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Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent: O Key of David
Today’s readings We humans put up all sorts of barriers. Some are necessary, like the walls of prisons, or the sound barriers along a highway. Others are sad, like the old wall that used to separate East and West Germany. The physical barriers that we accept every day keep us safe and warm, define our…
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Advent Penance Service
Readings: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 and Matthew 5:13-16 I know a lot of people who get depressed this time of year. Probably you do too. Many people are missing loved ones who are far away from home, or who have passed away. Some of my friends have a touch of seasonal affective disorder, and so they…
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Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church
Today’s readings A long time ago now, someone once gave my family an ornament for our Christmas tree. It was very curious: basically just a large nail hung from a green ribbon. You probably already know the significance of the nail: when looking at the manger, we remember the cross. When gazing on the Christmas…
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Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr
Today’s readings In every age, young people have the difficult task of remaining pure. This was true of Saint Lucy, who desired to remain pure because of her commitment to Christ. She was born of noble parents in Sicily around the year 283. Her father died early in her life, and so she was dependent…
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Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
Today’s readings One of my favorite things about the season of Advent is the people we meet along the way. This week we had a celebration of Mary’s Immaculate Conception as well as a visit from Saint Nicholas. Next week we’ll get to meet Saint Lucy and John of the Cross. Today’s Scriptures introduce us…
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Friday of the Second Week of Advent
Today’s readings We Americans tend to believe that we ourselves have all the answers; and I don’t necessarily mean that all of us together have the answers, but rather that we individually have the answers. We hold relative truth, even if we wouldn’t say that we do. It’s cold comfort to see, in our gospel…
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Thursday of the Second Week of Advent
Today’s readings It’s amazing, I think, that our God would choose to become one of us, frail and weak creatures that we are. And he could have come and become incarnate in any way he chose. But what he chose is almost incomprehensible: the Lord of all came into the world as a tiny baby,…
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary II
Mass for the school children. Today’s readings I think we’re so blessed that we get to come to church and celebrate so many of Mary’s feasts. Today is a very special feast because Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the United States of America, and so she is very special…
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today’s readings Blessed Pope Pius IX instituted the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854, when he proclaimed as truth the dogma that our Lady was conceived free from the stain of original sin. This had been a traditional belief since about the eighth century, and had been…
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Saint Nicholas
Today’s readings The general rule of thumb is that the saints are always supposed to point us to God. The stories of the saints aren’t always real factual, and we cannot rely on them for actual historical records. That’s not their purpose. The stories of the saints are designed to illuminate the saints’ lives in…
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