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Readings: First Sunday of Lent | USCCB  Testing in The Wilderness  The Gospel for the first Sunday in Lent is always the account of Jesus’ time in the wilderness, this year from Luke. To understand this text, it is important to remember what comes immediately before it, i.e., Jesus’ baptism by John in the River Jordan, his experience of the Holy Spirit resting on him like a dove, and his hearing a voice from heaven declaring, “You are my son, my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Today’s text follows this cluster of experiences, proclaiming, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished.”    Some details to note here: First, Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit following his baptism; second, it is that same Spirit who leads him into the wilderness; third, his reason for being in the wilderness is to be tested (a much better translation than “tempted”); finally, the tester is the devil or diabolic one. The text suggests that […]

Ash Wednesday Readings: Ash Wednesday | USCCB Lent: A Call to Simplicity, Solidarity, and Connection Lent is a season of return—not just to prayer and reflection, but to the core of who we are called to be: people of love, justice, and solidarity. It is a time to pause, to strip away what distracts us, and to remember that our lives are deeply connected—to God, to one another, and to our brothers and sisters around the world. The prophet Joel urges us: “Return to me with your whole heart.” This is not a call to empty rituals but to a transformation of the heart—one that shapes how we live and how we show up for others. The Gospel reminds us that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not about what we give up but about how we make space for something greater: deeper love, stronger relationships, and a renewed commitment to the common good. Lent invites us to live more simply so that others may simply live. This is where action and solidarity come in. What does it mean to stand with our brothers and sisters—not just in thought or prayer, but in real, tangible ways? One way we do this […]

  Epiphany of Our Lord  January 5th  Readings: The Epiphany of the Lord | USCCB  Epiphany: the word literally means an appearance or manifestation, and typically refers to the appearance of a divine being. For Christians, the Feast of the Epiphany closes out the “Twelve Days of Christmas” and as part of the annual commemoration of the Nativity of our Lord, celebrates the appearance of the Son of God who was incarnate in the person of Jesus, taking on our humanity so that we might know God in a very personal and intimate way.   Today’s Gospel reading recounts the familiar story of the magi from the east, who have followed a star since its rising and come to Jerusalem looking for the newborn King of the Jews. Although the religious experts whom Herod consults correctly identify Bethlehem as the birthplace of the one who is to shepherd the people of Israel, it is only the magi who continue on to find the child with his mother, and to give him homage.  The irony here is that the magi were “foreigners,” “outsiders,” those we might least expect to be interested in or open to the appearance of the newborn king of […]

January 1st  Readings: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God | USCCB  Today’s Gospel reading takes us to the tender scene of the Nativity. We know it as imagined in countless paintings: the infant Christ lying in the manger, the shepherds coming in joy to worship, and Joseph and Mary gazing in wonder at the child who lies before them. Mary, like any new mother, cannot take her eyes off her new baby. Yet today’s other readings hint that Mary is not the only one gazing. The Psalmist prays: “May God have pity on us and bless us; / may he let his face shine upon us.” Similarly, the LORD tells Moses to bless the Israelites with the words “The LORD bless you and keep you! / The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! / The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” These words remind us that even as Mary gazes at Christ, he also looks at her with a gaze that brings God’s blessing.  In her recent volume of poetry, Dawn of this Hunger1, contemporary poet and Catholic convert Sally Read imagines mother and son in the […]