January 28, 2018: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

When God came to His people at Mount Sinai, His arrival was so terrifying the people couldn't stand to face Him, seeking someone to speak for Him instead.

And so Moses announces that God would send a prophet to speak His words to His people--and we see that prophet in Jesus Christ.  He came as fully God and fully man, so that He could approach people and engage with them.

And as the Gospel reading from Mark mentions multiple times, He came with authority in teaching and even commanding unclean spirits, so that they would come out of people, rather than those people's being forced to withdraw from the synagogue community.  This authority came because He is the Word of God Himself.

Now that God is here, it's time for us to take note of the words He speaks to us, not hardening our hearts, but focusing on being devoted to God in the lives we live.  By opening ourselves to Him, we experience the healing that leads to the fullness of Life, because the Word Jesus speaks by His authority transforms us fully through and through, even to transforming the whole world.

January 21, 2018: 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

There is an urgency in recognizing the presence of God among us, an urgency to act by turning toward Him.

We see this urgency in the reading from Jonah, as he proclaims the message that God will punish them for their sins.  We sense it in Jesus's proclamation that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  And it's in St. Paul's words to act in a different way because the world as we know it is passing away, with a new world coming.

Certainly, the disciples must have sensed something powerful in this new world that is coming, as they left their work to follow Jesus.  I can't help but notice how the text says John and James left their father Zebedee in the boat with the "hired men".  It makes me think about the story of the prodigal son, who, upon coming to his senses after falling into a dire state, decided to go to his father and have him treat him like a hired servant.

Here we see the first disciples following in the way of God, embracing the call to be in a relationship with the Father.

Let us take after their example, and act upon the presence of God that is coming to us, and follow after Him, like the disciples did, embracing this new way of life.

January 14, 2018: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

What a powerful image there is in the 1st reading:  After Samuel's confusion is put to rest by Eli, the text of 1 Sameul says "God revealed His presence".

In our recent celebrations of the Christmas Season, we remember how God revealed His presence to us in Christ.  Now with that Presence here, He calls us to enter into a new way of Life, to "come and see" Who He is.  And then we offer ourselves to Him, dedicating our lives to abiding in His way, and extending His invitation.

During the recent Christmas Season was the Feast of the Holy Family, in which we recall how God entered into our world into a family, demonstrating the importance of relationships, which bring us to new Life, just as Andrew invited Simon to encounter the Messiah, and have a relationship with Jesus.

In this encounter, God transforms us, as He gave Simon a new name, and so sends us forth to a life of offering ourselves to Him.

January 8, 2018: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The reading from the prophet Isaiah speaks about how God's Word goes forth and accomplishes His purposes.

Since Jesus is the Word Made Flesh, we see that He goes forth resolutely to accomplish God's will, even going so far as to undergo a baptism of repentance to identify Himself with sinners, to bring God close to us, so we could come close to Him, becoming His children.

Jesus pleased the Father by fulfilling His will through baptism.  So as baptized people, we are called to fulfill God's will for us, as we come together as His Body.

January 7, 2018: Epiphany Sunday

God has come to reveal His presen in our world through Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son.

The Magi demonstrate the kind of response that this revelation compels of us, namely to seek Him out, following the light of the revelations, or Epiphany/Epiphanies, God offers to us.  And then we enter His presence to offer our gifts, most especially ourselves, as we dedicate ourselves to living for Him, and spreading the Good  News of the reality that He is present with us always in the difficulties of the world.

Indeed, Christ was born to save all people throughout the world, as the Gentile Magi show by their coming to adore Christ, just as the Isaiah reading and the Psalm 72 response picture nations streaming toward Israel because of the Light granted her.

So may we rise up to embrace the Light God brings us, hold it in our hearts, and offer ourselves back to Him as we shine that Light.

January 1, 2018: Feast of Mary, Mother of God

We spend this Christmas Season beholding the great miracle of the Incarnation, by which God has come to be present to us in Jesus, born of a woman, and so redeemed us--as says His name, "Yahweh saves", given to Him by the angel, who declared His purpose before birth.  Indeed, in Jesus, God's face shines upon us, and we know the blessing of God, because we come face to face with God in Jesus, Who forever makes Him present to us, and invites us to grow in relationship with Him.

That is why we join with the Shepherds to encounter His presence and rejoice in those encounters.  We also follow in the example of Mary, who, as Father Hurlbert insightfully indicated in his homily this morning at Mass, reflected on this mystery in her heart as she pondered the child she held in her arms.