From Season to Season

Below is the link for my reflection on this Sunday's First Reading and Gospel in which I reflect on the Insider/Outsider perspective that is so prevalent in society and in the Church.  St. Anthony the Abbot Our disdain of those who do not think like “we” do—whomever “we” may be—reminds me of a teaching of the great Desert Father, Saint Anthony: “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, ‘You are mad—you are not like us.’” Rather than recognize and welcome diverse perspectives, experiences, and opinions, many of us dig in along the trenches of ideology, political rhetoric, or theological certainty, criticizing and excluding those who “do not follow us.” And whether it is in broader society or within the Church, many seem unwilling—even incapable—of creating spaces of hospitality and dialogue . To read the full reflection, click here .

Reflecting on the mystery of the Incarnation, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (d. ca. 202) wrote that “God is man’s glory. Man is the vessel which receives God’s action and all his wisdom and power.” In these final days of Advent, the Church shifts her focus from the advent of Christ at the end of time, to preparing for Christmas. In a particular way, today we are invited to reflect on Mary, the Mother of Jesus.    Although the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38, the Gospel for this Sunday) is one we know well, it’s a powerful testimony of God’s power to initiate, invite, and create. Here, we have a teenage girl, undoubtedly indistinguishable from other young women of her time and place. But, in an instant, God broke into the normalcy of her life in a way that left her—and us—forever changed. Our Lady of Expectation (15th century) For Mary, the Annunciation initiated a period of waiting. She was waiting as an expectant mother and also waiting for events around her to ...

The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled. I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel. - Numbers 24:16-17   With today’s prophecy from Balaam ( Numbers 24:15-17a ), a non-Israelite prophet, our attention is drawn more and more to who Jesus is: the star rising from Jacob and the staff for Israel (cf. Isaiah 11:1 ).    Even a brief reading of the Old Testament will reveal that the people of Israel were a hope-filled, expectant people. Israel’s longing for the Messiah was shaped by the ways that God had manifested his power throughout their history, and prophets, like Isaiah, Amos, and later, John the Baptist never stopped reminding the people that God was coming to save his own. But, Israel also recognized that God had already shown his power and “visited his ...

A few days ago, I read an article about the evolution of America’s celebration of Halloween. In the article, which included statistics and stories spanning more than a century, I learned that in 1965 Americans spent $300 million on Halloween costumes, decorations, and candy. As you might imagine, that number has only increased—exponentially—in the past fifty years. But what surprised me (and, I admit, bothered me), is that of the billions spent on Halloween, Americans today are spending as much on pet costumes as we did on all Halloween items in 1965. Yes, that’s right: $300 million.   Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for celebrating holidays and I enjoy seeing a family pet dressed as a hot dog as much as the next person. But this bit of trivia says a lot about where we are placing our values as a culture. It also says much about what we view as necessity .   I’ve wondered what it would mean if, instead of buying Fluffy that clown outfit this year, the Smith family do...