The Epiphany of the Lord (C); 01-02-2022 Is 60:1-6. Ps 72. Eph 3:2-3. Mt 2:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden Today we celebrate the Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi, traditionally described as a trio based on the three gifts they brought as they came to the humble cave of Bethlehem. The Church tells the story…
Christmas (C); 12-25-2021 Is 9:1-6. Ps 96. Ti 2:11-14. Lk 2:1-14 Deacon Jim McFadden Christmas celebrates God’s overwhelming desire to be united with us. Sometimes we wonder, why does he bother? He’s perfect—he doesn’t need anything since he is the great I AM. The Psalmist wondered the same thing, when he intoned, “What are…
4th Sunday of Advent (C); 12-19-2021 Mi 5:1-4a. Ps 80. Heb 10:5-10. Lk 1:39-45 Deacon Jim McFadden The Old Testament foretells the Good News of salvation history which is fulfilled in the New Testament. It’s important to keep in mind that the Gospel writers did not write in a linear fashion, but more in…
Third Sunday of Advent (C); 12-12-2121 Zep 3:14-18a (Ps) Is 12. Phil 4:4-7. LK 3:10-18 Deacon Jim McFadden What struck me about the date of the Third Sunday of Advent is that when you read it from left-to-right or right-to-left, the sequence repeats itself, which is singularly unique on the calendar. But, what is…
First Sunday of Advent (C); 11-28-2021 Jer 33:14-16. Ps 25. 1 Thes 3:12-4:2. Lk 21:25-28,34-36 Deacon Jim McFadden At the start of the new liturgical year, Advent begins, which prepares us for Christmas—inviting us to lift our gaze to Jesus and open our hearts to him so that he may be born within us…
Second Sunday of Advent (C); 12-05-2021 Bar 5:1-9. Ps 126. Phil 1:4-6,8-11. Lk 3:1-6 Deacon Jim McFadden After encountering the signs and wonders of the coming of Immanuel, Luke is going to call the community to a deeper level of conversion and surrender and he does this through the transitional figure of John the…
The Solemnity of Christ the King (B); 11-21-2021 Dn 7:13-14. Ps 93. Rv 1:5-8. Jn 18:33-37 Deacon Jim McFadden On the last Sunday of the liturgical year, we are celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King. For us Americans, it’s not easy to comfortably ease into this feast because we don’t particularly like kings…
The Nones: Where they Come from, Who they are, and Where they’re going. 27% of 18-29 identify themselves as being religiously unaffiliated. 18.8% of 30 year old do the same. Why the emergence? According to Ryan P. Burge, who published a book (of the lead intro.), “The reality is simply this: Americans used to be…
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B); 11-14-2021 Dn 12:1-3. Ps 16. Heb 10:11-14,18. Mk 13:24-32 Deacon Jim McFadden Many decades ago as a graduate student at Tulane University in New Orleans, I was out for an evening jog in the grassy area near the dorms. Behind me, I hear this abrupt command: “Stop where…
32nd Sunday in O.T. (B); 11-07-2021 1 Kgs 17:10-16. Ps 146. Heb 9:24-28. Mk 12:38-44 Deacon Jim McFadden If some roving reporter came up to our Lord today and asked, “Jesus of Nazareth: in one succinct sound-bite, what’s your message?” In response, he may have said, “My message is my life.” Whoa, Jesus…
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); October 18, 2026 Is 45:1,4-6. Ps 96. 1 Thes 1:1-5b. Mt 22:15-21 Deacon Jim McFadden We’ve just heard one of the famous passages of the entire Gospel: “Render to Caesar the things that are…
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); October 11, 2026 Is 25:6-10a. Ps 23. Phil 4:12-20. Mt 22:1-14 Deacon Jim McFadden The parable we hear in today’s Gospel tells us a lot about the Kingdom of God, which is likened…
27th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A); October 4, 2026 Is 5:1-7. Ps 80. Phil 4:6-9. Mt 21:33-43 Deacon Jim McFadden The parable about the mismanagement of the vineyard tells us a lot about the Kingdom of God, the choices we…
