Shawn The Baptist - Sunday Scriptures

You can tell a lot about a person by how they spend their time. Want to know what's most important in your life? Just look at your calendar.

There's a lot to celebrate today. The homily looks at several of the key themes to keep in mind, including Jesus getting his name.

It was said of Scrooge that he knew how to keep Christmas well if any man alive possessed the knowledge. But he didn't start out this way...

In the face of problems, God does not promise a quick fix, but to be Emmanuel, God with us. He may not fix it, but he's always with us.

Even Catholics who go to Mass regularly sometimes have a problem with confession. Today's homily offers some helpful tips.

When we think of Christmas, we normally think of the Christmas Tree. Today's readings give us two other trees to think about this Advent.

As Advent begins, this homily considers how the ancient gesture of the priest and people facing "East" for Mass reminds us where we're going.

We've spent a lot of time lately focusing on political power and who should be allowed to exercise power. In some ways, the same questions that have existed from the founding of our country continue to be debated. How much power should the government have? Should the federal government be strong or weak? Part of the reason for these debates is because we fear what might happen if a tyrant would become too powerful and abuse power.

While skepticism is necessary and healthy in political debate, when it comes to Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, there is no reason for fear. Jesus has all the power and yet he only uses his power for our good. If we surrender our lives to his power, we can only come out victorious. The question then for us is are we willing to trust in Jesus our king or will we insist on doing things our way? Finding meaning in our life ultimately comes down to the most important fundamental question, "Who has the power?"

The readings this weekend remind us of the reality of heaven. There really is life after death. The brothers in our first reading are willing to lay down their lives because they trust so much in the life to come. This week, our country honors our veterans. They too have been willing to make great sacrifices, even that of their own lives, in defense of others.

The number one thing that disrupts our relationship with God and will prevent us from being in heaven with him is selfishness. Our veterans inspire us because of their heroic detachment to the things us this world. We pray especially for our veterans who died in battle. May they know the reality of the resurrection. May all of us be inspired by their example to be unselfish and to be a hero.

Today we give thanks for the priesthood, instituted by Jesus Christ, and continuing to bring his power to the world 2000 years later. When we think of priests, we probably think first of the ones we have known. Jesus chooses some diverse men to be priests, and today we stop and give thanks. We thank most especially the great high priest, Jesus Christ.