January 4, 2026

Epiphany of the Lord Epiphany is a great religious feast for all Christian churches worldwide. The feast of Epiphany is also where we find the root of our seasonal gift-giving. We look at our scriptural texts for this feast and think about the Magi, the star, Herod, the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, […]

January 3, 2026

I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ (John 1:33) John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins, so it is hard to imagine they did […]

January 2, 2026

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church [John the Baptist] said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” It seems clear from the Scriptures that many thought that John was the long-awaited messiah. In fact, a […]

January 1, 2026

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Though New Year’s Day may seem more like a day for football and resolutions than for Mary, there’s a beautiful spiritual significance in celebrating her today as the Holy Mother of God. Mary was not only Jesus’ mother in a biological sense. Rather, her most profound union […]

December 31, 2025

Mysterium Iniquitatis Here we go again! The last day of the year brings a reflection on the past and a hope for a better year ahead. This hope has merit, but a certain nursery rhyme is instructive: “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Hoping for something to happen doesn’t mean dreams will come true. […]

December 30, 2025

One of the arts and practices of Christmastime has been writing cards and letters. It’s a chance for us to stay connected and hear the year-long journey in a short page or two, and for us to share ourselves. We learn about the cycle of one another’s lives, the hopes and dreams, the additions to […]

December 29, 2025

Believing the Unbelievable By now, some of those colorful, plastic trees have been put back in the box. The traditional live trees have begun to shed their leaves. It’s over—time to move on, but wait. Behind every story lies another one to be told. The Presentation in the Temple is one story that is a […]

December 28, 2025

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Relating to the Feast of the Holy Family may be a challenge today. There appears to be so much that sets them apart from ordinary families. Especially today, when there is such a diversity of family structures. The perfection of the Holy Family provides a […]

December 27, 2025

In the first reading, 1 John 1:1-4, Saint John points out some of the facts of Jesus. What we have heard, seen with our eyes, looked upon, and touched with our hands; all of this concerns the Word of life. He goes on to say what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you; […]

December 26, 2025

Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr Saint Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, offers a profound account of the Church’s first martyr, Saint Stephen. His narrative doesn’t just recount Stephen’s death—it reveals the Spirit’s power at work in the early Church. Luke’s incidental mention of a young man named Saul, standing by as Stephen […]