Posts by Kaity Holtman
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Today, we move into the first week of Ordinary Time. The first reading throughout January will be taken from the two Books of Samuel, except for the few feast days. Three figures are prominent: the prophet Samuel, the first king by the name of Saul, and the great King David. Before Samuel, however, today…
Read MoreThe Baptism of the Lord
Today’s Gospel describing the baptism of Jesus starts out by talking about John the Baptist. What an interesting figure! He had spent years in the desert, preparing himself for his mission. He will point out Jesus. “One mightier than I is coming after me.” He is a man of the desert. What does the…
Read MoreThe Epiphany of the Lord
Today, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The Greek word “Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “appearance.” In the Gospel, Jesus is manifested and appears as a King who is adored. This is somewhat surprising. After all, Jesus is not even a month old. Yet he is recognized as a King.…
Read MoreChristmas Weekday
On this Marian Saturday during the Christmas season, St. Maximilian Kolbe once said, “I thank you very much for your prayers and ask for many, many more, that I may serve the Immaculata with zeal, ‘suaviter et fortiter‘ [gently and bravely].” Let us always pray for one another through the Immaculata so that we…
Read MoreMemorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.’ And he said to him, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on…
Read MoreMemorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Today is the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton! She once said, “Blessed a thousand, thousand times be God who governs all and will bring light out of darkness.” During Advent, I kept pondering how God brings everything that is dark into light, so that nothing will be left in darkness! Why? Because God…
Read MoreChristmas Weekday
In our Alleluia verse today, we hear, “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him, He gave power to become the children of God.” Why did he give us power to become children of God? Not only because we accept him, but because we have Our Lord…
Read MoreMemorial of Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
In our first reading today, we hear “Beloved: Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.” One of our saints…
Read MoreSolemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God
A very Happy New Year to all. It is very fitting that we celebrate this solemnity of Mary, Mother of God! Yesterday, we read from the prophecy of Simeon: “And you yourself a sword will pierce—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” I am reminded of what a priest friend shared…
Read MoreThe Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
I think it is very fitting that the last day of the year is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Family. We read in our Gospel today the Canticle of Simeon and his prophecy to our Lady, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my…
Read MoreThe Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
O come, let us adore Him! Our Savior is Born! Many of you sang that hymn at the beginning of the Vigil Christmas Mass or the Midnight Mass. It’s my favorite Christmas Mass hymn! After singing O Come Emmanuel for weeks, and after begging the Christ to come and save us, now we sing…
Read MoreThe Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Merry Christmas! Our Savior is born! In today’s gospel, we see the Holy Spirit’s promise fulfilled. The Holy Spirit told the holy, devout, and righteous man Simeon that he would not see death until he had seen the Christ. After waiting for what seemed like forever, Simeon sees the Christ in the temple when…
Read MoreFeast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
Merry Christmas! Our Savior is Born! Guilt by association… those were the words that I used in my reflection for St. Stephen’s Feast Day a couple of days ago. The Deacon Stephen knew what could happen to him when he associated himself and professed a faith to the Christ. Today, we remember and honor…
Read MoreFeast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
Merry Christmas! Keep listening to that Christmas music! On this third Octave Day of Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, author of John’s gospel, AND the disciple whom Jesus loved. The gospel we hear today is of John and Simon Peter running to Jesus’ tomb after Mary Magdalene told them…
Read MoreFeast of St. Stephen, First Martyr
Merry Christmas! Our Savior is born! Keep those Christmas decorations up. We’ve got 40 days to celebrate the Messiah’s birth! On this first day after Christmas, we are reminded of the cost of the Christian life. Today, we honor and celebrate a deacon of the early Church, St. Stephen. He was martyred because of…
Read MoreThe Nativity of our Lord (Christmas Day)
Puer natus est nobis et filius datus est nobis. A child is born for us, and a son is given to us. These words of the Introit for the Mass of Christmas Day have announced this feast and mystery for centuries. A child is born for us; a son is given to us. These…
Read MoreFourth Sunday of Advent
Well, here we are, it’s Christmas Eve, and we’ve just participated in one of the shortest Advent periods. But before jumping into tonight’s celebration, let’s look at what our readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent are trying to tell us. From our first reading from Second Samuel, we hear how King David is…
Read MoreSaturday of the Third Week of Advent
You aren’t the Messiah, and I am not the Savior. Now that we have that established, let’s focus on who we are and what we are to do. Based on the Scripture readings, our role is fairly clear: to prepare the way. For an entire year, I told a seminarian whom I was working with…
Read MoreFriday of the Third Week of Advent
Hannah prayed with great devotion and fervor for one thing: a child. Now, she has that child, Samuel, and she is following through with her promise to give him to the Lord. Hannah is making a significant sacrifice. But, because of her sacrifice, her son will follow the Lord and carry out God’s will,…
Read MoreThursday of the Third Week of Advent
An authentic encounter with the Lord brings joy. Mary does for Elizabeth what she does for every Christian who seeks her intercession. Mary puts us in proximity to Jesus. Mary does it physically as she carries Jesus in her womb and His presence is acknowledged by John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s womb.…
Read MoreWednesday of the Third Week of Advent
Mary pondered. She pondered and allowed her heart to move to a place of acceptance of God’s will. It’s often the case in life that we will experience things we do not understand, do not like, or cannot change. Every moment like this is an opportunity to ponder—which is to say, reflect in silence.…
Read MoreTuesday of the Third Week of Advent
An angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife and promises that she will conceive and bear a son. Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord visits the lowly and humble. God comes in the small and ordinary circumstances when we call upon Him with great faith. Greatness isn’t measured in popularity and worldly esteem but…
Read MoreMonday of the Third Week of Advent
There are countless examples in the Bible of humanity not listening: Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, Pharaoh hardened his heart to God and did not listen, and the Chosen People, once freed from slavery in Egypt the people’s grumbling and complaining, which can also be seen as their refusal to listen.…
Read MoreThird Sunday of Advent
Many of my friends, especially those with young children, have mixed feelings about the holiday season. On the one hand, they look forward to the time spent with family and friends, the anticipation of preparing and celebrating Christmas. But, they also feel overwhelmed by the pressures to buy more, or try to accomplish everything…
Read MoreSaturday of the Second Week of Advent
Elijah and John the Baptist were like fire; their words were like a flaming furnace. As the saying goes, the truth hurts, and the prophets’ vocation was to point out the truth of people’s sin they hoped to ignore. Fire is destructive, yes, but fire is also purifying. We know that the lifecycle of…
Read MoreFriday of the Second Week of Advent
A little mystery is a good thing. However, as a pastor and as an administrator in a seminary, I have found under-communication can be a serious mistake. When you don’t connect the dots, people can, and will, speculate wildly. And misunderstanding often causes the confused to assume the worst about you. When Jesus cleanses…
Read MoreMemorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
What a shift we have had in Isaiah’s prophecy! We heard about a worldwide banquet in God’s presence, with enemies in the animal kingdom becoming friends. By contrast today: “O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel.” In fairness, the context is: “Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel. I will help you, says the…
Read MoreFeast of St. Lucy, Virgin & Martyr
Isaiah tells us today that our God is strong if we are weak, and in fact, He makes us strong when we are weak. This is essential to remember. Why? Because sometimes we like to cling to our problems. This must sound crazy. Why would anyone want to stay in pain, sin, or resentment?…
Read MoreFeast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
In my iconography class at the seminary, we paint sacred icons in a traditional Byzantine-Slav style. Christ and Mary are depicted as persons with Mediterranean appearances, corresponding to the places where the original artworks developed as much as trying to be culturally sensitive. However, I have been asked if Jesus and saints could be…
Read MoreMonday of the Second Week of Advent
The Advent season presents us with images of the Messianic Age. Today, it is the highway for the Lord. What made empires strong in the ancient world were their roads. The spread of the gospel happened rapidly in the Roman Empire because of the well-paved and protected roads that epitomized the Pax Romana. Yet,…
Read MoreSecond Sunday of Advent
Here at the seminary, we are entering finals’ week. I look around at students’ glazed-over faces. It seems like there is never enough time in a day to get everything done. For parents, between work and children’s seasonal programs, it’s particularly hectic. For the elderly, doing anything takes all day it seems. For…
Read MoreSaturday of the First Week of Advent
“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, … proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, … At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were ….like sheep without a shepherd.” The New Interpreter’s Study Bible comments on the context here: “[Jesus’] actions manifest God’s powerful…
Read MoreSolemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” Our Basilica, the abbey to which we belong, the congregation of Benedictine monks we belong to ,and the country we live in—all are under the patronage of…
Read MoreMemorial of St. Ambrose, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“…like the wise man who built his house on rock.” In our first reading, from Isaiah, we learn of this rock: “The Lord is an eternal rock.” Is my life built upon this rock? The Sacred Scriptures teach us that the solidity of such a building comes through the ear: Jesus tells his hearers…
Read MoreWednesday of the First Week of Advent
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd.” There was a synod on evangelization in 1974. In the document preparatory to the synod, evangelization was defined as “bringing people to the mystery of Christ.” The Advent Season reminds us of three comings of Christ: in history, in mystery, and at the end of…
Read MoreTuesday of the First Week of Advent
“Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.’” In our day, when we hear so many things, so quickly and with so much interpretation,…
Read MoreMonday of the First Week of Advent
“…[Jesus] was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith…’” This centurion, a foreigner in Israel, in his act of faith, stands for all those people we have come across, in person, in reading, in media viewing—outsiders whose faith puts…
Read MoreFirst Sunday of Advent
We wait in order to learn the hiddenness of redemption and holiness. In today’s readings, we have two fine Scriptures to guide us to our hidden God. Isaiah says in the first reading: “You have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.” Paul tells us: “You are…
Read MoreSaturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today, Saturday of the 34th week of Ordinary Time is the last day of the liturgical year. Tomorrow, with the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year. Now if we look at the gospel passages for today and tomorrow we will notice something interesting. Today’s Gospel (Lk 21:34-36) we are told…
Read MoreFriday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
The Gospel passage today ends with a very interesting thought from Jesus, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” In the prologue of the gospel of John, John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A few…
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