December 7, 2025
Dear Friends,
Ann Garrido is a Catholic author, professor of preaching, and national catechetical leader. I have read several of her books and have been impressed by her wisdom and spiritual insight. She was featured in this week’s episode of the Preach podcast, in which she shared a reflection based on the passage from the Prophet Isaiah that we hear proclaimed at Mass this Sunday. The reflection she offered was meant for a Penance Service that her parish in Georgia will be having this coming Wednesday, December 10.
Given that we will be having a joint Penance Service for St. Maria Goretti and St. Joseph that same evening, I thought to share excerpts of Ann’s reflection with you. I hope that reading her words will help you ponder the powerful vision that Isaiah offers us this Sunday and that it might inspire you to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas, either at the Penance Service hosted at St. Maria Goretti at 7 pm Wednesday, or one of the upcoming Saturdays.
Peace,
Father Leo
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In the passage from Isaiah that we heard tonight, wolves are guests of lambs, leopards lay down next to prey, children play with lethal snakes, creatures that would never be caught dead with one another, or literally would be dead if they were caught with one another, are able to live in harmony, free of danger, free of fear. It makes such a beautiful picture and lots of lovely Christmas artwork.
But lest we miss Isaiah’s real point here, it’s important that we continue with the passage just beyond what we would have heard this past Sunday when it was our first reading. “He shall gather the outcasts of Israel, the dispersed of Judah, he shall assemble from the four corners of the earth, the envy of Ephraim shall pass away, the rivalry of Judah be removed, Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, Judah shall not be hostile to Ephraim.” These are God’s people that Isaiah is really talking about. These are God’s people healing their differences from one another and able to live in harmony, free of danger and free of fear. The coming of God’s kingdom has less to do with lions becoming vegetarian than about Israelis “laying down next to Palestinians, Ukrainians eating alongside Russians. Dare I say, Republicans and Democrats.
But no, no, even this is too comfortably distant from us. It has to do with me and friction with a group of longtime friends. It has to do with you and, well, you know who. Tonight, we gather in the Advent season to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a conversation inside of a confessional that in our larger culture, others would find odd. In an incredibly hectic and incredibly busy time of year, when there are gifts to buy and cards to address and cookies to bake, why stop and speak aloud about troubling relationships, lingering hurts and fears, places in our lives where we can’t find harmony?
Why? Because we know that what we are here to do tonight is a tiny foreshadowing of that great ultimate reconciliation of all of creation that the prophets promise. And it’s more than just a foreshadowing. It is a step toward it. […]
If God’s dream were realized inside of us, what would be different? Who would you be sitting next to? What would you be doing? What would no longer trouble you? What would be healed? Now, here’s the good news. We don’t have to figure out how to make that happen on our own. Though God needs collaborators to bring about the great reconciliation, ultimately, it is God’s work.
And so it is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well. All we need to do is to confess. And let’s be clear what it is that we’re confessing. We’re confessing where things in our lives are not living up to God’s plan. It’s true. But more than that, we are confessing our belief that God is so good, and so powerful, that what seems impossible can become possible. That virgins can give birth, that the dead can rise, that wolves can lay down next to lambs, and that God, despite all our falls, all our failings, indeed not only can, but will help us to reach our end. All that we need to do is to imagine. All that we need to do is to believe. And tonight, all that we need to do is ask.