Homily #1: Transfiguration is at the top of the list for the richness of text.

Homework for the week: Feast of Booths—A Jewish Feast

https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/blog/sukkot-feast-booths-known-some-feast-tabernacles

Homily #2

Christian Hope

Luke 9: Worthy of prayer

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031322.cfm

“I was wrestling with loneliness and hardship, and I looked out into the ocean. I was listening to ‘Beyond the Blue,’ and he says, ‘“I'll let go of all I could not hold onto

For the hope I have in you’” “…the hope beyond the blue.”

“Beyond the Blue” lyrics by Josh Garrels:

https://www.google.com/search?q=beyond+the+blue+josh+garrels+lyrics&sxsrf=APq-WBvslVMKwnrpzj6303rbGmOA3IAsMw%3A1647192765315&ei=vSouYv3pEuT99APisL3YAg&oq=beyond+the+blue+josh+g&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMYADIFCAAQgAQyBQguEIAEMgUIABCABDoHCAAQRxCwAzoHCAAQsAMQQzoHCC4QsAMQQzoPCC4Q1AIQyAMQsAMQQxgBOgwILhDIAxCwAxBDGAE6BAgAEEM6CAguEIAEENQCOgcILhDUAhBDOgQILhBDOgYIABAWEB5KBAhBGABKBAhGGAFQ5QVYmRVgjBxoAXABeACAAVGIAeQDkgEBN5gBAKABAcgBEsABAdoBBggBEAEYCA&sclient=gws-wiz

“God has a hope for you beyond the horizon. He has a hope for you that is beyond all the things you hope for. But, to get there, you have to let go of the things you hold onto in this world.” ...”This is what the Transfiguration is all about.” —Fr. Brian

“Christianity is the story of men and women who encountered a beauty so great, that their hearts came alive. And that beauty makes us incapable of giving our hearts to the world.”—Fr. Brian

“Whatever may happen in your life…whatever good may come… you will still desire something beyond that horizon. God made your heart for the transcendent.” —Fr. Brian

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”—St. Augustine

St. Gregory of Nyssa:

“Once the soul striving for the heights has begun to share in so far as it can in the divine benefits, then once more the Word draws it as though it were still at the start of its ascent. Once again he says, ‘Arise’ to the one who has already risen, and ‘come’ to one who has already come.” —St. Gregory of Nisseh:

“When God calls you, He says, ‘Arise. Come deeper. Expand your desire.’”—FB

“In truth, to rise at all, one must rise forever. And for those who run towards the Lord, there will always be a greater distance to cover. The Word demands that one constantly arise and never cease to run forward, and every time, He gives the grace of a greater advance.”—St. Gregory of Nisseh

“Do you know what heaven is? Heaven is the perfect union of fulfillment and ever greater desire for God.”—Fr. Brian

“If you want to be good at Lent, be there on the Mount of Transfiguration. You saw the glory of God. You know what that means? That means you can go to the cross.” —Fr. Brian

“If your heart has seen the glory of God, you can do anything.” “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a savior. Lent is about getting in touch with that desire.”—Fr. Brian Larkin

Philippians 3:17–4:1:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/3?17

“At the heart of Christianity is beauty.” “Glory is the divine beauty that’s beyond this world.”—FB

“The shoulder-shrugging functionalism of post-war architecture coupled with the passivity born of decades of television has meant that for many people, the world appears to offer little but bleak urban landscapes on the one hand, and tawdry entertainment on the other. When people cease to be surrounded by beauty, they cease to hope.” —N.T. Wright

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2319645.Surprised_by_Hope

“The only thing that can conquer the temptations of this world and the struggles and the difficulty, is a more beautiful hope. That is the only thing that will make you a real Christian.”—Fr. Brian

“What will make you ‘better at Lent’ is a hope that’s greater.”—Fr. Brian

Simple signs tell you what did or didn’t happen, such as when a child still has ashes on their forehead three days after Ash Wednesday.

Today’s Readings:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030622.cfm

St. Luke 4:1–13

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/4?1

David and Goliath: a premonition of the Tempting in the Desert: 1 Samuel 17

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/17

Into the Desert

Fasting for 40 Days:

“The Devil comes to you when he knows you are weak. He knows your Achille’s heel.” —Fr. Witold

“Pleasures and comfort are OK in our lives, but God is always first. Then, we know the limits in our lives.” —Fr. Witold

The very first temptation is:

Idol of comfort & pleasure

Idol of Power: (all the kingdoms) we want control

Idol of Popularity/Pride: the desire for people to worship you

The moment of the Great Fall of Adam was the moment the power over the world was handed from Adam and Eve to Satan.

On the War in Ukraine:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/tags/1954/ukraine-war

“The president of Russia is blinded by power, right now. He thinks he can take what he likes. People are being killed because of the decision of one man.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

This kind of entitlement attempts to place ourselves in God’s role, and destruction follows.

Satan: The Divider

A smart creature, but he made a huge mistake. He uses Psalm 91

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/91

“Be with me Lord when I am in trouble.”

....but he (Satan) makes a huge mistake. He actually gives Jesus a hint, because he is tempting Him, and he quotes this part of Psalm 91, when it's actually talking about himself: “With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.”

Psalm 91: 12–13

“We should not put God to the test. When we put ourselves into danger, it is our own fault, so don’t blame God when something happens. “—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“This gospel is for all of us: Satan comes to us when we are weak, he always lies, and he is trying to convince you that whatever you do in your life, you’ll be much better if you do it without God. Jesus says put God first, and everything will be fine.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

The devil knows if you are close to God and he will not convince him or her to commit a sin, so I will attack him to show them ‘who is in charge.’”

Each and every day in Lent, we are called to get closer to God, because if we are closer to God, Satan is weaker. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Acknowledge:

We are not God

Never talk to the temptation: ask yourself, “Should I do it?” Your conscience will tell you, “no,” but it’s still up to you to follow through. This question slows you down, and you start thinking, and you’re more likely to say “no” to the temptation.—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Scriptures are the key to evasion of the devil.

The message of hope for this Lent is to get closer to God. The closer we are to God, the easier life is, and the more likely we are to become saints. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Say yes to God. When you receive him in the Eucharist, ask him to help you to say "no" to temptation. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Lent is a huge reminder that you need God. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Bearing Good Fruit

Parables: “Jesus Style”

“The blind man cannot lead the blind man.

You cannot trust the man who removes his glasses to get you safely to your destination. He or she cannot see, so they cannot find the way.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“Each week, Jesus brings your spiritual vision to 20/20 again for the next six days. Not the priests, but Jesus Christ.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“I wouldn’t depend on your own eye. You cannot correct someone if you have problems. If you have problems, you cannot advise. Fix yourself first, so you can help others along the way.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“Fruits: if you see an apple, it means that it comes from a tree. It doesn’t just appear. If you are a Catholic, and you want to bear good fruit, you have to be connected to the tree. You cannot sufficiently fulfill your vocation, the way God wants, if you are not connected to God through his ‘tree.’” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

War in Ukraine is official, because of the deeds of one person. We can speak to the world through the way we behave. We can show that we bear good fruits.

“The Body of Christ, once a week, makes your sin weak.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“If we take the words of Jesus seriously—into our lives—we will show the world and our friends and family members what matters. We will give them good fruits—fruits that are sweet. That’s why Jesus said you should be the light of the world, and you should be the soul of the earth. You give life, light, and taste to this world. And, we can really bring health to the world if we follow Jesus’s words.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“First we need to acknowledge we are sinners, we need rescue, we need to start with ourselves. Then I can finally see clearly 20/20, and I can bear good fruit, and we can finally bring health and wellness to this world.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Prayers in times of war and civil disturbance:

-https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/in-times-of-war-and-civil-unrest#:~:text=be%20a%20shelter%20and%20strength%2C%20their%20haven%20and%20hope.&text=in%20the%20embrace%20of%20your,of%20peace%2C%20pray%20for%20us

-https://aleteia.org/2022/02/22/pray-to-the-mother-of-god-for-ukraine/

Bishops call for prayer and fasting for the War in Ukraine

https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/us-bishops-president-echoes-pope-francis-call-prayer-and-fasting-ukraine

Annual Ash Wednesday Collection Benefits the Church in Central and Eastern Europe

https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/annual-ash-wednesday-collection-benefits-church-central-and-eastern-europe-0

2 Latin Words:

Ressentire: To feel something over again—origin of “resentment”

https://translate.google.com/?sl=la&tl=en&text=ressentire&op=translate&hl=en

Respectare: “To look at something again,” or, “to look back”—origin of “respect”

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/respecto#Latin

1st Reading:

1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/26?2

The Book of Samuel is all about the rise and fall of King Saul and King David—King Saul does not repent, but King David does.

Psalm 51: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your kindness. In your compassion, blot out all my offense.”

Psalm 103: 12: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103

“As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our sins from us.”

How far is the east from the west? Eternal.

Saul has everything going for him as king—handsome, tall, everything a king should be. And, along comes King David.

David is the one who sets Israel free from Goliath, and everyone rejoices, because they have been rescued.Resentment grows between David and Saul, because of the envy of David’s success.

1 Samuel 18: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/18

“When those jealousies grow, and we don’t turn to the Lord, they turn into resentment.”—Fr. Sean Conroy

Throughout Samuel, it’s all about Saul’s envy for David, and how he’s going to attack David. Despite the fact that Saul becomes his enemy, David refuses to lay his hand on him because he is the “anointed one by God.”

“If you allow your anger your resentment to get the best of you, it’ll kill other people, but David says, ‘No. I will not lay a hand on the anointed one.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy

David teaches us to love our enemies.

“When people have wronged us, do we just want to seek justice, or do we look at that person again and choose to forgive them? Do we allow resentment to grow? Do we look at that again and again? Or do we say, ‘I choose to still love you; I choose to forgive you.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy

“If we have melancholic tendencies, do we surrender that to the Lord and do we look again? To look again, and to forgive.”—Fr. Sean Conroy

The Greatest Sermon Christ ever gave: Lk 6:27-38: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022022.cfm

“Do unto others as you wish they would do unto you.”

“Love your enemies.”

“The Gospel is not good advice; it is good news. Good news that we are called to follow.”

“Be merciful just as your Heavenly Father is merciful.”

This day in age, it’s all about seeking eye for an eye. The Law of Talions.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/talion

Jesus says, “Don’t just get justice back. Be merciful.” “Mercy is to pardon injustice.” —Fr. Sean

“May we have that same contrite heart [of David] and may we seek to forgive the injustices that others have committed against us. To look again at The Other.”—Fr. Sean

———————

With Lent just around the corner, Fr. Sean encourages us to pray now. “Lord, what are you calling me to give up for Lent? But even more importantly, Lord, what do you want me to do for You, this Lent? How are you calling me to be in a deeper relationship with You? And maybe just one encouragement: the challenge to give up resentment, so to be merciful.” —Fr. Sean Conroy

To Taste Is Wisdom

Sapore—Latin for “to taste”—

An axiom or phrase that existed in the early Church said, “A man is truly wise when all things taste to him as they truly are.”

Jeremiah 17—https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/17

reflects Psalm 1—https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/1

“To understand the entire book of Psalms, you have to look at it through the lens of Psalm 1.”—Fr. Brian

Psalm 1 talks about a tree planted by streams of water. Only the people of the Holy Land truly understand the meaning of this. Most of this place is desert, and yearns for the rain.

“All of today’s readings are about God’s blessings in your life. The tree in Psalm 1 is not just any tree—it’s about the Tree of Life, and what God wants today is to make you like the Tree of Life.” —Fr. Brian

“It does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and it is not anxious in the season of doubt, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”—Psalm 1:3

“God wants to plant us by that stream of living water in the Garden of Eden, and when there’s hard times—right?—in your life, there’s bound to come years of drought. There’s bound to come heat; there are bound to be trying times. But, if you learn to love the things of God, you will have no fear of the heat or of drought, for your roots will go right down to those streams.”

“How do we do that? Psalm 1 tells us.

‘Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the Lord is his joy; and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.’”

Jewish tradition called the "Honey Ceremony" was used to illustrate the sweetness of learning. Rabbi would let the young scholar lick honey off the Torah to help the student associate learning with sweetness.

“Everyone believes something,

Everyone hopes for something,

And everyone loves someone.…But what makes us different as Christians is the object of our faith, our hope, and our love.”

—St. Augustine (paraphrased)

“Being a Christian does not just mean following the rules; being a Christian means, Jesus, I delight in You. My heart doesn’t just want to fight what’s bad. Lord, my heart yearns for You. Jesus, I have acquired the taste for those things that are truly good and truly beautiful.”—Fr. Brian

Sponsors: Dr. Tim Gray, book on Prayer, called Praying Scripture for a Change…talks about Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17: “The just man delights in the law of the Lord, and on His law, he meditates day and night.”

Hagah—Hebrew word for “meditate” to reflect upon and quite often to vocalize one’s ruminations.

Simple challenge of the Word of God for us, today: Where does your heart find delight?

“Christianity comes with developing a certain taste.”—Fr. Brian Larkin

“What you delight in should tell you a whole lot about what kind of person you are.”—Fr. Brian Larkin

The way temptation works in your life: It Walks… This is when the whispers of sin start.

It Stands… This is when the dialogue of sin starts.

It Sits…. This is when you decide to remain in the way of wickedness.

Be hungry. Long for the things of God. —Fr. Brian

“You’ve got to delight in God’s word. And you can’t do that if you don’t have space for it in your life.” —Fr. Brian

“God’s law is not meant to be something that is just hard on us; God’s Law is meant to fill us with joy, contentment and happiness. But to do it, you have to say “no” to the things out there—you have to delight in God’s Word. Brothers and sisters, turn away from those things. Don’t walk in that counsel of the wicked, but let God plant you right beside those living waters. And to be able to do that, you have to listen to Him. So, Jesus, make all things taste to us as they really are.”

“I was in my room, on my knees, crying—to be honest, I don’t do it a lot, like Fr. Brian, but I was on my knees, and I just couldn’t resist anymore. I was on my knees, in my room, in complete darkness, and I was asking God, ‘I don’t have anymore plans for my life. What I had planned, it has been crashed. So I don’t know what to do. You have to tell me.’ He did. Ten years later, here I am in front of you, and I am so happy.”

—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

“I still love physics, but God is my wife now. I am married to the Church.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk

Paraphrased from a friend of Fr. Witold: “I cannot work here when the sin is supported, but I have to work to pay my tuition. I don’t know what to do." He lost his job to follow Christ.

"We love to know what’s next, and when something is going to happen. Jesus doesn’t care about schedules—He has His own time. And, He knows what’s best for us."—Fr. Witold

"We need to fill both boats, both parishes with Catholics. But we have to do just one thing—what St. Peter does. We have to accept Jesus when He comes—uninvited, sometimes—we have to trust, and then we can see the miracle." —Fr. Witold

"Put out into deep water. Trust me. If you do, it’s gonna be good. Do what I say, and you will be catching men. Do not be afraid." —paraphrased from Luke 5:1–11

Luke 5:1–11:

"While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,

he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

He saw two boats there alongside the lake;

the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.

Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,

he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.

Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,

'Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.'

Simon said in reply,

'Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,

but at your command I will lower the nets.'

When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish

and their nets were tearing.

They signaled to their partners in the other boat

to come to help them.

They came and filled both boats

so that the boats were in danger of sinking.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,

'Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.'

For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him

and all those with him,

and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,

who were partners of Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid;

from now on you will be catching men.'

When they brought their boats to the shore,

they left everything and followed him."

“What’s next in my life? Because I am a sinful man, and I don’t know what’s next, but You do. With your help, we will change the world.”

—Fr. Witold

-Each and every one of us in this room is called to something amazing. Each and every one of us is called to something unique. Something that only you can fulfill in the Body of Christ. Each and every one of us has a mission, a specific mission that God calls us to. A specific vocation that God calls us to. —Fr. Sean

-vocare (Latin): to be called

-"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

-"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you." (Jeremiah 1:5)

-"God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:27-28)

-Each one of us is called to have an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. That may sound Protestant, but how beautiful it is that God calls each one of us to a unique, intimate relationship. We are called to strive for holiness. -Fr. Sean

-"'Ah, Lord GOD!' I said, 'I do not know how to speak. I am too young!' But the LORD answered me, Do not say, 'I am too young.' To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:6–8)

-What does "Emmanuel" mean? God with us. This is God's promise, that no matter what sufferings, no matter what hardships, no matter where we feel inadequate, no matter how much fear we have, God calls us and He says "I will be with you." —Fr. Sean

-"We need them in life’s early morning, We need them again at its close.... And the hands that make us pure as angels, Are the beautiful hands of a priest. At the altar each day we behold them, And the hands of a king on his throne Are not equal to them in their greatness Their dignity stands alone.... When we are tempted and wander To pathways of shame and of sin ‘Tis the hand of a priest that absolve us. Not once but again and again. And when we are taking life’s partner Other hands may prepare us a feast But the hands that will bless and unite us, Are the beautiful hands of a priest." (from The Beautiful Hands of a Priest poem)

-The greatest act of love, the greatest gift of love that we see, is Christ on the cross. Christ who extends His hands on the cross, who dies out of love. He lays down His life for us. The bridegroom lays down His life for His bride. -Fr. Sean

-Spousal love says, "I choose you and only you. And I will give everything for you, despite when things are tense, despite when my kids are frustrating me, despite all these things, I still choose you and only you." And on your wedding day, you made this beautiful promise. -Fr. Sean

-"I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." (Vows exchanged for the Sacrament of Matrimony)

-These two great sacraments: Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders. Vocations don't just pop up out of nowhere. Priests don't just come right out of the womb, a thousand things have to go right. Good holy marriages don't just pop up out of nowhere. Young men and young women who follow after Christ and serve the Lord in that vocation of matrimony don't just pop out of nowhere.... Vocations don't just pop out of nowhere. They come from loving homes and families who encourage them to grow. -Fr. Sean

"'The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field' (Mt. 13:44)...That field, it seems to me, is the scripture, planted with what has become clear in the words and other thoughts of the histories, law and prophets (for the planting of these words in the whole of scripture is great and varied). But the treasure hidden in the field consists of the concealed thoughts (underlying what is manifest) of wisdom hidden 'in mystery' (1 Cor. 2:7) and in Christ, 'in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:3)." -Origen Spirit and Fire, 98

-"Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous by faith will live.'" (Romans 1:16-17)

-"If a book should be put into the hands of a man who cannot read to be read, he would say, 'I cannot read'; if it should be put into the hands of a man who can read, he would say, 'it is sealed.' Whence it is shown that we must not only employ zeal to learn the sacred literature, but we must also pray to the Lord and entreat 'day and night' that the lamb of the 'tribe of Judah' may come and himself taking 'the sealed book' and deign to open it." -Origen, Exodus Homily XII, pg. 373

-"I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?' But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to examine it. I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it." (Revelations 5:1-4)

-And the main thing I want to say to you today, brothers and sisters, it that God's word in the Scriptures, in the Bible, was not written for someone else. It was not written for people in a different time. It was not written just as a fact book, it's not a car manual, it's not even a narrative. It is a narrative, but it's so much more. The Scripture is God's word specifically to your life in 2022. -Fr. Brian

-"He said to them, 'Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:21)

-"And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced..." (Romans 13:11-14)

-"Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:28)

-"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

-"When I had looked upon the mystical body of the Church, I recognized myself in none of the members which Saint Paul described, and what is more, I desired to distinguish myself more favorably within the whole body... " -from St. Therese of Lisieux's diary

"Jesus told them, 'Fill the jars with water.' So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.' So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.'" (John 2:7-10)

-The Eucharist is not possible if we don't have wine. There is always wine, because without wine, there is no Eucharist. The wine, this wine, in a few minutes will become the Blood of Christ, another miracle. The whole message in today's Gospel is not about drinking and knowing your limits, it's about inviting God into our lives. -Fr. Witold

-"When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.'" (John 2:3)

-If your life doesn't taste great, invite God, and He will change water into wine. He will give you so much joy. -Fr. Witold

-"His mother said to the servers, 'Do whatever he tells you.'" (John 2:5)

-We have to do what the servers did.... The servers, as you can see, they did not ask any questions. They just did what they were told. First, trusting Mary, because she said, "Do whatever he tells you." And then Jesus Himself, who performs this miracle. So we are like the servers sometimes, we have to really trust. -Fr. Witold

-If you invite God into your life, He will change it. He will give you taste, the best taste that you can have. God in your life, He will give you this flavor. Life will have new meaning. That's what Jesus does. And when He comes, and when He changes your life, when He changes water — your problems, issues, struggles —into the joy of being with Him, your whole life is changed. -Fr. Witold

Who you are in your life and your knowledge of who you are, touches everything you do. There's two places you can get your identity from. You can either get it from your relationships, or you can get it from what you do....Most of us draw our identity from what we do. Almost every one of us. -Fr. Brian

-"Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon him I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1)

-"And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 3:22)

-What if you actually believe this about yourself? What if you actually believe that God the Father saw you, and He said, "Behold, this is my son, this is my daughter, in whom my soul delights." -Fr. Brian

-When you were baptized, you came to share in the identity of Christ. His father, became your father, His mother became your mother, His siblings became yours—the saints are your brothers and sisters. Your baptism brought you into a family because it united you with Him. -Fr. Brian

-"Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4)

-To be redeemed is to be inserted into the death of Jesus Himself.... The day you were baptized, you died to the world. -Fr. Brian

-"Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:2-4)

-You're not like other people, brothers and sisters, you died with Him. The day you were baptized, you sacramentally died with Jesus Christ, and you were given the promise of eternal life with Him....The whole Christian life is a movement of orientation. To orient yourself, that word literally means, to face east. Everything it means to be a Christian, is to turn away from darkness towards the light. -Fr. Brian

-And now your task is to turn your life towards Him. Everything it means to be a Christian is just what happened at your baptism. It's that you were loved, you were redeemed, you were brought into the family of God, which is the Church. -Fr. Brian

-"Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.... Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator." (Colossians 3:5, 9-10)

-If you're going to be a Christian, you can't live on your parents' faith. You have to live on your faith.... How do you turn away from the world, away from darkness? How do you reject Satan and turn to the light? Here's how you do it: You remember that you are a son. You remember that you are a daughter. -Fr. Brian