Word of the Week Archives 2000

Dec. 21, 2000	Presentation of the Savior
	"By the proclamation of God's word and the celebration of the Eucharist, the Incarnation, the birth of Christ and his death on the cross are made present in the world."

Dec. 14, 2000	'Prepare the Way'
	"What John told them applies equally to us as we await the Lord's coming to us this Christmas. Be fair and honest in our dealings with others. Be charitable and generous to those less well-off than ourselves."

Dec. 7, 2000	Conversion: Christmas 2000
	"Conversion as a return to the Father and our brothers and sisters in the Spirit is a constant theme in the life of the Church."

Nov. 30, 2000	On Track With Jesus
	"In the Gospel of the First Sunday of Advent, our Lord advises us to take heed lest our hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon us like a trap."

Nov. 23, 2000	Be Involved
	"Think about it the next time you are faced with an unpopular issue. All of the sentiment of the crowd seems to be going in one direction, but your heart and moral convictions tell you to go the other way."

Nov. 16, 2000	Be Prepared
	"This Sunday's readings offer us the same choice we are faced with daily. We can choose to focus on the negative and be pessimistic or focus on the positive and live life as an optimist, with hope."

Nov. 9, 2000	She Gave From the Heart
	"In the eyes of the world the amount you give makes a big difference. But Jesus points out that in the eyes of God what matters is not what you give but how you give and why."

Nov. 2, 2000	Love God and Neighbor
	"Loving God and neighbor is the fulfillment of all the commandments. And if we keep this commandment of love, then the kingdom of God and all his blessings are already present in our lives."

Oct. 26, 2000	Change of Heart
	"Jesus also desires us to have an obedient faith and confidence in him so as to follow him. If we are lacking somewhat in this, let us ask it of Christ, and surely he will give us the vision of faith."

Oct. 19, 2000	Being Servants
	"What's in it for me? We sometimes think that the Gospels are such a great distance from us that they have nothing to say to us. But one of the frequent questions that we ask is 'What's in it for me?' "

Oct. 12, 2000	'Go Against the Tide'
	"That tide is our own society, of course, a torrent of materialism. It is certainly remarkable that no amount of prosperity seems to slake the thirst for wealth that permeates every facet of our culture and subtly influences each one of us."

Oct. 5, 2000	Adam's Rib
	"God chose neither the head nor the foot, but the rib, implying that man and woman are to be equal in their partnership and are to walk side by side through life. The creation of woman implies the importance of the distinction of the roles between man and woman. While they are made of the same substance, flesh and bone, their form is different."

Sept. 28, 2000	Healing and Forgiving
	"Our memories play a crucial role in our lives. Our pains and joys and feelings of grief and satisfaction not only depend on the events of our lives but also on the ways in which we remember these events."

Sept. 21, 2000	We Are God's Gift
	"If we are gifts from God, how can so many people suffer from poor self-esteem, anxiety and even depression? As God's gifts, we are loved unconditionally by our Creator who made us in his own image. We should love and accept ourselves as Jesus loves and accepts us."

Sept. 14, 2000	Good Works
	"In Mark's Gospel this Sunday, Jesus challenges his close disciples by questioning them about who the people say he is. Hearing that the people are confused he then challenges the Apostles to state who they think he is. He prepares them for his ultimate sacrifice, his final work of his passion, death and resurrection to redeem mankind."

Sept. 7, 2000	The Shame of Sin
	"We need to hear words of absolution in confession. The priest absolves in the person of Christ. He absolves with the authority Christ gave his Church. The priest also consoles as he represents the body of believers witnessing forgiveness."

Aug. 31, 2000	We're 'All Heart'
	"Prayer joins God's heart and our hearts, and this is indispensable. Since we were made in God's image there is in our hearts the same drive to love that is in God's heart. But in our hearts there is also the drive to selfishness that leads to sin and is totally lacking in God's heart."

Aug. 24, 2000	Chosen by Jesus
	"Like never before, Peter saw his unworthiness in comparing himself with Jesus, and his own sinfulness, and yet at the words of Jesus, he felt the way Thomas would feel later on and declared: Lord, we are ready to go with you all the way."

Aug. 17, 2000	A True Treasure
	"God wants to be close to us. He wants to dwell in our heart, that place that we reserve for those who are dearest to us. That is where we can find God. He lives there, identifying himself with us."

Aug. 10, 2000	Our Journey
	"The Eucharist, our most intimate communion with Jesus, not only announces to us that fullness of life and happiness after this life, but also allows us to experience it in the particular and unique circumstances in which each of us is called to live our lives."

Aug. 3, 2000	Transfiguration
	"In loving Christ, especially by prayer, there is no reason for any of us to be discouraged or afraid. Christ cannot and will not abandon any of us who place our trust in him."

July 27, 2000	Bread to Eat
	"This Sunday the Holy Spirit invites us to witness two miracles. A man brings the prophet Elisha 20 barley loaves, and Elisha says: 'Give it to the people to eat.' There were many people to feed and little bread. Trusting in the Lord's word, Elisha insists: 'Give it to the people to eat.' "

July 20, 2000	The Shepherd God
	"In ancient times, the shepherd was one of the most popular images of concern and care. The word shepherd occurs hundreds of times in the Bible. For the most part, it is used literally. But there are several cases where it is used metaphorically to designate God, kings and leaders."

July 13, 2000	Wonders of His Love
	"We exist, as we have been taught from childhood, to give honor to God. This is the essence of life. It is how we will discover joy and discover it more abundantly. Life is the apex of creation. It has been ordained to be the apex by God."

July 6, 2000	If People Reject You...
	"None of us can forget the reception the city gave the New York Yankees last year after their second straight World Championship. They were our heroes. The reaction was a little different when a hometown hero came back to Nazareth about 2,000 years ago."

June 29, 2000	'Just Have Faith'
	"Faith is that gracious gift from God which stirs our hearts to believe in him. Often within the context of life, challenges arise which cause one to recognize personal inabilities to 'save oneself.' "

June 22, 2000	'Am I a Builder?'
	"This Sunday when we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, we are reminded of the great gift that we have in our Church. For we have the real presence of Jesus, the Body of Christ."

June 15, 2000	Three Persons, One God
	"The words that Pope John Paul II has used to describe the priesthood--"gift" and "mystery"--are equally appropriate in characterizing the Holy Trinity."

June 8, 2000	'Receive the Holy Spirit'
	"In the sacrament of penance we encounter our Lord personally. He listens to our confession. He embraces us in his merciful heart, and he absolves our sinful weaknesses. The priest is only an instrument. The one who truly forgives is Christ himself."

June 1, 2000	Restless Hearts
	"The reality is that we don't belong to this world; we belong to the kingdom of God, and we will never be truly at "home" until we are with the Father in heaven. But until that time, Jesus gives us his Spirit to guide and protect us. There always will be a part of us that will feel incomplete until we are home with God."

May 25, 2000	He Calls Us by Name
	"As his friends, Jesus asks us to recognize him in the cries of all who are in pain. Jesus asks us to embrace him in those whose lives have been broken through sin and to comfort him in those whose dignity as redeemed children of God is not recognized."

May 18, 2000	Putting Forth Good Fruit
	"Anyone who has ever tried to grow something knows how difficult it can be. Tending the soil, sowing the seeds, making sure the right nutrients are there for the different plants that you're growing are requirements. Christ understands all of this when he speaks of the vine and what it takes to grow it."

May 11, 2000	The Shepherd's Voice
	"Sunday's Gospel from St. John presents Christ as the Good Shepherd. Strange as it might seem, the biblical image of shepherding contains the same elements that we honor when we celebrate Mother's Day."

May 4, 2000	Back to Basics
	"The springtime setting of Easter is not a coincidence. As in nature, this is the time for a rebirth and new beginnings. As Jesus did for his Apostles and commanded them to do for others, let us get back to the basics of repentance and love."

April 27, 2000	'My Lord and My God'
	"Jesus asked Thomas, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.' "
April 20, 2000	Let Us Rejoice
	"To celebrate that Christ is risen is to live in such a way that the power of the resurrection is visible in us, in our lives. If people still do not understand the Scripture, a judgment is made not about the resurrection, but about those who say they believe in the resurrection: Christians."
April 13, 2000	Welcome the King of Love
	"Holy Week can be a moment of grace or disgrace for us, depending on whether we decide for or against Jesus: Will we stand by him or will we abandon him and be safe (but not saved)?"
April 6, 2000	Faith Challenged
	"When life seems unfair or God seems slow to help us, we may be tempted to scold him as Martha did. This itself shows faith, because we are affirming that Jesus could help us if he wanted to. But a deeper faith tells us that God always has something better in store for us, beyond our wildest hopes."
March 30, 2000	'Father, I Have Sinned'
	"We ask, 'Why is God punishing me?' The answer is, God is not punishing for the pleasure of seeing you suffer, but he is reminding you that he is the only source of happiness and peace and that you should, therefore, return to him and live by his commandments."
March 23, 2000	'Much Has Been Given'
	"As we approach mid-Lent, a saying of a former New York mayor comes to mind: 'How'm I doing?' To date, how have we honored Lent 2000?"
March 16, 2000	Abraham's Sacrifice
	"God gives us the example of Abraham as a model for a way of life to follow. When we look at the realities of life, we see that sacrifice is what life is all about. We have to 'let go, offer up' and 'make sacrifices.' "
March 9, 2000	The Promised Land
	"The Gospel of Mark for the First Sunday of Lent tells us: 'The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for 40 days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.' "
March 2, 2000	Keeping the Lord's Day
	"Our modern world seems to have gone to the opposite side of the question of keeping holy the Lord's Day! Anything goes. Stores are open, people do manual labor. Many people never think of their obligation to God on his day."
Feb. 24, 2000	Hearts and Wineskins
	"Psychologists tell us that as we grow older it becomes more and more difficult to change. We are creatures of habit, and we grow used to doing things in a particular way."
Feb. 17, 2000	Changing 'Plans'
	"Jesus 'changed his plans' a lot. Jesus ended up by eating and sleeping only when he could get a break from his work. But for Jesus the important thing was that the heavenly Father's Plan would go on."
Feb. 10, 2000	'Be Cured!'
	"In our society many people suffer from addictions, mental illness, abusive relationships and hopelessness. The effects of these conditions can destroy and eat away at the core of our identity."
Feb. 3, 2000	Getting Through to God
	"There is much in human living that will not be understood this side of eternity. Why does an infinitely good God allow awful things to happen to innocent children, to good people? Sometimes there is no answer, except to give one's heart fully to our mysterious God and then trust."
Jan. 27, 2000	True Freedom
	"Authority in our day is not a popular concept. We don't like to be told what to do, what to believe, or how to act. We consider ourselves competent to reach our own decisions."
Jan. 20, 2000	Be a Prophet
	"We are prophets. We perhaps know people in our building, in the neighborhood, even in our own families who need to hear a message of repentance."
Jan. 13, 2000	'Speak, Lord'
	"As followers and disciples of Jesus, we will hear the voice of God. God speaks to us through the sacred word of Scripture, through our encounters with Jesus in the sacraments, through our interactions with one another and through the created world."
Jan. 6, 2000	Marvelous Things
	"In Sunday's Gospel it is recorded that three extraordinary things took place at Our Lord's baptism by John in the Jordan. The heavens opened, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and the voice of God was heard."