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 […]
January 5, 2026
In today’s Gospel, Jesus enters a land marked by darkness, uncertainty, and need. Yet it is precisely there that Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light.” Jesus does not wait for ideal conditions; He brings light into the very places overshadowed by fear and suffering. After John’s […]
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 […]