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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MORE THAN DISCIPLES Each of today’s four scriptural roles—disciple, prophet, apostle, herald—forms a facet of our life in Christ as we live it day by day. Isaiah tells us that a prophet is anointed, as we were anointed at our baptism in water and the Spirit, to bring glad tidings and to promote God’s reign…
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EXILE Both Isaiah and Peter had the task of comforting and encouraging their communities during times of exile. The Israelites were in geographic exile from Israel; to them this was, in effect, the same as being in exile from their God. The early Christians, following the Resurrection, expected an immediate return of Christ in glory;…
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