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Second Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

01 Mar 2015

SUNDAY SUMMARY Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Abraham goes up the mountain and emerges with a new understanding of God. Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19 The faithful servant of God offers thanks as a sacrifice. Romans 8:31b-34 Whatever forces may be against us, God Almighty is on our side! Mark 9:2-10 On the mountaintop, the disciples get a new perspective on their Teacher.

Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19 Romans 8:31b-34 Mark 9:2-10 Second Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

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Sign & sacrament

01 Dec 2013 - First Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

It may seem strange to talk about Christ’s second coming when we’re just starting to prepare for the celebration of his first. But that’s exactly what the scripture readings for the first two Sundays of Advent do; it’s not until the third and fourth Sundays that we get to the Incarnation part. “You . . . must be prepared,” we hear, “for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” What gives? Why speak of the End at the Beginning? Because in both cases Jesus becomes present to the world. Our task is to be ready to receive the light of that presence, at the beginning and the end and all the time in between.

Incarnation second coming

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Sign & sacrament

06 May 2012 - Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

The history of world religions is filled with treasures of wisdom and inspiration. Sadly it is also filled with strife, division, intolerance, and bloodshed. Before his famous conversion, Saint Paul, formerly known as Saul, had been a zealous persecutor of the early followers of Jesus. Helping Paul find acceptance among the apostles, Barnabas performed a great act in the service of interfaith dialogue and inclusiveness. The God we worship is beyond all denominational and doctrinal differences and disputes. The Creator of all must by logic be the God of all. In some small way today, reach out to a follower of another tradition in tolerance, and help heal the wounds that still exist.

Saint Paul persecution Acceptance

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Exploring the word

28 Nov 2010 - First Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

THE DEMISE OF the analog clock has probably affected the learning curve a little. But flashing digital displays still don’t offer to children or other fine people the precise meaning of time that goes along with merely knowing the numbers. So it’s 3-0-2 p.m.: What does that signify, and why should we care? The question of time always comes down to this: What does knowledge of the hour have to do with me? Time means different things to different people. It also means different things to the same person—but let’s take our time with this idea. Ask an indolent person sleeping off the latest six-pack what 3:02 means and he might say, “Time for another beer.” A shopkeeper might call it two hours after closing time. A school child running for the bus won’t hear the question. A depressed person may sigh: “One hour is as good as another.” For the average person, 3:02 has many meanings depending on the day. A workday is different from a Saturday. Vacation time and the holiday season seem to change the texture of time altogether. A week in bed with the flu changes the feeling of time, even the pace at which it moves. Waiting in the hospital at 3:02 for word from a surgeon about a loved one is not the same as waiting for the groom two minutes late for the wedding, or waiting for the mail delivery, or waiting for Godot. Maybe we’re anxiously anticipating spring break, or perhaps nothing at all, because no future possibilities seem from here to make a difference, to offer hope or rescue. Being a seer, Isaiah could look to the horizons of time and see a new day dawning. To prophets, time is like a ribbon of road set before us that only requires a certain amount of determined walking to get where we want to go. The light of the Lord is out there; how badly do you want to see it? Get walking, and you’ll arrive to bask in it. Stay put, and you’ll never see that day shine forth. Saint Paul, who could certainly dance with the prophets on a good day, imagined that we’re all farther down that road to kairos time than we suspect. How do we want to arrive at the fateful hour: steeped in the current sludge of sinfulness or shimmering in the freshly polished armor of virtue? Meanwhile—we can say meanwhile, because in eternity the perspective is not linear—Jesus says that winding your watch or glancing at your cell phone won’t give you the information you need about the advancement of the hour. In the reign of God, it’s never 3:02. It’s always now. Scripture links Waiting for the hour: Mark 14:35, 41; Matt. 26:45; Luke 22:53; John 2:4, 4:21-26, 5:25-29, 7:6-8, 30, 8:20, 12:23-32, 16:2-4, 16-33, 17:1 Isaiah(s) on peace: 9:5-6, 11:1-9, 55:12, 56:1-8, 57:19, 60:1-22 Christ is our peace: Eph. 2:11-22 Catechism links Advent: CCC 522-524; 1093-1098 Prophecy and preparation: CCC 64; 761-762; 2317 Second Coming: CCC 668-679

Authors Alice Camille

reign of god Isaiah eternity second coming

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Who's listening?

08 Aug 2010 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

If this week's readings have a "theme," it could be "unseen vigilance." Wisdom speaks of the Israelites who kept their faith in "secret," while Hebrews offers the classic definition of faith as the "evidence of things not seen" and speaks of Abraham, who "went out, not knowing where he was to go." And the gospel counsels servants to be vigilant in waiting for their master. Faith sometimes flies in the face of appearances. God doesn't always seem present or close, others don't understand one's faith, and virtue and sacrifice aren't always rewarded. Name this truth for the people and commend them for keeping faith, for making the invisible visible in their daily lives. Challenge them to have the strength to continue.

Faith Abraham secret

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