Baptism Is the Foundation (Baptism of the Lord - Cycle C)

At the time of Jesus, baptism was already a custom showing repentance and a sense of recommitment to the spiritual life. Culturally, ritual bathing could be the sign of inner spiritual cleansing. Of course, Jesus himself had no need of cleansing. Being God Incarnate, he was free of all sin. So why did he need go through baptism? In fact, in the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist himself wonders why Jesus would want to be baptized by him, given that Jesus is the Lord.

Two reasons come to the fore as to why Jesus had John baptize him. One was to set an example for his future followers. Jesus made baptism the foundational sacrament of the Church, the entryway into the new life of salvation he offers to all of humanity. Even though Jesus did not need to get baptized, he underwent baptism to show the way.

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The Magi Knew the Answer (Epiphany - Cycle C)

The Feast of the Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, also known as the Three Kings or the Magi, who traveled a long distance, most likely from Persia, to see the child Jesus. The visit of the Magi has deep theological significance. Jesus was born among the Jewish people and was the fulfillment of the ancient Hebrew prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. However, the Magi recognized that his mission was not just to the people of Israel, but to the whole world. His work of redemption was to be for all of humanity.

When they find the child Jesus, the Magi prostrate themselves before him, which is a sign of worship. Thereby, they recognize Jesus as the true power in the world. They do not reverence Herod, who is the local king, installed by the Roman Empire, which controlled the area. Nor to do the Magi show worship to the Roman Emperor, who was regarded as a divine figure. Persia was outside the control of Roman Empire and the Magi show no sign of bowing before the power and majesty of mighty Rome. Instead, they single out the child Jesus for their obeisance. The true power in the world is not the emperor controlling formidable armies but the child Jesus, who is God Incarnate.

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All Happy Families Are Like the Holy Family (Holy Family - Cycle C)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday depicts a scenario that might puzzle us. How could St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary not realize that Jesus had not set out with them from Jerusalem? How could they leave him behind for three days? We might be tempted to think that they grew careless and had a sort of Home Alone moment. But if we look at the cultural context of the passage, we can see that the situation is very understandable.

At the time of Jesus, people often traveled in caravans for protection, just as Joseph and Mary do in the passage. Recall the story of the Good Samaritan, where a traveler journeyed by himself and was beset by robbers. Having a group travel together provided safety. Since the caravan included extended family and acquaintances, Joseph and Mary did not need to be worried if they didn't see Jesus for a while on the trip back home.

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The Day That Changed the Universe

Christmas is a day that changed the whole course of creation. In the beginning, God created a perfect world, with no defect. But through human sin, suffering and death entered the world. Human sin created a wedge between God and humanity, cutting the human race off from the grace of God. But God did abandon humanity in our brokenness. Right after the fall of the human race, God promised the coming of the Savior, who would redeem the fallen world.

The celebration of Christmas has four different Masses, each with its own readings - the Vigil Mass, the Mass During the Night, the Mass at Dawn, and the Mass During the Day. In the Gospel passage for the Vigil Mass, we see the genealogy of Jesus from the time of Abraham. The passage shows the centuries of preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. In fact, the entirety of the Old Testament period is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. Contemporary Christian readers are often puzzled by some of the contents of the Old Testament. But everything falls into place if we approach those texts through the lens of the New Testament, through the Gospel message of Christ.

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Reclaiming Christmas: Practical Suggestions for the Catholic Celebration of the Christmas Season

Our culture starts celebrating Christmas right after Thanksgiving or even Halloween and stops on December 26 or at most on January 1. But for Catholics, the Christmas season begins at sundown on Christmas Eve, December 24, and is still far from over as the New Year begins. In a previous article, I discussed how we can reclaim the season of Advent from our secular culture. Let us explore here how we can do the same for Christmas.

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The Virgin Mary Has One Goal (Advent IV - Cycle C)

In the Virgin Mary, we see the image of the perfect disciple. Throughout her earthly life, she cooperated completely with God's grace, never falling into sin of any kind. Through the Immaculate Conception, God kept Mary free of all stain of Original Sin. Throughout her whole life she refrained from any sort of personal sin as well, always keeping her will perfectly aligned with God's Will.

When the Archangel Gabriel came to her, Mary was living in humble circumstances, in a tiny village in a region suffering under the cruel yoke of the Roman Empire. But she believed God's words spoken to her by the angel that she would become the Mother of God and that her son would be the long awaited Messiah.

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The Prayer that Brought Me the Most Joy and Peace (Advent III - Cycle C)

In Old Testament history, a long period of preparation transpired before the coming of the Messiah. Many great figures and various events prefigured the deeply yearned-for moment when the Savior would arrive. The last of those great figures was John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, the last in a long line of Old Testament prophetic figures.

All the prophets pointed toward Christ through their preaching and writings, and John, the immediate precursor to the Messiah, spoke of the imminent coming of Christ explicitly, preaching an uncompromising message of repentance. He lived as a holy man in the desert and was sought out by many for spiritual advice. In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, he gives practical suggestions for how to live a holy life. At the core of his message is the principle that we are to make our everyday lives holy, ensuring that everything we do is consistent with God's Commandments.

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