for a sign, but Ahaz would not ask because he knew that he should not put God to the test.  So, God, growing weary with...
Read More »

Isaiah 35:1-6,10;  James 5:7-10;  Matthew 11:2-11 John the Baptist, in prison and pondering his fate and the success of his message, appears to be having doubts.  John, the cousin of Jesus, who grew up with Jesus, knew that the time of the Messiah had come.  He knew well the message of hope proclaimed by...
Read More »

Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12 Every family has its colorful members: Maybe she is an eccentric woman, like Auntie Mame; may he is an elderly bachelor, like Uncle Fester.  These people are often the source of many a good family story.  And in spite of their eccentricities, in spite of their strangeness, we...
Read More »

Isaiah 2:1-15; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44                         “They shall beat their swords into plowshares                                     and their spears into pruning hooks;                         one nation shall not raise the sword against another,                                     nor shall they train for war again.” That is one of the most beautiful passages found in the scriptures, and the most...
Read More »

2 Samuel 5:1-3;  Colossians 1:12-20;  Luke 23:35-43 “This is the King of the Jews.” So read the inscription over the head of Jesus as he hung upon the cross, naked, beaten, bleeding, and dying for all the world to see.  The inscription was a form of mockery by the Roman procurator.  The people who were...
Read More »

Malachi 3:19-20:2; II Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19 When Solomon’s Temple was destroyed in the year 70, people thought the world was coming to an end, and believers began looking for Christ’s second coming.  When it became evident that Christ was not going to come immediately, Luke wrote Jesus’ end-time teachings in his Gospel, one...
Read More »