As today’s Gospel suggests, righteousness is no guarantee of a smooth life.
Advent
Posted inExamen, Faith
Fr. James Martin, S.J.: Why do we always forget about Joseph?
Maybe this week you could pray to Joseph and ask him to help you respond to the call of the young man whom he helped to raise.
Posted inAdvent Reflections, Faith
Have a messy family history? So does Jesus
Out of the welter of misfits, black sheep and skeletons in the closet God brings Jesus.
Posted inAdvent Reflections, Faith
God bears our joys as well as our sorrows
A singing God—what a delightful illustration of the divine presence among us.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Advent might be a time for silence—but don’t get too comfortable.
“Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.” Are you ready?
Posted inAdvent Reflections, Faith
We need not be shy about calling out to God for help
The act of planting a garden is the easier part: It’s the small daily acts of caring over the long haul that can be a challenge.
Posted inFaith, Music
Advent Playlist: Classic hymns to help you wait in hope
Last year, ‘America’ published “An (unconventional) Advent Playlist.” This is my (much more conventional) Advent playlist.
Posted inAdvent Reflections, Faith
Does Christ unsettle us?
“This generation” of religious leaders whom Jesus takes to task in today’s Gospel resist the new and different.
Posted inAdvent Reflections, Faith
What does it mean to take the kingdom of heaven by force?
If I had ever managed to find time to take the divinity school course on “Troubling New Testament Texts,” I would have lobbied to include today’s Gospel passage on the syllabus.
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
On Gaudete Sunday, we are called to rejoice—despite the bad news.
Why is bad news so much easier to believe than the good?