December 27, 2020: Feast of the Holy Family

In the celebration of Christ's Birth still fresh, we acknowledge that Jesus is fully man and fully God.  So it's fitting that we would, as part of the Christmas Season, celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Christ entered into a human family so that God's presence could be known at all times in life, starting from the earliest years of our lives.

Even in the brokenness of our world, we are blessed because God is at work in our lives, just like with Abraham: Despite his advanced age, God provided a son for him and Sarah, as a sign of the great promises that his descendants would fill the Earth and be God's blessing everywhere.  

And so Simeon and Anna rejoiced so greatly at the presence of the Christ Child, the fulfillment of God's promise to each of them.  While Mary and St. Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to fulfill the Law's dictates, they were blessed with wondrous words about their Child from these two devout individuals who knew He would be a blessing beyond measure in the world.

God has poured forth His love into our hearts and, in families, we have the opportunity to live, share, and grow in that love as a sign of His presence.

Living such love leads us to attain holiness through fulfillment of God's commands, especially to love others as He loves us, in the Church family, the Body of Christ, and in the world at large.  As we grow in love and live it, the world truly recognizes that God's favor is upon us all.

December 25, 2020: Christmas Day/Feast of the Lord's Nativity

The readings for this great Feast speak to the idea of a Great Light shining into the darkness.

Christ is that Light, because in Him, God has come into our world.

While darkness of all kinds in this world might try to prevent the Light from shining--which this year 2020 has certainly not been in short supply of--the Light shines brighter than any darkness.

There's something amazing about the scene of the shepherds in the fields at night, punctured by the light of the angel announcing Good News for all, namely, the Birth of One anointed to be Savior of the world.  And then the Light shines even brighter with the song of the angels, which continues to echo through the ages to our own day.

The Light was born in the world that, and is born in us each day as we open our hearts to God's presence and open ourselves to the transformation He brings so that we can shine His Light into the darkness of the world around us.

December 20, 2020: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Throughout time, God has made promises to His people, revealing little by little, according to His timing, His great work of salvation, as St. Paul writes so magnificently in the 2nd reading.

God promises David that His House would endure forever, because one of his descendants would be the Everlasting King, the long-awaited Messiah.

That descendent, Christ, was born of Mary.  The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was full of grace, and chosen to be the One to bear the Son into the world, to be an important part of the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah.

Even though it didn't fully make sense to her, she recognized God had it all under control, and so she opened herself to God's plan.

God's House continues into our own day, and God's work of salvation continues, as He chooses each of us to be part of the unfolding of this plan.

We awaken ourselves to how God is manifesting His promises among us, and we entrust ourselves to those promises and watch as He fulfills them.

December 13, 2020: Third Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday

This Sunday is an occasion that stirs something deep within me:

Even as await the joy of celebrating Christ's Birth, we have joy now as we welcome God Who comes to be present with us.

Christ indeed was so great that just the act of His coming was enough to stir hearts, and inspire St. John the Baptist to proclaim repentance as He pointed others to Christ, fulfilling the role that Isaiah spoke of as the voice calling out in the desert to prepare the way.  And Mary, filled with awe at how God chose her, magnified God's Name.

The coming of Christ signaled what Isaiah speaks of in the first reading, One anointed to bring liberty, freedom, and glad tidings.  And just as the earth would bloom, so would "justice and praise spring up before all the nations", as Isaiah writes, a sure sign of God's presence.

Let us join our praises then with those in Isaiah, and join with Mary, rejoicing that God has looked upon us so favorably, which is reason for joy deep down within us.  We are always in the presence of God, Who works to make us holy, and so we are constantly in a state of prayer as we keep ourselves aware of God's presence, and give thanks for His constant presence.  We also answer the call to holiness, for we have been anointed by God to participate with God in bringing transformation to all the earth, kindling the joy within us all around us.

The words of the first reading bring back joyful memories of the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2019, when we were sent forth by Pope Francis to fulfill God's dreams in this world.

I rejoice greatly on this Gaudete Sunday, for it was 10 years ago when the new Ministry Life Center addition at St. Teresa's was blessed at a special Mass, which was part of a great tradition and one of my fondest memories, a special Advent Mass, followed by a fancy dinner as the 1st semester concluded.  Being part of the St. Teresa's community is a great joy.

I further rejoice because it was on Gaudete Sunday 10 years ago that I launched this blog.  It is a joy to ponder what God speaks in His Words at Mass, and to share it.

December 12, 2020: Feast of La Señora de Guadalupe

The reading from Zechariah speaks so powerfully to what this feast is about: The Daughter of Zion rejoice as all nations come to join themselves to the Lord.

Our world is truly blessed because Mary submitted to God's plan for her life as she took up an important role in salvation history.

God continues to shine a great Light through her, that darkness may be banished and we all may experience renewal and transformation, as happened in Mexico when La Virgen appeared to San Juan Diego.

So, with Mary, we truly magnify the Lord for His great gift of salvation and redemption.

December 8, 2020: Feast of the Immaculate Conception

As God sought to reverse the curse of sin and bring us back into right relationship, He chose Mary to play a special role by bearing the Son into the world to be our Savior.

Mary was full of grace and an awareness of God at work in her life.  Even though she couldn't fully understand it, given her question to Gabriel at the annunication, she trusted that God would work with her offering of obedience.

As the first disciple, she offers us a model that God will work in us as we say, "yes", to Him.

December 6, 2020: Second Sunday of Advent

A voice cries out in the first reading from Isaiah, and in the Gospel passage from St. Mark.

It is a voice that calls us to repentance.  As St. Paul states in the 2nd reading, God is patient with us, because His sense of time is much different than ours, in the time before the Heavens and Earth will be made new.  It is a time that calls us to be transformed to be righteous, just as all Creation is awaiting transformation, with the valleys filled in, the mountains made low, and everything made straight and smooth.

St. John the Baptist, as the voice crying out in the Gospel, points to the Mighty One Who was to come, Who would bring transformation inwardly through baptism by the Holy Spirit.

This transformation manifests the glory of the Lord, which is present in all the world, but also in us as we go forth to bring the tidings of comfort and joy that are the Good News of the Gospel of our Savior Who comes to free us from the malady of sin that infects all humanity, as I heard so well in a homily when attending Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, and restores us to righteousness.

November 29, 2020: First Sunday of Advent

The theme of Christ's 2nd coming carries over from the previous weeks as we enter into Advent.

Christ urges His listeners to be on watch and alert for His coming.

This command to watch for Him, calls us to repentance, to order our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him as we do His works.

Furthermore, we live knowing that, as St. Paul so eloquently writes, God has equipped us with all we need to stand firm until the end, when we see the full revelation of Jesus Christ.

We also make ourselves fully aware of how He is present to us even now.  He is shining a light into our darkness that gives us great hope, which is a light that we shine in the darkness.

November 22, 2020: Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

The image of a king evokes one who is mighty and powerful.  That idea is certainly the case with Jesus Christ, the King of all the universe.

Christ demonstrates His Kingship by identifying Himself with the poor and lowly, seeking to meet their needs, shepherding them to fulfillment in this life by leading them into the ways of Eternal Life.

And He has rightly earned His Kingship by dying for us sinners, who were in need of salvation, and having risen victoriously.

Now He rules our hearts. Those of us who are saved and are named by this King are called to participate in advancing the Kingdom by caring for those in need, following in the way of our Good Shepherd that we may demonstrate the faith we have in our King.

November 21, 2020: Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Like the reading in Zechariah, we rejoice that our God comes to dwell with us.

Let us follow the example of Mary, and be filled with a desire for God above all, for He is the One Who gives us true purpose in life.

May we draw close to God, growing in relationship with Him Who does marvelous things in our lives, and strive to live each day in a way by which we grow closer with Him Who has come to abide with us, through the Son born of Mary, the temple who bore God's very real presence into the world in Jesus Christ.

November 15, 2020: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

While we wait for the Lord's coming again, we can keep occupied with the work God gives us, answering the called to bear fruit for the Kingdom in accordance with the ways God has equipped us.

We are called to show that we are children of Light by shining light into the world, even to the point of taking risks.

What really counts is how we show fear of the Lord and put faith into action, doing what pleases God, that we may experience eternal joy.

November 9, 2020: Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica

We celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran today, the cathedral church of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome.

And we also celebrate the greater reality that is beyond the walls of that church, or any church:  God has chosen us as His people to be, as St. Paul writes, "His building" or "His body".

We make Him known to the world as we embody His presence, even as each of us are temples that God desires to purify so that His glory may shine out to the world through us as we live holy lives.

November 8, 2020: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we draw closer to the conclusion of the liturgical year, the readings help us reflect more on the End Times. We the church, the bride, await the coming of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom.

We can be certain of His coming, but since we don't know when, we are called to live in a state of readiness.  We are called to uphold our faith for the long haul, to tap into those reserves of extra oil that the 5 wise virgins brought with them.

We do so, knowing that God has equipped us with the gift of wisdom, so that we can make right choices in putting our faith into action, to demonstrate our earnest desire to be close to God Who has come so close to us.  Furthermore, we take comfort in the ultimate goal we seek of being with God forever, as we face the challenges and uncertainties of this time when we wait.  Setting such a goal before us, and being formed by wisdom, we live with purpose now.

November 2, 2020: All Souls' Day

Christ died and rose again, laying the path for us to Eternal Life.

Let us strive to follow that way, living in the reality that gives us hope.

Let us live by faith on the way to Heaven, and experience Heaven now in the assurance that God cares for the faithful souls.

November 1, 2020: Feast of All Saints

We have countless examples of saints who walked the walk of faith, striving to live the fullness of life in God, unto eternity.

And looking unto them, we realize that we have the same opportunity to reach God's presence in Heaven, while living the abundant Life now that God grants us.

He has lavished great love on us, so that we may be called His children.  He furthermore calls us to holiness, living in a way that we draw attention not to ourselves, but to God Who is working in us, and to Whose image we strive to be conformed.  Ultimately, the Beatitudes provide a blueprint for how we can experience Heaven in its fullness one day, but Heaven even now as well.

So as we look unto the saints of ages past who are now in Heaven, we are called to be saints, too, and God equips us for sainthood in our own lives.  Indeed, God desires to purify us so that we reflect not the ways of the world, but the very face of our God in this world in these times and circumstances.

October 25, 2020: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus teaches a great truth in today's Gospel reading when He states the two greatest of all the 600-something commandments in Jewish Law are to love God and love our neighbors.  He furthermore adds that everything depends on these two commandments because love is the motivation behind our call to uphold them.

God has shown us love in establishing a relationship with us.  And while He is unseen, He makes Himself known through pouring out sacrificial love for us, and we reveal Him by pouring out love for others.  As the commands in the first reading declare, we are to care for the needs of those who are in a lowly state.  Like the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt, so we all have had a time in our lives when we were in need.

In the New Covenant in Christ, this love is the basis for our faith, as we imitate Christ-like behavior, showing the love he has first shown us through dying and rising, so that the living God is truly present among us, as the Holy Spirit equips us to live this love.

October 18, 2020: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

With great joy I reflect on these readings, which were proclaimed at my Confirmation Mass 15 years ago.

Jesus masterfully wards off His adversaries' attempt to trap Him by a noble statement of giving to Caesar what belongs to him, and then takes it to a higher level of offering to God what belongs to Him.

Ultimately, everything belongs to God, especially us, because we are made in His image, and walking by faith, we continuously strive to be conformed to His image, as we offer ourselves to God.  

God, enthroned above all the powers of Earth, He chooses certain individuals as instruments to accomplish His purposes, like Cyrus, the Persian king, Who he called the annointed one, the Messiah, and Cyrus fulfilled that designation as the one who sent the Israelites back to their land and even helped rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Indeed, God has chosen each of us to bear His image, and be part of His purposes in our world, which He accomplished through the Gospel, which is worked in us powerfully through the Holy Spirit, and so we strive in faith, hope, and love.

October 11, 2020: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Like St. Paul writes, God supplies us abundantly with everything we need.

In fact, He offers us a great banquet, where we can delight in His presence.

It is a great invitation, and it compels us to respond by coming, and fully embracing the life God offers us, which is not an invitation that everyone in the story completely accepts.

So let's put on the Christian dignity He gives us, as I see symbolized in the wedding garments given to the guests, and head toward the Heavenly banquet, keeping that dignity unstained.

Today is the day in 1962 when the Vatican II Council convened, which opened up a new understanding for all the people of the church to embrace the universal call to holiness.

As Jesus says, "Many are invited, but few are chosen."

The invitation extended to all provides a great opportunity as we strive to take hold of the great riches God offers us, flowing through all parts of our lives.  We acknowledge that God equips us and strengthens us for all things, so we can live consistent with all that God provides.

October 4, 2020: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God has lavished so much upon us, even the blessing of forming us into His people.

While it is a great gift freely given, it compels us to make something of it.

The story told in slightly differing versions in Isaiah and then the Gospel according to St. Matthew tells about how God had expectations that His people, represented as the vineyard, and those attending the vineyard, and was disappointed when they didn't produce good fruit in keeping with His blessings.

So as is told in the Gospel reading, the owner of the vineyard gave care of the vineyard to other people who would produce its fruit, which happened when the way was opened for the Gentiles to enter and tend to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

All of us are freely given the gift of blessing as God's people, and all of us are compelled to share those blessings. We are called, as St. Paul writes in the 2nd reading, to focus on what is worthy, drawing constantly and closely to God in prayer, and abiding in the way of righteousness.

On this Respect Life Sunday, may we behold the great gift of Life we have each day, and embrace the noble and worthy responsibility to uphold it for all.

September 27, 2020: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Once again, God is turning the tables on our usual way of thinking:  People whose reputation has been soiled by sins are entering the Kingdom of God, receiving the gift God grants in salvation that brings Newness of Life.

No matter how far we have strayed, we all can be restored to right relationship with God, if we soften and humble our hearts and return to Him, embracing the way that pleases God.

And we join with all people of faith, seeking to build one another up in living in this Life. Each day we strive toward God, Who has made this gift of salvation possible through Christ, Who humbled HImself to die for us. He is now exalted, even in how He is the ultimate example for living God's way.

September 21, 2020: Feast of St. Matthew

The Gospel proclaims Jesus Christ, and it has the power to save us and transform our lives.

St. Matthew himself experienced this as he was doing his work.  Jesus called him, and St. Matthew followed.  Jesus put Himself in the presence of sinners so they could be transformed, because they are most in need of transformative grace.

And when changed, we are called to live our lives anew, fulfilling His purposes, so that all the world may come to know the message of the Gospel that saves.

September 20, 2020: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The first reading really prepares us for the unusual nature of the Gospel passage when God, through Isaiah, proclaims that His ways are not our ways.

From our human, economic standpoint, paying the same wage to laborers regardless of how long they toiled is illogical.

And this aspect of the story invites us to move beyond our ways of thinking to acknowledge how God regards us.

Though He is just, He is also abundantly merciful, and generously grants us His mercy so that we can live a full life, in Him.

Rather than focusing on what's fair and unfair, let's seek after this God Who is so generous in forgiving.  For we are called to receive this gift from Him and share it with others, as we put our faith into action, living in a way worthy of the Gospel, as Christ, Who so mercifully saved us, is now directing the course of our lives.

September 14, 2020: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

It's an incredible image to think that all the Hebrews had to do to be healed from the snake bites was to look at a bronze snake lifted up.

And it is a rather simple gesture for us to look up and gaze upon the Crucified Lord, the One Who, for the salvation of the world underwent a terrible death.  Yet He did not stay dead, for He Resurrected and lives forever and ever, reigning on high.  In Him, we have a share in abundant Life, as we join ourselves more closely in the Paschal Mystery, participating in dying and rising with Him.

September 13, 2020: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By saving us, God has brought us out of sinful ways to a different way.  We no longer focus on resentment and vengeance because He has called us to forgiveness as a way of life.

When St. Peter asks about how many times he should forgive, Jesus moves him beyond thinking numerically to infinitely forgiving.

We remember how in great love God has forgiven us when we had no ability to make up for our sins.  Forgiveness is such a great gift, and compels us live in such a way constantly extending forgiveness.  No longer are we to be stuck in the mire of resentment that eats away at us, but experience the freedom of forgiveness, which God makes possible in our lives through His abundant kindness in the Paschal Mystery.  He is now Lord of all, and our living is now directed by Him, as we forgive from the heart.

September 8, 2020: Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary sets a great example for us as the first disciple, one chosen by God in whom He worked marvelously, even through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He chose one lowly, and raised her up to a special place in His plan to bring salvation to all the world, by bearing the Savior into the world, born as a person.  She entered such a place because she heard the plan of God, and said "Yes".

We continue to honor Mary as one blessed and chosen, as we marvel at how God chooses us to play a significant part in His plan of salvation when we say "Yes" to His plan, as did Mary.

September 6, 2020: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Now that God is present among us, we are called to live out our relationship with Him in the way we relate to others.

He has spoken to us the Truth, and our role is to make it known to others.  We use Truth for the good of others, taking care to show them God's love as we direct them away from wickedness toward the ways of righteousness.  Ezekiel is called as a prophet to help others turn from evil ways, and is responsible for doing his part to help steer them, not just speaking words.

Jesus teaches about conflict resolution, all with the aim of helping make manifest the reconciliation in our relationships that is a reality between Heaven and Earth made possible by His Paschal Mystery.

So now, we live love as the fulfillment of the law, as St. Paul writes, for all those commands are intended to help us love and respect our neighbors, thereby revealing God present among us so powerfully.

August 30, 2020: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings emphasize that living a life devoted to God is challenging.  It often leads to struggle as we suffer because the world opposes us for living according to God's purposes for us.

Yet, like the prophet Jeremiah, we realize that deep within us, this life is worth living more than anything else.

I certainly came to a greater awareness of how living by faith is worth it during my college years through being part of the St. Teresa's community. I was back with them this day attending Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert McClory of the Diocese of Gary.  While I acknowledged the gravity of the challenge posed by the readings, Bishop McClory put such a positive, uplifting spin on it.  He shared that when we refuse to be conformed to the world and instead seek out God's will, we enter into a life with great meaning and purpose.

While we could fill our lives with worldly pleasures, they won't satisfy us nearly as much as when we decline what the world offers and give of ourselves, thereby fortifying our souls for the Eternal Life God promises to those who strive faithfully in this life.  And that's one prize worth gaining above even the whole world.

August 23, 2020: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the 2nd reading, St. Paul marvels at our Mighty God, Who is so beyond what any of us can fathom, because He is the source of all.

We can certainly marvel that God has chosen us, mere humans He has created, to be part of His purposes.

Jesus acknowledged that Simon's proclamation of Him as the Christ came from the Heavenly Father.  He then gives him a new name, Peter, and signifies he will be the rock upon which the church will be built.  Much like God grants to Eliakim, a worthy servant, Jesus gives Peter authority to advance the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as the Church is built, which we see is through the teaching and advancement of God's Truths.

We continue to see that authority passed down through the ages to the leadership of the Church today.  I saw this authority represented in a special way 5 years ago today when Cardinal Vigano invested then-Archbishop Cupich with the pallium, which represents his role as Shepherd in the office of the Archbishop of Chicago.

Our leaders derive their authority from that which Christ granted to St. Peter and the Apostles, who were succeeded by the Pope and the bishops, and so through them, we can sense a connection to the Apostles, who were so close to Christ.

In a world that is swayed by relativism and even various ideas about who Jesus is, we can confidently acclaim that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God", as we, like living stones that St. Peter writes about in 1 Peter, can be built on the unshakable foundation of Christ.

That is a reality I embraced in a whole new way 11 years ago when my sense of faith was powerfully enlivened when, as the threshold of my college years, I attended Mass for the first time at St. Teresa of Avila (Roman) Catholic Student Center.

Back there to celebrate the anniversary today, Father Chris shared in his homily that even when our faith wavers, we can still count on the Church to support us, because Christ is present in it, and supporting it as the unbreakable foundation.

Thanks be to God that He gives us such a foundation in Christ, and empowers us to live the faith that declares Him for Who He is.

August 22, 2020: Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary went to be with her Son at the end of her earthly life.

She is now close to Him in Heaven, and offers up intercession.

She seeks after her Son, who she bore into the world.  Now He reigns in Heaven on High, and He continues to work in our world.

August 16, 2020: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God desires to bring all people to Himself.  He chose the Hebrews specially, but, as the reading from the prophet Isaiah describes, He also wants to bring others to Himself, like the Gentiles.  In the context of Isaiah's time, and Jesus's time, too, the Hebrews were hesitant to let others be part of God's Chosen People.

Yet God makes clear that what counts is faith that earnestll seeks Him, and is pleasing to Him.

St. Paul reflects on His ministry to the Gentiles in the 2nd reading, which he focused on after the Jews rejected His message.  Many Gentiles came to faith as a result of St. Paul's turning focus toward them, and St. Paul hopes that faith among the Gentiles will turn the Jews to faith, too.

And then there's the Canaanite woman in the Gospel reading, which is one of my favorite stories.  This woman pleads with Jesus to heal her daughter, and is not deterred when Jesus doesn't give a favorable response, first ignoring her, then stating He came only for Israel, and then likening her to a dog.  I really like the comeback line she gives to that final statement from Jesus, because she plays upon His metaphor, and thus demonstrates her deep faith:  She believes that Jesus was sent as Savior to Israel, a reality that will benefit people of all other nations.

Let us be filled with the same earnest faith as this woman, and keep seeking after God.  Let's persevere in relationship with Him, even if our prayers don't bring the answers that we desire.  May our prayers draw us closer into relationship with God, knowing He will answer, acknowledging and affirming us for faith that seeks to be well-pleasing to Him.  And may our hearts, like God's heart, be open to accepting all others who demonstrate that same faith, as we join together to be truly one united people of God.

August 15, 2020: Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Since Christ has risen from the dead, the Anointed One Who died and rose again.  Our gaze now goes upward.

We follow in the way of Mary, the first disciple, who experienced the bodily resurrection we shall all one day experience.

We magnify the Lord with her, because He has made way for us to attain the Resurrection of the dead, and even feel the power of new Life now.

August 9, 2020: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

While God has often manifested Himself in great displays of power, He also reveals Himself in quiet stillness.

Elijah immediately recognizes His presence on Horeb in the quiet after tumultuous displays of nature's force.

In the midst of a raging storm, the disciples see Jesus, and are frightened by His presence as He walks on water, which is so beyond human experience.  But then they embrace the reality of Him there when He reaches out to them.  And St. Peter even is so bold as to respond with a request to have share in that extra-human power to walk on water.

Let us reach out to the Savior Who has arisen from the covenants and promises of old, so that we may know God's presence.

Let us embrace the presence of God even in the midst of the world being stirred around us: Even in storms or difficulties, He still comes to make God known in a gentle, touching way, reassuring us of how He is always with us, especially when we reach out.

August 6, 2020: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

In the spirit of the vision from Daniel, Jesus leads three of the Apostles up a high mountain, and He reveals to them a vision of His Glory.

They see Him for Who He is, not only in dazzling splendor, but understanding how it is part of His purpose for coming to this world.  He fulfills the plan of God, in which Moses and Elijah took part, as He fulfills the Law and speaks the Truth of God.

Since God has so revealed Himself, let us continue to live in the light of that vision, and embrace Who we are as created by God, as we are transformed to conform more closely to His glorious image, and so change the world.

August 2, 2020: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God knows that we are in great need, a comforting reality even in this abnormal time.

And God meets our needs, not in the bare minimum, but in great abundance.

Although Jesus needed to get away, when the crowds appeared, He still ministered to them out of compassion, and then fed them so much there was lots leftover.

He has such great love for us in working to meet the needs of our whole person, even beyond physical needs like hunger.

So we can declare with the Psalmist that the hand of the Lord truly feeds us and answers all our needs.

Furthermore, despite all the harsh realities that might come against us, we can acclaim boldly with St. Paul, nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus, Who has demonstrated it to be so powerful.

It is so powerful that it draws us in, and, just like the disciples, we can offer up what we have and God will multiply it abundantly so we can feed others, meeting their needs.

July 26, 2020: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

When we truly encounter the Living God, we realize the faith that brings us into a relationship with Him is truly a great treasure, worth devoting all our lives to, as the man who buys the field with the treasure, or the merchant who finds the one pearl of great price.

We strive to live in the righteous God imparts to us, to be counted among those who enter the Kingdom at the end of time, because we know that He is actively working to conform us to the image of His Son, so that we may share in His Glory, we who He predestined and called.

We follow the example of King Solomon, who didn't seek something just for Himself, but the wisdom that allows us to live rightly, especially in serving others, seeking what is truly most valuable in life.  We seek the wisdom and the words of God that lead to abundant Life.

Then we do as the words speak, putting faith into action, which leads us toward realizing the fullness of God, the greatest treasure.

I recall 15 years ago, as I was preparing for Confirmation, I attended a summer meeting and we reflected on today's Gospel reading.  My Confirmation was definitely an important experience in my life when I came to value faith as the great treasure, worthy of all my devotion, driving me to seek after those words of God by which I would attain to the fullness of Life.

July 19, 2020: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God created the world good, but as the parable makes clear that Jesus tells in today's Gospel passage, the Evil One has schemed to infest our world.

Yet God is still in control.  Though we are marred by sin, He provides a way for us to be redeemed, and then transforms our lives so we have the capability of kindness, which is part of reversing the curse of sin and advancing His Kingdom.

Indeed, His Spirit is at work even now in those He has chosen, uttering prayers we can't understand as He guides us to experience the fullness of redemption and transformation.

July 12, 2020: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By His might, God sends His Word down upon the earth and it does its work, regardless of how we respond.

He sows generously, just as the sower spread the seed far and wide in all sorts of soil.

When we cooperate with His Word, it can become even more abundant.

We strive to overcome the limitations of this world, as we await with all creation for the fullness of redemption.  Certainly we are all awaiting the end of this abnormal situation of the pandemic, that all the world may be redeemed.

Yet we have signs now of God's redemption at work as God's Word is transforming us.

With such marvelous work happening among us, let's open ourselves to being transformed by the Word, being good soil for the seed, and be part of the work of bringing that transformation to all the world.

July 5, 2020: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our God comes to us, not as a conquering king, but as a gentle, humble servant.

He is transforming everything about our lives.  We are no longer burdened by laws we cannot keep, as were the common Jews in Jesus's day.

He has freed us from sin, and now, as we grow in relationship with Him, we walk beside each other as He shares our burdens.  He directs our course as we follow His way, the ways of the Spirit, so that we can live an abundant life in step with Him.

June 29, 2020: Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

We celebrate this day Saints Peter and Paul, two bold examples of people living their faith.

And their faith came as a gift from God that empowered them to fulfill His purposes for their lives in the world.

It sustained them through great trouble, as we see in St. Peter's rescue and St. Paul's assurance that God would deliver Him through the final trials to Heaven and his reward.

Faith is worth all that we invest in it, because it is the power of God in the world.

As we can see, God built up a great Church on the foundation He laid in these two apostles, who proclaimed with their preaching and by their lives the Paschal Mystery.

June 28, 2020: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God has delivered us from sin and, as St. Paul writes in the 2nd reading from Romans, He has brought us into newness of Life

Now our lives have a new direction and a special purpose granted us by God.

We take up our Crosses to follow God's way, wholly consumed in embracing His mission.

Setting Him as the primary focus in our lives brings a new order to everything we do.

And by giving of ourselves, we truly find ourselves and become fully Who He has created us to be.

June 24, 2020: Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

It's a great day to think about gifts.

St. John the Baptist was a special gift to his parents Elizabeth and Zechariah, who were blameless before God yet without child.

And St. John the Baptist would be a gift to the world as he heralded the coming of God's salvation in the great gift of Jesus Christ.

May we embrace the opportunity to be a gift to others, as we receive what others offer to us, knowing this act of giving is part of the purpose God gives us for our lives.

June 21, 2020: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As God's people, we often find ourselves in challenging situations as we seek to proclaim the message He has given us, because there are many who oppose it.

But we can take assurance that God has our ultimate destiny in Heaven secured because the grace of Christ makes possible the Way to God, and is more powerful than any evil force in the world.  Indeed, God cares for us, just as He does the sparrows.

So let us not cowardly back away from this mission God has granted us.  Let us go unafraid to face the world and proclaim the reality of our God boldly, because He has given us a purpose in life.

June 20, 2020: Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

This Feast that is set because of the way Resurrection is timed makes it a sort of bookend to Ash Wednesday.

Having celebrated the Paschal Mystery through Lent, the Triduum, Easter Season, and some marvelous feasts in the start of second Ordinary Time of the year, let us take up the example of Mary, pondering in her heart all these great mysteries.

Even as the Blessed Mother sometimes couldn't completely comprehend her Son, she entrusted herself to God, marveling at how He made Himself present in her life and in the world around her.

Let us marvel at how God is so close to us, stirring in our hearts, and treasure His presence so we may be stirred to live in His ways all our days.

June 19, 2020: The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

We come to know the love of God because He reveals His love in sending His Son to die for us.  And His great love for us continually flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus

In the Paschal Mystery, God has brought us back into right relationship with Him so we can love as He loves, in a sacrificial way.

Indeed, we have experienced great mercy as God has made us His people, and He calls us to live in that way, in the gentle embrace of His merciful love.

June 14, 2020: Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Through all our journeys of the deserts in life, God is guiding us, just as He did for the Hebrews for 40 years in the desert.

Certainly, Roman Catholics throughout the world are starting to reach the end of a long journey without the Eucharist for many weeks in the midst of a pandemic.  The multiple times of applause at Mass when I was in attendance this morning at my home parish spoke volumes about our appreciation for being back.

Even beyond physical hunger, we long for something to satisfy us deep down inside.  And God provides food from Heaven itself to feed us.  Indeed, the manna He gave His people foreshadowed Jesus Christ, Who offered Himself as food for us, that we may truly live.  It's food unlike anything else, which is why it prompted harsh reactions from those who heard they were to eat of His flesh and drink His blood.

Only by partaking of Him do we truly have life, and we experience it by being brought together as One people in Him.  And when He is inside of us, we are called to go forth and live as the Body of Christ, to be His presence in our world.

June 7, 2020: Most Holy Trinity Sunday

While the Most Holy Trinity is indeed a great mystery, we are aware of its effects all around us.  From the manifestations of the Trinity, we are certain that God is relational, manifesting Himself in three different ways, yet of the same substance.

God desires for us to participate in this relationship, inviting us into this Mystery which we can never fully grasp, but we can know from how we see God at work.  He created us so that He could love us, and then has continued to show His love by seeking to restore us to right relationship with Himself, lavishing us with His mercy, ultimately in sending His Son.

Risen Jesus gifts us with the Holy Spirit, Who continues to sustain us that we may live to adore such a great God, even by the way we relate to those around us, revealing our Triune God through our love.

June 1, 2020: Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

Mary helped make possible the way for our Salvation by consenting to the Word of God that she would bear the Son.

And the Son has given us the Church, birthed by the power of the Holy Spirit flowing from the Risen Christ.

It's fitting that Mary would have a special role in the Church, giving us an example as the first disciple to a life of prayer and bearing God's presence into all the world.  Truly her example helps us to live faithfully for God as Church.

May 31, 2020: Pentecost Sunday

Jesus had promised, and on this day, the Holy Spirit descended upon the gathered church in the noise like wind and in tongues as of fire.

The Holy Spirit was the breath of God that made them alive, uniting them as one, and giving them the ability to speak the language of faith that could be understood by all people from throughout the world.  And as Jesus pronounced in the Gospel, the Holy Spirit makes forgiveness of sins possible, because it is the sign of New Life we have in Christ, Who died and rose again.

The Holy Spirit continues this work in us:  He brings the life of the Risen and Ascended Christ into our hearts, so we can proclaim the reality of God, each in unique ways, through our lives.  We proclaim the message of reconciliation, made possible by the Paschal Mystery, which now takes up residence inside of us.  It is a message that this world greatly needs in difficulties as we face now.

So we go forth, with this proclamation as our mission, doing so as One Church, bound together by the Holy Spirit.

May 24, 2020: Ascension Sunday

In the spirit of glory that marks Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate Christ's Ascension into Heaven.

We marvel at the working of God's power to raise Him from the dead, and then raise Him to Heaven.

Like with all other aspects of the Paschal Mystery, the Ascension is not something we watch Christ experience from the sidelines.  He promises that we will tread the same path to enter the glory of the Father.

And we experience His glory now, because He, endowed with great power by virtue of His Resurrection, has given us a share in His mission to disciple the people of the world into this way of Life in which we live.  He empowers us through the promised Holy Spirit, Who guides us each step of the way.

May 17, 2020: Sixth Sunday of Easter

As Jesus prepares for His departure, He speaks at the Last Supper about the Holy Spirit.

Even though He's leaving, the Apostles will see Him again, because He will send another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be His presence continuing with them.

And the Holy Spirit will allow His disciples to know the Father and share in the special relationship that the Father and Son have.

As the reading in the Acts of the Apostles describes, the Holy Spirit comes upon people in great power, as those Apostles bestow it upon the Samaritans through the laying on of hands, as they do others as the church expands to be universal in scope.  The Bishops continue to call down the Holy Spirit in the sacraments.

Surely the Holy Spirit is part of the reason we can give for the hope we have, because we know God remains with us so powerfully, helping us through all difficulties, aware that God is at work with His redemptive power.

May 10, 2020: Fifth Sunday of Easter

The opening words for today's Gospel passage from John 14 speak so powerfully in the pandemic situation at hand: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

And that's really true.

While Jesus spoke these words before His tragic death, they take on great power because of His Resurrection.  We don't have to be afraid because Jesus rose from the dead and now gives us Life, because He is the Way to the Father, and He is Truth that stands always.

This reality gives us great joy now, for we can rest in the assurance that we have abundance of new Life even now in Him.

Certainly, on this Mothers' Day, we come to know the power of His Love revealed in the ways we share love with our moms, who constantly give us life from the time we first existed.

He is guiding us in this life to meet the needs that arise in this world, like in the situation presented in Acts 6, when the apostles devise a plan to meet the needs of Greek widows, carried out by the Holy Spirit empowering a group of Greeks, the first deacons.

And we who have this reality imparted to us by the power of the Holy Spirit are coming together as a house, built of individual stones, on Christ, the chief cornerstone, that we may live to His praise, because He has brought us from darkness into light.  Cooperating with the Holy Spirit, we participate in doing the work of the Father, doing the greater works that Jesus said we would do because He has sent His Spirit to empower us.

May 3, 2020: Fourth Sunday of Easter/Good Shepherd Sunday

Christ is our Good Shepherd Who guides us to Eternal Life and lays down His life for us, His flock.

He sacrifices Himself even for us when we are wayward sheep who stray from the flock.

And He rose again from death, living forever, so close to us.  Indeed, Christ continues to protect us, as He guides us along the narrow way, so that even in the midst of all the troubles we face, we are safe in the assurance of Eternal Life, which He won for us by His Death and Resurrection.

Indeed, He has come so that we may experience abundant Life to the full, for as He leads us to Eternal Life, He already grants us a new lease on life.

April 26, 2020: Third Sunday of Easter

As St. Peter explains it, the prophetic words of David in the Psalms have come true: Christ died, but didn't stay dead.  By the power and promise of God, He rose again to new Life. He is the perfect sacrifice that completely cleanses us of all sin.

In the midst of all the despair we face in the world and in our lives, especially now, Christ comes alongside us, directing us toward His very living, real Presence.  It is there that we have new life, and we rejoice that our destiny is secure in Him.

Like the two disciples who journeyed to Emmaus, we continue to encounter Him in His life-giving words, and in His offering to us, both of which continually draw us to Him.

And from these encounters, we joyfully go to proclaim His Presence.

May each day bring us the joy of recognizing Him right with us.

April 19, 2020: Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday

It is truly a blessed gift that the sacred wounds of Christ bring us redemption.

When we are locked in because of fear, like the disciples were, Christ breaks through and offers us His peace.  When we're stuck in doubt, like St. Thomas and all the other disciples were, He gives us His very Real Presence so that we can truly encounter Him and proclaim Him as our Lord and God.  He bestows His mercy on us, and with His breath, He forgives us of sin and brings us new Life. We can bring that forgiveness to others, as a sign that Christ is Risen and living among us.  We can truly form a sense of community, living in awe of God's presence before us, and working in each of us to draw us together as One Body.

By the power of His Resurrection, Christ brings healing to our lives and our world. Even the great difficulties we face are means for His powerful redemption to fortify our faith, and lead us to Heaven.  And that is truly the source of our hope.

It is truly a blessing in difficult times as this pandemic to behold the Divine Mercy so abundantly given to us.  Indeed, it was a blessing when Pope St. John Paul II started this celebration on the 2nd Sunday of Easter 20 years ago, for we truly need God's mercy to raise us up from death into newness of Life.

May we join fully in the prayer: Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in You.

April 12, 2020: Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection

Early one morning on the first day of the week, there was an earthquake, a sign of how all Creation was shaken and began a new order of the ages.

Christ, Who died, rose again.  The evidence He left behind was powerful, so that it transformed His disciples.

We are called to that same transformation.  Let us raise our sights to what is above, for by His Resurrection, Christ has made the way for us to Heaven.

And so now, with great gladness, we proclaim the reality that Christ has risen, and is living, even in us.

April 11, 2020: Holy Saturday Easter Vigil

The Exultet speaks so richly about this sacred night.

The saving work of God, manifested throughout the ages, now culminates in Christ, Who rose from the dead triumphantly. He demonstrates that nothing has power over Him, no sin, evil, or suffering, and not even death.

Let all Earth now be glad that God has manifested His power so victoriously.

We who die and rise with Him now share in that victory.

April 10, 2020: Holy/Cross/Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

The Cross was a symbol of cruelty in ancient Roman times.  But once Christ went up on the Cross to die for our sins, He transformed it.

Jesus didn't avoid suffering, but faced it head on, so that God's redemptive power could work through it.

Now, the Cross is a symbol of God's power, which is greater than any sin, evil suffering, and even death.

The Cross has become a symbol of hope for us who recognize it is God's instrument for salvation of the world.  By bravely bearing our own crosses, we have the hope of entering into the newness of Life.  Christ opened the way for us to have direct access to the Father, Who helps us in our trials through this life, and bring us safely into His Kingdom, in which we share even now, by faith in what Christ did on the Cross.

April 9, 2020: Maundy/Holy Thursday

Jesus Christ, gathered at a meal with His Apostles, instituted a New Covenant on this holy night, as He offered His Body and His Blood.  He is the perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world by His one sacrifice.

He now entrusts this sacrifice to us, and in it, shows us the depths of God's love.  And He called His Apostles gathered at the table, and all of us who follow, to abide by His command to love one another as He has loved us.

Truly it is a sacrifice that is meant to transform us, so that we go forth in service, knowing how much we are loved.

April 5, 2020: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Today is the day we join with the crowds of Jerusalem that acclaimed Jesus as blessed, as a King.

But He was to show Himself to be a different kind of King, by dying for His people, in accordance with the plan of His Father.

He follows in the spirit of the Servant in the first reading from Isaiah, having confidence in the abilities God has given Him, even when faced with attacks.

Like St. Paul writes in the 2nd reading, Christ was God, but stepped back from His High Place, completely emptying Himself, facing off against the worst of humanity in a terrible death, by which we are freed from sin.

Now, He is exalted.  And so we join with the crowds to acclaim Him as the King Who saves by suffering.

The Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, said it so well in his homily at Palm Sunday Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

We have hope in the midst of suffering, because Jesus united Himself with suffering to demonstrate His power of redemption.

March 29, 2020: Fifth Sunday of Lent

As we draw near to the great festival of the Resurrection, we go forth with the powerful assurance of God's promise of Resurrection.

While we await the Resurrection of the dead at the end of time, we experience Resurrection even now in Jesus. 

He came to our world as a human, and rather than shunning suffering and death, He faced them head on, and demonstrated His power over them, first with Lazarus, and later in His own Resurrection.

Jesus promises to work the same power in us, so even though we die physically, our death doesn't have the final word, because God will raise us by His power.  This promise gives us hope and purpose all through life.

And God brings us life now through His Spirit, freeing us from the sin that holds us in death's clutches, and draws us so closely into relationship with Him, so that, as baptized people, we may walk in newness of Life now unto Heaven.

March 25, 2020: Feast of the Annunciation

Today's feast is called the Annunciation, and what an announcement Gabriel made to Mary, that she would bear the Son of God, Who would rule mightily.

When Mary asked how it would happen, Gabriel made clear that God had it all worked out, and sought for her to take her part.

Her "Yes" made her part of God's plan to bear the gift of salvation to all the world.

And by saying, "Yes" to God, trusting Him and being obedient, we, too, can be part of continuing to bring God's salvation to the world.

Our constant "yes"-es draw us, and others, closer to God, Who sent His Son to reconcile the world.

That will make for quite a celebration in 9 months.

As an additional note, it's fitting that Maryland's first settlers arrived there on this day, starting a colony sharing Mary's name.  And it would be a place that would advance religious freedom in the United States, which would be part of a new flourishing of religion, whereby people would draw close to God.

March 22, 2020: Fourth Sunday of Lent/Laetare Sunday

We rejoice on this Laetare Sunday because half of Lent 2020 has elapsed, as of last Thursday, March 19.

And we furthermore rejoice because God has come to our world to enlighten us, freeing us from sin that blinds so that we may truly see Him as He is, and ourselves for who we are.  Indeed, the man born blind was not in sin, nor were his parents.  Rather, as Jesus indicates, God was doing something new in our world, so that physical maladies would be an opportunity for God to do His works in the world.

We are called to open our hearts to God, and remove that which blinds us, open to how God is at work.  God sees into our hearts, as He indicates to Samuel when he goes to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the King of Israel.  God sees into our hearts, seeing us as those He created, and calls us to the holiness for which He made us.  His Spirit rushes upon us to lead us closer to Him, Who Shepherds us into the ways of Eternal Life.  And when we cooperate with His Spirit, the works we do are Light, making God visible in our world.

It is this Light that carries us through even dire times as the situation the world is in now, so that we may strive through the difficulties and sorrows to attain to the Resurrection and New Life.  And God has shown us a way to Him.

March 19, 2020: Feast of St. Joseph

We rejoice this day on the Feast of St. Joseph, which also marks the midpoint of Lent 2020.

God promised that the line of David would be established forever, which happened through David's descendent Jesus.

We give thanks for St. Joseph, who heard the word of God and obeyed, taking his part in the unfolding of God's plan of salvation for the world.

We, too, are called to part of that plan, as we have faith in God, and act on that faith.  In such faith, God makes us righteous in His sight.

March 15, 2020: Third Sunday of Lent

We, as humans, are all thirsting and hungering for something.

The Hebrews, having just been redeemed from slavery in Egypt, hunger for good in the desert, and as is described in the first reading for today, they thirst for water in great desperation.

Yet maybe their physical thirst reveals their deeper thirst, like the woman at the well.

She's longing to belong in the midst of so many social standards that exclude her.

She is initially hesitant to embrace what Jesus has to offer, because she doesn't get it.

But Jesus continues to reach out to her, and she then realizes what He has to offer her will satisfy her deep-seated thirst.

God satisfies us because, as St. Paul writes, Jesus showed the full extent of God's love by dying for us sinners, demonstrating that He has met our greatest need for salvation.

So let us reach to Jesus Who probes deeply into our lives so that our deep-seated thirst for meaning in life can be satisfied by His Presence with us.

Especially in the midst of the highly pressing situation at hand, we can have the assurance that our God accompanies us:  Let us rejoice in our God, not hardening our hearts, but opening them to Him, so He may pour forth living water into our hearts, and we may be truly alive, as He sustains us.

March 8, 2020: Second Sunday of Lent

Lent gives us an opportunity to broaden our horizons, to experience God like never before.

God calls Abram to venture to a new land, and promises he'll be a blessing to all the world.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, up a mountain, and they experience the fullness of His glory.

This experience gives us a glimpse of where we're headed, that we're bound for experiencing the glory of God.

Even now, we experience it, because, like St. Paul writes, we are called to a life of holiness.

With this call, and its promises, we can strive with great perseverance toward the Glory of God.

March 1, 2020: First Sunday of Lent

There is a stark contrast between the First Reading and the Gospel reading.

Satan comes to Eve with deceptive statements, and she disobeys God's command.

Satan comes to Jesus in the wilderness, when He is in a vulnerable state, also with deceptive statements.  Yet Jesus remains fully obedient to the Father, grounding Himself in the Word of Truth.

As impactful, in a devastating way, as Adam and Eve's disobedience was, St. Paul writes in the selection from Romans 5, today's 2nd reading, that Christ's obedience was just as impactful, in a powerful way, reversing the curse of sin.

We share in the victory that Christ won in the wilderness against Satan as we ground ourselves in the Word of God, which is Truth that sustains us.  And as we turn from sin, we are brought alive as God restores His presence to us in a whole new way.

As we stand near the start of our Lenten journey, let us hold close to Christ, letting Him speak His life-giving words, and following His way of obedience through all temptations.

February 26, 2020: Ash Wednesday

The ashes symbolize our frailty and mortality as humans.  Our lifespan is limited, and we are truly in sin, which breaks our perfect relationship with God.

The prophet Joel sets a tone for earnestly seeking to be restored in right relationship with God.  As laid out in the Gospel reading, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, we take up the practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so that we can restore our right relationship with God.

We do all these practices because it is now the time, as St. Paul writes.  With the Triduum on the way, we seek to go deeper in our relationship with God, Who came to restore us to Who He created us to be, taking the initiative to reconcile us.  May we live our days constantly seeking after this God Who has sought after us so profoundly.

February 23, 2020: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God calls us to a high standard, to be holy as He is, as Leviticus states, and to be perfect as our Heavenly Father, as Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount.

It's clear that it's not enough as God's people to follow laws, commands, and rules.  He calls us to something more, to give of ourselves in showing love to others who don't show love and goodness, just as God showers goodness upon all people.  Responding to hate with love is what truly stands out and makes God's presence known, for He is truly kind and merciful.

Like St. Paul writes, we are God's Temple, because God's Spirit dwells in us.  It is a challenge for us to live up to, in maintaining holiness in our lives day by day.  But it is also an incredible blessing that God has made us holy for the purpose of making Him known, for we all truly belong to Him.  So let us live in the ways of His wisdom by showing His type of kindness to all.

February 16, 2020: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God speaks to us wisdom that is unlike the wisdom the world offers us.

It is a wisdom that sets before us the choice between death and life.

It is a wisdom that probes deeper into our hearts, beyond external actions to the inner dispositions and attitude of our hearts.

Jesus proclaims that He has not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, so that it transforms our hearts, reflected in our righteous living.

February 9, 2020: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Because we are God's people, we are truly salt and light.  We make an impact on the world, because God has transformed our lives.  He Who is the Light of the World has placed His Light into us so we can shine.

We shine when we do deeds of justice in love and service to one another.

And in the spirit of what St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2, we do so not to bring attention to ourselves, but to magnify the power of God, which we make present in this world by our lives.

February 2, 2020: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

It's been 40 days since the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord, and today's feast offers us a great opportunity to reinvoke the spirit of Christmas as we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord.

Jesus is brought to the Temple by His parents that He may be presented as the One Who offers the perfect sacrifice to God, and does so by becoming a human like us.

We join with Simeon and Anna, who celebrate the presence of God in the Christ Child and acknowledge Who He is, the Light of Salvation for all the world, revealing God to the Gentiles, and glory for His people.

With Simeon and Anna, let us behold the presence of God before, as He shines His Light into our hearts.  Let us be filled with peace and consolation that He is here, and join in praising God for the gift of His Salvation, as we shine forth His Light in our world.

January 26, 2020: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the recent Christmas Season, we celebrated the coming of the Light of the World.

We celebrate this Sunday how that light shines:  It breaks into darkness, as Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah of a light shining on those in gloom and darkness.  This light is so powerful in piercing through the darkness.  And the proclamation of Jesus is powerful, as He calls disciples to follow Him, and brings healing to those who are ailing.  So today, He calls us to change our lives in following Him, for He brings light to the darkness in us, so we can live abundantly.  He truly is our light and salvation, the only One Who stirs up hope in our lives.

All this happens with a Word, the Very Word of God.

It's fitting this weekend to acknowledge the role of lectors in making God's Word come alive, that we all may encounter God's presence.

And this weekend I think back a year ago to the powerful encounter with God I had gathered with the masses at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, as Pope Francis led us to understand the call God gives to be an influence in our world, letting God's Word work in us, as Mary opened herself to the Word, which she bore.

January 19, 2020: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we pondered throughout the Christmas Season, so we continue pondering how God manifests Himself, especially through the actions of His servants.

At Christ's Baptism, God named Christ as His Son and the Spirit descended on Him.

This was the definite sign for St. John the Baptist that Jesus Christ was the One sent by God.

He was sent to fulfill the mission laid out in the reading from Isaiah and the response in Psalm 40, as one who comes to offer himself to God, made glorious as the Light of God for all nations.

We, too, are that Light, as we live out our call to holiness, and make God known.

January 12, 2020: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

I so delighted that we can bring the Christmas Season to a wonderful conclusion with today's Feast, celebrating how God revealed Himself through His Son at His baptism.

While St. John the Baptist may have been right to acknowledge Jesus as mightier than Him, Christ was also humble enough to identify Himself with humanity, which was why He asked John for baptism.

Christ was baptized so that He could fulfill the mission of God to bring His righteousness to all the Earth, which comes down to our call to be holy in our own lives.  He was baptized to fulfill the calling that Isaiah writes of, in which the Servant brings healing to the world, freedom to those imprisoned and in darkness, and light to all the nations.

Our world was broken by sin, but Christ came to fix us, and make us right before God.  Father Bob very insightfully shared at Mass at Ascension this morning that Christ shows us what it means to be human, which means we are without sin.  As we submit ourselves to the presence of God in our world, which comes into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we can truly live holy as He is Holy.

January 5, 2020: Epiphany of the Lord Sunday

Christ was born as the Messiah of Israel, and shined a great Light that filled the whole earth.

The reading from Isaiah speaks of the restored glory of Israel.  No longer is it controlled by the nations, as they stream toward Israel, bearing gifts of great wealth.

But as the other readings make clear, the nations stream toward Israel to acknowledge the presence of God which has come in Christ.  Truly He has come for all people, beyond the Jews, to include all the Gentiles in the promises in Christ, as St. Paul writes in the letter to the Ephesians.

And we see a great example in the Gospel reading of Gentiles coming to worship Christ.  Magi travel from the East, following a star, which they recognize as God's sign leading them to Christ.  They come to adore Him, and bring gifts, unlike Herod who is filled with fear, and ready to oppose Christ for seemingly usurping his power.

Christ indeed came for all people who, by faith, open themselves up to the signs of God's presence in this world, and draw near to worship Christ by the gift of how they live their lives.

January 1, 2020: Feast of Mary, Mother of God

Mary offers us a great example, as the Gospel reading from Luke describes her pondering her Son, treasuring the circumstances of Jesus's birth in her heart.

It is worthwhile for us to ponder this great Mystery of God becoming human.  In so doing, God has offered us the greatest blessing in His very Presence always abiding with us, by freeing us from sin, so that we can draw near and enter into a relationship with God the Father through the Son.  Truly God saves through Jesus, Yeshua, the name designated before His birth, and given to Him on this 8th day after His birth.