Repentance and Preparation
The story of John the Baptist is familiar to us. But we might have glossed over one simple line in today’s text, “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance” (v. 8). How, during the merriment of the ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ do we do this?
A World Whose Time Has Come
During Advent, I think I ask myself, “Am I ready?” about 400 times, but it’s rarely in reference to anything that really matters. I’m worried about the gifts, the food for the family party, the delayed shipping on the Christmas cards. For what am I preparing here?
Welcome Us into Your Kingdom
On this Solemnity of Christ the King, let us contemplate the example of the Good Thief. He recognized the Messiah, acknowledged his need for a Savior, and entered the Kingdom of God — are we ready to do the same?
Do you REALLY want to know?
Jesus told us that the world would one day come to an end. He describes some of what we will see in this Sunday’s Gospel. Some people make it their personal ambition to attempt to determine precisely WHEN this event will take place. But is it necessary to know?
Living Hope
At the end of each liturgical year, the readings and prayers of the liturgy invite us to turn our gaze toward the future. But this sort of living for the future that the liturgy is inviting us to is hard work, which demands perseverance.
A Little Man’s Way to Jesus
What do you suppose drove Zacchaeus to go out and look for Jesus? As the chief tax collector, he was hated by the people who considered him a traitor and a crook. However, something compelled him to climb up a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus.
Be Humble and Bear Fruit
As Jesus teaches in Sunday’s Gospel, humility, or radical self-honesty, is a necessary component of our faith. Admitting our faults is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength given to us by God. It is precisely this depth of self-knowledge that can begin to open us up to a deeper knowledge of Him.
Let Yourself Pray
For most of my life, I have believed that I struggle with prayer — with finding the time for it, with doing it correctly and effectively. But I have recently come to realize that I don’t struggle with prayer. I struggle with understanding what prayer is.
Return to the Lord with Thanksgiving
Throughout this Sunday’s readings runs a thread of gratitude and thanksgiving at seeing the wonder and goodness of God. There is a profound desire to be close to the Lord. To develop and maintain a relationship with Him — not for what He does but for who He is.
An Increase of Faith
In today’s gospel the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. They found themselves ill equipped. While truth resonated through Jesus’s words and actions, they were asking to have what Jesus had so that they could more adequately do it.
Living the Call to Discipleship
Each of us is being invited to seek those things that are of God and “compete well for the faith.” This means that we are called to persevere in living out our individual, unique vocation of service to God and the Church.
Giving Voice to Our Faith in the Public Square
Our responsibility to bring our faith into the public square is founded on the commandment that we love our neighbor as ourselves. As followers of Christ, it is our vocation to give a voice to the voiceless.