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This weekend is our Annual Catholic Appeal “kick-off.” Pledge cards are in the pews. I ask you to prayerfully consider sharing your faith by making a gift to this year’s ACA by filling out a pledge card and placing it in the collection basket.

How often do we aspire to mountaintop experiences like Peter, James, and John in our search for excellence and success? It is unrealistic to expect spiritual highs all the time. We tend to do this and put our overall faith experience at risk. We strive to put our best foot forward, but we must be realistic to expect that we are not always going to be successful and perfect every time out.

Pope Francis reminds us that “Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ who lives in His word, in the Sacraments and in our neighbors.” We are given the opportunity to create something new within ourselves and around us. Do not waste this season of Lent. Make it a favorable time for conversion!

t’s so easy to judge others. We feel empowered and superior … for the moment. God in His infinite wisdom, will give us the lesson of humility over and over, painfully at times, until we learn. He wants us to be accepting of others while turning inward to take an honest look at ourselves. Pride versus humility. What a personal battle! How do we refrain from judging others?

Last Thursday, we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of The Church. Did you know he was the Patron Saint for those who lose sleep over things? Saint Peter lost sleep dealing with the countless Church challenges and scandals rampant in his time.

Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” portrays Jesus’ concern for the poor and lowly who relied mostly on God’s mercy because they did not have many possessions. Jesus spoke to the real economic hardships of his day: poverty, hunger, suffering and persecution. Jesus’ disciples were “blessed” or “favored” because they found their fulfillment in God, and not in the things the world had to offer.

As a youngster growing up at the Jersey Shore, I used to go crabbing and fishing with my grandfather. I was a typical kid, all excited for about an hour and then wanting to go home because the fish weren’t biting.

St. Paul tells us emphatically that love never fails! This Scripture sounds much different when we read outside the context of a wedding. It makes it obvious that of all the many things we do, loving is paramount.

n our Second Reading today from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we learn how many parts make up one body. This is certainly applied to our Church as many components make up The Body of Christ.

Do we speak up when we need to? The prophet Isaiah refuses to be silent. “It will not be possible for me to shut up. I will talk and not stop talking, proclaim and not stop proclaiming, preach and not stop preaching.

The theme running through our readings today consist of peace and justice. Our Gospel tells the story of the Baptism of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Just as John speaks of the mighty one, God’s beloved Son who brings us salvation, God, through His Son blesses us with the promise of the Old Testament psalm reading - peace.

Today we celebrate The Epiphany of The Lord. The Wise Men set out to pay homage to the new born king. Their journey took them outside their country and their comfort zone. The Wise Men risked the consequences of destroying Herod, who was known to behave as a madman when provoked and returned to their country by another way. The Wise Men were committed to the journey — wherever the star might lead.

By celebrating the Sunday following Christmas as The Feast of The Holy Family, The Church encourages us to look to the Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for inspiration, example and encouragement.

In a couple of days, a Savior will be born for us. Advent is a time of expectations, of waiting, of anticipation of fulfillment. Our readings today all relate to that anticipation — and all refer to one way or another in which the Lord fulfills those expectations not in our own worldly understanding, but through His will and wonder. Often, we try to anticipate too much.

This day has been traditionally called Gaudete Sunday, or Rejoice Sunday, marked by the contrasting rose candle on the Advent wreath and vestments. The fulfillment of Christmas is near and today’s readings revel in it with phrases like these: Shout for joy, Sing joyfully, Rejoice in the Lord always!

The time of year is upon us where the days become shorter and colder as the warmth of summer becomes a faded memory. Advent arrives just in time! We are invited to embrace the dark and quiet, steadfast in the knowledge that the light will surely come.

We begin the new Liturgical Year in the Church on this First Sunday of Advent. Here we are, four Sundays before Christmas, and we enter into a season packed with prayer and reconciliation services, concerts, feasts, rehearsals and Masses.

A big thing in life is where you are from. We say “your accent betrays you.” Sometimes we judge totally on where people are from. Pilate was the same with Jesus. With all he knew of him and heard, the miracles and the speeches — where are you from? Are you a king really? What sort is your kingdom?

Even in our darkest hour, the Lord does not abandon us. He watches over us night and day. In today’s reading, Jesus speaks of being our guard for we do not know the day or the hour when we will be called to Him. This could certainly cause some degree of anxiety. Like any anxious reader disciple, it’s often not enough to know what and where, but also when. At times, we all feel like the child in the back of the car, repeatedly demanding to know Are we there yet?

Our Gospel from Mark deals with wealth issues. One such issue regards spiritual wealth in those who think that they are more important than everyone else. In verses 38-40, Jesus specifically denounces the scribes. In the Gospel writer’s estimation they are self-important, arrogant, and self aggrandizing.