VEYM LEAGUE OF CHAPTERS
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist declares that he is the forerunner of Christ. Why, when we first hear of the adult John the Baptist, is he out in the desert and not in the temple, where you would expect the son of a priest to be? Well, in John’s time, … Read moreMonday, January 2, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. St. Irenaeus says that, throughout the history of salvation, God was trying on humanity, gradually suiting divinity and humanity to one another—preparing for the Incarnation. All of that preparation was a prelude to the Israelite girl who would say … Read moreSunday, January 1, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today’s Gospel comes to its climax with the magnificent phrase: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Gnostic temptation has tugged at the Church, on and off, for nearly the past two thousand years. This is the suggestion, common to all forms of Puritanism, that the … Read moreSaturday, December 31, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, on this feast of the Holy Family, our Gospel shows us Joseph and Mary’s flight into Egypt, pursuing their mission to protect the Christ child. This story prompts me to say something about the Christian family’s mission. The family is, above all, the forum in which both parents and children are … Read moreFriday, December 30, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today’s Gospel tells the story of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. The Presentation of Jesus, perfected on the cross, is re-presented every time the Mass is celebrated. The Mass is certainly a festive meal, the moment when God feeds his people with his very Body and Blood; but the … Read moreThursday, December 29, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, on this feast of the Holy Innocents, a baby is at the center of attention as the Gospel story commences. Cherished by his mother, protected by his foster-father, bestowed with gifts by the Magi, the baby Jesus is at the same time threatened by Herod and indeed by all of Jerusalem, … Read moreWednesday, December 28, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, on this feast of St. John, our Gospel tells of his coming to faith in the Resurrection when he saw the empty tomb. From this grave of Jesus, we learn that everything we took to be the case is not the case; that what always moved this way, now moves that … Read moreTuesday, December 27, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus predicts the coming persecution of his disciples. And we can see his prophetic word realized through the ages. Think of St. Peter himself, crucified upside down in the circus of Nero; of Felicity and Perpetua, thrown to wild animals because they wouldn’t deny their faith; of Thomas … Read moreMonday, December 26, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, our Gospel for Christmas day is the Prologue to the Gospel of John. In many ways, it is the entire Gospel, indeed the entire Bible, in miniature. Let’s turn to the central passage: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The word used in Greek here for … Read moreSunday, December 25, 2022
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Canticle of Zechariah declares how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament’s expectations of salvation. Once we grasp that Jesus was no ordinary teacher and healer but Yahweh moving among his people, we can begin to understand his words and actions more clearly. If we survey the texts of … Read moreSaturday, December 24, 2022