Jesus Tells Us: Follow Me: The Claim That Changes Everything

Today’s Homily reflects on call and claims as central to God’s action in human lives.

Drawing first from Saul’s unexpected anointing as king, it shows that God’s call is never earned, sought, or managed . . . it arrives unanticipated and places a claim on the person to grow into what God has given. Saul’s tragedy is not that he was unworthy, but that he failed to grow into the dignity of the call.

This theme reaches its fullness in the Gospel account of Jesus calling Levi. Jesus does not invite Levi politely or negotiate terms; He commands, “Follow me.” The call is immediate, authoritative, and relational. Levi’s response . . . getting up and following at once . . . is remarkable precisely because it defies normal human hesitation.

Jesus Calling Levi

The Homily emphasizes that Jesus does not come to be with us; He comes for us to be with Him. Levi’s place is no longer the customs booth but with Christ. Even when Jesus leads Levi home, it is Jesus who brings Levi there rightly, transforming his home into a gathering place for sinners in need of mercy.

The scandal for the Pharisees is that Jesus places Himself among sinners. Their mistake is wanting to assign God a place. Jesus corrects them by revealing the deeper truth: God defines our place, and our place is with Him. Christ comes not for the self-proclaimed righteous, but for those who recognize their need for healing.

Ultimately, the Homily continues and reassures believers that salvation is not based on righteousness achieved, but on mercy received. In the Eucharist, Christ again calls, “Follow me,” and the faithful respond by rising and moving toward Him . . . then following Him back into daily life, where their true place remains with Him.

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Jesus Tells Us: Follow Me: The Claim That Changes Everything

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Art Work

The Calling of St. Matthew: Dutch Artist and Painter: Hendrick ter Brugghen: 1621

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Why was this image selected:

Brugghen’s interpretation emphasizes movement and decision. Matthew’s rising from the table reflects the homily’s insistence that hearing the call is not enough . . . the response requires motion, leaving behind comfort, status, and certainty.

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Gospel Reading: Mark 2: 13-17

First Reading: 1 Samuel 9: 1-4, 17-19; 10:1

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease

He Must Increase, . . .

The Homily weaves together the Letter of St. John and the Gospel’s encounter . . .

. . . with John the Baptist to confront a central Christian tension: believers are truly begotten of God and called to freedom from sin, yet they still struggle daily with weakness and divided hearts. St. John’s stark claim that those begotten of God do not sin is not naïve or dismissive of human frailty; rather, it holds before us the full vision of what God’s grace is meant to accomplish over time . . . a gradual but real transformation into holiness.

This struggle is most clearly expressed in the warning, “Beware of idols.” Idolatry is not merely the worship of false gods in stone or wood, but the subtler temptation to fashion God in our own image—to follow Him on our terms, according to our preferences, fears, and egos. Such self-made gods quietly displace the true God and fracture the heart. As surrender to Christ deepens, these idols lose their power.

. . . I Must Decrease

The Gospel illustrates this truth through John the Baptist’s humility. Faced with questions about ritual washings and concerns about his diminishing prominence, John redirects attention away from himself and toward Christ. Rituals, ministries, and even religious figures have meaning only insofar as they prepare the way for Jesus. John’s defining posture . . . “He must increase; I must decrease” . . . is not self-negation but right ordering: Christ must be central, and everything else finds its place in relation to Him.

As the Christmas season draws to a close with the Baptism of the Lord, the reflection culminates sacramentally in the Eucharist. Christ, once an infant in the manger, now comes to dwell within the believer. Each “Amen” becomes a renewed rejection of idols and a consent to Christ’s growth within the heart. Slowly, faithfully, this diminishing of self allows believers to approach the freedom and joy of true children of God.

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He Must Increase, I Must Decrease

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Art Work

St John the Baptist in the Wilderness: Spanish Artist and Painter: Diego Velazquez: 1620

The Heavens Were Opened

Today’s Homily centers on the Baptism of the Lord, which concludes the Christmas season . . .

. . . and inaugurates Jesus’ public ministry. Though troubling to early Christians . . . since Jesus is sinless and baptism was for repentance . . . Matthew emphasizes that Jesus submits to baptism to “fulfill all righteousness.” In doing so, Jesus completes God’s long-standing pattern of serving and saving His people through water, seen throughout the Old Testament: the Flood, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land, each accompanied by the presence of divine wind or Spirit.

At Jesus’ baptism, the waters are not parted; instead, the heavens are opened, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, revealing Jesus as the beloved Son. Through this act, heaven is opened to humanity. Christian baptism now immerses believers into the very life of the Triune God, making them adopted children of God.

This baptism carries a mission: to proclaim good news to the poor, bring light to those in darkness, and freedom to those imprisoned.

The Homily concludes by urging believers, especially as Ordinary Time begins, to renew their baptismal commitment and actively live out the mission that flows from it.

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The Heavens Were Opened

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 3: 13-17

First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7

Second Reading: Acts 10: 34-38

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Art Work

The Baptism of Christ: Italian Painter: Piero della Francesca: 1449

Where Christ Is, There Is Our Home

Where Christ Is, . . .

Today’s Homily on the Feast of the Epiphany explores the manifestation of Christ . . .

. . . not only to Israel, but to all nations. Through the journey of the Magi, the Homily reveals God’s universal plan of salvation and the deeply personal invitation each person receives to seek, meet, and honor Christ.

The Magi’s response to the star becomes a spiritual model: they step outside the ordinary, look up, and allow themselves to be guided by a light beyond themselves. Seeing the star is not enough . . . they move toward Christ, recognizing that His coming is for them. Their journey reflects the innate human longing for God, a desire placed in every heart that, when followed, leads closer to Christ.

. . . There Is Our Home

The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh symbolize enduring spiritual virtues . . . charity, prayer, and self-denial . . . virtues acquired along the journey rather than possessed at the outset. In contrast, Herod and Jerusalem represent resistance to grace: agitation without movement, power without surrender.

Ultimately, the Epiphany is not merely an ancient story but the ongoing rhythm of Christian life. Like the Magi, believers are drawn week after week to Christ’s presence, where He not only receives their offerings but gives Himself in return, gathering not just some, but all, into His saving light.

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Where Christ Is, There Is Our Home

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Art Work

The Adoration of the Magi: Flemish Artist and Painter: Peter Paul Rubens: 1609

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Why was this image selected:

Rubens’ dynamic composition draws all attention toward Christ at the center. Earthly power fades into the background, underscoring the homily’s teaching that the true Jerusalem is not a place, but a Person . . . Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 2: 1-12

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

Finding the Child by Finding the Mother

Today’s Homily reflects on the Gospel of Christ’s birth and naming, . . .

. . . emphasizing that the Nativity is not a past event but a living, ever-new mystery that renews time itself.

The Church proclaims that the birth of Jesus . . . God entering human history. . . stands at the true beginning of every year, making time “full” through Christ. January 1st, the Octave Day of Christmas and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and that to know the Son is to know the Mother.

The Homily further highlights the blessing from the Book of Numbers . . . “May the Lord let his face shine upon you” . . . fulfilled in Christ, whose face first shines upon Mary and then upon all humanity. Shepherds and Magi alike find Jesus by finding His Mother, illustrating their inseparable bond.

Jesus comes not for us to take Him home, but to bring us home into God’s family through adoption. Mary, entrusted with the name of Jesus, reveals it to the world, making her the Mother of God, the Church, and all believers. The faithful are invited to begin the year seeking God’s blessing, peace, and grace, confident that Christ . . . Son of God and Son of Mary . . . continues to shine His face upon them in the Eucharist.

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Finding the Child by Finding the Mother

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Quote from the Homily

To know the Mother, to find the Mother, is to know and find the Son. This too is the great mystery that the scriptures of these days unfold before us. First it is the shepherds who come, and they find the child by finding His mother. This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and the three magi come, and they will find the child by finding the mother. Know how wonderful this is, this inseparability between the two of them.

To know the Son is to know the Mother. To know the Mother is to know the Son. This should not surprise us because the Lord has come. The Lord has come. Born of woman, born of Mary, born of a mother, not simply for us to receive Him. He has come to receive us. Jesus does not come into the world for us to take him home with us. Jesus comes into the world to bring us home with him.

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Art Work

Adoration: Italian Painter: Cappella Sassetti: 1485

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Gospel Reading: Luke 2: 16-21

First Reading: Numbers 6: 22-27

Second Reading: Galatians 4: 4-7

Born in Time, Born into Glory . . . A Christmas Lesson For All of Us

Today’s Homily centers on the profound pairing of Christmas Day and the Feast of St. Stephen, . . .

. . . highlighting the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation alongside the Church’s first martyr. Christ humbles Himself, laying aside heavenly glory to enter human fragility, while Stephen, in turn, lays aside earthly life to be clothed in heavenly glory. This contrast reveals a single pattern: humble self-giving leads to exaltation.

Stephen’s Martyrdom

Stephen’s martyrdom mirrors Christ’s own Passion . . . not only in rejection and death outside the city, but most strikingly in his prayer of forgiveness for his persecutors. His final words reveal the true mark of life in the Holy Spirit: not power or eloquence, but radical love and trust.

The Gospel’s warning about persecution is fulfilled in Stephen, who does not rely on rehearsed words or self-control, but allows the Spirit to speak through him.

The Homily emphasizes that martyrdom is not primarily suffering or death, but testimony . . . a witness forged through ordinary, daily faithfulness. Saints are not made by extraordinary moments alone, but by perseverance in fidelity.

In Stephen, the Church sees not only the first martyr, but the pattern for all believers: faithfulness today prepares us for whatever witness tomorrow may demand.

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Born in Time, Born into Glory . . . A Christmas Lesson For All of Us

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A Quote from the Homily

This is Jesus Christ, In his Incarnation, He leaves heavenly glory and veils the light of His being in fragile human flesh. And on this day, Stephen, the martyr, rudely stoned, and put to death, lays aside the fragility of his body that he might be vested and robed in the glory of the victorious realm . . .

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Art Work

The Martyrdom of St Stephen: Italian Painter: Annibale Carracci: 1603

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Why was this image selected:

Carracci’s painting shows Stephen at the moment of violent death, yet spiritually lifted beyond it. The painting embodies the Homily ’s central contrast: Christ born into time, Stephen born into eternity . . . two “birthdays” revealing the same divine victory.

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 10: 17-22

First Reading: Acts 6: 8-10; 7: 54-59

The Meaning of Christmas: Sharing Our Humanity, Sharing His Divinity

The Homily reflects on the Prologue of the Gospel of John, . . .

. . . proclaiming Jesus as the eternal Word who was with God and is God, through whom all things were made. This Word, existing from the beginning, did not come into being but became flesh in the Incarnation. The Homily links this mystery to the liturgical gesture of mixing water and wine at Mass, symbolizing humanity being united with divinity through Christ, who humbled Himself to share fully in our human condition.

This mystery of the Word becoming flesh is presented as the heart of Christmas and of Christian life itself: God became human so that we may become Divine.

Christianity is Participation in Divine Life

The Homily challenges us to apply this truth practically . . . by humility, self-giving, and a willingness to “become less” for the sake of love and relationship. Through a story about two outsiders responding differently to villagers’ fear of a rabbit, the message illustrates that transformation happens only through solidarity and shared experience.

Ultimately, Christianity is described not merely as morality or spirituality, but as participation in divine life made possible by God’s radical act of love in the Incarnation.

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The Meaning of Christmas: Sharing Our Humanity, Sharing His Divinity

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Art Work

The Adoration of the Shepherds (cropped): German Painter: Anton Raphael Mengs: 1765

The Hidden Moment That Changed the World

The Homily centers on the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38) as the hidden . . .

. . . yet decisive turning point of human history.

Though proclaimed quietly to a single listener . . . Mary . . . it is an announcement of universal significance: the Word takes flesh. The Homily emphasizes how God’s greatest act enters the world not through spectacle, but through humility, attentiveness, and consent.

An Event Hidden from the World Yet Thunderous with Eternity

Mary is portrayed as the one who is already listening when heaven speaks. Gabriel’s greeting . . . “Hail, full of grace” . . . reveals her true identity, known fully only by God. Troubled but attentive, Mary questions not from doubt but from reverent understanding. When she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord,” her obedience allows the ineffable, eternal Word to become incarnate within her.

The Homily also highlights the paradox of the Annunciation: an event hidden from the world yet thunderous with eternity, a public salvation accomplished in private obedience.

Mary becomes the living “book” in whom the unspeakable Word is written. The Church, contemplating this mystery especially in Advent as it prepares for Christmas, and asks for the grace to imitate her humility, attentiveness, and surrender to God’s will.

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The Hidden Moment That Changed the World

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A Quote from the Homily

As the angel completes his message to her, Our Lady says to the angel, behold. Note how remarkable this is!!!

Now this is Our Lady speaking to heaven . . . She says, behold and now Our Lady speaks her own truth, her understanding of the truth that heaven has given her.

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Art Work

The Annunciation.: Netherland Painter: Robert Campin: 1422

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Why was this image selected:

This work places the Annunciation within the texture of daily life, emphasizing the “fullness of time” arriving quietly in a domestic setting. It visually expresses the theological claim that God enters history not through power, but through grace-filled obedience.

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Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 26-38

First Reading: Isaiah 7: 10-14

Emmanuel: God With Us: Let the King of Glory Enter

Today’s Homily centers on the Advent call to welcome the King of Glory . . .

. . . Emmanuel, God with us . . . through obedience and trust, rather than self-reliance. Drawing from Matthew’s Gospel and the Psalm proclamation, the homily presents three figures as models of response to God’s invitation.

King Ahaz represents the human tendency to solve problems independently, refusing God’s offer of guidance and ultimately falling into bondage. Saint Paul embodies humble submission, identifying himself as a servant whose mission flows entirely from God’s grace. Saint Joseph stands as the ultimate model of obedient faith, listening to God’s word and allowing divine will to direct his life.

The Homily culminates in the affirmation that Emmanuel is not distant: Christ remains present among the faithful, especially in the poor, the suffering, and the gathered community. As Advent concludes, believers are invited to examine their attitude . . . self-sufficiency or obedient trust . . . and to welcome God who desires to dwell in their midst.

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Emmanuel: God With Us: Let the King of Glory Enter

The Adoration of the Shepherds: Italian Painter: Giorgione: 1510

Why was this image selected:

The intimate presence of God among ordinary people reflects Emmanuel’s nearness. The painting’s quiet reverence aligns with the homily’s emphasis on God dwelling with us in daily life.

Our Lady’s Promise: I Remain With You

This Homily weaves together . . .

. . . the Visitation (Luke 1:39–45), the mystery of Advent, and the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, revealing a single, unifying truth: the Lord is always on the way to His people.

God does not arrive once and withdraw; He continually comes, drawing near in mercy, joy, and life. This dynamic is first revealed when Mary, bearing Christ within her, hastens to Elizabeth. Though unseen, Christ Himself arrives, and His presence awakens joy, life, and praise. The leap of John the Baptist becomes the first fruit of salvation’s nearness.

He Continually Comes

That same pattern unfolds across history, most vividly at Tepeyac in 1531, where Our Lady visits a wounded people and a struggling Church. Through Juan Diego, Mary brings Christ’s joy into barrenness, transforming despair into life. The miracles . . . healing, roses blooming from stone, and the enduring image on the tilma . . . unfold in sequence, culminating in a sign that abides, just as Mary remained with Elizabeth and Christ remains with His Church.

Throughout, Mary is revealed as the one through whom Christ comes, not only once, but always . . . into hearts, cultures, and history itself. Where He arrives, life stirs, joy breaks forth, and meaning is restored.

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Our Lady’s Promise: I Remain With You

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A Quote from the Homily

Imagine a greeting so powerful that its words don’t matter. . . The voice of the woman with the joy of salvation growing in her womb speaks in such a tonality that that joy penetrates the life of another.

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Art Work

The Virgin of Mercy or Madonna della Misericordia.: Italian Painter: Piero della Francesca: 1462

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Why was this image selected:

Mary stands sheltering the faithful beneath her mantle, a powerful visual expression of abiding presence. Like the tilma that endures and Mary’s three-month stay with Elizabeth, the painting reflects the promise: I am not going anywhere.