January 15, 2026
The First Reading shows Israel in a time of weak faith. After losing in battle, they treated the Ark of the Covenant like a “good-luck charm,” hoping it would guarantee victory. But they were defeated again, and the Ark was taken. God cannot be forced or manipulated by rituals or holy objects; He asks for […]
January 14, 2026
One theme of the many to be found in today’s readings is the focus of the Responsorial Psalm, and its refrain, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” This could be the prophet Samuel speaking of his experience in the first reading, where he is serving the priest Eli and sleeping near […]
January 13, 2026
Hannah comes before the Lord, weighed down by a sorrow she can no longer carry alone. Scripture tells us that she is deeply distressed, her lips moving without sound, her heart pouring itself out. Like Hannah, we are often downcast not because our burdens are too great, but because we do not know how to […]
January 12, 2026
“Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins His public ministry with urgency and invitation: “This is the time of fulfillment… Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Then, walking along the familiar shores of Galilee, He calls ordinary fishermen, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, to an extraordinary […]
January 11, 2026
The Baptism of the Lord John the Baptist had a big following. The people were drawn to his message, even though he was pretty blunt and didn’t hold back. He warned the people that the prophesied day of reckoning was upon them, the great day of global purification. The Messianic time was imminent. But he […]
January 10, 2026
When I was 16, my older brother and I borrowed our dad’s Chevy Impala to attend Mass on a fall Sunday morning. However, instead of going to church, we drove past it and pulled into a parking lot so I could practice driving for my Ohio driver’s license test. That afternoon, when our father asked […]
January 9, 2026
Jesus is approached by a man suffering from leprosy seeking to be cleansed from this contagious disease. The law required such a person to live in isolation, forbidding all public contact. They were to call out, “unclean,” warning others of their disease. With compassion, Jesus extends his hand to touch the suffering man, freeing him […]
January 8, 2026
In today’s Gospel, Jesus picks a particular passage from the prophet Isaiah (61:1-3) to announce the mission for which he was called. Today, we hear that all who heard his words were in awe of the “gracious words” he spoke. Let us also recall that the people in the synagogue lived under the brutal oppression […]
January 7, 2026
Mark Twain once wrote that the two most important dates in our lives are the day we were born and the day we discovered why. We are beginning a new year, which offers us an excellent opportunity to ask that WHY question. What gets us up in the morning? What are the issues that give […]
January 6, 2026
God is love! That’s it! That is all we need! This wonderful reality is truly brought home: ‘love’ or ‘loved’ appears nine times in the four sentences from 1 John 4: 7-10. This joyful, even ecstatic passage says we must all love one another. We come from God, who is Love itself. So says God’s […]