Text: Luke 1:26-56 (the miraculous conception of Jesus) “You have deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places.” Every December, we hear these words of Mary as she prepares to give birth to Jesus. Her words connect Christmas not just to birth and light, but also to hopes that justice … [Read more…]
Text: Romans 1:1-17 (“made right by faith”) Last week as I followed the news, I wondered if Alberta’s Council of Catholic School Superintendents was playing a Halloween trick on the province. Halloween is just two days away, and this year it has an extra significance. This year hundreds of millions of people around the world … [Read more…]
Text: Exodus 1:8-17 (Midwives disobey the King of Egypt) As you may have noticed, I got my hair cut last week; and as always, I enjoyed chatting with my barber. Earlier this year, one of our monthly chats turned to the politics of racism. But that conversation didn’t get too far. My barber used the … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 4:14-22 (Jesus preaches at Nazareth) Do you ever say magic words? Perhaps as a kid you said “abracadabra” or “open sesame” when trying to impress your friends with a trick. Words matter. They have power. But does this power ever rise to the level of magic? The sacraments of the church can seem … [Read more…]