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If Jesus came into our presence today proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” what would your reaction be? If Jesus saw you and invited you to follow Him, would you? What impresses me about Simon and Andrew is that they respond without hesitation.

Some people go through life living out the same old routine day after day. They are very ordinary. The Church enters into Ordinary Time — 33 or 34 weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated. The mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness, especially on Sundays. This period is known as Ordinary Time. For those who are living very ordinary lives, they look for something out of the ordinary. What are they looking for?

Today is the Feast of The Baptism of Our Lord. This marks the conclusion of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Ordinary Time. It’s a feast of transition from Jesus’ hidden life to that of His public ministry.

Today we celebrate the Feast of The Epiphany. Often referred to as the 12th day of Christmas which commemorates how a star led the Magi, or the three kings or wise men, to the baby Jesus. It is also known as Three Kings Day, a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God in His Son as human in Jesus Christ.

This Sunday, we remember and celebrate the Feast of The Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. It might be true to say that the focus of attention leading up to and during the celebration of the Nativity is Jesus. This Sunday, we acknowledge the whole family!

What is our general reaction when we are asked to come out of our “comfort zones” to do something that we are not sure of doing? What will be the outcome? Will we get hurt? Will it change my life in any way? “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Mary, perfected in grace, has been chosen by God for something that most of us would find frightening.

More now than ever, our world needs witnesses of hope. We don’t need more answers. We need to hear “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’ “ Let the voice of John the Baptist be our hope as we continue on our Advent journey.

During this time of Pandemic, we are facing extraordinary challenges within the ministries of our Church. Choirs can’t rehearse or sing together, we have safety shields at the end of our Communion line, our liturgies are small or virtual and we are unable to minister to the homebound and those in the hospital because of the shut-down. So what do we do?

Advent is a time of waiting, longing, and begging. It is a time to pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.” We look forward to celebrating the first coming of Jesus at Christmas. We look forward with hope to the second coming of Jesus in His glory. We seek out Jesus here and now in the Mass, when He comes to us in the Eucharist. We seek out Jesus in the people and events of our lives, when He comes to us in ordinary ways.

light almost a century ago in 1925. He saw a world that had pushed Jesus Christ out of public and private life, a world whose only check on itself was the measure of its lust for power and wealth.

In the movie A Bronx Tale, the father said to his son: “the saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” One of Jesus’ most significant parables regarding work is set in the context of investments.

We don’t know the hour and time of His return. It may never happen in our lifetime, much less at any moment. This thinking causes us to lose our sense of urgency, passion and expectation. Jesus wants us to always be ready — to live with expectation.

Today, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. All Saints Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. The day is dedicated to the saints of The Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven.

In answering the scholar with regards to which commandment in the law is greatest, Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God first and then you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

During this election cycle, we find ourselves in a world that has become somewhat divisive. We are forced to blur the lines of faith and our political systems. Jesus offers us an interesting response in today’s Gospel. When addressing the Pharisees, Jesus gives them a message that applies to us today—simply that we need to get our priorities in check. We need to get “back on track” and keep our eyes on the Kingdom of God, focusing less on what we have and more on how we serve, advocate, and stand for all peoples.

We ask the Lord to give us the grace to be consistent with our choices and to accept His invitation to come to the banquet.

Are we able to let God’s loving embrace bring us the peace that can help us manage life during a pandemic and racial unrest? God’s love for us is so vast that it is beyond our comprehension. If we open ourselves to that love, God’s peace will calm our mind and spirit and make us whole.

esus speaks sternly and directly to the chief priests and elders. They are spoken to awaken the consciences of these religious leaders. They were filled with pride and self righteousness. They held to their own opinions and their opinions were wrong. Their pride kept them from discovering the simple truths that tax collectors and prostitutes were discovering.

his weekend’s Gospel reminds us that, as ministers, we are called to a privileged labor in the Lord’s vineyard. It is privileged because God is that generous landowner who welcomes people to His vineyard until the very last moment.

What does it really mean to forgive someone? We often learn about it as a practice from a very young age, being taught from a very young age to say, “I’m sorry,” and then “It’s OK. I forgive you,” even though it might hurt more than we let on.