TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Lent, the Church’s annual pre?baptismal retreat, prepares us to gather around the Easter font, renew our baptismal vows, and receive new life from the water as the elect are plunged into Christ’s death and resurrection. This core meaning is more or less available, depending on whether we journey with catechumens in…
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HEALING MINISTRY During Jesus’ ministry “he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons.” This is the case in today’s Gospel. Jesus fulfills the vision of Psalm 147: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Jesus knew, however, that he couldn’t possibly heal all the illness in…
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WATCHING FOR THE MESSIAH Today’s Gospel story of John and his disciples seeing and following Jesus sounds so simple and casual, it’s easy to miss the significant acts of faith that are made. John points to Jesus: “Look,” he says, “there is the Lamb of God.” John’s faith in Jesus is evident, so evident that…
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WE ARE GOD’S HOLY FAMILY The scriptures of Israel are filled with many stories of barren couples who were miraculously granted the gift of children by God. Surely the best known among these is the first reading from today, from which Luke took inspiration when he recounted the miraculous birth of John the Baptist to…
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ECHOING MARY’S DECISION The angel Gabriel today confronts Mary with a mystery. The mystery of salvation in Christ is not a mystery that is solved, but a reality beyond our comprehension that we must choose to enter into. In the liturgy of the Eastern Church, everyone waits to see if Mary will enter into the…
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