What Are You Doing for New Year’s

With the new year just five days away, have you made plans for how you will celebrate the beginning of the new year?  Will you make any new year’s resolutions? The new year begins on Sunday, December 3rd.  I will celebrate it the same way I celebrate the beginning of every new year, by celebrating …

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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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Some Thoughts on Advent

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 …

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1st Sunday of Advent, Year B – Homily

1st Sunday of Advent, Year BIsaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 (4)1 Corinthians 1:3-9Mark 13:33-37November 29, 2020 Our passage from Isaiah today comes from a time when the Babylonian Exile was ending and the Jews were returning to Jerusalem.  They found the Temple in ruins and their lands pillaged.  It was difficult to see. …

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1st Sunday of Advent, Year C – Homily

1st Sunday of Advent, Year C Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 (1b) 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 December 2, 2018 Today begins a new year, a new year in the church that is.  Jesus’ Incarnation that we celebrate at Christmas set in motion his public ministry of preaching, teaching, and doing miracles, …

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4th Sunday of Advent, Homily – Year B

4th Sunday in Advent, Year B 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Psalm 89:2-3, 3-5, 27, 29 (2a) Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 December 24, 2017 King David was a great king.  He is the king who built the kingdom of Israel but he knew he did it by God’s grace.  David had a great palace …

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1st Sunday of Advent, Year B – Homily

1st Sunday in Advent, Year B Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 December 3, 2017 Today begins a new year for us. As we look around, our banners and vestments have changed to violent symbolizes our season of Advent.  Why today? Everything about our liturgical year in our …

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4th Sunday in Advent, Year A – Homily

4th Sunday in Advent, Year A Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (7c, 10b) Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24 December 18, 2016 Isaiah offers a sign to King Ahaz but the king refuses.  He tries to make his refusal look noble by saying, “I will not ask, I will not tempt the Lord!” but what is really …

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1st Sunday of Advent, Year A – Homily

1st Sunday in Advent, Year A Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:37-44 November 27, 2016 It should be apparent that the seasons are changing.  Outside it is evident from the snow we got this past week that winter is coming.  This is not the season change I want to talk …

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4th Sunday of Advent, Year C – Homily

4th Sunday of Advent, Year C Micah 5:1-4a Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 December 20, 2015 Today we hear the story of Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth.  To understand the context of the story we first need to realize that this story happens immediately after the Annunciation where the Angel Gabriel told Mary …

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