How to Discern Our Calling (5th Sunday - Cycle C)

Each of the Scripture readings for today contains a call narrative. In the Bible, call narratives are what the name suggests, an account of how God calls a person for a specific mission and how that person responds. In the first reading, Isaiah sees a vision of God's holiness. He realizes his own unworthiness and yet God still sends him forth to deliver his message.

As the saying goes, God does not call the equipped. He equips the called. We are not expected to be perfect before we can respond to God's call in our lives. We need to respond wherever we are in our spiritual journey. Then, if we fully submit to God's will, he will give us the graces we need to carry out what he wants us to do.

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The Rich Heritage of February 2 (Presentation of the Lord - Cycle C)

February 2 is a feast with a rich heritage in the Catholic Church, involving a wide variety of local cultural customs, including special foods and celebrations. As the Gospel reading for today indicates, the feast commemorates the day when St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary took the baby Jesus to Jerusalem to be presented at the Temple 40 days after his birth. Today, February 2 is known as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Historically, the day has also been called the Purification of the Virgin Mary, the Feast of the Holy Encounter, and Candlemas - each name emphasizing a different aspect of the same biblical event.

Traditionally, February 2 has also been the end of the Christmas cycle. Families would keep their Christmas decorations up until this feast. A vestige of this tradition continues in the custom of keeping the Nativity scene out until February 2, which is observed especially in Eastern Europe and at the Vatican.

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Rejoicing in the Law (3rd Sunday - Cycle C)

The First Reading and the Psalm for this Sunday show us how much the ancient Israelites rejoiced in the law they had received from God. The Mosaic Law or the Torah, as the law code God had given them through Moses was called, had two main functions.

One was highly practical. Many of the precepts of the Mosaic Law provided protection for the Israelites amid the harsh vicissitudes of ancient desert life. The other function of the law was to set the Israelites apart from the nations around them. By following the law, the Israelites could not blend in with the surrounding cultures, which had various depraved customs, such as child sacrifice and perverted religious rituals.

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Jesus Gave Mary the Choice (2nd Sunday - Cycle C)

We might find the tone of Jesus puzzling in today's Gospel reading. He seems to dismiss his mother, the Virgin Mary, rather harshly. What are we to make of his words in this passage? As always, we must look at the theological, cultural, and biblical context of the passage to understand what Jesus is saying.

To begin, let us recall the 4th Commandment, which mandates that we honor our father and mother. If Jesus had disrespected his mother, whether in public or in private, he would have been guilty of a sin. We know that, being God Incarnate, Jesus was completely free of all sin. Thus we should dismiss the idea that his words to the Virgin Mary might have been disrespectful in some way.

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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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