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Showing posts from January, 2025

First Sunday of Advent (A)

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The Unknown Day and Hour   Lectionary: 1 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 2:1-5 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 122: 1-9 Reading 2 -  Romans 13:11-14 Alleluia -  Cf. Psalm 85:8 Gospel -  Matthew 24:37-44 '... Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.' Introduction  As we gather on this First Sunday of Advent , we also mark the beginning of the Church’s new liturgical calendar and a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas. The word Advent comes from either of two Latin words, which simply mean “to come” (Ad-venire) or “to arrive” (Ad-ventus), and as early as the fourth (4th) century, Christians have had this special time of preparation towards Christmas. Of course, Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas; Even as we begin the material preparations for the social celebration of Christmas, the liturgical celebrations of these weeks invite us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. But what does the co...
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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

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Sunday of the Word of God Lectionary: 69 Reading 1 -  Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 Responsorial Psalm -  Ps 19:8-10, 15 Reading 2 -  1Cor 12:12-30 Alleluia -  Luk 4:18 Gospel -  Lk 1:1-4, 4:14-21 Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled … Today we gather to celebrate the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, also known as the Sunday of the Word of God … established by Pope Francis in an apostolic letter just over five years ago … saying that sacred Scripture is essential [part of] our identities as Christians. In addition, he also reminds us that, without the Spirit of the Lord, who opens our minds to [the Scriptures], it is impossible to understand [them] in depth … and without the Scriptures, the events and mission of Jesus Christ in this world would not be comprehensible. In other words, the Word of God is not merely a collection of texts; it is the living voice of God, so it is important for “the Christian community to set aside moments to reflect on the importance of...
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Reflection - Holy Hour for Life 2025

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Parish HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE (HHFL) Welcome to this Holy Hour for Life here at Our Lady Star of the Sea. This is one of many such times of Adoration and prayer that are held throughout the Archdiocese of Boston each year in conjunction with the national observance of a Day of Prayer and Penance on January 22nd, and this year’s annual March for Life in Washington DC this coming Friday, January 24th. The purpose of these Holy Hours is to bring Catholics together in prayerful solidarity, united by our desire for an increased respect for the dignity of human life, from conception to natural death, and by our own need for the tender compassion of God and the generous mercy of His Son, Jesus Christ. Life is a precious gift from God, created in His image and likeness. This is how we know that there is always a beauty and dignity inherent in each individual. Each person, regardless of their circumstance, is deserving of love and respect … and …as we hear in our first reading tonight from Isaia...
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Review: How to Read the Psalms

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How to Read the Psalms by Tremper Longman III My rating: 4 of 5 stars I struggle with poetry in English … you can imagine how much more difficult are the Psalms; I was very interested in how this book might help with that (quite a bit it turns out). The book is divided into three (3) parts, with the first providing a solid introduction on what the Psalms are and how they are used. After each chapter, there are questions/exercises to help drive the point home as well as a list of sources for further research. Each chapter developed a specific theme in clear language that should be easy for pretty much any reader to understand. Of course, this is all an introductory work … so if you are already familiar with any of the scholarship surrounding the Psalms, this may be too simple a read … but I enjoyed it a lot. Part two (2) provides the reader with a few, more complex tools by which we can better interpret and understand the Psalm … somewhat necessary be...
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