The Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, February 8 Homily

February 8, 2026

English

So, recently we celebrated the feast of St. Blaise. Remember last week, we offered the traditional blessing of the throats after Mass? Well, this made me think of a true story – something that happened to me three years ago. After celebrating a baptism one day, I went to the party afterwards – a great celebration with lots of ethnic food. One of the things on the menu was some delicious whole fish. I was enjoying it so much until I swallowed a mouthful that had some bones in it. That happens to people. Usually, no problem. However, this time, one of the bones got lodged in my throat. I tried drinking lots of water. Nothing. Then I tried a couple of bananas. Nothing. It was just really uncomfortable. Well, that night at about 1:30 am, I woke up with a kind of stabbing pain in my throat, which was a little frightening, to say the least. Then, I remembered – “I can’t believe this, but the feast day of St. Blaise is coming up.” In case you don’t know, St. Blaise is the patron saint of illnesses of the throat, so named because he helped save a child who was choking on a fishbone. So I asked St. Blaise to pray for me to be healed of the problem at hand. Somehow, I went back to sleep, and when I woke up the next morning, there was surprisingly no pain in my throat, just some pressure. I went to my prescheduled doctor appointment, and when they looked into my throat with the scope, they could certainly see where the bone had been – it was all red and swollen – but no bone. Somehow, it had dislodged after I went back to sleep. Then it occurred to me. All those efforts of trying to get that fishbone out just didn’t work, no matter what. And yet after praying, things seemingly resolved themselves on their own.

Why do I tell that story? Well, first off, I was just so grateful to no longer have a fish bone stuck in my throat! But even more, I actually remember telling St. Blaise that night in my prayer, that if he healed me, I would give him all the credit and give all the glory to God. So I want you to know, to God belongs the glory, and He truly does answer prayers. Yes, it’s true – we don’t always get what we want, when we want, how we want it in prayer. But if we don’t ask at all in prayer, then should we expect anything from Him? As one preacher I like to listen to puts it: “I’d rather ask God for a lot and only get a little, than to ask God for nothing and get all of it!”

Speaking of giving God the glory, Jesus teaches in our Gospel: “your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” And this really struck me. When it comes to our good deeds, yes, we may do them so that others are helped, and what a good motive that is – loving our neighbor in a tangible way – that’s good! And we may do these things as well because we feel good doing them in the first place – and that’s fine too, it’s rewarding for us. But, above all, as Christians, our good deeds should be about showing the world how God actually changes people’s lives to do these good things in the first place – and thus give the glory to Him – all so that we can be drawn deeper into a saving relationship with Him! This is the power of a personal testimony – changed lives.

You know, sometimes God wants to use the big things, like miracles, to get our attention and give Him the glory, drawing us in. But so often it’s those little things that we as Christians can do in our daily lives that have a similar result. Here are some I thought of recently:

- If you’re an impatient person, what kind of witness would it be to others, especially if they know you’re impatient, to let someone else go in front of you, or not try to beat them to the traffic light?

- Or, if you’re more of a selfish kind of person, how about being generous and thinking of how you can make someone else’s day better instead of thinking of yourself all the time?

- Of, if you struggle with being kind, what kind of glory would be given to God if you were just warm and friendly to someone, even if they were cold and mean to you?

These little things can truly get people’s attention in a self-absorbed, impatient, selfish kind of world, and make them wonder why we’re actually patient, generous, and kind – and give God the glory.

And how do we become these things we’re not? By growing in our daily relationship with the God who changes lives. By cultivating a meaningful daily prayer life, we spend time with Jesus. And the Holy Spirit gives us the grace to become like Him whom we’re spending time with. So, let us ask God the Father to transform us, so that we can truly live as His children. And let us do so, so that others may see our changed lives and so actually want to come to church, our Father’s house, to be in relationship with Him and have changed lives too! God bless you.

The Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, February 1 Homily

February 1, 2026

English and Español

In today’s Gospel, we just heard the very beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  This introduction is, of course, known as the Beatitudes.  Beatitude is a word best translated as “blessed” or “supremely happy”.  If I’m honest, the Beatitudes have always been a bit of a mystery to me.  I mean I know them.  I can recite them.  But, what do they actually mean – above all, practically speaking?  Perhaps some of you can identify, if you’re really honest with yourselves too!  But over time, what I’ve come to learn about the Beatitudes from what Scripture repeatedly teaches us – God’s ways are not man’s ways.  His ways are so far above our ways as human beings.  And many times, because of our limited viewpoint, we interpret things only on a natural level – we are human beings after all!  But, being human doesn’t mean that we’re just matter – our bodies.  We are spiritual as well.  We have souls – that part of us that is created in God’s image and likeness, and includes our personalities, our wills, our emotions – and that houses that inner sanctuary where God’s very Spirit dwells within us.  What this means is that everything in life is not merely reducible to the material world.  And when we choose with God’s grace, we can actually see things in a much fuller way – God’s way!

Thus enters the Beatitudes.  The Beatitudes take natural circumstances, and breathe supernatural purpose into them that gives the natural reality a whole new meaning.  Take the reality like mourning.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”  Certainly we would say in the natural that we are hardly supremely happy or blessed when we are mourning.  We’re sad, even grief-stricken.  But again, if we see only with our natural eyes, that’s all we can see.  According to God’s plan however, when we mourn, we’re in a place of need by which God, loved ones, even strangers can comfort us.  If we were so self-sufficient that we didn’t need anyone, how much would we be missing out on the love and compassion of others that comes to us when they, for example, comfort us in our mourning!    

Again, this is the whole point of the Beatitudes – to challenge us to see things from God’s perspective.  God is not saying He will take away our mourning.  We need to experience that, as painful as it can be.  But, He does provide for us in that very mourning which transcends it and brings forth good from that which is not good.  In fact, I have come to see the Beatitudes, in a way, as fulfilling my favorite Scripture passage – Romans 8:28: “God works all things for good for those who love Him…”  God is good.  And therefore, He can and will bring forth good from that which is not good when we are willing to love Him and accept His purpose or plan.  Then we can truly be blessed by Him, whereas otherwise, we would merely be stuck naturally in the mourning.

Above all, the first and last Beatitude make this point even more – because they are the “bookends” that highlight what is most important – “the Kingdom of God.”  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” and “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  In other words, you and I were not created just for the 70, 80, or 90 years we get on this earth – again, as if we were just in the natural.  But, we were created for eternal communion with our Father forever in the glory of heaven.  How often do we lose sight of this ultimate truth, and just live as if this life were it!

However, when persecution or trial comes along, or we get a real taste of how we utterly just can’t do life all ourselves – such realities shake us to be open to seeing things from God’s perspective.  We come to see how spiritually impoverished we are.  We come to really understand that we cannot save ourselves – that we desperately need God’s mercy and grace to lead us safely through the perils of this life to our eternal home in heaven.  That needing God just on Sundays in church just will not do!

And so, my brothers and sisters, may God comfort and strengthen us this week with the grace He promises us in the Beatitudes.  God bless you.

Español

En el Evangelio de hoy, escuchamos el comienzo del Sermón del Monte que se llama las Bienaventuranzas.  Bienaventuranza es una palabra que se traduce mejor como “bendito” o “sumamente feliz”.  Siendo sincero, las Bienaventuranzas siempre han sido un misterio para mí.  Es decir, las conozco.  Puedo recitarlas.  Pero, ¿qué significan realmente?  Pero con el tiempo, lo que he llegado a comprender sobre las Bienaventuranzas, a partir de lo que la Escritura nos enseña repetidamente, es que los caminos de Dios no son los del hombre.  Los caminos de Dios están muy por encima de los nuestros como seres humanos.  Y muchas veces, debido a nuestra perspectiva limitada, interpretamos las cosas solo a un nivel natural.  Pero ser humano no significa que seamos solo seres materiales, solo nuestros cuerpos.  También somos seres espirituales.  Tenemos alma, esa parte de nosotros que está creada a imagen y semejanza de Dios, y que incluye nuestra personalidad, nuestra voluntad, nuestras emociones, y que es el santuario interior donde mora el Espíritu de Dios. Esto significa que toda la vida no se puede reducir simplemente al mundo material. Y con la gracia de Dios, podemos ver las cosas de una manera mucho más completa: ¡a la manera de Dios!

Así entran en juego las Bienaventuranzas.  Las Bienaventuranzas toman las circunstancias naturales y les infunden un significado sobrenatural que da a la realidad natural un sentido completamente nuevo.  Tomemos la realidad del luto. “Bienaventurados los que lloran, porque serán consolados”.  Ciertamente, en el plano natural, diríamos no es somos felíz cuando estamos de luto.  Estamos tristes, incluso afligidos.  Pero, de nuevo, si solo vemos con nuestros ojos naturales, eso es todo lo que podemos ver.  Sin embargo, según el plan de Dios, cuando lloramos, nos encontramos en una situación de necesidad en la que Dios, nuestros seres queridos e incluso extraños pueden consolarnos.  Si fuéramos tan autosuficientes que no necesitáramos a nadie, ¡cuánto nos perderíamos del amor y la compasión de los demás que nos llegan cuando, por ejemplo, nos consuelan en nuestro luto!  Una vez más, este es el sentido de las Bienaventuranzas: desafiarnos a ver las cosas desde la perspectiva de Dios.  Dios no dice que nos quitará el luto.  Necesitamos experimentarlo, por doloroso que sea.  Pero Él nos provee en esa misma circunstancia, trascendiendo el luto y sacando el bien de lo que no es bueno.  De hecho, he llegado a ver las Bienaventuranzas, en cierto modo, como el cumplimiento de mi pasaje bíblico favorito: Romanos 8:28: “Ya sabemos que todo contribuye para bien de los que aman a Dios…”  Dios es bueno.  Y por lo tanto, Él puede y sacará el bien de lo que no es bueno cuando estemos dispuestos a amarlo y aceptar su propósito o plan.  Entonces podremos ser verdaderamente bendecidos por Él, mientras que de lo contrario, simplemente nos quedaríamos atrapados en el luto.

Sobre todo, la primera y la última Bienaventuranza enfatizan aún más este punto, porque son los “pilares” que destacan lo más importante: “el Reino de Dios”. “Dichosos los pobres de espíritu, porque de ellos es el Reino de los cielos” y “Dichosos los perseguidos por causa de la justicia, porque de ellos es el Reino de los cielos”.  En otras palabras, tú y yo no fuimos creados solo para los 70, 80 o 90 años que vivimos en esta tierra, como si solo viviéramos en lo natural.  Sino que fuimos creados para la comunión eterna con nuestro Padre para siempre en la gloria del cielo. ¡Cuántas veces perdemos de vista esta verdad fundamental y vivimos como si esta vida fuera todo!

Sin embargo, cuando llega la persecución o la prueba, o experimentamos de verdad que no podemos vivir la vida solos, estas realidades nos sacuden para que estemos abiertos a ver las cosas desde la perspectiva de Dios.  Y yo sé que unos de nuestra comunidad se están pasando una tremenda prueba en estos momentos.  Pero llegamos a ver cuán espiritualmente empobrecidos estamos.  Llegamos a comprender de verdad que no podemos salvarnos a nosotros mismos, que necesitamos desesperadamente la misericordia y la gracia de Dios para que nos guíe con seguridad a través de los peligros de esta vida hasta nuestro hogar eterno en el cielo.  ¡Necesitar a Dios solo los domingos en la iglesia no es suficiente!

Así mis hermanos y hermanas, que esta semana Dios nos consuele y nos esfuerce con la gracia que nos promete en las Bienaventuranzas.  Que Dios los bendiga.

The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, January 25 Homily

January 25

English and Español

The word ‘identity’ is defined as “the fact of being who or what a person or thing is”.  So, given that definition, there are lots of ways we each could identify ourselves.  I am a man; a priest; a sinner; someone who loves to eat.  We could define ourselves as introverts or extroverts; as funny or serious; as Polish Americans or Mexican Americans; as Catholics or other Christians; as a mother or a father, as a son or as a daughter.  Certainly, in today’s Gospel, there is the question of identity going on.  Are James and John merely sons of Zebedee?  Is Peter and Andrew merely fishermen?  And who is this rabbi Jesus who calls them “fishers of men”?

As for Jesus, two weeks ago, we celebrated the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  And it’s interesting and important to note that when Jesus steps into the light of public ministry for the very first time, in His baptism at the Jordan, the voice of God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  And, in some of the last words of His public ministry, Jesus says from the cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”  How did Jesus know His identity, who He was?  He looked to God His Father.  It was by being in relationship with the Father that the Son knew who He was – not merely a rabbi or a carpenter or even Savior of the world. 

And Jesus would need to remain rooted in the truth of this most fundamental identity, as the only-begotten Son of God.  He needed to be reminded of that truth when He was in the desert being tempted by Satan, who said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” from the parapet of the temple.  He needed to be reminded of this truth at His crucifixion when people passing by sneered at Him saying, “Save yourself, if you are the Son of God, [and] come down from the cross!”  Satan, the world, other people – they all tried to get Jesus to doubt His identity, to doubt the truth of who God the Father said He was.

So, what about us – how do we define ourselves?  By our work, or what we do for a living?  By our social or legal status?  By our success in the classroom or on the sports field?  By the size of our house or our income?  By the number of activities our kids are involved in?  By the sins of our past?  By what other people say about us?  These are some of the popular offerings that the world, the flesh, and the devil propose to us as to what our identity should be based on.

Many times, though, how we see ourselves is shaped by our early experiences in life – by our parents, our family, our friends, and the like.  Maybe people said things to you as a child that made you doubt your worth, and now you look for your identity outside yourself to make up for what others said was lacking.  Or, maybe you feel like you are what you do – and, if you’ve done lots of things wrong in life, then that’s just who you are – you’ll never change.  Or, maybe you felt like you were lacking material security growing up, and so now you just cling to stuff to make you feel assured and secure.

The problem with all these ways of defining ourselves – and the majority of ways we are tempted to find our identity in – is that they are all at the whim of circumstance.  We can lose a job.  We can fall into that sin again.  We can get a bad grade on a test or do poorly on the field.  Others can talk meanly behind our backs.  And then, where does that leave us?  Now, who are we?      

Rather, to counter the pressures, the fluctuations, even the tragedies of life, we need to do what Jesus did.  We need to regularly and frequently root ourselves in the truth of our most fundamental identity – as beloved sons and daughters of God the Father, in Christ.  Let me tell you from personal experience, if you don’t let God remind you of who you are, then the world, the flesh, and the devil will come along and propose lies for you to believe.

So, how can you do this?  Well, you can start by looking in the mirror daily – into your eyes – and speaking the most bedrock truth to yourself – that I am a beloved son or daughter of God.  As a member of Christ’s Body through Baptism, this is our most fundamental identity – whether you feel like it’s true or not; feelings are not facts!  Also, this weekend, as we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God, you’ll find in the bulletin a list of verses from the Bible about our identity in Christ – who we are in Him.  You can read through that regularly during your prayer time each day to root yourself in the truth of who our heavenly Father says you are.

In the end, each of us will believe what we tell ourselves over and over again.  We can either agree with what God says about us, or we will believe lies.  The first will bring us joy and peace, the latter will make us miserable.  God bless you.    

Español

La palabra “identidad” se define como “el hecho de ser quien o lo que es una persona o cosa”.  Así pues, dada esta definición, hay muchas maneras en que cada uno de nosotros podría identificarse.  Soy un hombre; un sacerdote; un pecador; alguien a quien le encanta comer.  Podríamos definirnos como divertidos o serios; como americanos o mexicanos; como católicos u otros cristianos; como madre o padre; hijo o hija.  Ciertamente, en el Evangelio de hoy, se plantea la cuestión de la identidad. ¿Son Santiago y Juan simplemente hijos de Zebedeo?  ¿Son Pedro y Andrés simplemente pescadores?  ¿Y quién es este rabino Jesús que los llama “pescadores de hombres”?

Con respecto a Jesús, hace dos semanas celebramos la fiesta del Bautismo del Señor.  Y es interesante e importante notar que cuando Jesús fue bautizado en el Jordán, la voz de Dios Padre proclamó: “Éste es mi Hijo muy amado, en quien tengo mis complacencias”.  Y, en unas de las últimas palabras de su ministerio público, Jesús dijo desde la cruz: “Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu”.  ¿Cómo conocía Jesús su identidad – quién era?  Bueno, miraba a Dios su Padre.  Al estar en relación con el Padre, el Hijo sabía quién era – no simplemente un rabino o un carpintero, ni siquiera el Salvador del mundo. 

Y Jesús necesitaría permanecer arraigado en la verdad de esta identidad fundamental, como el Hijo unigénito de Dios.  Necesitaba que se le recordara esa verdad cuando estaba en el desierto siendo tentado por Satanás, quien dijo: “Si eres el Hijo de Dios, arrójate desde” la parte más alta del templo.  Necesitaba que se le recordara esta verdad en su crucifixión cuando la gente que pasaba se burlaba de él diciendo: “¡Sálvate a ti mismo, si eres el Hijo de Dios, [y] baja de la cruz!”.  Satanás, el mundo, otras personas, todos intentaron que Jesús dudara de su identidad, que dudara de la verdad de lo que Dios Padre había dicho que era.

Entonces, ¿qué hay de nosotros?  ¿Cómo nos definimos?  ¿Por nuestro trabajo, o por lo que hacemos para ganarnos la vida?  ¿Por nuestro estatus social o legal?  ¿Por nuestro éxito en la escuela o con deportes?  ¿Por los pecados de nuestro pasado?  ¿Por lo que dicen los demás de nosotros?  Estas son algunas de las opciones populares que el mundo, la carne, y el diablo nos proponen como base de nuestra identidad.

Sin embargo, muchas veces, la forma en que nos vemos a nosotros mismos está determinada por nuestras primeras experiencias en la vida: por nuestros padres, nuestra familia, nuestros amigos.  Quizás de niños, nos dijeron cosas que nos hicieron dudar de nuestro valor, y ahora buscamos nuestra identidad fuera de nosotros mismos para compensar lo que otros decían que nos faltaba.  O quizás sentimos que somos lo que hacemos, y si hemos cometido muchos errores en la vida, entonces así somos, y nunca cambiaremos.  O quizás sentimos que nos faltaba seguridad material, y ahora nos aferramos a las cosas materiales para sentirnos seguros.

El problema con todas estas formas de definirnos a nosotros mismos es que todas están a merced de las circunstancias.  Podemos perder el trabajo.  Podemos volver a caer en ese pecado.  Podemos sacar una mala nota en un examen o tener un mal desempeño en el deporte.  Otros pueden hablar mal de nosotros a nuestras espaldas.  ¿Y entonces, qué nos queda?  ¿Quiénes somos entonces?

Más bien, para contrarrestar las presiones, las fluctuaciones, e incluso las tragedias de la vida, necesitamos hacer lo que hizo Jesús.  Necesitamos arraigarnos una y otra vez en la verdad de nuestra identidad más fundamental: como hijos e hijas amados de Dios Padre, en Cristo.  En mi experiencia, si no permitimos que Dios nos recuerde quiénes somos, entonces el mundo, la carne, y el diablo nos propondrán mentiras para que las creamos.

Entonces, ¿cómo podemos hacer esto?  Bueno, pueden comenzar mirándose al espejo a diario, a los ojos, y diciéndose a sí mismos la verdad más fundamental: que soy un hijo o una hija amado de Dios.  Como miembros del Cuerpo de Cristo a través del Bautismo, ésta es nuestra identidad más fundamental, lo sintamos o no – ¡los sentimientos no son hechos! Además, este fin de semana, al celebrar el Domingo de la Palabra de Dios, encontrarán en el boletín una lista de versículos de la Biblia sobre nuestra identidad en Cristo: quiénes somos en Él.  Pueden leerlos regularmente durante su tiempo de oración diario para afianzarse en la verdad de quién dice nuestro Padre celestial que somos.

Al final, cada uno de nosotros creerá lo que nos repetimos una y otra vez.  Podemos estar de acuerdo con lo que Dios dice sobre nosotros, o creeremos mentiras.  Lo primero nos traerá alegría y paz, el otro nos hará sentir miserables.  Que Dios los bendiga.

The Baptism of the Lord, January 11 Homily

January 11, 2026

English and Español

Today, I celebrated a baptism for one of our families that’s journeying through OCIA – the process by which an adult becomes a member of the Catholic Church. The little one was so sweet – she hardly made a peep. Of course, warm water and a calm voice definitely help! Well, anyway, since today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord – the celebration of Jesus making holy the waters of our baptism – I thought it would be fitting to talk a little bit about this first and foremost sacrament of initiation.

Now, first and foremost, Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God the Father. In taking flesh, He became one of us – true God and true man. He entered into our human condition, which means Jesus could now experience death. Death wasn’t part of God’s plan from the beginning of creation, but rather something that entered in as the result of sin. As Scripture teaches us in Romans, “the wages of sin is death”. And so, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus died for us – a man for all men. But as God, death could not hold Him captive. And so, three days after His death, He rose triumphantly from the grave. In His Resurrection, Jesus defeated sin and death.

The thing is, Jesus did this historically nearly 2,000 years ago. So, how is it that something that happened so long ago could have any effect on our lives personally today? Well, it’s through the Church that Jesus founded – the very Body of Christ – and in particular, the sacraments, by which the very ministry of Jesus continues on to all people of all times and places. And so, what happened in history now passes over into the mystery of the sacraments we celebrate.

Through baptism, we enter into and participate in Jesus’ death on the cross, so that we can also enter into and participate in His rising from the dead. In baptism, then, we experience a rebirth. We die to the old life of sin, and we’re born again as beloved children of God the Father – sons and daughters in Christ, the only-Begotten Son. As a result, we are washed clean of all sin, including original sin – that broken relationship we’re all born into as a result of the Fall of Adam and Eve at the origin of humanity.

And the symbolism of the sacrament shows this: the person to be baptized is lowered into the font and blessed water is poured over his or her head three times, symbolizing the death and burial of Jesus in the tomb for three days. But then, just as Jesus Himself conquered the grave, and rose from the dead, so too, the person, who is brought up from the font, receives the precious gift of eternal life, won for us by Christ. In baptism, we personally receive what Jesus has already historically done for us.

Now, we might say to ourselves, “Really, all of that with just a little bit of water?” -- - AND the power of the Holy Spirit! Jesus says in the Gospel of John “Unless you are born again of water AND the Spirit, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” My friends, the Holy Spirit, who enables us to cry out “Abba, Father”, comes to dwell within us. It is He who enables us to experience this spiritual rebirth through the waters of baptism.

Think of it this way, “Moms, when your water broke”, out came baby sometime later”. This was natural birth – and we celebrate natural life with such great fervor every year on our birthday! But by coming to the womb of Holy Mother Church – that is, the baptismal font – we receive the gift of eternal life. Baptism is not merely a ritual. It actually brings about our rebirth as sons and daughters of the Father.

Baptism is truly a miracle given to the Church by her Savior. And while we can only receive this sacrament one time, Jesus left the Church another way of entering into His saving sacrifice on the cross to be nourished again and again in our celebration of the Eucharist at Mass. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we again share in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, when we receive His Body and Blood sacrificed for us. And this gift strengthens us week by week in our daily lives of discipleship. And so, Father, please help us through these great sacraments of Baptism and holy Eucharist to always live worthy of our dignity as your beloved sons and daughters. For indeed we are! God bless you.

Español

Ayer, yo celebré el bautismo de una niña en la iglesia histórica. La pequeña era tan dulce, casi no hizo ningún ruido. ¡Claro que el agua tibia y una voz tranquila definitivamente ayudan! Bueno, en fin, ya que hoy celebramos el Bautismo del Señor, la celebración de Jesús santificando las aguas de nuestro bautismo, creo que sería apropiado hablar un poquito de este primer y principal sacramento de iniciación.

Ante todo, Jesús es el Hijo unigénito de Dios Padre. Al encarnarse, se hizo uno de nosotros: verdadero Dios y verdadero hombre. Entró en nuestra condición humana, lo que significa que Jesús ahora podía experimentar la muerte. La muerte no formaba parte del plan de Dios desde el principio de la creación, sino algo que entró como resultado del pecado. Como nos enseña la Escritura en Romanos, “la paga del pecado es muerte”. Y así, en la cruz del Calvario, Jesús murió por nosotros: un hombre por todos los hombres. Pero como Dios, la muerte no pudo retenerlo. Así, tres días después de su muerte, resucitó triunfante de la tumba. En su resurrección, Jesús venció al pecado y a la muerte.

La cuestión, es que Jesús hizo esto históricamente hace casi 2000 años. Entonces, ¿cómo es posible que algo que sucedió hace tanto tiempo pueda tener algún efecto en nuestras vidas personales hoy? Bueno, es a través de la Iglesia que Jesús fundó — el Cuerpo mismo de Cristo — y, en particular, los sacramentos, mediante los cuales el ministerio de Jesús continúa a todas las personas de todos los tiempos y lugares. Y así, lo que sucedió en la historia, ahora pasa al misterio de los sacramentos que celebramos.

Mediante el bautismo, entramos y participamos en la muerte de Jesús en la cruz, para que también podamos participar en su resurrección. En el bautismo, entonces, experimentamos un renacimiento. Morimos a la vieja vida de pecado y nacemos de nuevo como hijos amados de Dios Padre: hijos e hijas en el Hijo Unigénito, Jesús. Como resultado, somos lavados de todo pecado, incluyendo el pecado original – esa relación rota en la que todos nacemos como resultado de la Caída de Adán y Eva.

Y el simbolismo del sacramento lo demuestra: la persona que va a ser bautizada es bajada en la pila bautismal y se le vierte agua bendita sobre su cabeza tres veces, simbolizando la muerte y sepultura de Jesús en el sepulcro durante tres días. Pero luego, así como Jesús mismo venció a la muerte y resucitó, así también la persona, al ser levantada de la pila bautismal, recibe el precioso don de la vida eterna, que Cristo nos ganó. En el bautismo, recibimos personalmente lo que Jesús ya ha hecho históricamente por nosotros.

Ahora, podríamos preguntarnos: "¿De verdad, todo eso con solo un poco de agua?" - -- ¡Y con el poder del Espíritu Santo! Jesús dice en el Evangelio de Juan: "Si no naces de nuevo del agua y del Espíritu, no puedes entrar en el Reino de Dios". Amigos míos, el Espíritu Santo, quien nos permite clamar "¡Abba, Padre!", viene a morar en nosotros. Es Él quien nos permite experimentar este renacimiento espiritual a través de las aguas del bautismo.

Piénsenlo así: "Mamá(s), cuando rompieron aguas, salió el bebé un tiempo después". Este fue un parto natural, ¡y celebramos la vida natural con gran fervor cada año en nuestro cumpleaños! Pero al llegar al seno de la Santa Madre Iglesia, es decir, a la pila bautismal, recibimos el don de la vida eterna.

El bautismo no es simplemente un ritual. En realidad, produce nuestro renacimiento como hijos e hijas del Padre. El bautismo es verdaderamente un milagro que nuestro Salvador le ha dado a la Iglesia. Y aunque solo podemos recibir este sacramento una vez, Jesús dejó a la Iglesia otra manera de participar en su sacrificio salvador en la cruz para ser alimentados una y otra vez en la celebración de la Eucaristía en la Misa. En el Sacramento de la Sagrada Comunión, al recibir el Cuerpo y Sangre de Jesús – sacrificados por nosotros – volvemos a participar en su pasión, muerte y resurrección. Y este don nos fortalece semana tras semana en nuestra vida diaria como discípulos. Por lo tanto, Padre, ayúdanos a través de estos preciosos sacramentos del Bautismo y la Sagrada Eucaristía a vivir siempre dignos de nuestra dignidad como tus amados hijos e hijas. ¡Porque en verdad lo somos! Que Dios los bendiga.

The Epiphany of the Lord, January 4 Homily

January 4, 2026

We celebrate today the Epiphany of the Lord – a special moment of focusing on how Jesus was revealed to the world as the only-begotten Son of God, the Messiah of the nations. Typically, we reflect on the wise men, or the magi, coming to adore the Christ-child, bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. While the Scriptures don’t provide many details about the magi, Christian tradition fills in some of the gaps. For example, we learn that the wise men were possibly astronomers from the Orient – the East. As men familiar with stars, they were very familiar with the belief of the time that every great person in history had a star to announce his arrival. And so, when they saw the Star of Bethlehem rising over Israel, they must have known that this was the sign of a great king being born for the Jews. After all, when they came before Herod, they asked him, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Tradition also tells us that there were three wise men, presumably because there were three gifts offered to the infant Messiah. And the names of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar have been given them, names which mean “Master-of-Treasure”, “King-of-Light”, and “Protect-the-King”, respectively. Whether or not they were of different races, representing the various continents, as some traditions suggest, they definitely were Gentiles. And as such, they were the first non-Jews to come and accept God’s Messiah, who came so that all might be saved.

It’s customary that on Epiphany Sunday, the blessing of homes take place, since God made His home with us in the person of Jesus. This blessing takes the traditional form of using the first letter of each of the names of the three magi over the inside of their front door, along with the numbers of the new year. Interestingly enough, C – M – B also stands for the Latin words, Christus Mansionem Benedicat, “May Christ bless this home”. Since this home blessing was performed in the new year, it was also a witness of people’s faith in Christ, and a prayer of protection against all evil that might come. After Mass today we’re providing cards to take home. They have the phrase I just mentioned on one side, and a short explanation and prayer on the other. Simply offer the prayer on the reverse side together as a family, and then place the card over the main door inside your home.

Now, all of this got me thinking about the magi – they were students of the heavens after all. But the wise men must have been so convinced by the meaning of this star that they were willing to leave their homelands far behind in order to follow it. The light of this one lone star guiding them on this pilgrimage – imagine! That one star guiding them through the darkness of night on a journey they had never taken.

Well, what about us as we navigate through life? Here’s a question to ask yourself: What is the guiding star of my life? I mean, what is it that really determines what I do with my life? Is it a particular goal, maybe like happiness or success? Is the star that I’m following reliable? Is it leading me to the person I really want to be and the best life I’m called to live?

I can tell you the only truly reliable star is Jesus Christ, who the Book of Revelation calls the bright Morning Star. When we think about it, what is the real goal of this life? Yes, there are many goals – graduating school, finding a satisfying job, living our lives to the fullest, finding happiness. But then what? As we journey through this life, it only leads to one place – the end. And then what?

You and I were created by God, for God – by divine Love, for divine Love. The terminus of our journey is God, and the destination of our lives is heaven. The only sure, reliable star that guides us there is Jesus Christ. So, as we begin this new year, let's consider how oriented my life is toward Him. Am I just a few degrees off course? Or, do I need a major course correction? And so, as we receive Jesus in this Holy Eucharist today, may we be guided by “the one Morning Star who never sets” each day of our lives. God bless you.

Father Marcoe’s 2025 Homilies

Father Marcoe’s 2025 homilies can be found here.