Author: The Anchorite

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Trusting In The Word

Epiphany (B) – Matthew 2:1-12

Heather, a woman who had been searching for something to believe in for years, feels drawn at last to the Catholic faith. She becomes part of the RCIA process at the local parish. Having had little religious background or education, everything she sees and learns is new and exciting to her. Everything seems to  confirm for her that God has indeed led her there. Her interest and excitement are easily seen by other parishioners. Some find it an inspiration and a challenge to their own life of faith. Others shrug it off with a bemused, “knowing” smile. “She’s new and naïve”, they say among themselves. “She’ll learn someday.” Continue reading “Trusting In The Word”

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Icon Of The Trinity

Holy Family (B)

This is a photo of my mother’s family, from the early 1940’s. My mother, the only one still alive, is in the front row, second from the left.

In celebrating this feast of the Holy Family, we might assume that the focus is on Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and how they lived out their family life. In one sense, of course, that is true. However, when we look at the Gospels, we find very few details about the Holy Family. Certainly not the kind of detail that we in our time would look for in trying to understand them. The Gospels give us very little biographical info. We aren’t given Joseph’s psychological background, or what Mary’s personality was like, or what the child Jesus liked to eat for breakfast. We aren’t given examples of how they dealt with some of the challenges of marriage and family life. We aren’t told anything about what Joseph or Mary’s expectations might have been when they became betrothed to one another.  Continue reading “Icon Of The Trinity”

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Christmas Signposts

Christmas 2017

With all due respect to the Fourth Sunday of Advent, I’m jumping ahead just a bit with this post in order to offer a reflection on Christmas.

Christmas. What can one say about Christmas that hasn’t been said “many times, many ways”, as the song reminds us? Then again, maybe one can. After all, we are dealing with two different Christmases in our culture, and have been for quite a long time.  Continue reading “Christmas Signposts”

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Joy

Third Sunday of Advent (B)

“You say you are a Christian. Then where the devil is your joy?” – Georges Bernanos

Joy.

On this, the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday), the liturgy we celebrate returns again and again to this theme of joy. Witness the Opening Prayer at Mass: “Enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation, and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.” Witness the first reading: “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul”. Witness Paul, in the second reading: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks.” Joy. Rejoice. The message seems clear. Continue reading “Joy”

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Comfort To My People

Second Sunday of Advent (B)

“Comfort, give comfort to my people”, says your God. – Isaiah 40:1

You are seven years old, riding your bike on a  warm summer’s day. Your front tire hits a patch of sand and loses traction. You fall, skinning your right elbow and knee. The new wounds sting, but the sensation of falling is more frightening to you than the wounds. You seek your mother. If she’s available, you go to her immediately. If not, you tell her as soon as possible. She may give you some unsolicited advice about being careful on your bike – advice that is painfully obvious to you now. Chances are that she will also clean your scrapes, put ointment and bandages on them, give you a hug or a kiss, and reassure you that all is well. You may head out again, your scrapes still stinging. But you are no longer overwhelmed. Your mother consoled you and told you that it will be okay – and you believe her. You may even show off your new scars to your friends, as though you were a Purple Heart soldier with battle scars. Your mother’s comfort has made all the difference. Continue reading “Comfort To My People”