His Word Today: Incredible things

Good morning everyone,

As we begin this second week of the Advent season, the scriptures speak of incredible things.  Saint Luke tells the story of a man who was paralyzed.  His friends were people of great faith; they brought the man on a stretcher and braved the gathered crowds in order to bring their friend to Jesus because they believed that he could do incredible things: that he could heal their friend (cf Lk 5:18-19).

The prophet Isaiah also speaks of incredible things happening: the desert will bloom (Is 35:1), the lame shall leap and streams will burst forth in the desert (Is 35:6).  If such unbelievable things were foretold, should we not believe that it is possible that we might see such prophecies fulfilled in our time?  When the pressures of life tend to weigh us down, let us dare to believe that incredible things are still possible: illnesses can be cured, struggles can be overcome, hardened hearts can and will be softened in God's time.

In the meanwhile, it might help to remind us that today, things are just the way they should be.  We are in the places where we need to be, encountering the people we need to meet and the situations that we need to experience in order to grow just a little bit today in our ability to say yes to God, and of course to be on the lookout for the incredible things that God is doing in and around us.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: A special gift

Good morning everyone and Happy Feast day.

Today, the Church celebrates the great feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Don't be confused.  I always used to think that this was the day when we celebrate Mary's immaculate conception of Jesus - after all the gospel passage for today's Mass is the Annunciation (cf Lk 1:26-38), but it's really about Mary's own conception.  Fulton Sheen used to say that God prepared Mary from the moment of her own conception within the womb of Saint Anne by granting the special privilege of allowing her to be conceived without sin so that she in turn could conceivea the Son of God without sin.

Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians reminds us today to sing with joy and thanksgiving on this great day.  God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish (cf Eph 1:4).

In the midst of your day, try to ponder this reality.  God chose us - each one of us (including Mary of Nazareth) from the foundation of the world and wanted us to be perfect in his sight.  Mary helps us each day to realize that it is possible to live in the light of this truth.  Ask her to help you too, to see others as holy and without blemish, worthy of love and walking in the light of faith.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Celebrating Saint Ambrose

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast day of Saint Ambrose, a well-known Bishop who was a the Shepherd of the Church of Milan (Italy).  He was the Roman governor of Liguria and Emilia (two regions in Northern Italy), headquartered in Milan, before being made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. Ambrose was a staunch opponent of Arianism (the belief that God the father is a separate person who created his son Jesus).  Ambrose taught that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all persons of the Trinity - one God made known to us in three persons.

In today's first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a song hat God's people will sing when we realize what a strong city have we, our God sets up walls and ramparts to protect us (Is 26:1).

Our God is so good to us, and we have many ancestors in faith like Saint Ambrose who have helped us to know and to understand who God is. Today, let us give thanks for all those who have helped us to grow in faith, and let us pray for the courage to help others to grow in their understanding and love of God.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: More than we can ask for

Good morning everyone,

The gospel passage proposed for today's meditation is one that is well known to us, yet I wonder if there is something new for us to see this time around. Great crowds came to him bringing with them the blind, the lame, the crippled (cf Mt 15:30). They came with great expectations. Perhaps they had heard of Jesus miraculous power and were hoping that he could cure their friends. What these people did not know was that when you ask God for something, he gives even more than you expected.

Matthew's account of this encounter explains that not only did Jesus cure the sick; he went on to feed the healthy as well (cf Mt 15:32-37). This gives us hope because none of us, even the ones who bring our sick to the Lord in prayer, are fully healthy. We all need the Lord to provide food for our souls, for our hearts, and even for a bodies.

We should pray today for those of our friends, relatives, and all of God's people who are blind, lame, crippled in so many different ways. And we should ask the Lord to surprise us. Because of his boundless generosity, he always wants more for us than we can ask.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: a new shoot

Good morning everyone,

It might seem like an odd time of year to be speaking about planting, but today's scripture readings remind me of a day when I tried my hand at planting an Amaryllis.  Actually, someone presented me with the bulb which had recently been nestled in some earth in a little pot.  My instructions were to keep the soil damp and to watch for any signs of growth.  Keeping the soil damp meant that I needed to be vigilant, keeping watch over the pot on a regular basis, and I must admit that at some point, I wondered whether anything was happening, because despite my daily (almost) checking, there didn't seem to be anything happening … until …  A very small shoot of green broke through the bulb and began to grow.

During the season of Advent, God is calling us to be vigilant about watering our souls with the freshness of his word.  We may not see anything happening at first, and we may even grow impatient about whether our regular tending to this task is worth the effort, but eventually a shoot shall sprout … and from its roots a bud will blossom (Is 11:1).

In these early days of Advent, begin the discipline of watering your soul with the word, and watch in anticipation.  The day will come when you will see the shoot break forth: perhaps in renewed patience toward others, perhaps in an abiding sense of joy and anticipation, perhaps in a new-found depth of faith.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Climbing the mountain

Good morning everyone,

So it begins!  Yesterday, we began the four-week liturgical season of Advent.  Actually, this year, it works out to be just three weeks because of the way the dates fall, but nonetheless, the Lord is inviting us to prepare a special place in our hearts to welcome him at Christmas.

Today's scripture reading from the Book of Isaiah gives us the image of the holy mountain.  From ancient times, the holy place where God's people have encountered him has been symbolized by a mountain - a place that draws us away from the regular routine of our daily lives, a place where we can be awakened (to use the imagery of yesterday's readings) to the presence of God.

In these opening days of the Advent season, let us dare to climb the mountain of the Lord (Is 2:3) so that we can encounter him, listen for his word, and allow our hearts to discover the joy of being in his presence.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: a wor

Good morning everyone,

The gospel passage for today's Mass places us with Jesus at one of the moments when he was trying to teach something very important.  People who were listening would have been well aware of the changes in seasons.  They would have seen buds bursting forth on the trees year after year, and they would have known the joy of knowing that summer is near (Lk 21:30).

It might seem strange for those of us who are used to seeing the changing seasons to grasp the true lesson that Jesus is trying to teach: Even if heaven and earth should pass away, my words will not pass away (Lk 21:33).  This is good news.  The promise that Jesus gives us is meant for eternity.  He offers us the reward of everlasting life, eternal joy ... that will never pass away.

Be attentive today to the glimpses that God gives of the joy that he is preparing for us.  We might see it in the eyes of children, we might see it in the encouragement offered by a friend, we might see it in many different ways.  Treasure these moments and try to imagine what it will be like to be constantly surrounded by such celebration.

Have a great weekend.