By Father Joseph Brando May is that perfect connection between the winds and rains of early spring and the heat of summer. It is a transition that contains the best of both sides. The scriptures used in the Sunday liturgies of May do the same thing theologically. The storms and …
Living the readings: The rites of spring
The season for planting is here, which will lead to new life Early spring has already come, and with it the refreshing spring rains that foretell the beginning of life. Crops soon will start growing from seeds that are only now being planted. The season for planting has begun. In …
Living the readings: Being cute
A child’s description of the Christ Child becomes an epiphany As I was preparing my homilies for the Christmas Masses, I found myself trying to come up with a word that would explain the reaction Jesus received from the shepherds and the Magi. They were enthralled by the Christ Child …
From the sublime to the Ordinary
The Liturgy of the Word for January is a fine tapestry woven into an intricate collage. One end, starting the Octave Day of Christmas, features the Book of Numbers where God tells Moses to teach Aaron how to bless the Israelites. It depicts the ideal living out of the Old …
Living the readings: Watching the sun rise
Christ’s constant presence gives light to the darkness December is the darkest month of the year. Its first 20 days are a progression into ever longer nights until the 21st of December, when we experience in the Northern Hemisphere the longest day of darkness of the year. The Church reacts …
Unveiling the future
November is the month we close out Ordinary Time and make way for Advent and the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. It does so, however, with a flourish. We all get excited by books and movies that try to tell us about the end of the world. November presents …
Living the readings: Remaining faithful to God
Persevere in faith to receive the mercy of the Lord Once again, the basic theme of the Sunday liturgies this October is plain to see. Every single reading calls us to persevere in our faith under all circumstances. To hammer home this message the Church takes all of its second …
Fifteen ways to conquer pride
There is no menace to the spiritual life more dangerous, more prevalent, or more potent than pride. It is the basic source of all sin. If we can eradicate pride from our lives, we can enjoy living in the grace of God to the full. In September, we will go …
Living the readings: Living in an imperfect world
Gaining salvation by putting away parts of us that are earthly August is a difficult month with its heat and humidity. It’s the perfect time to meditate on how a Christian should live in a world that can be a very difficult place to evaluate, to make decisions, and to …
Living the readings: A month of virtue
Great things are happening to us as power of God goes to work Some may be led to think that holiness is boring. They may claim that it is monotonous in that holy people do nothing but good. They define being good as avoiding evil. To reduce goodness to doing …
Living the readings: The power of the Eucharist
Body, Blood of Christ strengthen faith, overcome death and sin June is beginning with a flourish as the feast of Corpus Christi is highlighting the sacrament of the Eucharist. After this feast to the end of the liturgical year Sundays are nameless yet numbered with the exception of the last …
Living the readings: Are we almost there yet?
Bible never disappoints as it deals with a multitude of endings Most every piece of literature ever written begins with an implied promise. By its very nature, it assures you it will come to an ending. There are some notable exceptions, but those are spoken of with disappointment or downright …
