INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: Overcoming evil – Lent reminds us of many things. It recalls our baptism, the beginning of God’s life in us. We think of this especially as we follow the journey of our catechumens toward their baptisms at Easter. Lent also reminds us of sin and our...
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: Forgiveness – The sermon on the mount continues to unfold its teaching for us in the Sunday liturgy. Again, we see how the teaching of Jesus goes beyond the Mosiac law. It is no longer the case that our dealings with others call for a measured...
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: The Law of Christ – “How I love your law, Lord. It is my meditation all the day. Your command has made me wiser than my enemies for it is ever with me” (Ps 119:97 – 98). In Hebrew teaching, love and respect for the...
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: The Christian Life: Light and Salt – Light is the thought that links today’s liturgy of the word. Its meaning is developed in the first and third readings. Paul teaches that the light of Christ has its own power when preached and does not depend on...
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: Dependence on God – Two important biblical concepts come together in today’s readings. These are the remnant of Israel and the anawim of the “poor of God.” The prophet Zephaniah speaks of the sacred remnant of God’s people and the humble hearts which they are to...
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: The Heart of Discipleship – In Jesus the messianic age has dawned. Matthew, the gospel to be read during this A cycle, introduces Jesus’ public ministry immediately after the account of the baptism by John (3:13–17) and Jesus’ temptation in the desert (4:1–11). As in the...
Introduction to the Liturgy: Christian Baptism: Election, Forgiveness and Mission – Today’s liturgy of the word couples John the Baptist’s recognition of Jesus and his mission with Isaiah’s second song if the suffering servant. What is said of the mission of Jesus is to be duplicated in the life of...
Introduction to the Liturgy: A Call to the Wild – Today’s feast adds a new and central feature to the Christmas message. Epiphany means manifestation – in this case, manifestation to the nations. Jesus is not solely the Jewish Messiah; he comes for the entire world. In Christ, all barriers will...
HEARING IMPAIRED? LISTEN TO INTERNAL TRANSMISSION OF THE CATHEDRAL SOUND SYSTEM ON 88.1 FM Introduction to the Liturgy – Mary, The Mother of God – From the infancy narratives, which are written from a post-Easter theological perspective, it is impossible to determine how much Mary understood at the Time of...
HEARING IMPAIRED? LISTEN TO INTERNAL TRANSMISSION OF THE CATHEDRAL SOUND SYSTEM ON 88.1 FM Introduction to the Liturgy – Your Savior Comes – These words from Isaiah, read in the mass for Christmas morning, capture the flavor of all the readings selected for this feast. Selections from the book of...
