Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The second reading at Sunday Mass since the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time has come from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. We have listened as the great missionary to the Gentiles has described the Church as the Body of Christ, with each member of the Church playing a part in the good ordering and working of that sacred Body. Likewise, Paul tells us, the Holy Spirit gives particular spiritual gifts to different persons, but all those gifts are given for the sake of the whole Body. These charisms are inspired by the…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time has, since 2018, been called the Sunday of the Word of God. In an apostolic letter “Aperuit Illis” Pope Francis wrote, “Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.” He went on to say, “A profound bond links sacred Scripture and the faith of believers. Since faith comes from hearing, and what is heard…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the Church’s long tradition, the Gospels proclaimed in the days and weeks following the Solemnity of the Epiphany have been interpreted in the same theological key as the mystery of the Lord’s manifestation to the nations. That is, the Baptism of the Lord and the wedding feast at Cana have been understood as part of the Epiphany. On the day that the wise men from the East encounter Jesus after following the light of the star, the truth of the Incarnation of the Lord is manifested to the nations. From that time on,…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The season of Christmas draws to a liturgical close today with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This is the day our Lord went to the Jordan River to be baptized by his cousin, St. John the Baptist. John rightly protests, knowing that there is no reason for Jesus to receive his baptism of repentance. After all, Jesus has nothing to repent of for He is without sin. But John allows it “to fulfill all righteousness.” In this moment, Jesus is participating in a human activity and transforming its purpose. The baptism offered…read more