1st Sunday of Advent Year C

Fear can come in different forms: anxiety - unspecified fear or fear of the unknown; phobia - irrational fear of a thing or situation; awe - fear in the presence of the Lord; fright - being startled, etc. My question for today is what will I feel in the presence of the Lord when he comes? Maybe I will die first and come into his presence or maybe the world will end and he will come to me? Either way I will encounter "the one whom they have pierced" and in his light I will see light and know the truth. What advice does the Scripture have for us?: "Be on your guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day will not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Lk 21: 34-36)

Feast of Christ the King

What we have today is the encounter between two judges: one, representing this world, is Pontius Pilate; the other, representing the world to come, is Jesus of Nazareth. The former is a Roman upwardly mobile careerist the latter is a Galilean peasant. Pilate sees Jesus as an inconvenience and is ready to mock him. Jesus, as he does with all of us, sees into our souls. He informs Pilate and through him the Roman Empire that whatever power he/it wields has been given him/it by the Father. The power that Jesus possesses is not that of the sword rather it is the truth. In the final analysis it is Pilate who is on trial here - he is found wanting. The Church does not give us today the question uttered by Pilate: "What is truth?" (in Latin: Quid est veritas?) This, however, is as relevant to today's society as it was for Pilate. Blinded by power and insecurity he is nevertheless, in his own way, desirous of knowing the meaning of life and what it means to please God.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do you remember the television series and book: The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy? The main selling point of the book was that, at the back of it, there was a page with "Don't Panic" in large, red letters. Today's gospel likewise, tells us not to panic. We can see, even from the Y2K bug at the turn of the century that people will so often look for reasons to be afraid. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega and has won the victory over sin and death. We still need patience and perseverance, nevertheless, the victory is our too: "... so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." (Heb. 9: 28)

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

The widow who contributes her "mite" in today's Gospel lived in a time when the hardship of widows, together with orphans, was proverbial. Yet, she is giving out of her meagre resources to the Temple. In doing so she, among other things, demonstrates her trust in Providence. How many of us are so brave as we give from our plenty? God does not need our resources  however he wants our faith and our love by which we show that we rely on him and not on ourselves. In what ways or on what occasions in my life have I shown my trust in God? Do I pray and act in accord with my prayer? Or, do my prayers say one thing and my actions another?