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In: Advent, christ, Christmas, confession, Elijah, Eucharist, Fuller, Jesus, John, prepare, Purify, Reconciliation, Refiner, sacramental, sacraments, the, Way

It’s two days before Christmas and the story continues with more about John the Baptist and his birth.  The Old Testament reading has some interesting imagery in it though.  It talks of sending a messenger before him, to prepare the way.  Then it says the Lord will come suddenly intoContinue Reading

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In: Advent, angel, betrothed, come, Gabriel, home, hope, Jesus, Joseph, love, Mary

Based on the readings for December 18th, Advent 2016 We have lost a sense in modern society of how important betrothal is.  In today’s society we think of engagement as simply testing the waters.   What we call engagement in modern terms is what people a couple decades ago would haveContinue Reading

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In: Advent, baptism, Christmas, confirmation, do, Father, homes, Jesus, life, love, refugees, servant, son, yes

Tomorrow’s readings for daily mass contain a hard message, a challenging message. During Advent it is important that we get those challenges to the way we are walking our faith.  All to often, when we are honest with ourselves, we are failing to walk the walk and talk the talk. Continue Reading

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In: Advent, backbiting, Christmas, coming, content, expectation, exult, good, honest, hope, jealousy, Jesus, kind, prepare, satisfied, wages, work

When I was a young man I got a job at an electrical company in the town of Wise, Virginia.  My friend Michael and I travelled around the tri-city area, eastern Kentucky and parts of Tennessee installing electrical systems.  I was thrilled to be out doing something.  I was thrilledContinue Reading

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In: Advent, cancer, Christmas, death, fear, friend, liver, love, peace, rebirth, reborn, truth

One of my friends was diagnosed with liver cancer.  She has been given only a few months to live.   My heart breaks when I think of this.  As I read the readings for tomorrow’s daily Mass I am struck dumbfounded.   How can I think of Christmas when all that is onContinue Reading

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In: Advent, Christmas, conception, did, Immaculate, Jesus, know, Mary, yes

Tomorrow is the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Many mistake that for the day that Jesus was conceived.  It’s not. It is rather the date we celebrate the conception of Mary, the Virgin who became the mother of God.  We celebrate the conception of Jesus 9 months before Christmas.. imagineContinue Reading

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In: Advent, back, bed, blanket, Christmas, crooked, fused, gentle, horse, Jesus, level, path, riding, saddle, sheet, smooth, spine, straight, surgery, yoke

When I was growing up in the mountains of southwest Virginia, God had blessed my family with the beautiful gift of being able to have horses in our lives.  I did not appreciate that immense gift for many years to come, but I did enjoy riding them.  I had thisContinue Reading