It is no surprise, then, that we have four sets of readings (as if one would do).
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How does one respond to an invitation to join God in a holy journey of faith?
How did Mary respond to this invite? She did not respond like Ahaz. No, indeed; rather, Mary said it simply, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Continue readingThe divinity of Jesus is our great hope
This is the great feast of incarnation. This is God coming into our humanity, God divinizing our humanity.
Continue readingThere is no limit to God’s power to save, present us that Spirit
Except the limit that we ourselves place on it.
Continue readingEmbrace the message of peace from the prince of peace
To truly make peace a lived reality, today.
Continue readingLike Mary, we are called
+ We are moving through narrative sections of the scriptures, and they do not present us with a lot of teaching through parables and other storytelling devices.
However, today is a most interesting passage from the very first verses of Matthew’s Gospel — the famous Genealogy of Jesus.
Also interestingly, for whatever reason, those who put together the scriptures that would be used in liturgy chose to leave out Verse 17 which actually is said to be largely artificial composition, arranging three sets of 14 generations — 42 in all.
It begins with Abraham and interestingly includes good and not so good peeps.
It also includes five women, which was a rarity.
And even rarer was that among those five women were prostitutes and gentiles.
Of course, Mary is also noted. All of this makes up the line of ancestors — the Davidic line — from which Jesus was born.
He, Emmanuel (God is with us), entered into humanity through the Virgin Mary.
The feast day is a big one in both the Eastern and Western churches, but more so in the East where it is a solemnity.
It falls on Sept. 8 (also artificially rather than historically) because Sept. 8 comes exactly nine months after the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, just as the Annunciation precedes the birth of Jesus by nine months (celebrated on March 25).
The thorough artificial listing of names is to root Jesus historically in time and to really show his human nature attached to people both good and not so good — family.
That’s the way it was, and that’s the way it is.
There is a choice for the first reading.
The Micah passage sets us up for the Davidic line that would be traced back to a tiny and insignificant place, and from this clan of insignificance would come a mighty ruler — the prediction of the messiah realized in our Gospel passage.
The other choice of readings from Paul’s letter to the Romans speaks of how we are called by God just as Mary herself was called: “and those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Really, like Mary, we are CALLED.
And when we realize that deep within we are also invited to be “conformed to the image of his Son.”
Continue readingOpen this thing called your heart
Clearly, God entered into our world and our lives — and things, as they say, would never be the same.
Continue readingGod’s word is filled with wonder, awe — and even romance
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor A reflection on the daily readings, for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, by Father Perry. “O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law.” At the beginning of the Mass, usually a song […]
Continue readingWe should see ourselves as Mary
Are there limits as to how much your/our God can reach into our deepest spirit and love us into a new reality?
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