Pretty soon we will observe Advent (starts Sunday, November 27).
Your unworthy servant will keep the season by celebrating Vespers with Adoration and Benediction each Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
I will also give four talks on the four reasons for the Incarnation.
(You can click HERE for previews of the talks. This year’s versions will be new and improved.)
Everyone is invited.
The Advent talks and Vespers will take place at Francis of Assisi in Rocky Mount, Va. In Lent, we will have the Sunday afternoon talks and Vespers at St. Joseph in Martinsville.
…Here I present the promised “Parables Compendium”:
The key to understanding the parables of Christ
Why preach? Belching at the wedding banquet, like St. Augustine.
Measure the Cost: 1. Parables of the Tower and the War-Making King, 2. Tower, King, and Great Banquet
Prodigal Son
1. Comparison with the Buddhist parable
2. Most Annoying Person on Earth
3. The Home We Belong In (attempt at an exposition)
Stewardship Miscellany
1. Unforgiving Steward 1b. Unforgiving Servant
2. Unforgiving Steward vs. Dishonest Steward
2b. “Merchant of Venice” explains
2c. The Dishonest Steward means: Life is short.
3. The Wicked Tenants and the Invited Wedding Guests
4. The Wicked Tenants & King Lear
4b. The Wicked Tenants, Patience, Conclave, Fall ’62
4c. Good out of Tenants’ Evil 4d. The Wicked Tenants and the Good Prophets
5. Servants awaiting their master’s return 5b. Faithful Steward
6. For the graduates, to share the master’s joy.
7. Wanting Christ to be King (St. Luke’s parable of the talents) a.k.a. Parable of the Minas/Pounds
7b. Leaving the Gold Coin on the Court
7c. The Hard Man with Plenty of Money
On the Farm (Abundant Harvest, Few Laborers)
1. Weeding the Right Garden 1b. The Two Kinds of Tares/Evil
2. It takes a good, long time to make the oatmeal
3. The son who does his praying duty 3b. Two Sons Advent 2015 3c. Two Sons Advent 2016
4. Seed Scattered on the Ground
4b. Mercy and the Seed Scattered on the Ground
5. Faith, Mustard Seed, Father, Don Bosco, Young Souls Growing
6. Scaring Off the Gospel-Pecking Pigeons
7a. Good Workers and Maladroits in the Vineyard (with basketball analogy!) 7b. The Gift of Time
8. Parable of the Seeds’ Growth
The tricky thing about new wineskins.
The neat thing about lost coins.
1. Han Solo and the Lost Sheep 2. Invested in Sheep
Parable of the Fig Tree; Parable of the Gardeners’ Patience with the Fig Tree
Ten Virgins/Bridesmaids
1. In Here, Lord? 2. Hamlet and the Ten Virgins 3. The Oil is: The Mass
1. Lazarus and Dives 2. Dives Gone to the Dogs 3. Justice will be Done
1. The Good Samaritan Seeks Justice 2. When Your Evil Little Sister is the Good Samaritan
1. Profligate Seed Sewing in the Desert (with Exodus), 2. Rest from Parable-of-the-Sower Enemies
Friend at Midnight/Importunate Neighbor
Father Mark White Blog 
Father Mark,
Comment? On all the references? I’d have to spend the next month reading.
So, instead, I’ll just take Hamlet and the Ten Virgins. The Truth? The truth is that yesterday’s readings were amazingly consistent in their message. Wisdom and Psalm 63 reveals desperate seeking and longing for the Lord (true wisdom), First Thessalonians shows the promise of Christ supercedes death, so we must hold fast to the faith. Matthew shows both the promise of the Eternal Feast and that those who don’t conduct themselves wisely may miss it.
Amazing how readings seemingly selected by reading through in order can present a very cohesive message. Why, you’t think the Source was Divinely Inspired.
LIH,
joe