Tag: Incarnation
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Claiming Our Share in His Divinity
The saying “Know yourself” means therefore that we should recognize and acknowledge in ourselves the God who made us in his own image, for if we do this, we in turn will be recognized and acknowledged by our Maker. So let us not be at enmity with ourselves, but change our way of life without Read more
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Christmas On! A Sermon on John 1:1-18
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us” (From John 1:1-18; First Sunday after Christmas) How was your Christmas? It is a question I have asked and been asked over the last few days. While I understand what is being asked I also hear an underlying assumption that Christmas is over. It is the Read more
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Gazing into the Face of a New Beginning – A Christmas Sermon on Luke 2:1-20
She gave birth, wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger. It’s all rather matter of fact as St. Luke tells it (Luke 2:1-20; Christmas Eve). It sounds like it could be any birth. It was probably like a lot of births throughout the world today. A newborn, a blanket of sorts, Read more
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The Scandal We Long For – A Sermon on Matthew 1:18-25
What is the most shocking part of today’s gospel (Matthew 1:18-25, Advent 4A)? What’s the thing that makes you wonder whether it really happened the way Matthew describes? What’s the hardest part to believe? For most people, I suspect, the thing that raises questions, controversy, and debate is Mary’s virginity. Aren’t virginity and pregnancy mutually Read more
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The Womb that Contains What the Heavens Cannot
From you, our God who is before eternity, became a child! He has made your womb His throne, making it more spacious than the heavens. In you, O woman full of grace, all creation exults. Glory to you! (Joseph Raya, Theotokos: Mary Mother of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, 40.) Read more
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What are you Giving for Christmas?
At Christmas we often think, and rightfully so, of God’s gift of Jesus to the world. We celebrate and rejoice that God has been born into this world as one of us. God is with us in a new way. God has given us himself in the baby Jesus. The early Church, while recognizing God’s Read more
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Entrances into the Divine Life and Presence
“Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” We may never have said those exact words but I’ll bet most of us understand and know what Philip is asking. He has expressed a deep and universal desire of humanity. Sometimes we say, “You know, something is missing. I just feel restless. Nothing seems to Read more
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Carriers of the Treasure, Everyone a Magi
“Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Every one of us comes here today bearing gifts. That is one of the truth’s about the Epiphany. It is true not only on this day but every day. Many of us, however, have never been told this. If we have been Read more
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Walk Away from the Manger
The crowds from last night’s liturgy have gone home. There’s just a few of us here this morning. The noise, song, and voices of last night’s celebration have fallen silent. The candlelight of Christmas Eve has given way to the dawn of Christmas Day. That sounds a lot like the second half of St. Luke’s Read more
Interrupting the Silence 