On November 29th, we began a new year in the church with the First Sunday of Advent. In my homily that day, I spoke of people making new year’s resolutions for the secular new year on January 1st and how we could make a resolution to grow closer to God. Did you make a resolution …
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Year B (Please note there are different options for the readings)Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (7a, 8a)Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19Luke 2:22-40December 27, 2020 On Christmas Day Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. Now, “When the days were completed for purification, according …
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Christmas Mass During the NightIsaiah 9:1-6Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 (Luke 2:11)Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2020 Today we hear “good news of great joy.” After a difficult 2020, we need to hear some good news. The good news offered by the angel is “For today, in the city of David a savior has been born …
As I write this we are just a couple of days from Christmas. Christmas this year will be different because of the Coronavirus. However, no matter how different your celebration is, it will still be Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We can still rejoice at the words of the angel to the …
4th Sunday of Advent, Year B2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29 (2a)Romans 16:25-27Luke 1:26-28December 20, 2020 David had become a great king, living in a great palace. There, “the LORD had given him rest from his enemies.” Knowing what the Lord had done for him, King David said to Nathan the …
As we draw near to Christmas, we hear from the Bible of the role that angels played in the birth of Jesus. This Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B) we hear the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her she had been chosen to be …
For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, you are used to learning of the presentations I do and being provided a link to view the video of the presentation and handouts after the presentation is given. I started doing regular in-person presentations in 2013 and making the videos and handouts available …
In our Catholic faith, we have two formal creeds, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. However, having two creeds does not mean we profess two different faiths. The two creeds are very similar in their content (you can see them side by side at https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/50/). The Apostles’ Creed is the older of the two …
3rd Sunday of Advent, Year BIsaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11Responsorial – Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 (Isaiah 61:10b)1 Thessalonians 5:16-24John 1:6-8, 19-28December 13, 2020 The time for the long-awaited messiah is near. To prepare the way of the Lord, “John was sent from God.” John came to give testimony, “to testify to the light.” His testimony is to …
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Recently a friend suggested I write an article about Advent here. Honestly, my first reaction was to think I talk about Advent regularly in my Sunday homilies that are posted on this blog. (You can find them at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?cat=223.) You can also find an article I wrote on the liturgical year in general, including one …
