Category Archives: Musings

Genealogy of Hope

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The gospel for today is St. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. It is Matthew’s way of showing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament storyline and takes up the first 17 verses of the gospel – and since Matthew’s gospel is almost always the first book of the New Testament, one could say it is the first 17 verses of the entire New Testament! … and I am sure most people skip it and move on to the Nativity and Infancy narratives.

Genealogies in the Old Testament are always working to communicate multiple layers of information to readers. Genealogies obviously trace family trees, but they also help us follow priestly and royal lines through Israel’s story. You can see each of these types of genealogies in the first nine chapters of Chronicles. In fact, there’s little doubt that the author of Matthew had the book of Chronicles and its genealogies in mind when he wrote his own Gospel account and began it with a genealogy.

Okay… But why does this genealogy matter?

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Guadalupe and Linguistics

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Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Today it is common to find villages, towns, cities, and even districts in Mexico, Central and South America named “Guadalupe.”  But in the year 1531 there was no such place in Mexico. So, I have always wondered why the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to as “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” It is an interesting story of linguistic misunderstanding.

Guadalupe is the name of an area, a city, a river, and a Marian shrine in Spain. The word itself comes from a mixture of  Arabic and Latin roots. Remember that Spain was occupied in part and whole by an Islamic regime from 720 CE until 1492 CE, hence many words have Arabic origin. The Arabic wadi (seasonal river bed) became the Spanish “quadi” having the same meaning. “Quadi” seems to have been combined with the Latin lupus (wolf) to come up with Guadalupe.

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Such is Our God

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“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated…” (Isaiah 40:1-2)

The Prophet Isaiah is speaking to the Jewish people exiled to Babylon. His message is one of profound hope and consolation, reminding them – and us – of God’s infinite mercy. After a period of suffering and exile, God assures His people that their trials are not without purpose. He is both just and compassionate, bringing an end to their hardship and preparing a way for restoration.

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Hope

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Because today’s gospel reading is the same as the gospel for the Solemnity of the Annunciation, I suspect that is part of the reason that people somehow think we are celebrating the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb. But that is not it at all. We are celebrating the conception of Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, the one who will become the mother of Jesus. What is it that is “immaculate” about this conception? That because of the pure gift of God, and not on the merits of any human being, Mary was conceived without original sin. It is in the teaching of our Church that God provided such a gift so that the mother of His only begotten Son would be the holy and pure Ark of the New Covenant. It is a particular gift to Mary but also a gift to us. Let’s place that in a larger context.

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A History: The Immaculate Conception

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The Immaculate Conception of the Venerable One...It’s important to understand what the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is and what it is not. Some people think the term refers to Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb without the intervention of a human father; but that is the Virgin Birth. Others think the Immaculate Conception means Mary was conceived “by the power of the Holy Spirit,” in the way Jesus was, but that, too, is incorrect. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain—that’s what “immaculate” means: without stain. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from these defects by God’s grace; from the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings. Continue reading →

Learning, Unlearning, Forgiving

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The author Ian Toll’s trilogy of the Navy/Marine Pacific campaigns during World War II was a wonderful read. What lets Toll’s trilogy stand apart from those historians who wrote before him was his access to the personal war diaries of women and men on both sides of the conflict in the Pacific. One of the journals cited at various points along the timeline was from a young Japanese woman. Continue reading →

Transformed

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The enemies are on the horizon. Judah is in a time of darkness or uncertainty, waiting for a light to show there is a better future coming. Today’s first reading is from Isaiah 29:17-24. Beginning with the first verse the reading lets us know that something new and transforming is afoot. 

To the north, Lebanon is known for its extensive forests and cedar trees – even today the nation’s flag shows forth the mighty cedar.  So, what is with the mention of forest lands becoming orchards? In order to have orchards promised, the forest has to be cut down. Isaiah has used the imagery of such clearing before as a symbol of humiliation (2:13; 10:34; 37:24). This is the way of Isaiah telling Judah of the coming reversal in the positions of the noble/privileges and the common person.

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The City

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In today’s reading from Isaiah 26:1-6. It is important to recall that in yesterday’s selection the prophet began with the image of a banquet: “On this mountain, the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines.” (Is 25:6). Isaiah chapters 24 and 25 focus on the Lord’s victory and the feast which follows. The following chapters (26 and 27) reflect in a somewhat more solemn vein upon the meaning of this victory for Judah.

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The Banquet

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In today’s reading from Isaiah 25:6-10, the prophet begins with the image of a banquet: “On this mountain, the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines.” This is not a night out at the Ponderosa; it is more than mean. It is the banquet symbolizing God’s desire to gather His people – all people – into communion with Him. It is a vision of abundance, joy, and unity. In a world often marked by scarcity and division, this image reassures us of God’s boundless generosity and the inclusivity of His Kingdom. All are invited—there is no one excluded from His loving embrace.

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Peasants and Royalty

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The entire first reading (Isa 11:1-10) gives us a prophetic vision of the coming Messiah, a figure who will bring justice, peace, and harmony to all creation.  Today’s first reading also offers two quite famous verses we have all encountered:

“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11:1)

“The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat..” (Isaiah 11:6)

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