Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi // Exploring the story of the Visitation we discover a text bursting with Old Testament allusions. We see the evangelist subtly comparing Jesus and John the Baptist to Jacob and Esau and Our Lady herself finds parallel in two Old Testament women, Jael and Judith, women who found fame crushing the heads of their enemies. An overarching theme comes to prominence, however, that of the Ark of the Covenant. Just as the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant sojourned for a time in the hill country of Judea, so does the new Ark of the Covenant sojourn there as well. (Mass Readings for Dec 22, 2024) March 1st Event w/ Dr. Scott Hahn: https://stpaulcenter.com/desmoines2025/

We turn our attention once more to our Gospel reading and to the figure of John the Baptist. People from all walks of life are coming to him, repenting, and asking for spiritual advice. John exhorts people not to a life of intense asceticism and separation but rather to lives of holiness in the midst of worldly endeavors, a radical idea for the time period. Exploring further John the Baptist's background we discover a man deeply committed to evangelization and a figure who is arguably the first champion of the lay vocation. (Mass Readings for Dec 15, 2024) --> March 1st Event w/ Dr. Scott Hahn: https://stpaulcenter.com/desmoines2025/ --> Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi

This week we continue in the spirit of Jeremiah with our first reading from Baruch, the man who served as Jeremiah's scribe. In it we find many parallels with the Old Testament and contemporary prophetic literature, specifically the Book of Isaiah. We explore the three covenant types of Ancient Near Eastern culture and link Baruch to Genesis 22 in which God himself is the covenant guarantor. Lastly, we explore the New Exodus theme implicit in our first reading and its clear link to our Gospel and the figure of John the Baptist. (Mass Readings for Dec 8, 2024) --> Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi

As Advent begins, the Church invites us to reflect on prophetic texts that illuminate the season's profound themes of hope and expectation. This week, we delve into the prophet Jeremiah, focusing on his ministry during the late 600s BC under King Josiah's reign. By exploring the historical backdrop of Jerusalem's turmoil and exile, we uncover the depth of Jeremiah's prophecy about a "righteous branch" springing from David's line. In the Gospel, the Church continues the apocalyptic theme, drawing connections between the Jewish people's longing for a Messiah and our own anticipation of Christ’s return. Join us as we trace the threads of history and prophecy, unveiling the timeless message of Advent: hope in the fulfillment of God’s promises.

The Church points us to the Gospel of John for our feast today, looking specifically at the exchange between Pontius Pilate and Our Lord at the latter's trial. The question at hand is kingship: is Jesus a king and, if so, where is his kingdom? Looking at the literal translation of the Greek we discover how emphatic Our Lord's answers are. He reigns indeed but his reign does not flow from human authority. In fact, all human authority flows from him and one day will be subject to him. We'll also look at the 1925 encyclical that established our feast and the spiritual implications it offers. --> Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi

Our Lord leaves the Temple for the last time. On the way out his disciples comment on the Temple's beauty and Jesus takes the opportunity to direct their hearts from an earthly worldview to a heavenly one, foretelling the destruction of that beautiful structure. Our Gospel picks up toward the end of this exchange and in it we find an abundance of allusions to a new creation, the ingathering of the nations, and the cosmic battle between good and evil. Though filled with images of suffering, read with the eyes of faith Our Lord's words provide comfort and hope, regardless of what the future may hold. --> Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi

Jesus takes aim at the scribes in our Gospel today, calling them out for their love of fine things and special treatment. In contrast, Our Lord offers the example of the widow at the Temple. While the opulent monetary contributions of the rich ring out for others to hear, the widow's quiet offering does not go unnoticed by God. Jesus explains that, contrary to appearances, this woman has offered more than all the others. Exploring further the idea of poverty in the spiritual life, we find an apt opportunity to give to God from our nothingness in the sacrament of confession. --> Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi

Join me on pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi for the Jubilee Year and get $200 off if you register before the end of October! Details here: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi

A scribe, emboldened by Jesus’ compelling answer to the debated topic of resurrection presents another question before the Lord, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Exploring Our Lord’s answer we discover a response oozing with Scripture, one that impressively sums up both the 600+ laws of the Torah and the heart of the Ten Commandments. Unwittingly, the scribe’s own commentary prophetically describes what Jesus will do upon the cross: fulfill Temple worship in his own self-holocaust and unleash a flood of grace that will transform souls and make saints.

Jesus makes his final stop before reaching Jerusalem, passing through the ancient town of Jericho. On his way out of town the cries of a blind man reach his ears, compelling him to stop. Our Lord's encounter with and subsequent healing of the blind man are full of Old Testament resonances. In our Gospel we see the fulfillment of many prophecies announcing the arrival of the Messiah, we find fascinating parallels between Joshua's entry into Jericho and our Gospel, and we discover a unique echo of David's encounter with the blind in this encounter of Bartimaeus with Christ on the road to Jerusalem.

We leave Our Lord's words to speak for themselves in our podcast today, looking closer at the spiritual implication of his message rather than digging into scholarly insights on the text. The former exercise proves deeply important for our interior life, especially in periods of suffering. Understanding that the role James and John wish to possess is actually filled by two thieves leads us to recognize that heavenly success often masquerades as earthly failure and that even when we find it difficult to imagine fruits from our sufferings we can still hold fast to the conviction that heaven knows and honors our faithfulness.