A Reminder about the Readings of Advent

Posted on by
Reply

This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. As noted in last week’s commentary, the season of Advent has its own goals, purpose, and sense. That does not include jumping right into the infancy narratives. While one might argue that is where the story of Jesus begins in “time,” it is not a complete idea to describe what is unfolding in “time” but has been planned since the foundation of the world. The danger of beginning with the infancy narratives is that the real story of salvation can get lost in the all-too-familiar Christmas scenes. Those scenes will be celebrated in their own time and place – the Christmas season. But this is Advent. Continue reading →

The Wilderness

Posted on by
Reply

This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent in Lectionary Cycle B. As noted in a previous commentary, the gospels of the Season of Advent follow a particular pattern.  For the Second Sunday of Advent the Gospel readings focus on the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus, the one who came to “Prepare the Way of the Lord,” by calling the people to turn back to God. The readings often include passages from the Old Testament, particularly from the book of Isaiah. This Sunday the first reading is taken from Isaiah 40 and succinctly proclaims: “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” All of these first reading OT prophecies are associated with John the Baptist, and his role as the one who fulfills these prophecies is emphasized. Like Isaiah, John the Baptist’s message was one of repentance and conversion, a fitting Advent theme. Continue reading →

Talking about missionaries….

Posted on by
1

Ideograms for Rabban Bar Sauma

Writing earlier about St. Francis Xavier, I was reminded about a Franciscan missioner, John of Montecorvino, whose feast was November 29. Mention John of Montecorvino and most people – even most Franciscans – will say “who?” John was the first Catholic missionary to China, centuries before the efforts of other Catholic religious orders. It is a compelling story.  If you would like to read an interesting and accessible account of the travel within the context of an art historian comparing 13th century Italian and Chinese art, read Lauren Arnold’s: Princely Gifts & Papal Treasures: The Franciscan Mission to China & Its Influence on the Art of the West, 1250-1350 – fascinating book.

Continue reading →

St. Francis Xavier SJ

Posted on by
1

Tomorrow should be Feast of St. Francis Xavier SJ, however, the 1st Sunday of Advent is celebrated. I remember in March of 2013 while returning from a meeting of the priests of the deanery, the radio announced that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit, had been elected and taken the name Pope Francis. My first thought was, “that’s a great choice” to take the name of one of the amazing saints of the Jesuit order, Francis Xavier, one of the church’s most widely traveled missionaries. I remember thinking that it was a sign that the universal (katholica) church would increasingly focus its attention on the world of the southern hemisphere.

Continue reading →

Chaos and Kingdom

Posted on by
1

In this 34th week of Ordinary Time, in the shadow of the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe, we have been reading from the Book of Daniel, a book used in conjunction with Revelation to conjure predictions of the end of the world… depending on whether you are post-millennial, pre-millennial, or amillennial…but then that is a topic for another post. Continue reading →

The Parable of the Absent Master

Posted on by
Reply

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent in the new Liturgical Year.  34 It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. 35 Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. 36 May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”  Continue reading →

Someone to preach

Posted on by
Reply

Today is the feast of St. Andrew, the one named the Prōtoklētos – or “first called.” Andrew is so designated because as it tells us in the Gospel of John (John 1:35–42) Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him to follow Jesus. Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messiah and hastened to introduce him to his brother, Simon Peter. Jesus called; Andrew answered: Apostle, missionary, martyr. Continue reading →

No One Knows

Posted on by
Reply

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent in the new Liturgical Year. Jesus concluded his response by stressing the responsibility of maintaining vigilance. The duty to watch draws its force from the fact that “no one knows” the critical moment of God’s decisive intervention. Perhaps one is surprised that the lack of knowledge includes “nor the Son.” Early on the clause “nor the Son” attracted the attention of theologians anxious to trace the christological implications in the confession of ignorance, but that inquiry misses the point. Continue reading →