The Baptism of the Lord, January 9, 2022

Baptism is the sacrament through which original sin is washed away and through which one is made new and become children of God. Although Jesus had no sin and did not need to be made into the family of God, He was baptized. Why? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Saturday after Epiphany, January 8, 2022

“What is the job and responsibility of the best man? Someone who is right there with the groom. A trusted brother and a faithful friend. He helps prepare the groom for his big day, but not only that, he is with him on his big day and continues to remain with him afterwards. In other words, the best man is one who has the groom’s back and who supports him in any way he is able to. The best man knows that he is not the star of the day; he knows it is all about the bride and the groom. St. John the Baptist refers to himself as the best man of the Bridegroom, Christ.” Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Friday after Epiphany, January 7, 2022

Upon healing the leper from his leprosy Jesus told him to not tell anyone, but instead we are told that news about this spread wide and far to the point where everyone started to come to Jesus to listen to Him and to be healed. But Jesus withdrew to deserted places to pray. Why did He do that? Why didn’t Jesus stay and teach and heal the people instead? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop

We often hear it said that “perfect love casts out all fear.” But honestly, how many of us can say we love perfectly? This perfect love has nothing really to do with us but rather it has everything to do with God. God is Love, and He is perfect Love, and He has loved us with this love. But, what’s the point of this? God is love, great, and He loves us, wonderful. If it has everything to do with God, what does it have to do with us? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

“It is God who has first loved us, and any loving we give back or give to others is our response to the gift of God’s love. In others word, God’s love is the First Love, and He is Love itself. St. John tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son so that we might be saved from our sins. Love leads to action and oftentimes that action leads to sacrifice, but it doesn’t end there. Because sacrifice leads to life.” Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Monday after Epiphany, January 3, 2022

St. John encourages the people to not trust every spirit because not every one of them is from God. I think we can relate to this in our own lives. Sometimes when we are faced with a situation we might have a gut feeling that something’s not right and that it should not be happening in that way. We have an internal moral radar, one that leads us towards good and away from evil (our conscience) and we must use it along with the grace of God to “test the spirits.” But how? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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The Epiphany of the Lord, January 2, 2022

Today we celebrate the visit of the Magi to the newborn King. The word “epiphany” really means “manifestation of God to man.” So today we really celebrate the manifestation of God to not just the Jewish people, but to all peoples of all nations as represented by the Magi. God has come close to us so that we might dare to draw close to Him. And it was upon a star that the Magi wondered and which led them to Christ. What was so special about that star? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Eighth Day within the Octave of Christmas, Solemnity of the Mary, Mother of God, January 1, 2022

Happy New Year! Today the Church celebrates the final day of the Octave of Christmas and also Mary, who is the Mother of God. Although most Catholics don’t think twice about it, how can we say that Mary is the Mother of God? This has been a topic of dispute for a long time in the Church’s history. That is why for non-Catholics, it seems as if Catholics worship Mary, but that is not the case. Worship is due to God alone, but Catholics do venerate and honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus. So, who is Mary? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, December 31, 2021

As we come to the end of this year, we reflect upon this past year. How has our journey of faith been? In his letter, St. John speaks of the “last hour” in which antichrists are luring the people away from God. There are antichrists in our world today, but sometimes they disguise themselves in ways that are pleasing to us. If today was the end of time and Jesus was to come again, will we be ready? Keep reading for the full reflection.

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Fifth Day within the Octave of Christmas, December 29, 2021

When Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the Temple they encounter Simeon who has been awaiting the Savior, the Messiah. Upon seeing the Child, Simeon praises God with the words we pray at night prayer, the “Canticle of Simeon.” He also tells Mary some troubling news about Jesus and about her. There is a promise of contradiction and suffering. But this suffering is not without meaning or worth. As human beings we suffer, but as Christians we also know that our suffering is not just simply “a part of life.” There’s something more to it. Keep reading for the full reflection.

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