God gives us love – 1 Cor 12:31-13:13

OT Yr C, Wk 4; Notre Dame (Howard Hall)

When the Oscar nominations came out, everyone’s eyes went straight to the best picture, directing, and, most of all, acting nominations.  Will this be Leo’s year?  I’ve got to back the Brit (Eddie Redmayne).  How about Brie Larson, who I thought was great in Room?  Not many people looked to the small print at the bottom of the articles, that told us who got nominated for best sound mixing or best sound editing.  I have to admit: I have no idea what the difference between those two things is.  Can anyone tell me why Bridge of Spies got nominated for sound mixing but not editing?

Jesus frees us for joy –Luke 4:14-21

OT Wk 3, Yr C; Holy Cross House (retirement home for Holy Cross priests and brothers).

“Jesus taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.”  What a wonderful way to start our Ordinary Time walk through the Jesus’ earthly ministry, guided this year by Luke.  We start out hearing of Jesus teaching, to universal praise and acclaim, becoming a revered teacher given an overwhelmingly positive reception.  We know that that’s not going to last.  In fact, by the end of this very chapter, the people who hear him teach react so negatively that the try to push him off a cliff!  When I started praying with this lectionary selection and preparing myself to preach, it seemed a little odd to me that the lectionary really cuts one story in two.  It almost feels like we should have ended with a ‘to be continued’ sign, because the negative reaction that’s soon to come is the reaction to this inaugural Nazareth sermon that we hear.  But, as I sat more and more with the reading, and the lectionary’s choice of how to carve up this pie, I began to see the wisdom.

Jesus expands our joy –John 2:-12, 1 Cor 12:4-11, Isa 62:1-5

OT Wk 2, Yr C; Notre Dame (Farley Hall)

When I was in parish work, our sacristan had to take a couple of months off to recover from surgery, and I thought I’d figured out everything she did each week and either arranged cover or just decided to do it myself.  But, over those couple of months, I gradually realized more and more things that just somehow got magically taken care of when she was around.  During the first week she was gone, one of our parish school kids, a little second grader, came up to me with a panic struck expression: “There is no blessing in the church!”  Somewhat worried about this exile experience she seemed to be having, I tried to figure out what was actually wrong, and eventually figured out that all of the holy water stoups were dry.  Problem fixed.  I wish every spiritual crisis was as easy for me to solve!

Jesus baptizes us – Luke 3:15-16, 21-22, Isa 40:1-11, Titus 2,3 extracts

Baptism of the Lord, Yr C; Notre Dame (Fisher Hall)

Jesus’ baptism is clearly important.  In Luke, it’s our introduction to the adult Jesus, all four of our gospels narrate it, which means it beats out Jesus’ birth by a factor of 2:1 there), it’s important enough to me that I picked an image of it from my first parish to put on the holy card we gave out at my ordination.  Yes, Jesus’ baptism is clearly important.  But, Jesus getting baptized isn’t what struck me as the most important thing in this gospel.  Studying and praying with it over this week, one sentence stuck with me: “He will baptize you.”