Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” This question posed to our Lord by a demon is a powerful one, as it reveals the fear that evil spirits have of the Incarnate God. They know that the mission of Jesus is to destroy sin and death, to conquer their power in favor of the grace, mercy, peace, and overwhelming love of God. The story handed down to us in the tradition of the Church is that Lucifer, an archangel, rebelled against God’s authority, freely choosing for eternity to oppose the God…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The famous calling of Sts. Peter, Andrew, James, and John recounted for us in the Gospels reminds us that those called to be disciples of Jesus are not only to follow our Lord, but will also be made fishers of men. That is, for those called to follow in the Lord’s footsteps, there is an accompanying call to go out, seeking to win souls for Christ. All of us, by virtue of our baptism, are called to be fishers of men, called to be witnesses to Christ in the world, called to accompany our…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Last weekend as we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord, I was especially struck by the longing the wise men had to find God’s presence, light, and life in the world. Through all their learning and study, the wise men were attuned to the signs in nature like the star, as well as to the signs contained in the written word. Aware that there were prophecies that said a king would be born to the Jews who would be the savior of the world, they searched for the fulfillment of these words. The search…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The wise men followed the light of a star to Bethlehem. That light led them to the true light of the world, Jesus Christ. After seeing that Light, they went home by another way, no longer following a star, but the light of Christ that they now carried in their hearts. As we celebrate this great feast of the Epiphany, we are marking a solemnity that for many centuries was regarded as even more important than Christmas. While the birth of Jesus into our time, space, and history is, of course, of vital import,…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Though we are in those blessed days of repose and recovery after Christmas Day, it is always good for us to remember that the festivities of Christmas do not end on December 25. The Octave of Christmas, the eight days following the solemnity of our Lord’s Nativity, give us ample opportunity to continue celebrating and receiving the grace of this divine intervention in human history. Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. With this feast, we meditate on the reality that God becomes incarnate in the context…read more