The first of Matthew rsquo s five great discourses begins with an elegant and poetic set of blessings on those specially favored by God The first four speak of passive sufferers the poor the mourners the gentle but strong meek and those starving and thirsting for justice Keep in mind that Chr

She would have been a good woman rsquo the Misfit said if it had been someone there to shoot her every day of her life rsquo so ends Flannery O rsquo Connor rsquo s celebrated story A Good Man Is Hard to Find Like the Old Testament prophets and the parables of Jesus O rsquo Connor rsquo s often

This year the period between the end of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season and the beginning of Lent is brief There are just four Sundays as we begin ordinary time These initial readings continue the manifestation of Jesus with John the Baptist rsquo s witness of Jesus The readings are also uni

Baptism is both adoption into the very life of God and a mission to proclaim justice in the land, to be a light for the nations, open the eyes of the blind and free prisoners from their dungeons.

The Holy Family could well be called the Refugee Family.

The Epiphany or Manifestation of Jesus is the Christmas feast among Eastern Christians both Orthodox and Catholic The same readings for all cycles emphasize a number of themes The first reading from the final post-exilic section of Isaiah envisions the nations streaming to a restored Jerusalem