Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In Mark’s typical fashion, the story of the forty days Jesus spends in the desert is recounted in a rapid-fire pace, clear on what happened, and short on details. The forty days are summarized by three things: Jesus was tempted by Satan, was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him. Each of those things seems to deserve some attention, but Mark powers past them, perhaps to allow someone else to tell that story or to leave those details to our imagination. Rather than focusing on our Lord’s experience in the desert,…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen year old girl gathering firewood near the small village of Lourdes, France. It was the first of a series of apparitions, through which Mary shared with Bernadette God’s desire for healing for those who suffer, invited her to do penance, and encouraged public manifestations of piety. Since these visions, countless people have visited Lourdes to bathe in the miraculous spring of water our Lady showed to St. Bernadette. In addition to countless stories of personal healings that have taken place,…read more

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