Gospel

One of the most dramatic moments in this passage is the opening of heaven. In Jewish thought, the heavens represented the realm of God, often perceived as distant from the earthly realm. The image of heaven opening signifies a moment of divine intervention and revelation. It signals that what isRead More →

As he was describing the gift of the Word of God made man out of love for us, St. John the Evangelist also mentioned that “the world did not know him” and “his own people did not accept him” (John 1:11). We know that God created us free, and weRead More →

Joseph dreams of a life yet to be revealed. Herod is searching to keep the life he already knows. Joseph dreams about what might be. Herod searches for what was. Joseph is willing to get up and go, leave behind what he has, and change his life. Herod is afraid,Read More →

It seems that throughout the Bible God is always to trying to tell us this—“Do not be afraid, Abraham, when I ask you to leave your homeland and to travel to a new place that will be your own. Do not be afraid, Moses, for I will be with youRead More →

Many Christians down the ages have remodelled Jesus into something they find more palatable for their own tastes: a sweet and loving Messiah who could never be offensive; a powerful and furious Messiah who will come one day to avenge those who have made us uncomfortable, and who will whiskRead More →

One of the most beloved Christmas stories outside the Bible is really a story about repentance. What is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, if not that? His story is really one of a man who was made bitter by suffering, and who then repented. The visit from the ghost ofRead More →

We often find it difficult to wait. Waiting does not come easy to us. The commercial world cannot wait for Christmas. The carols of Christmas have been piping through our department stores for some weeks now. It is hard to escape strains of ‘Let it snow, let it snow, letRead More →

The thief saw the sign over the cross, which was a sermon in itself: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” And through it all the Holy Spirit led him to recognize and to believe in Jesus of Nazareth as the King of the Jews, the promised Messiah, SonRead More →

Is there a temple whose sacrifice, by God’s grace, is pure and holy, where humanity, with clean hearts, can meet the true God? The answer is yes. We find that temple in a surprising spot. It is no vast structure that dominates the landscape. The temple of which I speakRead More →

Historically, basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral church of the bishop of Rome, the Pope, even though many of the Catholic faithful think the Basilica of St Peter would be his cathedral. The Lateran Basilica has the title “Mother and Head of all the Churches in the CityRead More →