Back in the room where the clergy vest for services, we keep a calendar of all the readings for the weekday masses. On a recent weekday there was a typographical error: instead of a reading from the book of Revelation, the calendar appointed a reading from the book of Revaluation. Father Austin prepares that calendar […]
Sermon Topic: Saint John the Baptist
The Wanted but Unexpected Son
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Amen. John the Baptist was a large figure in Jesus’ lifetime and in the days of the early Church. You can see this in today’s second lesson, from Acts, where the Apostle Paul is preaching in a synagogue during his […]
Are You Ready?
My son loves to hear our family stories surrounding his birth. How Aimee and I woke up in the middle of the night days before he was born too excited to sleep, so we went and ate pancakes at 3 in the morning; how his grandparents flew in from Georgia just to welcome him into […]
How's the Topography of your Soul?
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Amen. What you see and hear in this liturgy this morning at Saint Thomas makes for quite a contrast with what you see and hear outside on Fifth Avenue. Outside, Happy Holidays has been in high gear since Thanksgiving. We […]
The Dancing Girl
In the Name of God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. It’s a scandalous story, a sensual story, a titillating story, even. Salome dances for the king, who, in his (ahem) pleasure, rashly promises her anything she wants. A great story, perhaps—but what does it have to do with Jesus, for crying out loud? He’s […]
Five Grace Notes for Advent
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I…he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” St. Matthew 3:1-12 In the Name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Amen. This past Thanksgiving my wife and I eagerly […]
