The Book of Jonah was written tongue-in-cheek as the author intended there to be some humor in this book (see the introduction to the Book of Jonah in the New American Bible).
Here I Am Lord
We are, again, in Ordinary Time, and this week, we celebrate the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. That may prompt some to ask: “What happened to the 1st Sunday?”
A Season of Preparation
The Season of Advent is a season of preparation. It is preparation not only for the celebration of Christ’s first coming into the world at Christmas when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God for the love and mercy he has shown us by coming into the world in the person of Christ and, through His ministry, to show us how to live lives of virtue, that we might be co-heirs with Him in the kingdom of heaven.
Good and Faithful Servant
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of ancient literature, the purpose of which is to impart wisdom, and the wisdom it purports to teach covers a wide range of subject matters, some purely secular (such as the ideal wife we read about in this week’s first reading) and some dealing with moral and religious truths.
The Vinyard of the Lord
Our reading from chapter 5 of Isaiah and our gospel from chapter 21 of Matthew is almost identical, using the image of a vineyard as the house of Israel.
To Forgive or Not Forgive
This week, the message changes from Calling attention to sin and evil in our midst to reaching out in mercy to those who have offended us and will accept our forgiveness.
Feast of the Transfiguration
The Book of Daniel may appear to be prophetic in nature, but it is actually an example of a literary genre known as “Apocalyptic,” which was popular during the period from about 200 B.C. to 100 A.D. This was a time of stress and persecution for Jews and, later, for Christians.
Far Greater Can Await Us
Our first reading from 2nd Kings is an interesting story about the prophet Elisha and a Shunammite woman who showed him hospitality. On the surface, it would appear that the golden thread this week is hospitality, but it goes deeper than that.
The Unbreakable Bond
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of our faith, but it is a mystery that is beyond human reason. We cannot understand the Trinity intellectually; we can only grasp the concept of one God in three persons through faith.
The Early Church
Once again, our first reading this week comes from St. Luke’s: “The Acts of the Apostles” rather than from the Old Testament, as is the case on most Sundays.









