​Today’s Thoughts: As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception today our focus might be on two things, God’s gift to Mary and us by bringing her into the world untouched by sin and Mary's gift to God and us in her response of "Yes" to the angel Gabriel. 
 
We celebrate the vision, the plan of God from the first moment of creation to touch us with the beauty, joy, and faithfulness of Mary. We celebrate a simple response of “yes” by Mary. “Yes” is a response, word, we make and use many times in life. Sometimes our “yeses” are simple responses to easy questions but at other times our “yeses” become responses that change our lives forever. Mary’s “yes” changed her life and our lives profoundly because it paved the way for Christ, the gift of perfect love, to come into the world.
 
Mary’s “yes” was not an easy "yes" because before she could utter it, she had to deal with fear. What was God asking? What did all this mean? How could this happen? Why me? But Gabriel asked Mary to not fear. So, Mary with faith and trust in God moved beyond her fear to God’s perfect love. Remember as St. John tells us, "Love casts out fear!" Enlivened with God’s love Mary stepped beyond fear and said "Yes!" And this made all the difference for her and us!
 
As I pause to celebrate God’s gift of Mary to us today, I am thinking back to my trip many years ago to Lourdes, France. It was there over one hundred and sixty-seven years ago that Mary appeared to a frightened teenager, Bernadette Soubirous and told her not to fear because "I am the Immaculate Conception.”  St. Bernadette like Mary chose not to fear and thus brought healing waters to a world in most need of healing.
 
If nothing else our feast today challenges us to not live in fear. It asks us to welcome God’s gift of Mary into our lives. Our feast reminds us to be like Mary and say “yes” to God because when we do impossible things can happen. As Gabriel reminds us “nothing is impossible for God.”
 
Blessings to all on this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception! Have a great day everyone and may you find peace, hope and joy throughout your Monday!

​Today’s Thoughts: “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Words of hope offered to those gathered as Church in Matthew’s community over two thousand years ago and those of us gathered as Church in this faith community today. They are certainly John the Baptist’s words to those gather in the desert, but we might also say they are Isaiah’s words to the Israelites, and St. Paul’s words to the community in Rome and our words of hope.
 
Hope can often seem like an endless wait or a fleeting moment, just ask any sports fans, especially those in the small market teams of baseball or football or basketball or hockey team whose team hasn’t won in many years. Fans who regularly, perhaps even religiously try to capture the spirit of hope every spring, summer, winter or fall only to give in to the utterance, “wait until next year” when the end of the season arrives.
 
In our own journey through life when things around us, things in the world, in our country, in our Church, in our family, in our life seem to get out of sync, we often try to hold on to the hope that things will change, that things will get better, that anger, hate, disrespect, violence will become a memory of the past. That Congress will work together for the good of the country and all people. That those who find themselves in leadership positions will show leadership, will be leaders. Instead, hope often seems to be that elusive thing with feathers to borrow a phrase from Emily Dickinson. She wrote a poem about hope –
 
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops - at all
(The first stanza from the poem “Hope” is the thing with feathers - By Emily Dickinson)
 
Isaiah, St. Paul and John the Baptist knew all about the elusiveness of that “thing with feathers” called hope however that did not stop them from proclaiming it and challenging people to embrace it.
 
Isaiah reminded the Israelites about God’s peaceable kingdom filled with compassion and forgiveness. He proclaimed the hopefulness of a loving God who in the end will make all things right. Isaiah sang the song of hope and never stopped – at all.
 
St. Paul reminds the Christian community in Roman, a community in the epicenter of persecution, that their story of faith, the Scriptures are enduring and encouraging but also challenging because they call them and us to peace, respect and harmony. Again, like Isaiah, St. Paul’s message is one of hope. St. Paul sings the song of hope that can never stopped.
 
John the Baptist challenged those who followed him into the desert to look for hope in their lives by trusting in the compassion and forgiveness of God. John’s challenge was one of urgency, of being ready, of working at living a good life that would produce good fruit.
 
As we once again, make a journey through Advent we are asked by Isaiah, St. Paul and John the Baptist to perhaps be like that sports fan at the beginning of every season, to have the simple hope that Christmas will come, that joy is not lost, that God’s Spirit is always present. And to also allow ourselves to be challenged like many before us to hang on to the elusive hope of Isaiah, St. Paul, and John the Baptist in a world that often tries to take it from us.
 
Simply put today, Isaiah, St. Paul and John the Baptist remind us to look for and hold on to that thing with feathers within us, down deep in our souls, singing a tune and never stops at all!
 
Have a great Second Sunday of Advent and make sure you give God a little time today!

​Today’s Thoughts: “Be prepared at all times for the gifts of God and be ready always for new ones. For God is a thousand times more ready to give than we are to receive.” (Meister Eckhart)
 
These thoughts from one of the great Dominican mystics of the Middle Ages, Meister Eckhart, sum up the focus of Advent. It is a time to prepare, to be ready for the coming of God in our life. It is a time to prepare and be ready for the grace of God in our life.
 
As Eckhart says God is always willing and ready to give – it is us who need to be willing and ready to receive. Here in lies the problem we are often not ready or willing to receive. Perhaps it is because we are looking in another place. Perhaps we are distracted by the things of the world. Yet God is patient, compassionate and merciful. God is willing to wait until we are ready.
 
As we journey through this first Saturday of Advent it might be a good time to stop for a moment and look around at our life. Are we prepared, are will ready for the gifts, the grace that God sends into our life? Are we ready the new gifts from God that we might encounter today? Let us be ready for any way, any gift, of the mystery that will touch our lives today.
 
Have a holy and blessed Saturday everyone!

​Today’s Thoughts: "Let it be done for you according to your faith. And their eyes were opened." The healing words of Jesus that we find in today’s Gospel. Two men wish to see and as we are told it is their faith that heals and enables them to see. The words Jesus speaks to them seem to echo Mary’s words to the angel Gabriel which we will hear tomorrow, “May it be done to me according to your word.” Two acts of faith, one that heals and one that brings the Eternal Healer into our midst.
 
Faith always seems to be the center point of our journey through life. Time and time again in our faith story we are reminded just how important faith is. It can move tree and mountains. It can make crooked ways start and turn destructive things into life giving things. Faith can heal and raise the dead. Faith can enliven hope so that we can see the possibilities when things too often seem impossible.
 
Many of our readings throughout Advent remind us that faith is the touchstone to encountering the presence of God in our lives. A question our scriptures ask of us today is – “What kind of faith do we have?” Is it a faith that heals and proclaims the Good News? In having faith in Jesus, the two blind men in our Gospel receive the gift of sight that sends them on a journey proclaiming the Good News. What healing can our faith bring us that will send us on a journey of proclaiming the Good News?
 
Have a holy and blessed Friday everyone!

Today’s Thoughts: In today's Gospel Jesus speaks about the Wise and the Foolish Person. The question is – on what foundation is our faith, our relationship with God built.
 
Fifteen years ago, here in New York and along the New Jersey coast we had a very profound example of the power of the wind and the sea. Homes that were built near the shore took a big hit; many were ripped from their foundations. We found out firsthand the power of nature. We have many examples from around our country and world that show us and remind us of the power that nature has and that we rarely, if ever have power over it.
 
Jesus uses the image of the power of nature to remind us that there are many things in this life that can pose a threat to our faith, our relationship with God and if we don't have it anchored well, if we have not build our relationship with God on a strong foundation the challenges, the struggles, the difficulties of life are going to ripe our faith from its foundation.
 
As we learned from the Gospels God will take care of us, but we have got to trust, and we have got to be willing to share. So today let us not be foolish, let us be wise so that our faith does not collapse but that it stands firm amid of the storms of life!
 
An extra thought to keep our faith rooted on rock...St. John Chrysostom says: "Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness."
 
Have a blessed and holy Thursday everyone!

​Today’s Thoughts: Both of today's readings talk about a holy mountain. For Isaiah the holy mountain is the place of a wonderful feast, a banquet of rich food, of choice wines, a place where tears are wiped away. Jesus' holy mountain is a place where people are healed and fed. It is a place where all the excluded people can come and be included, the lame, the blind, the deformed, those that cannot speak and many others. Both holy mountains, or should I say, the holy mountain is a place of mystery and a place of great mercy, love, forgiveness, it is God's place!
 
Perhaps, today's readings are a reminder to all of us that God does not discriminated, in fact God goes looking for all who are often not included so they should be included. Perhaps today's readings remind us that none of us are perfect, we are all in need of healing and of nourishment, and we are all in this journey of life together. Let's us welcome the miracle of God's healing and love and may it be what we share during this holy day!
 
Have a blessed and holy Wednesday everyone!

​Today’s Thoughts: This past week I got to spend a little time with my two oldest grandnieces. To me it seems like they have grown up so fast. They are two young women with unique personalities!
 
As I spent time with them, I could not help but think about earlier times when I was with them, when they were younger. Did you ever take time to watch little children? When I was with my two oldest grandnieces, I often sat back and just watched them. It always amazed me how they made anything they had into a simple play toy; boxes, board games, a piece of ribbon or string, everything seems to come to life.
 
When my grandniece Kristina, was about three years old, she often played for hours on the floor by herself with board games, like Risk, Trivial Pursue, and others. She had no real understanding of how these games were played but that didn’t matter. She was content to just sit there moving pieces around, building things and imagining a whole different world. There was a joy and contentment on her face as she enjoyed a moment of life. I was often jealous of her freedom, her joy and her excitement. Both of my older grandnieces have the gift of allowing their imaginations to enliven their lives.
 
In reflecting on these experiences with two of my grandnieces I could hear Jesus' words in the Gospel today. God truly does reveal many things to children that we adults miss. Children seem to know the joy and the love of God. Through their imaginations I truly believe they often see the hidden gifts of God that we adults at times miss. We can learn a lot from children, if we let them be children and if we stop to watch and celebrate the gift of their presence in our life.
 
Children also keep alive the hope that Isaiah talks about in the first reading today. If we use our imaginations as children do, we will be able to see the wonderful world and life that Isaiah envisions, where the wolf is the guest of the lamb and the leopard lies down with the kid and the baby is at play right next to the cobra’s den and all is well. In other words, if we are not afraid to use our imaginations, we have a chance to encounter the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, strength and wonder and awe and we have a chance to live in a world were justice and peace flourishes. We have a chance to make this life God’s Holy Mountain.
 
Yes, I know it seem farfetched but perhaps all it takes is a little imagination!
 
Have a blessed and holy Tuesday everyone!

​Today’s Thoughts: Today in our Gospel we have the familiar story of the centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant. Did you ever realize when reading the Gospels that many of the people whom Jesus encounters with life changing faith are not part of the faith community but are seen as outsiders. This centurion has great faith, a faith that brings healing to his servant. This Gospel story and others like it should remind us that God's presence, God's healing, God's grace, God's work can come from anywhere and from anyone. Dismissing people for any reason is not a good practice because by dismissing them we may just be dismissing God and an opportunity to be healed!
 
So, as we begin this first Monday in Advent let us invite God to enter under our roofs even though we might feel unworthy and commit ourselves to renewing the gift of hope in our lives, strengthening our own faith and respecting the gift of others in life so that we never give up on peace or miss a chance to encounter God’s healing presence.
 
Have a great Monday everyone and a blessed and holy Advent!

​Today’s Thoughts: On this First Sunday of Advent, we find a line in our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah that always makes me pause, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again..." (Isaiah 2:4). To me, these words from Isaiah are so profound and hopeful. To think that one day there will be no war and that people will not have to be trained to fight, to go to battle, to enter into war. I know this will not happen in my lifetime, perhaps not in anyone’s lifetime but it is still a hope that rests in my heart and soul.
 
As we begin Advent our readings focus on and offers us a chance to allow hope to take root in our hearts. Isaiah focuses us on God’s holy mountain. Mountains for the Israelites were places of God’s special presence. Perhaps what Isaiah and the Church are reminding us of as we begin Advent is that we need to make sure where our holy mountains are in life. Where do we go to connect with God? Where do we go to give life to hope?
 
St. Paul challenges us today to be awake, to look for God in our world and in our life. Advent is a time to stop and refocus our busy lives. It is a time to find that holy mountain in our lives that will connect us to God and help us to find the true priorities and to allow hope to grow within us even in a very difficult and struggling world.
 
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus uses an opportunity to remind his disciples and us that we always need to be ready. It is a universal theme in Advent. We always need to be ready for the moments and times that God comes into our lives. The great Dominican mystic Meister Eckhart said in one of his Christmas homilies that Jesus is born three times. The first time was two thousand plus years ago when he was born into our life in Bethlehem; the second is when he will come again and the third is each day in our hearts.
 
Advent is a new beginning, a time of hopefulness, a time to look at the trials, tribulations, struggles, disappointments, difficulties of life and say I am ready! To say we are ready! As we begin our journey through Advent may we take the words of the scriptures to heart today and everyday throughout this Advent Season and always – Let us be hope filled and “be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
 
Have a great Sunday everyone and don’t forget to give God a little of your time today and throughout this journey of Avent!

​Today’s Thoughts: We wait today for the starting of a new liturgical year, but in the Gospel from Luke we are reminded to wait and focus on what is important not on what will instantly gratify us. We must be ready because when God’s Kingdom will arrive is hidden in our hearts, it is mystery. What is clear for us today though is that we are not simply supposed to wait but also to act, to live. Because if we are living our relationship with God, we will be ready to enter the Kingdom of God!
 
Perhaps these words from Pope Francis say what our Gospel today says but in a little different way - “To be faithful, to be creative, we need to be able to change. To change! And why must I change? So that I can adapt to the situations in which I must proclaim the Gospel. To stay close to God, we need to know how to set out; we must not be afraid to set out.” (Pope Francis)
 
Have a holy and blessed Saturday everyone!