Luke 2:22-40 I remember watching an episode of the old Phil Donahue show, many years ago, on the subject of evangelical Christianity. One of the guests was Cal Thomas, a well-known commentator and columnist who was himself an evangelical Christian. As he was talking about his faith in Christ as humanity’s Savior from sin, an…
Christmas – Matthew 1:18-25 Please listen with me to a reading from the first chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, beginning at the 18th verse. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the…
Christmas Eve As an example of beautiful prose and story-telling, the Christmas narrative from St. Luke’s Gospel is not excelled by any other ancient tale. Its magical charm, and the emotional pull by which it draws all who hear or read it into the events that are described, are unsurpassed. And the story has everything.…
Philippians 4:4-7 In his Epistle to the Philippians, from which we read a few minutes ago, St. Paul makes it clear that he wants Christians who are living in this world to rejoice. He repeats this exhortation, just in case it didn’t fully sink in the first time: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I…
1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Faithfulness in preaching God’s truth – on the part of those whom God has entrusted with this duty – is often not rewarded in this life or in this world. We recall the story of Jeremiah the Prophet, who in God’s name condemned the sins of the rulers and people of Judah,…
Malachi 4:1-6 In today’s reading from the Book of Malachi, the prophet serves as the mouthpiece of God in telling us what the coming of the Lord on the last day will be like. He says: “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly…