Our readings this week all speak of the distinctive characteristics of the people God gathers to achieve God's purposes. The deep communion of love that God envisions requires a community that is humble and lowly, as Zephaniah describes. God chooses the weak and foolish to reveal God's strength and wisdom, as Paul says. And in the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches that a people who know their weakness and vulnerability can most fully place their trust in God and work for a just world.

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To introduce the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew’s Gospel today, the evangelist quotes from Isaiah 9, which is presented to us more fully in our first reading. Isaiah acknowledges the darkness of oppression from the conquest of the Galilee region by Assyria, but reminds his people of the hope God offers them. Matthew, writing in the time of the Roman Empire centuries later, points to Jesus and his proclamation of the kingdom of heaven, to overturn all forms of oppression.

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As we the Church begin Ordinary Time, we reflect upon the Baptism of Jesus, and its significance in our own lives and communities. The Gospel of John does not narrate the Baptism like the other Gospels. Instead, John the Baptist gives testimony, emphasizing that Jesus has received the Holy Spirit. Jesus will go on to baptize with this same Spirit, as he did immediately after his resurrection (John 20). What might this mean for us, who share in this same Baptism? Today's reading from Isaiah suggests that we are to be a “light to the nations,” a people proclaiming and sharing God's love. Paul's greeting to the church in Corinth reminds us that we are simultaneously God's sanctified people and yet continually called to become holy. Baptism begins our journey, where we know the Spirit dwells within, and the same Spirit summons us to full maturity in Christ.

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Epiphany is a day when popular customs mostly overshadow scriptural accuracy. Matthew’s Gospel never refers to kings coming to see Christ, nor to their number (only the gifts are enumerated), nor to their names. Matthew tells us only that some “magi” came with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Magos referred to members of the Persian priestly class; later it had the connotation of magicians and astrologers.

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A Hebrew word that many people are familiar with is shalom, commonly translated into English as “peace.” However, the word is much richer, deeper, and broader than that. As a matter of fact, when the blessing in today’s first reading concludes with shalom, it serves as a summary of the entire blessing: shalom is God’s wholeness, well-being, longevity, harmony, as well as God's peace.READ MORE

The four Gospel portraits of Jesus take very different approaches to his origins. Mark has no record of Jesus’ ancestry, except for his connection to John the Baptist. Matthew traces his genealogy back to Abraham; Luke even farther back, to Adam. The Gospel of John outdoes them all, tracing Jesus’ origins back to the time before time, before the world was created! Jesus is the eternal Word of God.

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Advent’s four Sundays each have their own focus: “Stay awake!” (First); John the Baptist (Second); Rejoice! (Third); Joseph/Mary (Fourth). We might need to have little pity on the Fourth Sunday, however, since the hectic realities of the secular calendar can overwhelm it, particularly in those years when there are only one or two (or zero!) days before Christmas. This year we have the luxury of a whole week!

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Good news is good news is...Today's messages from Isaiah (prophetic ancestor of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth) and James (spiritual offspring of John and Jesus) both have messages that resonate across the five centuries that separate them: hope in the coming power and presence of God. Isaiah was attempting to comfort and encourage the people of Israel in geographic and spiritual exile. Their exile will end, Isaiah says, with God's presence shown forth through spectacular occurrences in nature.

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In our scripture translations, word choices matter. When today’s first reading tells us that a “stump” will bring forth a new shoot, it's Isaiah’s way of telling us that God's miraculous power is at work. Seeds bring forth shoots. Even buried roots can bring forth shoots. But a stump? When we look at a stump, essentially we are seeing the corpse of what used to be a tree.

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Have you ever been caught off guard? The first Sundays of Advent often have an ominous quality to them. Jesus reminds his listeners today about how many people who lived at the same time as Noah were caught off guard when the deluge came. If course, we can end up being complete nervous wrecks if we spend each day in paranoia, looking for signs of impending doom. A healthy readiness is called for, one that keeps us alert so we can find signs of God's reign—soon to be made manifest in Jesus—around us.

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We conclude the liturgical year today with the Solemnity of Christ the King. On the surface, we might wonder what this has to do with our lives. Why does it matter that Christ is King? Do we need a king? If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we do need someone to follow, a king who will rule our hearts, minds, and lives with goodness. Left to our own devices, following our own tendencies, we are bound to fall short of God’s great call to grow and live in holiness. Christ will shepherd us, not from a position of power or authority, although both are his as well, but rather from the throne of the cross, the throne of humility, compassion, and peace.

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It is easy to go through life non-reflectively, living the routines of our days and weeks without giving much thought to the larger questions of meaning, purpose, and calling. We may know we need to change but put it off, thinking we'll love, serve, and care more in the future. We may face trial personally and be weary of trying to live as we know we should. We witness discord, violence, and division and it may feel that it is the end of the world. Today’s readings urge us to put laziness, fear, or distraction aside and get about the work of discipleship with the assurance that the Lord will provide what we need as we do so.

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Today's readings present us with extreme examples of faithfulness and reliance on the promise of eternal life. Most of us will never be tortured because of our Christian faith, although people are martyred every year because of their commitment to Christ. While we may never face bodily harm as Christians, there are consequences to living as a disciple. We might be ridiculed or harassed. We might find it necessary to call out injustice in the workplace or our local city, and such witness may cost us our jobs and friendships. What are we prepared to do as followers of our Lord? Today, we are encouraged to be strong in faith, secure in the belief that when we endure in Christ, we may look forward to life in eternity with God.

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