“I will raise up for them a prophet!” From today`s first reading.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, we celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Readings for today’s Sunday are telling us about a great prophet, promised Messiah.

In the First Reading, we heard of God’s promise to Moses that He would raise up for us a prophet. This is only one of God’s many promises that were made and are found in the Old Testament. All these promises were fulfilled in New Testament in Jesus Christ. Five weeks ago we celebrated the arrival of the promised prophet in the incarnation of God through Jesus Christ. In a few months, we will celebrate the resurrection of the greatest of all prophets, the Lord Jesus.

St. Paul in his letter to Timothy tells us “There is one Mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all – this was attested at the right time.”

In the Gospel, we heard that Jesus entered the synagogue and taught in Capernaum. Those who heard Him were astounded at His teachings because He taught with authority, not as the scribes, and He had power over evil and Satan. In the presence of Jesus a man with an unclean spirit cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” The evil spirit that possessed the man recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The evil spirit calls the name of Jesus twice, first as Jesus of Nazareth and then as the Holy One of God. The demons recognized Jesus as a Messiah as a true God. Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to be silent and to come out of the man. Once that happened, those who were present were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” The people had never seen such great power, nor ever heard of it since the days of Moses.

Summarizing today’s Holy Readings, in Jesus, we have seen the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a prophet like Moses. Jesus spoke with authority. He was not like the scribes and Pharisees. He didn’t just speak the truth, He was the Truth Incarnate. Jesus gave orders to unclean spirits, and they obeyed him. It wasn’t the words that kicked the devil out; it was the person who spoke those words.

My dear brother and sisters Jesus is calling us today to speak with authority about Gospel, God’s love, his commandments. He called us to be His presence for others. We are called to destroy evil in our world and around us. We are called to live our vocations, place our faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Follow me and I will make you fishers of men! From today`s Gospel.

Welcome my brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus to today’s celebration of the Holy Mass. Our participation in the Holy Mass is our answer for God`s calling. During every Holy Mass Jesus is calling us to be his Apostles and His witnesses in today`s world.

During today’s First Reading from the Book of Jonah, we heard how Jonah answered God’s calling. Jonah was called by God and told to get up and to go to Nineveh, that great city, where he was to proclaim the message of the Lord. In obedience to the Lord God, Jonah went to Nineveh. He proclaimed the Divine Word of God, advising the sinful people that unless they repent of their sins, in forty days, their city would be overthrown. As we all heard, the people turned away from their evil ways and God changed His mind. Through Jonah, the faithful servant of the Lord, the people were once more united in the righteous ways of the Lord God.

During today’s Reading of the Gospel of Mark, we heard Jesus calling the Apostles; Simon, Andrew, James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John. Each and every one of them left what they were doing to answer the calling of Jesus. By answering their calling, they became faithful servants of the Lord.

Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”

Fishers of men are ambassadors of Christ. They represent Christ. Christians, through their Baptism and Confirmation are called to be lights in the world. They are called to go forward and to evangelize the world as Jonah, Paul and all the disciples of the Lord Jesus did, some even to death. They are called to evangelize all; family members, friends, co-workers, the strangers, all of those with who they come in contact during their lives.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we all have a calling to answer. Whatever we are doing in our life has to be answer to God’s calling. It doesn’t matter if you are parent, priest, teenager, child, married or single. Jesus calls you to follow him and be his Apostle and fishermen.

My dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Every time we go to the Church we have to ask ourselves “Why are we here today? What are we looking for?” I believe we are here because of our desire to answer God’s calling.

During today’s First Reading from the First Book of Samuel, we heard that the Lord God called Samuel. Samuel believed that Eli was calling him. Three times after hearing a call, he went to Eli and asked him what he wanted. Each time, Eli told Samuel that he had not called him. After three times Eli realizes that it was the Lord God who was calling Samuel.

Samuel answered his calling from God. He learned the Words of God, from inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and also from the teachings of Eli. Samuel valued those words! He memorized the laws of God, His commandments. He kept them in his heart. He answered God’s calling by his faith and life. The life of Samuel is a living example to each and every one of us. As Samuel grew in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord, we too are called to grow in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord.

In the Reading from the Holy Gospel of John, we once more recognize God’s calling. It is revealed to us by the actions of the two disciples of John the Baptist who followed Jesus. For it is Jesus that we must follow in order to be saved. He is the Lamb of God, the perfect human sacrifice for the redemption of ours sins. Jesus is our Rabbi, our Teacher. He shows us the way, the truth and the life.

From the Gospel Reading, we also learned how Peter came to follow Jesus. His call came through Andrew who was God’s instrument of grace to call Peter.

My dear brothers and sisters, in the Scripture for today’s Sunday there is a spiritual lesson for us to learn. If we allow our hearts to remain in harmony with the grace of God, His Spirit will enlighten our intellect so we will be able to obediently walk in living faith alongside Jesus Christ.

We are called to be like Samuel, ready to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the words of the Holy Scriptures, through priests and parents, through the Church, songs at Liturgy, and through our lives of holiness and acts of charity. Let us then pray that we listen to God’s call in its many forms and are willing to respond to that call as did Samuel long ago, Andrew and John and so many others in our time – people who always live according to God’s Commandments.

This is the Good News of our call and response today!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. This Feast, usually celebrated on January 6th commemorates the manifestation of the glory of Christ that was shown upon the Gentiles in the person of the Magi, the Three Kings. Today, we could say that we celebrate the manifestation of the Lord – the light of the world to whole world.

The first reading from Isaiah speaks of our light that has come and “the glory of Lord that shines upon us.” This light shining through the darkness and the clouds is a wonderful image describing what the Epiphany of the Lord is about and what it proclaims.

Today’s psalm focuses on the nations coming to adore the Lord. “Lord every nation on earth will adore you” and than speaks of kings from foreign lands bringing gifts to the Lord.

Today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew teaches us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When King Herod heard that a King was to be born among the Jewish people, he panicked and called together all the chief priests and scribes. He was afraid to lose his throne. After consulting the chief priests and scribes, King Herod learned that it has been prophesied that the King would be born in Bethlehem, the land of Judea. He told the wise men to continue their journey and when they find the Child Jesus, to report back to him so he too can go and pay homage to the King of the Jewish people. As we know, Herod had no intention whatsoever of paying homage to the Child Jesus.

And so the magi continued on their journey. The next thing we heard during the reading from the Holy Bible is that the star led them, not only to the town, but also to the house where Jesus dwelled. When the guiding star stopped over the house, the magi were overwhelmed with joy. They entered to the house and found the Child Jesus with Mary His mother. They knelt before Jesus and presented Him with gifts of “gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

They brought gifts which have a symbolic meaning. Gold was a gift that was fit for a King. Frankincense was a gift fit for a priest. Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. While the magi perceived that Jesus was their King and a priest, they also perceived that He would die for the salvation of mankind.

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, the central message of the Epiphany is that Jesus is revealed to us as the light to the nations and Savior for all people. Today we are invited to recognize God’s light, God’s presence in our lives. We are called to go out and share with others the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ in today’s world through our daily lives, in loving others, in forgiving them and in our faith and compassion.

May Jesus’ light enlighten our footsteps every day in our life.

My dear brothers and sisters,

Today we celebrate New Years Day and the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds. Today we remember in the Holy liturgy the first guests who visited Baby Jesus in the manger.

In today’s Gospel Luke describes the simple scene in the manger at Bethlehem. We see a man, a woman who has just given birth, and baby Jesus lying in the manger. This little child is the Son of God and that young woman is the Mother of God. God came to this world as a child to bring salvation to all people on earth. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation which we celebrate every Christmas and throughout the Christmas season which lasts through the new year.

The first visitors in the manger were the shepherds, who took care for their flock around Bethlehem. We are not sure whether those shepherds really understood the message given by the angels that a Savior is born. But they obeyed the voice and went in search of the child born to bring peace to the world. They find the family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph and they worshiped Jesus as a God. After that they went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

They also told everyone around of what they had seen: the shepherds were the very first heralds of the Good News, the Gospel message. They were the first missionaries who proclaim the word of God. The shepherds may not have understood a great deal of this mystery but they accepted this in their simplicity and faith.

My dear brothers and sisters, we need the simple and trusting faith of the shepherds.

Luke tells us that all who heard what the shepherds had to say were amazed because nothing about the message made sense. They were providing something unheard of. But they gave a message of something new and wonderful making people wonder about their words. The extraordinary has occurred in and through the ordinary.

Luke tells us that Mary ponders, considers and gives careful thought to the message of the shepherds.

The Nativity scene attracts humble shepherds, a reminder that the rich and mighty hold no special favor in God’s eyes when it comes to the spiritual realm. Likewise we can’t forget the humble and needy among us. The Christmas season reminds us that Our Lord lives in the humblest of places even today: in the poor, in the forgotten, in the abandoned.
A complete Christian life includes besides our beliefs, the works of charity.

Today, we are starting a new day and a new year with Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Humble Shepherds. We greet each other with the same blessing as in the first reading of today: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace.”

May the peace of the Lord remain within us, our families and communities and bring us the joy and happiness in the year to come. The divine name appears in the Blessing, giving life and warmth. May the graciousness of God remain with each one of us throughout the New Year.

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

My dear brothers and sisters what does it mean to love our neighbor as ourself? The readings for today’s Sunday tells us how to love everyone who comes into our life, not only friends and family, but also our enemies.

Love is very important not only in our relationship between people on earth, but in future, because love is reaching heaven. Jesus Christ many times tells us in the Scripture that the Kingdom of heaven is about loving God and our neighbor.

The first reading from the Book of Exodus tells us about how we should treat strangers and foreigners.

“You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry.”

We have to be compassionate, loving, forgiving and help all those in need like God is compassionate, loving and forgiving.

During today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees what was the greatest Commandment.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The second greatest Commandment is, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The second Commandment means that if we truly love God with all our heart, soul and mind, this love should shine towards others, our neighbors. Our neighbors include everyone, our families, our friends and even strangers. The love we have for our family should be equal to the love we have for everyone else because we are all one large Christian family through Jesus in the Body of Christ, the Holy Catholic Church.

My dear brothers and sisters we have to remember that, if we discriminate towards one person within the Body of Christ, then we do not have the love of God in us. If we break the second commandment by not loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, then we do not love God. We may say that we love God, but in reality, we do not love God.

Jesus said, what you do to others, you do to Him. If you give someone a drink of water, you are giving a drink of water to Jesus. If you dress the naked, you are giving clothing to Jesus. If you feed the hungry, you are feeding Jesus.

My brothers and sisters, I ask that you reflect on these words this week and pray to the Holy Spirit that He may come to you to sanctify you in Christ by the grace of the Heavenly Father. May the grace of God work abundantly in each and everyone of you so that the commandment of love will be lived.

Give to God the things that are God’s.

My dear brothers and sisters,

We receive lot of gifts and blessings from God in our daily life. Many times we do not recognize that the gifts came from God and we do not see that something happened in our life because of God. We have to remember that everything that happened in our life after our Baptism is from God. Through our Baptism, God gave us all a new creation and He opened the doors to Heaven. He gave us our salvation through Christ.

Christ died for us. He gave us the Holy Catholic Church to continue the apostolic work of Jesus. He gave us the Sacrament of Baptism so we may be born again through faith in Christ, water and the Spirit. He gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we may change our life. He gave us the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist so we may enjoy the Living Bread that leads us to the Kingdom of God. And the list continues… How numerous are His Divine blessings for each and every one of us!

From the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, we learn more about the greatness of God. Saint Paul gives thanks to God in prayer for all the blessings that the Thessalonians had received from God. Paul emphasized that it was not just his words that transformed the Thessalonians, but the “power” of the Holy Spirit. “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.” The Holy Spirit was responsible for all the spiritual manifestations of righteousness.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus was asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus asked for a coin and said, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They answered, “Caesar’s”. So Jesus told them: Then repay Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. Give to God the things that are God’s.

Today’s message my brothers and sisters is, let us appreciate what God has given us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us preserve our gifts and blessings with all our souls, our minds, our spirits, our hearts and our strength. In the Most Holy Name of Jesus, let us keep these gifts stainless so one day, when we will appear before God, we will proudly give Him back what He gave us. Then, we will rightfully inherit the assurance of our salvation.

Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today’s celebration of the Holy Mass. Every Sunday we joyfully come to our church to the House of the Lord. Our gathering confirms that the grace of God is working in each and every one of us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s readings from the Book of Isaiah, the Letter of Paul to the Philippians and the Gospel of Matthew speak of an invitation to the Great Feast of the Lord Jesus. Summarizing these readings, the first speaks of the Great Feast that is to come. The Second Reading echoes how God provides for our needs. The Third Reading tells us that God calls everyone but few answer His calling.

The reading from the Book of Isaiah is a prophecy regarding the promised salvation that was to come, it having been fulfilled through the Blood of Jesus Christ. The gift of eternal life has been fulfilled through the Blood of Christ when Jesus gave up His life on the Holy Cross for the sins of the world. Since then, commemorating the Last Supper, Christians participate in the Holy Mass, the great banquet, to receive Christ and His salvation through the Church Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

The Second Reading shines in Divine Providence, showing how the Lord God provides for His children. God gives them all that they need in this life to perceive the Kingdom and to live in the Kingdom.

Reviewing the reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we perceive that there is a spiritual meaning involved. We are no longer at a Great Feast but at a Royal Wedding Feast. It is a Wedding Banquet that the Father gives for His Son. The Son is Jesus. The Bride is the invisible Kingdom of God on earth, the Mystical Body of Christ that is made visible through the Holy Catholic Church. The Holy Catholic Church had its beginning in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day when the Apostles received the Holy Spirit.

From the Old Testament, we learn that the first guests who were invited to the Wedding Banquet were the Jewish people and their leaders, they being God’s chosen people. Having rejected God’s invitation, the Lord sent out His invitation to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish people. The invitations were sent out to all people, all races, the good and the bad. Today, the invited Gentiles are all those who have received the Sacrament of Baptism. Having been born again through faith in Christ by water and Spirit, they qualify as children of God if they persevere in their living faith until the end.

In a few moments, we shall continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass. The Holy Mass is the Great invisible Wedding Feast that is opened to all those who have been baptized and who live their faith in Christ. During The Holy Mass we receive the Living Bread, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; we participate in the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal salvation. Let us continue to praise and worship the Lord for having blessed us with this great Feast through Christ our Lord.