February 2 falls right at forty days after the Nativity, bringing an end to the Christmas and Epiphany seasons. This is a short reflection I wrote last year at this time about a hidden in plain sight aspect of the presentation at the temple. The feast day is known both as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple and as the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin. And, in some places, it’s called Candlemas, the day when candles are blessed for use in the remainder of the year. The tradition of celebrating Candlemas evolved, because Simeon...
I led morning prayer again this week and gave the following reflection on the Sunday readings. The texts for today are Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 36:5-10, Romans 15:8-13, and Matthew 4:12-17. In the first lesson today, we read: But there will be no more gloom for the land that was in anguish! In the past, God humbled the land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali, but in the future, God will bring glory to this Road to the Sea, this Land Beyond the Jordan, this Galilee of the Nations. The people walking in darkness are seeing a brilliant light—upon those who dwell...
Welcome to Advent 2–the second Sunday of Advent. The bible texts for this week are all about bringing life to barrenness. In the Beginning The gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and the gospel of John begins with the image of Jesus as The Word. But the gospel text this second Sunday of Advent is taken from the beginning of the gospel of Luke, which is the only gospel that records the story about Elizabeth and Zechariah. From the very beginning, Luke points us back to the older and larger story of faith and covenant between God...
The gospel reading today, Luke 14:25-33, begins by saying that “large crowds were traveling with Jesus.” Attracted by his miracles, at witnessing Jesus’ power over demons, diseases, and disabilities, Jesus had developed a big following. But he doesn’t leave it there – He goes on to challenge these travelers by telling them that something more is required, for them to become His true disciples. In this difficult teaching, Jesus tells us exactly what “more” is needed for us to transform from being just a traveler into being a disciple of Jesus – the three things that need to be addressed....
When I volunteered to lead morning prayer last Sunday, I had no idea that the subject of the readings would be the apocalypse. The Old Testament reading was from Daniel, chapter 12: ”At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some...
Last updated: December 21, 2025 The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “arrival” and is also related to the words ad venire, that translate as “to come.” Since Advent has a number of moving parts, it is good for us, as pilgrims, to ask each year, “How do we Advent?” One answer of “how” relates to our journey in this season of waiting, where paradoxically we move and grow, but at the same time are called to sit waiting in stillness. Every year, we re-read the ancient prophesies, celebrate the joy of now, and look forward...
Last updated: November 9, 2024 One symbol/model that has been important to me in my personal spiritual development is the Figure 8. When you open your eyes, you can start to see Figure 8 symbols in a few different, critical places. For example, if you have ever been on a sailboat or tried mountain climbing, you may be familiar with the Figure 8 knot. This knot, shown at right, is commonly used as a stopper knot on ships and boats, serving as a temporary knot to tie them off. In addition, the Figure 8 knot is frequently used to attach...
The story of Hannah in the Old Testament can be found in the the first book of Samuel. It is about the vow that she made to Yahweh and her subsequent song/prayer of thanksgiving. It is also about a larger narrative, where she becomes part of God’s greater plan of salvation. In this account of Hannah, we also see the classic biblical movement from barrenness to abundant life, from death to resurrection. At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Hannah and her husband Elkanah. Similar to other Old Testament women like Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca, Hannah was...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today is the final seventh O Antiphon out of the last seven days before Christmas, in this very late day of Advent intensification. Hopefully by now you are somewhat more...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today we pray the sixth O Antiphon out of the last seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. We are now just two days away from...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today is the fifth O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. With only three days before Christmas Eve, we continue to...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So today is the fourth O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification – just over half way through the week. Are...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of these meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today is the third O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. As Christmas comes yet closer, it’s a good idea to...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So today is the second O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. Are you finding ways to get into the rhythm...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So now, beginning today with O Sapientia, I will be posting on each O Antiphon for the next seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. Even...
