The Second Sunday of Advent opens with the cry of John the Baptist out of the wilderness: ‘Prepare the Way’. This cry is intended to pierce our hearts so that we may be ready for the new unfolding life of ‘the God who is to come’.

Ephphatha, be opened.  What opens the ear to hear?  Is it not true that when the heart is open we are able to hear?  Feel into this reality for a moment: when my heart is closed or hardened by harsh judgments, hurt, presumptions, shadow stuff, worries, and you can add to the list, we do not hear.  We hear only our noise.

Happy Labor Day

Readings of the Day
RB: Prologue 14-20
Mass: 1 Co 2:1-5; Resp Ps 119; Lk 4:16-30


But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Today's offering includes related quotations for your reflection, on the theme of silence, listening, and

Readings of the Day
RB: Prologue 8-13
Mass: Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Resp Ps 15; Jm 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23


Be doers of the word and not hearers only. (Jm 1:22)
There is a line left out of today's reading from the Letter of St James that precedes, and for me, presupposes the o

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary TimeSaint Irenaeus (d. 202)

Readings of the day: RB 21 The Deans of the MonasteryMass: 2 K 24:8-17; Resp Ps 79; Mt 7:21-29
Only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven will enter the Kingdom of heaven.
It occurs to me that I should get down on my knees