Author: admin

Central to the Jewish faith was the Feast of Passover, the commemoration of God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12). In Jesus’ time, Passover was one of three major annual feasts during which the Jews made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Additionally, the Feast of Weeks celebrated the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai and the first fruits of the harvest (Leviticus 23:15-22), and the Feast of Tabernacles recalled the Israelites’ wandering in the desert and celebrated God’s providence (Leviticus 23:33-43).

The reference to the Chaldeans in Habakkuk 1:6 situates the prophet within a precise historical moment. The “Chaldeans” are the Babylonians, who rose to power after the decline of Assyria and became the dominant force in the Fertile Crescent. The Neo-Babylonian Empire’s ascendancy was marked by its decisive victory over Pharaoh Necho II at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C. Just four years earlier, in 609 B.C., Necho had defeated and killed King Josiah of Judah at Megiddo. Judah thus found itself caught between two superpowers—Babylon and Egypt—struggling to navigate the strategic pressures of its fragile geopolitical position.Habakkuk’s prophecy is not merely a chronicle of these shifts; it is a profound meditation on divine justice and human faith. Judah’s entanglement between Egypt and Babylon illustrates the vulnerability of nations, while Habakkuk’s dialogue with God reveals the enduring struggle of believers to reconcile divine holiness with historical realities. 

During Pope Leo XIV’s flight press conference last week (02 Dec 2025), he mentioned that a journalist had asked him: “Tell me one book, besides St. Augustine, that we could read to understand who Prevost [Pope Leo XIV] is.” The Pope’s answer is “a book called The Practice of the Presence of God,…a very simple book, by someone who doesn’t even give his last name, Brother Lawrence…If you want to know something about me, that has been my spirituality for many years.”  It is interesting to know that this “Brother Lawrence” is, in fact, a Carmelite lay-brother, a retired lame soldier, and a cook working in the monastery kitchen in 17th-century France. It is not my intention here to do a book review (its twenty-odd pages should be easy enough to read). I think it is worth understanding more about Carmelite spirituality, as it has had a strong influence onthe Augustinian Pope’s spirituality.

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, closing the Christmas season and opening Ordinary Time in this new year. The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of his public ministry. I remember the last time I returned to my country, Argentina. Arriving at our community house in Buenos Aires, I encountered a shocking image: Monsignor Virginio Bressanelly, SCJ, a former General Superior of our congregation and a retired bishop of more than 80 years of age, was washing the sidewalk of our house! Although I knew of his simplicity, as he had been my formator, to see an ex-general superior and a bishop doing that kind of work gave me a great surprise. I believe that John the Baptist was even more shocked when he saw his cousin Jesus coming to him, blending into the great mass of sinners, to be baptized by him.

The Book of Nahum does not mention reigning kings, so its historical setting must be reconstructed from events referenced in the text. Two decisive moments provide the framework: first, the brutal siege of the Egyptian city of Thebes in 663 B.C., carried out by King Assurbanipal of Assyria; second, the prophecy concerning the destruction of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, which was fulfilled in 612 B.C.

Christmas Day is among the most celebrated feasts in the world. Everything else in life stops while the Christian world, in particular, celebrates the birth of the Savior of the World that took place over 2,000 years ago in the small town of Bethlehem. The first Christmas was celebrated by Mary and Joseph, but a multitude of angels saw to it that poor shepherds from the nearby fields joined the celebration as representatives of the entire Christian world to come. Though the Incarnation took place nine months prior when the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive a Child, that Child exited her sacred womb and breathed His first breath of air on that holy night.

Each year at Christmas, we celebrate with gratitude and reverence the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Christmas reminds us that God is not distant or remote, but has entered human history and drawn near to our lives. When we entrust our way to the Lord and place our confidence in His guidance, we can continue our journey with hope, even when the path ahead is unclear.