Jesus went to the synagogue and taught. This gives us a couple of standards we need to examine ourselves in. First, Jesus attended synagogue. Today, we have our churches. Let us visit Our Lord in our churches. There we find the portal to eternal iffe, not eternal death. Second, Jesus taught. As Christians, we need to teach others the truth of all kinds. How do we chase this standard?
Jesus calls Peter, James and John in today's gospel. Prior to that move, however, he calls everyone who would listen that since the Kingdom of God was at hand, then they needed to repent of their sins. God wants to forgive our sins so that he could call us and send us to the mission he had in mind when he created us. Sin is what holds us back!
The Lord sought baptism from his cousin John the Baptist. That was an interesting move. Why did he seek that? He was not a sinner, since he was God. John was convinced after initially hesitating to accede to Jesus' request to be baptized. Listen to the homily to find out the meaning of the Baptism of Jesus.
Today, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus Christ. Learn more about it by listening to the homily.
Today's gospel reminds us to find our place and role under the sun. God creates each of us for a clear and definite purpose. Our task is to discover it and pursue it. It this way, can we be happy here and later in eternity. We need to accomplish that role. We do not have to envy anyone since we are each different from any other in the past, present or future. St. John had no problem in giving way to Jesus. He knew he was assigned by God to be the herald and precursor of the Messiah. He did his job so well that people thought he was the Mashiach or the anointed one.
Jesus as the Messiah long awaited by Israel fulfilled all the messianic prophecies about him in the Scriptures. Today, he declares it openly. Man, then, reacts to him. Admiration and thanksgiving were spontaneous. But he also begins to have enemies out of envy for him.
Let us learn more about what happened to Jesus after He multiplied the loaves of bread and fish to feed a crowd of at least five thousand men
Now that Jesus has grown up more, the Church presents our Savior as the Prophet. Little by little Jesus takes up his role that was and is the reason He came to become flesh and be with us and be identified with us sinners. It is not that He only was beginning to save us. He was saving us since second number one of becoming flesh. Let us watch him, not like the Pharisees were doing to catch him doing something wrong, but in a contemplative way. God loves us!
The Church begins a shift in her gospels to a mature Jesus. Christmas season is about to end. Jesus is now presented as a mature adult. Today's gospel tells us about Jesus moving out of his home in Nazareth to Capernaum, which is by the sea of Galilee. He fulfills a prophecy in the Old Testament that as Jesus approaches the next stage of His stay on earth, He is preparing the stage for His launching into preaching in His public life where He will provide the Light that He is to a dark world.
The Church celebrates today Jesus' manifestation to the Gentiles through the appearance of the Wise Men from the East in the stable to see Jesus. While the shepherds represented the Israelites that God wanted to show Himself to to save them, He let the Wise Men from the East find Him to mark God's resolve to save the Gentiles also. The Epiphany means manifestation.
We have this Name that is above all other names in the universe. This name is "Yahweh saves" or Jesus. When a husband dreams and speaks aloud during the dream and utters the name of a woman not his wife, he is in for a quarrel with his wife since he uttered in his sleep another woman's name. That's how important one's name is. It refers to a specific person. We have been given this "password" to enter Heaven. Saying it often when praying will save us!
The first day of the year 2026, just like in any first day of the year of any, our holy Mother the Church ends the Christmas Octave. It began with Jesus and it ends with the one who carried Him for 9 months and now we look to the arms carrying and embracing the Create Baby. Mary! Listen to the homily on this great first day of the year!
The Christmas Octave is about to end. Today we look at the Baby laid in the manger in Bethlehem. The gospel is taken from the first chapter of St. John, from what is called the Prologue of his gospel. We read there about the Word or Logos in Greek. The Word became flesh. Tomorrow, we look at the Mother of God.
Look at how Anna, the prophetess behaves with respect to the Lord and the Temple and the challenge this poses to each of us.
Let us contemplate today's gospel on the fourth joyful mystery of the holy rosary.
We celebrate today the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Let us rejoice for the fact that God deigned to have His only-begotten Son be born in the midst of a family, with father and mother. Then, let us rejoice that we also were born and raised in a family. For those with some misfortune of limitation, of separation, or any cause of disruption in the family, that they do not pity themselves for such mishap but that they learn of the blessing that is a family, so they can learn how it is when the family is not taken care of. We may still magnify the Lord, although from the negative perspective, i.e., that of infidelity to the ideal of the Holy Family. In this way, they will struggle not to duplicate such errors.
We celebrate today the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. His symbol is the Eagle because he wrote a gospel where he soared to unprecedented heights in theological considerations. But perhaps one of the most important things we need to learn from him is that he answered the call to follow Jesus at a pretty young age. We need not wait till an older age to follow Jesus seriously when He calls us. He was not married. He gave up marriage because he was chosen by Jesus, who is Love itself.
Today is the second day of the Christmas Octave. We celebrate the feast of the first Christian Martyr, St. Stephen. Learn more about contrasts in the liturgy and in the Providence of God.
We approach the climax of our Advent preparation for the Lord's coming. The Lord is nigh! Today, the entire Church joins Zachary in his song of praise and thanksgiving commonly referred to as the Benedictus.
We normally celebrate birthdays. The family rejoices at the news from the doctor who comes out of delivery room to announce the successful delivery of a baby. People are normally jubilant on occasions such as these. Similarly, there is joy in the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They all realized the import of this birth. It was the Archangel Gabriel who announced it. So, that is also the question that hangs at the birth of anyone and of everyone. It is about a hope in the newborn. With him or her, God always sends tidings of comfort and joy.