Isaiah 40:25-31Matthew 11:28-30 Today’s text from Isaiah continues the themes of God’s promise of rescue and re-assurance. The words of prophesy re-assure Judah that God is more than able to subdue the power of Babylon. God is the original creative agent in the world and cannot be confined by anyone. His power is cosmic and …
Category Archives: Monastic
Second Week of Advent, Tuesday
SECOND WEEEK OF ADVENTTUESDAY Isaiah 40:1-11Matthew 18:12-14 Today Isaiah paints the scene of a triumphant homecoming for Judah, their time of exile ended. Isaiah uses the familiar biblical theme of reversal, and we are invited to picture a landscape where valleys, hills, ridges and mountains are transformed. It’s likely that the image of ‘a straight …
Immaculate Conception
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Genesis 3:9-15, 20Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12Luke 1:26-38 In her book Born Contemplative, Madeleine Simon writes about the spiritual development of young children and explores her thesis that we are all born with an innate capacity for God. She says that a child’s faith journey begins the moment the mother knows that she is pregnant. …
Second Sunday of Advent (A)
SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT Isaiah 11:1-10Matthew 3:1-12 While last week’s Gospel text invited us to ‘Stay Awake!’, the message this week is no less urgent: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of God is close at hand.’ John the Baptist walks into our Advent landscape with a message that is uncompromising. His cry of ‘Repent’ is for …
First Week of Advent, Saturday
Isaiah 30:19-21.23-26 I’ve often been asked how I knew I wanted to be a nun. I think people know when they ask me that me that I didn’t have a Damascus road experience. I usually answer by talking about my growing conviction that I wanted to follow Christ and put my whole trust in his …
First Week of Advent, Friday
Isaiah 29:17-24Matthew 9: 27-31 In today’s text from Isaiah we have several images of reversal. ‘In a short time, a very short time,shall not Lebanon become a fertile landand fertile land turn into a forest?’ A radical new society is promised where creation is transformed and societal structures reformed. Together these reversals will make communal …
First Week of Advent, Wednesday
Is 25:6-10 When I made my Solemn Profession in 2000 our artist, Sr Regina, made me a card with the text; ‘On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.’ I think this …
First Week of Advent, Tuesday
Isaiah 11:1-10Luke 10:21-24 When the Church lays before us texts from the Prophet Isaiah during Advent we are invited into several different thought worlds. Firstly, there is the thought world of the text in its original context. Secondly, there is the thought world of the early Christians who heard these texts as anticipating the Birth …
Monday, Advent Week One (A)
Isaiah 4: 2-6 As we begin Advent the Church lays before us a range of images as guides for our journey. We are invited to tune our ears to the voices of the prophets and to hear afresh a call to find in God’s word a personal call to conversion and the promise of salvation. …
First Sunday of Advent (A)
Isaiah 2:1-5Matthew 24:36-44 Each year as we celebrate the liturgical cycle, I am grateful for the opportunity to take stock and refocus my mind and heart. We begin Advent with Isaiah’s prophetic vision of all nations gathering in peace. Isaiah invites us to imagine the peoples of the world being restored to unity. It’s a …