Jesus teaches, no one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and money, you need to make a choice. When God created man, he gave us the ability to make choices, unlike plants and animals that don’t have that ability and are programmed to run mostly on instinct. Humans can choose…

One day little Richard was told by his mother to come straight home after school and not stop at the baseball field. Richard decided to carry his ball glove with him just in case he was tempted. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook) Although humorous, this short story makes a solid point. If…

Feast of the Purification? Presentation of Jesus in the Temple? Candlemas Day? I have heard today’s feast called all three over the years. But Liturgical books today refer to the preferred title of “The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.” Here is a brief history of the Feast which I…

In today’s Gospel, it seems that Jesus called ordinary people in the middle of their ordinary lives to be in relationship with Him and with the ordinary people all around them … and amazingly they left what they were doing, followed Him, and did extraordinary things in His name. Because we know…

The followers of John the Baptist were looking for someone to show them a better way of life. Most likely they felt something missing in their lives and they were searching. John told them “I am but a voice crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, who…

The baptism of Jesus was a turning point. For John, it was the point when his role as the “voice in the wilderness” reached its peak; from then on, his role would be diminished. It was a turning point for many of John’s followers, who, encouraged by their leader, turned…

The journey of the Magi begins like any journey of the heart that seeks God.  It starts with being drawn out from what is familiar and led to something that exceeds our hopes and desires. As today’s Gospel proclaims (“they were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the…

It’s one thing to come to Mass each week, and be satisfied that we’ve fulfilled our obligation to God, and some of us might even call themselves devout, and holy Catholics. Today’s Epistle, however, challenges each of us at our core and insists on the “conversion of heart” that will…

In today’s Gospel we see John the Baptist sending messengers from prison to ask Jesus if he were the Christ or should they wait for someone else. Jesus gave them a very concrete answer. He did not try to convince with theories; he pointed to experience (‘the blind see, the…

The season of Advent is a time when we are called to prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ. As we see in today’s gospel, John the Baptist is telling people to repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. He is making people aware of the first…