The Emmaus Pastorate’s Podcast

Laws can be cut and dry.  True, they keep society safe and orderly.  But there is usually more to the law than what's on paper, the so-called "spirit" of the law.  And Jesus is all about that!  The Fifth Commandment instructs us not to kill others.  But Jesus takes that one step further, saying even wishing harm to another person - not death, just harm - is a sin!  It's the thought that counts, too, not just the action.  And as difficult as changing our thought patterns can be, our reward is something so great that "eye has not seen, nor ear has not heard" the wonders God has prepared for us!

God doesn't want us to be good.  God wants us to WANT to be good!

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven!  Despite how difficult it can be to see it, we are all blessings, we are all blessings to each other, and we are full of God's blessings.  As we begin a new year and approach the season of Lent, consider what blessings have been bestowed to you.  If you're feeling less than blessed, never fear.  Rejoice, and be glad!  Your reward will be great in heaven!

Cataracts.  They're aren't fun, finding them isn't the most pleasant experience, and they can cause us vision troubles.  Our eyes can certainly suffer from cataracts, but our hearts can too.  Spiritual cataracts are the impediments that blind us to God's kingdom here and now.  They're what keep us from recognizing Jesus in others, from loving for our neighbor, and from ignoring God's call in our lives.  Take a minute.  What spiritual cataracts do you suffer?

Welcome back to Ordinary Time!  Ordinary Time is that large part of the year that isn't Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter.  It's where we spend most of our lives.  But that doesn't mean it's ordinary!  It's an excellent time to live extraordinarily, just as Christ calls us!  The Gospels demand a response, and the new year, the new season is a great time to answer!

Epiphany is about more than just three men riding camels from somewhere in the East to the little town of Bethlehem.  They made that long journey because of a revelation, God's revelation to them.  They were not Jewish.  They weren't of God's Chosen People.  They were Gentiles, those "others."  And yet God revealed to them good news of great joy!  And God reveals that same news to us even today.  How are you revealing God's presence this week?

We are all brothers and sisters - whether we like it or not.  So how can we be a blessing to each other in the 2023?

What's Jesus giving you this year?  Why?  Better yet, what are you giving him in the New Year?  From the staff of the Emmaus Pastorate, merry Christmas to you and yours!

Hope.  St. Joseph had no clue what God had in store for him.  A betrothed wife pregnant by someone other than him.  An angel telling him tall tales.  And the Son of God promised to be born.  And yet he had hope.  Joseph had trust and faith in the promises of God.  And in silent acceptance, he became the foster father of Jesus!  What can you do with hope?

Are you hopeful?  Better yet: To whom are you providing hope?  What is hope even?  Hope is restoring the broken and downtrodden.  So how are you spreading hope this Advent?