2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 18, 2026

We are each called to testify to the importance of Jesus in our lives

John 1:29-34

The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. It was of him that I said, ‘Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him myself, and yet my purpose in coming to baptize with water was so that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John declared, “I saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven and rest on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water had said to me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

REFLECTIONS

Commentary on John 1:29-34 from Living Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits

Yesterday we saw John the Baptist denying that he was the Messiah or any of the great prophets. Today he gives testimony to Jesus as the one he had been talking about. The passage begins with “The next day…” We mentioned already that the opening section of John up to the wedding at Cana represents a week, echoing the seven days of creation in Genesis. We will see that phrase occurring three more times in the first chapter, and that brings us to the fourth day of the week. There is then a gap, but the wedding at Cana is introduced as taking place “on the third day”, that is, after the previous four, and hence is the seventh day. As John saw Jesus approaching he said to those around him, “Look, there is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Another feature of this first chapter is that the author introduces the various titles of Jesus which he uses later on. Why the Lamb? The central feature of the Jewish Passover feast was the lamb, which was eaten during the Passover meal. It recalled the lamb which the families of the Israelites ate on the eve of their escape from Egypt, and whose blood was painted on the doorposts of their houses. When the angel of God came to destroy all the firstborn, it “passed over” the houses of the Israelites, which had been marked with the lamb’s blood. This became then a symbol of liberation, and one of the most important celebrations in the Jewish calendar. For us, however, there is now a new symbol of liberation, a new Lamb. Jesus is both the offerer of the sacrifice and its victim, and his death and resurrection inaugurate a New Covenant between God and his people. It is perhaps significant that in all the gospel accounts of the Last Supper, there is no mention of a lamb being eaten during the meal. Because there was, of course, a new Lamb, who told his companions to take and eat, take and drink the bread and wine “handed over for you”. And it is through the blood of this Lamb that we find salvation and liberation. The title Lamb of God also recalls the suffering servant led like a lamb to the slaughter, which we read about in Isaiah (53:7,10). In Revelation, too, we read of the victorious apocalyptic lamb who will destroy the evil in the world (5:5-7;17:14). The Baptist then indicates the superiority of Jesus over himself. “He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man existed before me’.” In the context of the Prologue we read earlier, this is an intimation of Jesus’ pre-existence as the Word with God (remember, chronologically, John was slightly older than Jesus). John also explains why he was baptising; it was to make Jesus known to the people of Israel. His baptism did not have the power to forgive sin; this would be the prerogative of Jesus and his disciples (John also says that up to this, he had not known Jesus, which conflicts with the other gospels, where he is presented as a close relative.) John then continues to talk about the baptism of Jesus, whereas the event itself is described in Matthew and Luke. He says that he personally saw the Spirit of God come down on Jesus like a dove, and it stayed with him, indicating the enduring relationship between God and his Father. The dove is a symbol of new life, recalling the dove which brought the olive branch back to Noah’s ark and indicated that the Flood was over. At the same time, the One who told John to baptise with water, also said that the One on whom the Spirit came down would, in turn, baptise with the Holy Spirit. And the Baptist concludes: “Now I have seen and given witness that he is the Son of God.” Here we have another title of Jesus. Each one of us has also received the same Spirit in our baptism. It was that Spirit which inspired Jesus in all his Messianic work, climaxing in his death on the cross. May the same Spirit inspire us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and join with him in his work to build the Kingdom.

“First Impressions” by Jude Siciliano, O.P.

Isaiah 49: 3, 5-6; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 1: 1-3; John 1:29-34

The Christmas season has ended, yet we are still very much in “epiphany mode.” Today is called the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the beginning of what the Church names “Ordinary Time.” We will count thirty-three Sundays in Ordinary Time until November 15. The title given to these weeks can be a bit misleading. This time is not “ordinary” in the everyday sense of the word. Rather, it is a season for the ongoing revealing of who Jesus is and why he has come. To repeat: we are still in “epiphany mode.” In Isaiah 49, the Servant is chosen from the womb, named by God, and given a twofold mission: to restore Israel and to be “a light to the nations,” so that God’s salvation may reach “to the ends of the earth.” This reading helps us see beyond Bethlehem, which features so prominently during the Christmas season. The child revealed to us at Christmas is now shown to be the One sent to the whole world: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” During these early weeks of Ordinary Time, this universal horizon is emphasized. Isaiah proclaims it poetically, and John’s Gospel illuminates that same message, interpreting Isaiah’s vision for us through the person of Jesus. John the Baptist points out Jesus – but he does more than point. He interprets Jesus for us. He identifies him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John testifies that he saw the Spirit descend and remain on Jesus and declares him to be the Son of God. In John’s Gospel, Isaiah’s Servant is revealed as both the Lamb who bears sin and the Spirit-filled Son who reveals the Father. What Isaiah announces in poetry, John proclaims explicitly: “He is the Son of God.” The Baptist’s role is to point away from himself. Isaiah reminds Israel – and us – that being chosen by God always involves being sent for others. “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” This Sunday, then, prepares us for mission: first, to recognize who Jesus is, and then to bear his light to the world. We probably know people who have fulfilled, at least in part, this servant role described in Isaiah 49. One person who came close to embodying it was Dorothy Day. Like the servant depicted in Isaiah, she did not seek prominence. Her words and actions pointed to God rather than ideas, and she lived for the sake of others, especially the least and the forgotten. Dorothy Day offered a distinctly poetic witness to the modern world. She understood her work not as a career, but as a vocation. Though she was a convert, her conversion to Catholicism did not narrow her vision; it clarified her mission. Like Isaiah’s Servant, whose call extended beyond Israel “to the nations,” Dorothy’s witness reached far beyond the boundaries of the Church. Her moral authority was recognized by atheists, labor organizers, the poor, and believers alike. People of moral authority like Dorothy Day make ancient prophets such as Isaiah and Christian prophets like John the Baptist, strikingly contemporary for us. Through them, God continues to speak in our “Ordinary Time,” calling us to en-flesh the Word of God through our words and actions. We are not to call attention to ourselves, but to Christ present in our midst, especially among the suffering of the world. As Dorothy once said, “We cannot love God unless we love each other,” and “The Gospel takes away our right forever to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving poor.” Dorothy lived this conviction concretely, insisting that Christ is revealed precisely where the world is least inclined to look. That is the sign of true discipleship; not dramatic gestures, but constant, uncompromising fidelity which makes God’s mercy visible to all. Dorothy teaches us that God’s light is meant for all nations. John the Baptist pointed to Christ without claiming rank or privilege for himself. To be a servant of God is not to seek recognition, but to make God’s mercy available. In our parishes, there are those who serve quietly by visiting, advocating for, or accompanying those in need. When we do this, we may not be solving problems, but we are revealing Christ already present among us – especially among the least. It may be Ordinary Time, but there is nothing ordinary about people in our faith communities who offer a steady, quiet witness. Like John the Baptist, they help others recognize the Lamb of God already in our midst. Finally, Paul’s words from First Corinthians today may seem modest, little more than a greeting. But they too belong to our Sunday proclamation. Isaiah speaks of God’s Servant; the Gospel reveals Christ’s identity; and Paul reminds us who receives this revelation: “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy.” A real community – like the one in Corinth – imperfect, divided, and deeply human, shows us how God’s saving word continues to take flesh among us each day. We do not seek holiness by withdrawing from the world, but, as Isaiah calls us, by being a faithful presence within it.

Quotable

“God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.” — Augustine of Hippo

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

I announced your justice in the vast assembly.—Psalm 40:10

Last Fall, Pope Leo offered a reflection about migrants and refugees reminding Catholics that we are all called to always be missionaries of hope. Here are some excerpts: The current global context is sadly marked by wars, violence, injustice and extreme weather events, which force millions of people to leave their homelands in search of refuge elsewhere. The widespread tendency to look after the interests of limited communities poses a serious threat to the sharing of responsibility, multilateral cooperation, the pursuit of the common good and global solidarity for the benefit of our entire human family. The prospect of a renewed arms race and the development of new armaments, including nuclear weapons, the lack of consideration for the harmful effects of the ongoing climate crisis, and the impact of profound economic inequalities make the challenges of the present and the future increasingly demanding. Faced with frightening scenarios and the possibility of global devastation, it is important that there be a growing desire in people’s hearts for a future of peace and of respect for the dignity of all. Such a future is essential to God’s plan for humanity and the rest of creation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man and woman; it takes up the hopes that inspire human activities” (N. 1818). What is more, the search for happiness, and the prospect of finding it beyond one’s place of origin, is certainly one of the main motivations for the movement of people today. In a special way, Catholic migrants and refugees can become missionaries of hope in the countries that welcome them, forging new paths of faith where the message of Jesus Christ has not yet arrived or initiating interreligious dialogue based on everyday life and the search for common values. . .At the same time, the communities that welcome them can also be a living witness to hope, one that is understood as the promise of a present and a future where the dignity of all as children of God is recognized. In this way, migrants and refugees are recognized as brothers and sisters, part of a family in which they can express their talents and participate fully in community life. Message of the Holy Father for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2025 Are you a missionary of hope toward migrants and refugees?

Faith Book—Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: “John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

Reflection: By calling Jesus “the Lamb of God,” John evokes the Passover lamb and the suffering servant – images of sacrifice, deliverance, and mercy. Jesus comes toward us not in judgment, but bearing the weight of the world’s brokenness, willing to take upon himself the sin that alienates humanity from God. In this moment, faith begins by looking, by recognizing who Jesus is and trusting what he comes to do for us.

So, we ask ourselves:
—Where in my life do I most need to let Jesus take away sin, guilt, or burden I still carry?
—Like John the Baptist, how can I point others – not to myself – but to Christ at work in the world today?

From America Magazine: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), Jan. 20, 2008

Readings: Is 49:3, 5-6; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34

“Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God” (Jn 1:34)

John’s Gospel does not include a direct account of Jesus’ baptism. Instead it supplies the testimony or witness of John the Baptist and his reflections on who Jesus is. By considering what the Baptist saw in Jesus, we may see more clearly what we can hope for from Jesus. In his first chapter John the Evangelist develops an overture or prologue to his account of Jesus’ public ministry as well as his death and resurrection. He gives special attention to the various titles applied to Jesus, ranging from Word of God to the glorious Son of Man; taken together these titles highlight the decisive importance of Jesus. Today’s selection devoted to the testimony of John the Baptist focuses on Jesus as the Lamb of God, the bearer or vehicle of the Holy Spirit and the Son of God. John testified that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This imagery evokes the Old Testament rituals of sacrificing an animal to God as a way of atoning for sins and restoring right relationship with God. For early Christians the image of Jesus as the Lamb of God expressed the conviction that Jesus died for us and for our sins and made possible a right relationship. Theologians call this justification. Through the Lamb of God we can hope for forgiveness of our sins and right relationship with God. John also testified that at the baptism the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, and that Jesus became the primary bearer or vehicle of the Holy Spirit. This in turn qualified Jesus to baptize with both water and the Holy Spirit. In his Last Supper discourse Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit upon the community of his followers. He calls the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, a word that combines the Spirit’s roles as consoler, guide and defender. Through the Spirit of Jesus we can hope for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the possibility of living “in the spirit.” John testified that Jesus is the Son of God, a title that evokes the figure of the Servant of God described in Isaiah 49. There the servant has the mission to proclaim God’s saving power not for Israel alone but for all nations. As the Son of God, Jesus addressed God as his loving father. And Jesus invites us to share his own unique relationship of intimacy with God. Through the Son of God we are God’s children now. We can stand alongside Jesus and call upon God as our father too. What did John see in Jesus? What can we hope for from Jesus? Through Jesus we can hope for forgiveness of sins, right relationship with God, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and permission to approach God with confidence and even boldness as befits the spiritual brothers and sisters of Jesus. This is what Paul means when he describes Christians as “sanctified in Christ Jesus” and “called to be holy.” Boston College School of Theology & Ministry: An int’l theological center preparing leaders for the church in the 21st century.

Praying with Scripture

• How do you respond to the image of Jesus as the Lamb of God?

• How is the gift of the Holy Spirit related to Jesus?

• Do you ever think of Jesus as your brother?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Sometimes, Lord, I am puzzled by the direction my life has taken and I do not always respond as fully as I could. Just what are you calling me to in this very moment of my life? Help me to recognize you when you show up in my daily life, unannounced, and help me to see your presence in my day to day life. Help me to see you in the needs of those around me. Help me to recognize opportunities for growth, grace, and service in the most mundane corners of my life, and in the ordinary people I meet.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “First Impressions 2013”. A service of the Southern Dominican Province

The gospel today makes a shift. Until now we have been focusing on John, Jesus’ precursor. Now the gospel, through the Baptist’s testimony, passes us from John to Jesus. But before we make that move, let’s linger a moment longer with John. Imagine what John the Baptist had to go through in his ministry. It started when he received a call to announce the one coming after him who would be greater then he; one John names today as, “the Lamb of God.” This was the one who would take away the sin of the world. At first, John didn’t know who this one coming would be. He had to wait for a further revelation, as he testifies today, “At first, I did not know him….” In fact, twice John admits, “I did not know him.” John had to wait to see the Spirit descend “Like a dove” and remain on Jesus. When that happened, then John would finally know the one he had been expecting and preparing the people to receive--the one who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit.” John had to work blind for a while. He received his initial call, then had to wait. But his waiting didn’t mean he sat down and did nothing. He got busy and acted on his call, trusting that when the moment came to see the fulfillment of his ministry God would show him what to do next. John reminds us of the Magi. They received a message when they first saw the star in the night sky. They responded, leaving home, to follow the message of the star. But they, like John, had to go a while before they arrived at their goal and recognized Jesus. As the baptized, we are all involved in ministry. Some of us have official positions within the church, others respond privately to the needs around us. Each of us has heard a call to ministry. Our lives are marked by these ministries and by the people who need us. But, in many ways, like John and the Magi, we work in the dark. Not only the in darkness of our world, but also in the darkness of our call. We invest ourselves in what we know we must do, but we have questions along the way: How much longer shall I continue to minister in this way? Am I in the right ministry for my talents? Why doesn’t what I do in service receive more official recognition? I thought after these years of ministry I would have made more of an impact. Looking back, did I receive a call at all, or was it my imagination or vanity? I don’t think some of these questions were foreign to the Baptist. He did have a keen sense of having been called. But then, he had to work until he got the next sign; the one indicating Jesus’ identity. Like the Magi, and like some of us, he journeyed without knowing the end results of his labors. But he anticipated that God would not leave him, but would be there for him, at the appropriate time, to reveal the next step to take. There is an end awaiting us; a time when we will see God face to face and there will be no more darkness. On this, we place all our hope. Until then, we continue our service in the Lord;s name. We stay committed to our faith community, especially when we gather in Eucharistic celebration. We also seek the Lord in regular times of prayer. If we are to make significant changes, like the Magi’s packing up to begin a search or, like John’s fulfilling his mission, we will need guidance in our ministry. Then, we shall place ourselves in a more intensive listening mode through quiet prayer; reflective reading and even seeking the counsel of a wise person who can help us identify the call of the Lord in our lives. I am grateful to such people who helped me notice the descent of the Spirit at important and transitional moments of my life. Thankfully someone was there to help me say, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove….” Who are those people for you? Let us give thanks. p.s. See First Impressions for 2026 ( appended). It speaks of someone who was called to minister in a very unique way: Dorothy Day…..

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow.

Reflection Questions

If I had one sin that needed to be taken away, what would I choose?

What would you say is the “sin of the world”? Think of some examples of how this plays out in human behavior, personal relationships, politics, the world stage, the health of the planet….

What choices do we make as humans that emanate from this atmosphere of sin that pervades the world?
What means do we use to distract ourselves from a hopeless contemplation of the state of the world and ourselves?

John is a powerful witness to the presence and mission of Jesus the anointed of God. We are all anointed at our baptism, but have we been powerful witness of God’s presence in the world?
Do we assume this is reserved to the ordained?

Am I shy about discussing my faith with others?
Why?

What does it mean to really “see” someone?
What do you think John “saw” in Jesus?
What do you “see” in Jesus?

Andrew and Peter come to Jesus as a result of the testimony of John. Has anyone come to Jesus through your living testimony?
Has there ever been anyone in your experience that you have recognized as “special?”
In what way were they special?
How did they influence your life, if at all?

From Daniel J Harrington, S.J.:
How do you respond to the image of Jesus as the Lamb of God?
How is the gift of the Holy Spirit related to Jesus?
Do you ever think of Jesus as your brother?

From Father Paul Gallagher, OFM:
Twice in the text John admits, “I did not know him.” Do you think John is saying that he did not know his own cousin?
What does that say to you about the kind of person Jesus was?
What does this say to you about where you might find the face of Jesus present around you?

How difficult do you think it was for the Baptist to admit and accept the fact that his cousin, Jesus, was a much more important and significant person?
Have there been times in your own journey when you had to admit that you were not as important as others, or you yourself, once thought?
What were some of the things that helped you through that transition?

How is the journey of self-discovery before God taking place in your life now?
Does this gospel shed any light on that journey?

Psalm 40 says “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”
What do you think God’s will for you is?
What signs do you look for to confirm that you are doing God’s will?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

From Sacred Space: Jesus, Lamb of God, we will never exhaust our knowledge of you. Let me grow steadily in that knowledge, making my picture of you even richer. Help me find the balance between being occupied in your service without letting my occupations overwhelm me.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session….Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignation Style/Imagination: Read John 1: 19-28. In this section John is identified as a witness to the person, mission and real identity of Jesus. Imagine being at a religious gathering that is somewhat public--say an appearance of our Pope at the Vatican-- and Jesus shows up at the event. Would he look different than the others there? Would the Pope recognize him? Would we all see the Holy Spirit descend on him? How do you think you would react? In our actual time and space, we are still called upon to witness to Jesus. What sort of witness to the identity of Jesus are you and I called upon to make? How do we talk about Jesus as expression of God’s love for us, Jesus as our hope, and most difficult, Jesus as mystery? Pray for the grace to recognize Jesus in our world, for the courage to witness to his presence, and for the wisdom to do so in a way which draws others and does not judge.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions: Let us for a moment pause and reflect on the world into which Jesus entered so many years ago. What economic, spiritual and societal challenges existed in Palestine so long ago? In his brief life, what changes did Jesus effect? Then consider the economic, spiritual and societal challenges we all face in life today. What are you called to bring to those challenges? What does Jesus’ life offer as an example for you?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship: Read Psalm 40 from the Sunday readings.

Psalm 40

I waited, I waited for the LORD, and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry .He drew me from the deadly pit, from the miry clay.
He set my feet upon a rock, made my footsteps firm.
He put a new song into my mouth, praise of our God.
Many shall see and fear and shall trust in the LORD.
Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the LORD,
and has not gone over to the proud who follow false gods.
How many, O LORD my God, are the wonders and designs
that you have worked for us; you have no equal.
Should I wish to proclaim or speak of them, they would be more than I can tell!
You delight not in sacrifice and offerings, but in an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Then I said, “See, I have come.” In the scroll of the book it stands written of me:
“I delight to do your will, O my God; your instruction lies deep within me.”
Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed; you know it, O LORD.
Your saving help I have not hidden in my heart; of your faithfulness and salvation I have spoken.
I made no secret of your merciful love and your faithfulness to the great assembly.
O LORD, you will not withhold your compassion from me. Your merciful love and your faithfulness 
will always guard me. For I am beset with evils too many to be counted.
My iniquities have overtaken me, till I can see no more.
They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart is sinking.
Be pleased, O LORD, to rescue me; LORD, make haste to help me.
O let there be shame and confusion on those who seek my life.
O let them turn back in confusion who delight in my harm.
Let them be appalled because of their shame, those who jeer and mock me.
O let there be rejoicing and gladness for all who seek you.
Let them ever say, “The LORD is great,” who long for your salvation.
Wretched and poor though I am, the Lord is mindful of me.
You are my rescuer, my help;
O my God, do not delay.

Re-word the third-person verses this psalm as if you were speaking to God directly. Then spend some time examining which verses speak for you and capture your innermost feelings. Examine also those phrases of the psalm which call upon God to punish those who have wronged you. Is this how you feel sometimes? How did Jesus deal with a similar situation? How can a reflection of the life and mission of Jesus help you cope with the many issues and difficult poeple in your life? How can a reflection on the life and mission of Jesus help you to discern your own mission? Write your own psalm, being sure to include your commitment to the unique mission God has set out for you.

POETIC REFLECTION

In the following quirky poem, e.e.cummings seems to look at the experience of John the Baptist which we read about in John 29-34 in a different sort of way. How close does it come to your thoughts on Jesus and John?

no time ago
or else a life
walking in the dark
I met Christ

jesus)my heart
flopped over
and lay still
while he passed (as

close am I’m to you
yes closer
made of nothing
except loneliness.

Baptism of the Lord

January 12, 2026

Jesus, God’s beloved, was commissioned into ministry for others, as am I

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John tried to dissuade him, with the words, “It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come to me!” But Jesus replied, “Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.” Then John gave in to him. And when Jesus had been baptized he at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on him.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

Commentary on Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 from the Irish Jesuits

Today brings to an end our Christmas celebrations. We see the third and last of the three great manifestations by which were made known to us that our God had come among us in a very special way. As mentioned in a recent commentary, the sign that Jesus gave in Cana is also a special manifestation of God’s presence in Jesus, and may be considered a fourth manifestation. Of the three, the first of these manifestations was through the story of the birth of Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem. The first people privileged to experience this manifestation were the shepherds, representing the poor, the sinful, and the social outcasts on whom Luke’s Gospel is especially focused. The second manifestation, the Epiphany, celebrated this past week, reflects Matthew’s emphasis that Jesus was born not only for his own people, but for people of every country and every race everywhere. This third manifestation of God’s presence among us through Jesus, depicted in today’s Gospel, is found in all four Gospels. While the first two manifestations are linked with the birth of Jesus, this one comes at a much later date, at the moment when Jesus is about to begin his public life.

Why baptise Jesus?
We might very well wonder, like John the Baptist did, why Jesus needed to be baptised. John said to Jesus: I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? All those others being baptised in the Jordan by John were doing so as a sign of repentance for their sins, and as an expression of their desire to turn around their lives. How could Jesus, the Son of God, be part of this? The first answer to this question is that Jesus, in so doing, was expressing his total solidarity with the human race, of which he was a member. He identified with them, not as a sinner, but as a fellow human being. The expression of that solidarity is a much higher priority for him than any social status he might lose by being seen in the close company of confessed sinners. It was a risk he would constantly take because the needs of the sinner were more important to him than his reputation with the self-righteous. It will have its final dramatic expression as Jesus dies on a cross, executed with, and like, two convicted criminals. For Jesus, there was never such a thing as ‘face’, i.e. being valued purely on external appearance.

A ‘missioning’ experience
However, in order to understand what is happening at the River Jordan, we have to go far beyond seeing Jesus’ baptism as a matter of dealing with sinfulness. What is being really emphasised here is the positive element of Jesus’ being totally accepted and confirmed by his Father. Jesus, as he stands there in the River Jordan, is being ‘missioned’ by his Father for the work he is just about to begin. He is here getting the total endorsement of his Father for that work. As he steps out of the water, the heavens open and the Spirit of God comes down on Jesus to fill him with all God’s fullness. This is my Son, the Beloved [Greek, agapetos—the object of God’s agape, his outpouring love], with whom I am well pleased. This, we might say, is Jesus’ Pentecost experience. It is what the baptism in the Jordan is really about. And it is something that only those with eyes of faith can see. We might also add that this is what our Baptism is really about.

Baptism and anointing
In the Second Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter in his sermon to Cornelius, the first Gentile to be baptised by the Apostles, says that: …God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power… In the case of Jesus’ baptism by John, the anointing is by water. The anointing of Jesus by God, of which Peter speaks, implies that Jesus is being made King and Lord, and Kings were typically anointed with oil. The title ‘Christ’ [Greek, Christos] which we give him, means ‘The Anointed One’, and corresponds to the Hebrew word we write as Messiah. Finally, as we said earlier, this scene is also a ‘missioning’ ceremony for Jesus as he embarks on his public life.

‘My servant’
All this is beautifully described in the passage from Isaiah which is the First Reading for today’s feast. The opening words echo Matthew’s description of the baptism scene: Here is my servant…my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him… The mission that will be Jesus’ is then spelt out in some beautiful phrases over which we could reflect with great profit. The prophet writes: 
—He will not cry out or lift up his voice…
—a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench…
—he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth…
—I have called you in righteousness… [i.e. to serve the cause of right]
—I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Those final phrases will be quoted by Jesus himself as the proclamation of his mission in the synagogue of his home town, Nazareth (Luke 4:18-20). All of this is contained in this simple but majestic scene with John the Baptist in the River Jordan. It is, as already said, a great manifestation of God’s presence among us through the Person of Jesus our King and Lord.

Our own baptism
As a final reflection, it would be useful for us today to reflect on the meaning of our own baptism and how it relates with that of Jesus. We often hear a very simplistic description of the effects of the Sacrament of Baptism as “taking away original sin and making us children of God”. Many, especially those baptised as infants, may see it as a one-off ceremony, imposed on them by parents to bind them to a way of life in which they have no further say. People have even been heard to say, “Oh! I wish I hadn’t been born a Catholic!” After honest reflection, some people may choose to renounce their Catholic faith in favour of a way of life which they feel is more meaningful to them. However, if one truly understands the full meaning of our baptism, this is unlikely to happen. Baptism is not, as is true of all the Sacraments, an isolated ritual. It takes place in the context of our whole life. Whether we are baptised as children or as adults, what primarily is happening is that we become incorporated, ’embodied’, into the Christian community. We become—not passively, but actively—members of the Body of Christ. It can never be something imposed on us against our will. That is why, for adults, there is now a long process of initiation leading up to Baptism and, hopefully a further process of community support after the Baptism has taken place. It is why adult baptism is now celebrated in the presence of the whole parish community and at the Easter Vigil. ‘Original sin’ is taken away, not so much by some spiritual sleight of hand or by the mumbling of some magic formula. Rather, if one becomes truly incorporated into a living Christian community, the sinful influences that pervade our world become reversed by our exposure to the vision of Jesus and the lived experience of a community based on love, justice and sharing.

A social event
Baptism does not, and cannot, produce its effects in a social vacuum. That is why the Church will not baptise those who have no likelihood of experiencing Christian community. Then, of course, like Jesus, our baptism brings with it a serious obligation to share our faith with others both by word and example. It involves much more than simply ‘saving our souls’ and ‘leading sinless lives’. We are called to be living witnesses of the gospel, to be the salt of the earth, to be a city on a hill, a candle radiating light in the surrounding darkness. We are called, in short, to be united with the others in our Christian community in the building up of God’s Kingdom. Sadly, one wonders how often this is the reality, when one sees so many Catholics acting like total strangers to each other at a Sunday parish Eucharist! All those words of Isaiah, quoted above and applied to Jesus, are to be applied to each one of us as well. Our baptism is not simply some past event recorded in some dusty parish register. It is a living reality which is to be constantly deepened and enriched. Let God our Father be able to say of us as he said of Jesus: This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

Homily: Giving Blessings

“This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”

Fr. Ron Rolheiser, one of the great modern theologians and spiritual writers, in his book called “Sacred Fire” explains that over our lifetime, our discipleship is divided up into three stages or components. The first is Essential Disciple; the second is Radical Discipleship; and then the last one is Mature Discipleship. Each of these have their own hallmark or theme. In the first stage, we are getting our life together. We are young and we have a longing for something outside of ourselves, what he calls a “holy longing” we seek the Lord and we seek meaning for life. The second stage is Radical Discipleship. In this stage we are giving our life away. We constantly give away everything that we have. This is where most parents and grandparents are. They give their life to their children; they have already made themselves in the world and now they are giving themselves away. The third stage is Mature discipleship and this is where we give our death away. We give others the way to remember us and hold us close. At one point, he gives a wonderful metaphor about this mature discipleship and talks about how give blessings to others, something that is so desperately needed in our modern world. To illustrate he talks about the opposite, giving curses and he does not mean cursing in the sense of four-letter words. He says cursing is when we do not speak well of people. So, we bless people when we speak well of them. Actually the root word for "bless” in Latin, benedicere, actually means “to speak well of.” That is exactly what God does for his Son, Jesus in today’s gospel. The better translation is, “This is my blessed Son with whom I am well pleased.” He says that not only to Christ but for all of us as adopted sons and daughters. God blesses Jesus and offering him to the world and Jesus does the same thing for all of us. He blesses us and speaks well of us. Rolheiser gives an example of how this blessing can work in practice. An older lady goes to a younger girl or young lady and says, “You look wonderful. You sounded wonderful. That’s amazing. What a wonderful gift you are to our world.” Engaging a girl in this way will enable that young lady’s shoulders will rise up because somebody has spoken well of them. And the same is true of an older man to a younger man. An older man to a boy: “Aren’t you a fine young man the way you have done that. And how polite you are when you shook hands very well. I am really proud of the way you accomplished this or that.” Again, that young man’s shoulders will rise up and he will feel wonderful that somebody has recognized him. That somebody thinks well of him. That somebody else speaks well of him. That somebody has blessed him. It is not just man to boy or woman to girl. It goes in all directions.  But how often do we do that?How often do we speak well of somebody and lift them up? This is what God does constantly for Jesus and of course Jesus does it in turn for everyone he meets. He lifts them up; the downtrodden, the broken, the wounded. He lifts them up. He touches them. He raises them up. He says you can come to dinner. “I am going to dinner at your house tonight.” “Come. Be touched. I want to heal you.” And he is constantly lifting people up and having them feel good about themselves. Not just good but actually that they are truly blessed by being in the presence of Christ. As Fr. Rolheiser points out, we are called to model ourselves after Jesus’ discipleship; that is we are modeling ourselves after his way. If he does that then we are called to bless people by speaking well of them; by lifting them up. “How wonderful it is that you sung today. Why, your voice is beautiful.” I love the way you did this or did that; to be encouraging; to bless them; to speak well of them.Here is the challenge: We cannot give what we do not have. Right? We cannot speak well of someone else if we do not think good thoughts of people. I am not even going to notice what you do if I am not already lifting my mind and heart up to God and then I find you a blessing in my life. There lies the challenge. We have to work at this interior reality before we can give it away. Fr. Ron Rolheiser illustrates this very colorfully with a Buddhist parable and it goes something like this: “The young soldier, who was young and fit and trim was walking by and noticed the Buddha with his legs folded up and meditating on the side of the road. And he noticed how fat he was. The young soldier says to the Buddha, “You look like a pig.” And the Buddha smiled, paused gently and returned back, saying, “And you look like God.” The soldier was taken aback and asked, “Why do you think I look like God?” And the Buddha said, “Well, I sit here all day and I ponder God and so therefore, what I ponder I project out onto everything that I see and feel in the inside. And when I see you, I see God in you. I guess you, you have been pondering something else.” We generally project out what we actually have interiorly. We have all had experiences with this when somebody lashes out at us and it has nothing to do with what we have done but they are angry from something else and it all just spews out. We cannot give what we do not have. If we want to give blessing then we must allow the Lord to say to us: “You are my beloved and blessed son or daughter with whom I am well pleased.” When we feel that and allow that love, that blessing into our hearts to heal us; to give us consolation, then we can pass on that blessing to speak well of others. What an amazing world we would have if all of us would find only blessings to give away and not curses; that we would only speak well of people; and not speak ill of people. Maybe this could be one of our new ways for this new year as we head into a new ordinary time. We promise this year, we are going to allow the Lord to bless us and to say to us “You are my beloved son; you are my beloved daughter in whom I am well pleased.” Then we are ready to pass that blessing onto others and say: “You are my beloved, my blessed son and daughter with whom I am well pleased.” May we give blessings not curses to each other.. “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, as I reflect on my own baptism and my own spiritual journey thus far, help me to remember to thank your Holy Spirit for the graces I have received, the help in dark times, and the strength to do your will.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “First Impressions” 1/5/2026, a service of the Southern Domiican Province

The baptism of Jesus is not simply a moment in his life; it is a revelation meant to shape ours. In today’s Gospel, Jesus enters the Jordan not because he needs repentance, but to stand fully with a searching, vulnerable humanity. He steps into the water to make it holy, revealing a God who meets us where we are – not after we have tried and failed to purify ourselves in a futile effort to become “worthy.” At his baptism, Jesus reveals both who He is and who God is for us. The heavens open, the Spirit descends, and God’s voice declares, “You are my beloved Son.” The Trinity is present and active. Baptism, then, is more than membership in a community; it is a declaration of identity. Before we are called to follow Jesus or sent on mission, we are named and claimed as God’s beloved children. The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of his mission – and, through him, ours. Immediately afterward, he goes forth to proclaim God’s kingdom, to heal the broken, and to confront injustice. So, it is with us. We are not baptized for private holiness alone, but into a shared vocation: to live the Gospel publicly through mercy, forgiveness, truth, and self-giving love. Jesus does not emerge from the waters to claim privilege or power over others. His way is humility and obedience to God’s will. Our baptism, then, is not about status but about service – service shaped by compassion and sustained by hope. The opening of the heavens at Jesus’ baptism signifies that the divide between God and humanity has been bridged. As baptized people, we are invited to trust that the heavens remain open – that God’s Spirit is at work in us even when the waters of life feel cold, uncertain, or unwelcoming. Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles helps us understand why this feast matters, both personally and as Church. Peter is in the home of Cornelius, a Gentile who had been directed by an angel to summon him. There Peter proclaims the heart of the Gospel: “God shows no partiality.” He then offers a brief summary of the kerygma: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” This proclamation reaches back directly to the baptism of the Lord, when Jesus was anointed by the Spirit and publicly revealed as God’s chosen one. Today’s feast celebrates not an isolated event, but the beginning of a Spirit-driven life of service. The Spirit is revealed not in sentiment, but in action – doing good, healing, and liberating. The Spirit is purposeful and concrete. Peter’s declaration that “God shows no partiality” deepens the meaning of this feast. Jesus’ baptism reveals a mission that is universal. Just as Jesus stands in the waters with all humanity, Peter now stands in a Gentile household announcing that God’s saving work is for everyone. Our baptism, then, calls us to dismantle barrier – racial, cultural, social, and religious – and to reflect God’s inclusive love in our lives and in the Church. This feast holds up a mirror to our own baptism. If Jesus was sent by the Spirit to “go about doing good,” then baptism is not a once-for-all initiation, but a lifelong calling. We are anointed and sent into our workplaces, parishes, families, prisons, hospitals, and streets to be instruments of healing, justice, and peace. Peter says of Jesus, “God was with him.” At Jesus’ baptism, heaven opened to proclaim God’s presence. In our baptism, that same promise is made--we are never sent alone. We are called to continue what began when Jesus stepped into the Jordan and emerged on mission for us. Jesus’ baptism assures us that we are beloved, sent, and accompanied by the Spirit. We are invited to live each day as people who have heard God’s voice spoken over our lives: “You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” One final word from today’s reading from Isaiah. The prophet promises that God’s servant will “bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon those who live in darkness.” We know that dungeons are not only places of concrete and iron bars. Many carry what might be called a “portable prison” – darkness inherited from anxious beginnings, broken relationships, or the accumulated weight of a troubled world. Just as Jesus entered the Jordan alongside the repentant, so he enters our places of darkness and confinement today. He is the one promised by Isaiah, who brings prisoners into freedom. He goes to the hidden places that keep us locked in, to the restricted patterns of living we excuse by saying, “That’s just the way I am.” Jesus does not remain a distant observer. He steps into the waters and into the darkness with us, helping us face what binds us and leading us out – just as God promised through the prophet Isaiah.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

What do I think Jesus was experiencing at the time of his baptism?

Have I ever felt called by God for any reason?
How did I feel at the time?

Has there been a time in my life when what seemed the “right” path/action/career, was just not what God had in mind for me?

Have I ever been “surprised” by God’s actions in my life?

Do I truly believe Jesus is God-Among-Us?

What is the Spirit of God, for me?

What was Jesus’ world expecting from God?
Did they get it?
What do I expect from God?

What “new life” was Jesus re-born into?

Have God’s plans for my life been revealed to me slowly, in life’s events, or in a moment of “revelation?”
Am I still waiting to hear what my calling is?

I think of a time when I was asked to do something and was unprepared or unready. How did I respond?
How do I feel?

Can I thank God for my virtues?
What else do I need to do/ pray in this prayer of thanksgiving in order to avoid self-congratulation?

How do I understand “This is my beloved Son”?
Do I think this applies to me?

Do I ever do things because it gives a good example rather than because they are required?

How has Baptism transformed my life?

From First Impressions 2026:
Has there been a cost to me for being a Christian?
Have I experienced God’s help when being a Christian came with a price?

CLOSING PRAYER

Jesus, help me to remember that I am your beloved, always your beloved. Help me to remember that God is well pleased with me, and let me act with confidence that I am loved by you, not because I am perfect, not because I am good, but because I AM. And help me to act on that confidence, bringing your light and love to others.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session…This is my Son, my Beloved; my favor rests on him.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship (From Sacred Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits 2026): This is one of the three times the Father speaks to us in the gospel story. Here it is to acknowledge that Jesus is his beloved, the one he loves with a passion. During the first millennium this came to be the way Christians saw themselves, especially as they realized the meaning of Jesus’ words: “As the father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9). If you would like to ponder this prayerfully, quieten yourself for a short while by relaxing your body. Then listen to the Father call you his beloved a few times, and when you have savored his words, tell him how you feel about this.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination (Meditation on John the Baptist, Jesus’ Baptism, and mine): As I reflect on the sacrament of Baptism, I recall the beginning of Jesus’ ministry when John the Baptist baptized him. I imagine myself there with Jesus: I see a small, wiry man, dressed in rags and tatters. His clothes are dirty and hang off his too-thin frame. They say he eats little--locusts and honey gathered from the parched land he and the other Essene inhabit in the hills. Stranger and stranger. But there is something about the man that forces me to stay and listen to what he has to say. His voice, his eyes, speak eloquently of the passion which drives him… The conviction that time is short and the kingdom of Heaven is near rings out over the crowd. He makes us feel that we and the world we inhabit are at a crossroads. Something momentous is upon us. His name is Jesus. We must repent. Repent.

Repentance-Metanoia--more than a confession of sins.
More than guilt and anxiety.
More than fear of the Lord’s wrath.
Metanoia.
A complete change of heart.
To turn one’;s very soul around.
Away from self-centeredness, selfishness and self-aggrandizement.
Away from meanness, from sniping at others to make myself more secure.
Away from greed, clutching frantically at what I have, holding it close because of anxiety that there might not be enough. Enough time, enough money, enough attention, enough love.
Away from evil.
Away From envy of what others have achieved or acquired, envy fostered by the fear that someone might just have more of something than I do.
Metanoia.
A turning around.
A turning back.
Back to goodness.
Back to kindness.
Back to loving.
Back to God.

How would I respond to John the Baptist if I were sitting by the River Jordan listening to him? Would my heart be touched by the Spirit and would I experience the deep conviction that I must, MUST realign my will to God’s a live my life accordingly? Do I realize the hardships this might entail? Or pleasures I might have to forgo ,or defenses I might have to abandon in order to be open to God’s call, to God’s living presence? I agree to be immersed in that holy river and start anew. I step toward the Baptist, my eyes fixed on his as he summons, COMPELS me with his presence and his conviction to take the risk, to let go of the past and embrace a radically different future. The water is cold; cold against the skin warmed that desert sun. It shocks me into realizing the enormity of what I am about to do. I am going to die to a lot of my old ways, to my old life. As the waters close over my head, I am suspended between life and death, between the old world and the new, between the old me and the new me. I stay under as long as I am able, pulled into the past and a little afraid of the future. What will this new life bring? As I feel the spirit of God invade my very being, touch my heart with love and strength, I emerge from the depths, gasping for breath, heart pounding, eyes wide open in wonder. John says those holy words which confirm the presence of the Lord in my heart, and in my very being, in my soul. I look around and see the world with new eyes. The brown, parched earth seems somehow touched with gold. The breeze, soft and mild, caresses my cheek. I look heavenward at a sky suddenly made bluer. I look at the faces of those around me, rendered indistinct by eyes filled with tears. I see their love and concern, their curiosity, and from some, their scorn. None of it matters. I am one with God.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

The practical prayer advice contained in The Cloud of Unknowing forms a primary basis for the contemporary practice of centering prayer, a form of Christian meditation developed by Trappist monks William Meninger, Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating in the 1970s. How is it a metaphor for ur spiritual journey?

I came into the unknown
and stayed there unknowing
rising beyond all science.

I did not know the door
but when I found the way,
unknowing where I was,
I learned enormous things,
but what I felt I cannot say,
for I remained unknowing,
rising beyond all science.

It was the perfect realm
of holiness and peace.
In deepest solitude
I found the narrow way:
a secret giving such release
that I was stunned and stammering,
rising beyond all science.

I was so far inside,
so dazed and far away
my senses were released
from feelings of my own.
My mind had found a surer way:
a knowledge of unknowing,
rising beyond all science.

And he who does arrive
collapses as in sleep,
for all he knew before
now seems a lowly thing,
and so his knowledge grows so deep
that he remains unknowing,
rising beyond all science.

The higher he ascends
the darker is the wood;
it is the shadowy cloud
that clarified the night,
and so the one who understood
remains always unknowing,
rising beyond all science.

This knowledge by unknowing
is such a soaring force
that scholars argue long
but never leave the ground.
Their knowledge always fails the source:
to understand unknowing,
rising beyond all science.

This knowledge is supreme
crossing a blazing height;
though formal reason tries
it crumbles in the dark,
but one who would control the night
by knowledge of unknowing
will rise beyond all science.

And if you wish to hear:
the highest science leads
to an ecstatic feeling
of the most holy Being;
and from his mercy comes his deed:
to let us stay unknowing,
rising beyond all science.

—John of the Cross

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt very understood and affirmed by a parent? How do you think Jesus felt when he heard the words: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” Do you realize that God feels that way about you?

Thank you, Dad
It really is quite
Amazing how seldom
We praise our children
Or friends or even the
One closest to being
Our true heart mate
For it seems we are
Troubled by some
Dismaying anxiety
That if a nice word is
Even whispered the
Beneficiary will have
A head that explodes
From arrogance

But the gracious Lord
Who made us will have
None of this stupid worry
For he gives praise every
Single time he calls each
And every one of us one
Of His beloved children
And he does this every
Second of our lives
So it is like a never
Ending encore of
His pledging love
Again and again
And yet again

So perhaps
Instead of rejecting
The pledge of love
We need to seize a
Cue from this mentor
Who as he completed
Baptism by John was
Said to have heard the
Father say that he was
His beloved child and
Is it not likely that in
His heart the newly
Baptized one
Said simply
Thank you
Dad

—©2003 Rev. Michael J. Kennedy

Feast of the Epiphany

January 4, 2026

Where are we looking for Jesus today? What is our journey like?

Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Notes:
[2:1–12] The future rejection of Jesus by Israel and his acceptance by the Gentiles are retrojected into this scene of the narrative.
[2:1] In the days of King Herod: Herod reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. Magi: originally a designation of the Persian priestly caste, the word became used of those who were regarded as having more than human knowledge. Matthew’s magi are astrologers.
[2:2] We saw his star: it was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler’s birth. Matthew also draws upon the Old Testament story of Balaam, who had prophesied that “A star shall advance from Jacob” (Nm 24:17), though there the star means not an astral phenomenon but the king himself.
[2:4] Herod’s consultation with the chief priests and scribes has some similarity to a Jewish legend about the child Moses in which the “sacred scribes” warn Pharaoh about the imminent birth of one who will deliver Israel from Egypt and the king makes plans to destroy him.
[2:11] Cf. Ps 72:10, 15; Is 60:6. These Old Testament texts led to the interpretation of the magi as kings.

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

Story or history? In looking at this gospel, we may ask is the story of the “wise men” a factual report or is it just that – a story? Primarily, it is a story. A report is concerned with hard facts – the temperature dropped to 10 degrees last night or there were 10 millimetres of rain yesterday. But a story, especially a biblical story, is concerned much more with meaning. In reading any Scripture story, including Gospel stories, we should not be asking, “Did it really happen like that?” Instead, we should be asking, “What does it mean? What is it saying to us?” The truth of the story is in its meaning and not in the related facts.

Epiphany Certainly in this story the facts are extremely vague and not at all sufficient for a newspaper or TV news report. The standard questions a newspaper reporter is expected to be able to answer are: Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? In this story it is difficult to give satisfactory answers to these questions. Although Jesus is still an infant and still in Bethlehem, we do not know how long after his birth, this incident is supposed to have taken place. We are not told because it does not matter; it is not relevant to the meaning of the story.

Magi Who were these “wise men” and where did they come from? In the Greek text they are called magoi (magoi) which is usually rendered in English as “Magi”. Magi were a group or caste of scholars who were associated with the interpretation of dreams, Zoroastrianism, astrology and magic (hence the name ‘Magi’). In later Christian tradition they were called kings (“We three kings of Orient are…”) under the influence of Psalm 72:10 (“May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!”), Isaiah 49:7 (“Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves”) and Isaiah 60:10 (“Their kings shall minister to you”). We are not told what their names were or how many of them there were. Tradition settled on three, presumably because there were three kinds of gifts. And they were also given names – Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. Caspar was represented as black and thus they were understood to represent the whole non-Jewish, Gentile world which came to Christ. We are told, too, that they came “from the east”. This could be Persia, East Syria or Arabia – or indeed any distant place. The Asian theologian, Fr. Aloysius Pieris, points out the significance for Asians that it was wise men from the East and not the local wise men who recognised the light that led to Jesus*.

A star in the East There is talk of following a star. Was there indeed at this time a comet or supernova or some significant conjunction of planets which would be particularly meaningful to these men? Even so, how does one follow a star? Have you ever tried? How do you know when a star is “over the place” you are looking for? You could travel several hundred miles and the star could still be “over” you. Probably, we are wasting our time looking for some significant stellar happening. The star is rather to be seen as a symbol: a light representing Jesus as the Light of the whole world. There really is not much point in trying to pinpoint facts here. We are dealing here with meaning and the meaning is very clear from the general context of Matthew’s Gospel. God, in the person of Jesus, is reaching out to the whole world. More than that, the religious leaders of his own people – the chief priests and experts in the scriptures, although clearly aware of where the Messiah would be born, made no effort whatever to investigate. Yet Bethlehem was “just down the road”, so to speak, from Jerusalem. King Herod, an ambitious and ruthless man (that is a fact of history), was prepared to go but only to wipe out even the remotest threat to his own position. These pagan foreigners, on the other hand, went to great lengths to find the “King of the Jews” and “do him homage”. As part of that homage they offered their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gifts seem inspired by Isaiah 60:6 quoted in today’s First Reading, “They shall bring gold and frankincense”. In later tradition, the gold came to symbolise the kingship of Christ, the incense his divine nature, and the myrrh his redemptive suffering and death. They also came to signify virtue, prayer and suffering.

No Outsiders All in all, today’s feast is telling us that for God there are no foreigners, no outsiders. From his point of view, all are equally his beloved children. We all, whatever external physical or cultural differences there may be between us, belong to one single family which has one Father, “our” Father. It means that every one of us is a brother and sister to everyone else. There is no room for discrimination of any kind based on nationality, race, religion, class or occupation. There cannot be a single exception to this position. The facts of today’s story may be vague but the message is loud and clear. We thank God today that there is no “Chosen People” whether they be Jews or Christians (or even Catholics). Let us try to understand more deeply God’s closeness to us which is also a reason for us to be close to each other. There are no outsiders. All are called – be it the Mother of Jesus, the rich and the poor, the privileged and the lonely, the healthy and the sick, the saints and the sinners. Yet, we can become outsiders. We do that every time we make someone else an outsider, whether we do that individually, as a family, a community, or an ethnic grouping. To make even a single other person an outsider, that is, to deny them the love and respect which belongs equally to all, is to make an outsider of oneself. It is to join the ranks of the Pharisees, the chief priests and every other practitioner of bigotry.

Where are the stars? Finally, we might ask ourselves, What are the stars in my life? The wise men saw the star and followed it. The people in Jerusalem did not. How and to what is God calling me at this time? Where does he want me to find him, to serve and follow him? Some have their priorities already fixed and so have stopped or have never even started to look for the real priorities, the God-sent stars in their lives. That is like first making a right turn at a crossroads and then wondering where you should be going. Saint Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises speaks of people who get married first and then ask, “What does God want me to do? This very day, let us stop in our tracks. Obviously, at this stage there are many things which, for better or worse, we cannot change, some decisions, right or wrong, which cannot now be undone. But it is not too late to look for our star and begin following it from where we are now. The wise men did not know where the star would lead them. They just followed it until it brought them to Bethlehem – and to Jesus. They never, I am sure, regretted their decision. If we can only have the courage and the trust to follow their example, I doubt if we will have regrets either. If we have not already done so, today is the day to make that start.

“The Epiphany of the Lord” by Jude Siciliano, OP

Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Our reading from Isaiah today is especially well suited to the feast of the Epiphany. Itnbegins with a summons addressed to all of us: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come.” For people living in darkness—a darkness that shadows so many lives through confusion and misinformation, injustice and inequality, loneliness, isolation, and personal suffering—the prophet’s clarion call holds out hope for light despite the surrounding shadows. Epiphany does not deny these shadows; rather, it proclaims that Christ has entered them. The light was revealed to the Magi and is revealed to us. This light shines amid modern forms of darkness, and believers are called not only to receive that light for themselves but also to reflect true justice, compassion, and faithful witness, so that those living in the shadow of death may find their way toward hope. Isaiah’s vision of nations walking by Jerusalem’s light and being drawn to its radiance finds a concrete fulfillment in the story of the Magi. The wise men represent the Gentile world, guided by a star to Jesus. What Isaiah envisioned symbolically—people streaming toward God’s light—Epiphany reveals both historically and personally. Isaiah anticipates foreigners from Midian and Ephah, “all from Sheba,” coming and bearing “gold and frankincense.” These gifts, later offered by the Magi, indicate that the child is king and worthy of worship, especially through the gift of frankincense. Together, they signal a time when the wealth and homage of the nations will be offered to the Lord—not as political tribute, but as an act of faith and praise. Isaiah presents a God who is not confined to one people, place, or nation. In Christ, the light rises for everyone, and all are invited to walk in it and be guided by it. Alongside the material darkness of the world, there is also spiritual darkness. Many today live without a sense of meaning or purpose, or with only a limited awareness of God’s presence in their lives. They feel distant from God. This is the “thick cloud” Isaiah describes. We possess electricity and powerful forms of artificial light, yet inner darkness—the “thick cloud”—cannot be dispelled simply by flipping a switch. Inner darkness is far more difficult to overcome than external shadows. In the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul reflects on what he calls a “mystery” now revealed by God. In Scripture, a mystery is not a puzzle to be solved, but a divine plan once hidden and now made known. Epiphany, then, is the feast of a mystery unveiled by God. Paul declares that what was “not made known to people in other generations” has now been revealed through the Spirit: the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Epiphany celebrates this radical inclusion as a work of sheer grace—and it also challenges the Church today. If God’s mystery is about breaking down barriers, then any form of exclusion, superiority, or indifference contradicts the very meaning of Epiphany. The light revealed in Christ is meant to gather, not divide; to unite, not rank. On this feast, the Church’s mission—our mission—is to welcome the stranger, honor difference, and witness to a unity rooted not in sameness, but in Christ. Moreover, the Church must be genuinely missionary, not merely maintenance-oriented. Epiphany reminds us that God’s saving action moves outward, like the star that led the Magi beyond familiar borders. The gospel is not meant to be clutched and preserved for insiders. The Church must practice radical hospitality and refuse to mirror the world’s divisions. We are called to witness to Christ in unexpected places. The Magi found Christ in an unexpected place. Likewise, as a Church, we must seek and discover Christ among the marginalized, the forgotten, the wounded, and those living on the edges of society. Today we are assured that the light has already risen and cannot be extinguished. We did not create the light; we already stand within it. Like the star, we point toward it by the lives we lead. Epiphany thus shapes the Church into a people always being sent—bearing light, welcoming the nations, and trusting that God is still drawing the world toward Christ.

Quotable - Sermon for the Epiphany, Pope Leo the Great, 5th Century

“Today the Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, human in God, God in human— the one whom the whole universe cannot contain is held in a tiny body.”

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Where is the newborn king of the Jews? -Matthew 2:2

Have you ever had an epiphany? A sudden realization? A flash of recognition in which someone or something is seen in a new light? I just realized that epiphanies often begin with a question. On this day when we commemorate the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the three magi, we see that it all began with a question. Look at these other epiphanies. The first is from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in his book, The Gift of Peace . He found himself wondering how Jesus kept his ministry on track with “all the ‘mess’ of the world that intruded into his life and ministry.” He writes, “Then one day it struck me that when Jesus opened his arms to embrace a little child and when he opened his arms wide on the cross to embrace the whole world, it was one and the same. He came to bring the Father’s healing, saving love to the human family—one person at a time. . . So, the people he encountered were never interruptions. . . they were opportunities to carry out his mission. . . Serving others was at the very core of the meaning of his life and ministry.” Epiphany. St. Catherine of Siena posed a question to her ponderings on the dignity of the human person. She asks, “Why did you so dignify us?” And, in the next sentence, she writes, “With unimaginable love you looked upon your creatures within your very self, and you fell in love with us. . . and give us being just so that we might taste your supreme eternal good.” Epiphany. St. John Paul II repeated his epiphany three times as he pondered Jesus identifying himself with the poor in Mt 25: 31-46. He spoke these words in Mexico (1979), in New York (1979) and in the Philippines (1981), “In the faces of the poor I see the face of Christ. In the life of the poor I see reflected the life of Christ. . . Jesus said that in the final analysis he will identify himself with the disinherited—the sick, the imprisoned, the hungry, the lonely. . . Keep Jesus Christ in your hearts and you will recognize his face in every human being. You will want to help him out in all his needs: the needs of your brothers and sisters.” Epiphany. If you have never had an epiphany in your faith journey, maybe you haven’t asked a question. Ask, see, and act.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: “Behold, the star that they had seen a its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.”

Reflection: Pope Francis challenged us to follow the star that leads us where Christ lives – among outsiders, those born in stables, living on the streets, fleeing civil strife and pushed around by harsh governments.

So, we ask ourselves: We have experienced the good news of Christ firsthand at our Epiphany celebration today. So, how will we reflect in our daily lives the light that has shone upon us? Do we see the poor and outcast by the light of Christ?

Commentary on Matthew - Year A by Jude Siciliano, OP, Promoter of Preaching, Southern Dominican Province, USA

We have begun a new liturgical year and that means the sequence of Sunday gospels shifts from Luke and focuses primarily on Matthew. Perhaps an overview of Matthew’s gospel will help the listener interpret the individual texts as we encounter them these upcoming Sundays. There is a stress in Matthew on Jesus’s teaching. Even its structure reveals the centrality of Jesus’ words. The gospel is divided into five sections, each featuring a major discourse by Jesus. (This division into five is reminiscent of the Pentateuch’s five books.) The Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5-7; the missionary instructions, chapter 10; the parables, chapter 13; discipline among the members of the community, chapter 18; the coming of the kingdom, chapters 24-25. Each section is distinctly marked off with the same type of ending, “When Jesus finished this discourse...” (7:28; 11:1; 13;33: 19:1; 26:1). These discourses express the central message of the gospel: Jesus preached the coming of the reign of God to the Jewish people. He was rejected by many, but accepted by others. Those who heard and followed him formed a new Israel, which included the Gentiles, to whom the gospel was subsequently preached. Those who accepted Jesus’ teachings were to act on them–bear “good fruit” (21:43) and if they did, they would enter the kingdom in its fullness when the present age ends and Christ returns. The gospel was written first of all for the Jewish Christian community. Thus, there is a strong fulfillment theme throughout: Jesus fulfilled the promises of the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament, through his teachings and life. Thus, one can see why Matthew has his five-fold division, it is a way to stress Jesus’ teachings. While Matthew’s Jesus was not merely a replacement for Moses (5:17), nevertheless, the disciples are called upon to surpass the behavior of those who merely keep the letter of the Law, but not its spirit (5:20). There is a strong anti-Pharisaical polemic in Matthew and we must be careful not to interpret an anti-Jewish message when reading from this gospel. Jesus strongly criticizes the hypocrisy of the religious leadership, but Matthew is writing for the early church and his main concern is that such hypocrisy not be found among its leaders. Because Jewish Christians were expelled from their synagogues, Matthew is also distancing the early church from its roots in Judaism. One perspective on this gospel is to see it as a book of teachings for church leaders to aid them in their instructions in the community. Thus, the emphasis Matthew places on what Jesus taught and the importance of obedience to his teachings. He stresses good deeds as the sign that we have accepted Jesus; our actions will reveal the depth of our faith commitment. This emphasis on doing what Jesus taught suggests that Matthew wrote for a church that had grown weary or complacent in its waiting for the Lord’s return. When Christ does come, this gospel teaches, we will be judged by our deeds. The community must “do” God’s will (7:21) and follow Jesus’ commands (7: 24,26). Just claiming to be a member will not be enough, we must perform the works that show our lives have born good fruit (7:15-23). And there’s the trap for us! With so much emphasis in this gospel on deeds, the we are tempted to moralize, using the Matthew texts as merely presenting an ethical code of behavior. As we follow the lead of the gospel and stress deeds, we may get the impression that all one has to do is accumulate good works and thus earn our reward. We have to balance the strong works-orientation of this gospel with its underlying message of grace. Remember this is a “gospel” and so we are invited first to receive the gift of being God’s children. This new relationship is the source and power for a whole new way of life, exemplified by our actions, which are “light” and “salt” for the world. We can’t be a fruitful disciples on our own, for the call to righteousness that pervades this gospel is beyond mere human effort. Grace is the subtext for all that Matthew’s gospel asks us to do. How else would it be possible to love enemies and forgive “seventy times seven times” (18:22)? What will help in the interpretation of Matthew’s gospel is to use Mark as a reference. Matthew relied heavily on Mark’s gospel, but reshaped the material to suit his purposes. Though he may use a story from Mark, he often adds to it, in order to make sure to communicate Jesus’ teaching for us to know and then act on them. So, we preachers should compare material common to both writers and note how Matthew alters and expands on the details. In making this comparison we would learn what perspective Matthew has on Jesus’ words and actions and the difference his insights should make in our lives.

Important Themes in Matthew

1. The gospel opens with a “genealogy,” thus placing emphasis on where Jesus came from and who he is. We soon learn that Jesus is “God with us” (1:23). This Emmanuel theme characterizes the gospel and the book ends with Jesus’ promise to stay with his church forever (28:20). This infancy gospel narrative talks of the revelation to Joseph (not to Mary), the cosmic revelation of a messiah to the three wise me from afar, the Jewish king Herod’s fear of a messiah, the flight into Egypt.

2. Jesus teaches his summary of the Law—love of God and love of neighbor. In Matthew Jesus stresses that we must be obedient to the Law, as he interprets it, in an intense and totally committed way.

3. In this gospel there is special concern for the community of believers—the church. (E.g. Chapter 18 addresses church life and order.) God has, through Jesus, created a new Israel, but it is open to all. Members must be concerned for “straying sheep” and for the “little ones.” We must protect and welcome these “little ones,” who are without status and power in the community. At the same time, all members are to be like the “little ones,” in renouncing rank and privilege for themselves.

4. Forgiveness must be a hallmark of this church and therefore a sign of God’s mercy to all. Matthew’s community was mixed, consisting first of Jewish and then Gentile Christians. There seems to have been conflict and lapses among the members (Cf. Parable of the weeds and wheat 13: 24-30). So, in this gospel, Jesus calls for fidelity and perseverance as they await his return. The preacher will find this gospel helpful for addressing local and universal issues that continue to split the church.

5. Central to the gospel is the theme of the “kingdom of heaven.” The proclamation of the kingdom unifies the whole gospel. Jesus preaches “the gospel of the kingdom” and we are called to take up the message and preach it to the world. The miracles, performed after the Sermon on the Mount, are his words enfleshed. So, if we believe what Jesus preached, then we too must put his words into act. Early in the gospel we already know Jesus’ identity (2:1-12), the question Matthew puts to us isn’t, “Who is Jesus?” but, “Will you follow him.”

6. The cross and the resurrection. Jesus’ life and mission ended in collapse at the cross. But Matthew shows that Jesus knew what awaited him in Jerusalem. Jesus begins teaching about the cross right after Peter’s confession (16: 21ff). Matthew shows us that the cross must be seen through the lens of the resurrection. Because of their faith in the resurrection, the disciples came together and, empowered by the presence of the risen Lord in their midst (“God with us”), went forth to preach and teach the message of the kingdom they had received from Christ.

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, help us to keep journeying toward your love and forgiveness. Help us to notice and understand the epiphanies we experience along the way, and help us to see that this journey must lead outward as well as inward.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

The following is the slightly edited text of a homily given at Mission Santa Clara on Sunday, January 6, 2019, by the late Father Paul Crowley, S.J. (Paul had been, in his career, the Chair of the Department of Theology at Santa Clara University, the Editor of Theological Studies, a former visiting professor in the Religious studies Department at Stanford, and the director of the two CC@S classes taught at Stanford through the department of religious Studies, and a good friend to CC@S. Paul died in August 2020).

The Epiphany, or manifestation of God to all peoples, is symbolized by the well-known story of the visit of the Magi to the stable. The Magi are represented as coming from a far-off land, the ultimate exotic outsiders. Before we close out the Christmas season, we return to the manger. Charming as the story of the Magi may be, it is in fact an odd, even comical, scene. We are back at that same stable, a rustic and dirt poor refuge where the Savior has been born. The shepherds are there, but they were not styled then as the gentle pastoral types we see in manger scenes; they were considered in their own time to be socially marginal yahoos. One commentator compared them to members of a motorcycle gang—threatening and to be avoided. And they were presumably not regular synagogue attendees. Onto this scene, in the boondocks of Bethlehem, arrive these three astrologers, sumptuously clothed, laden with precious gifts. Together with the oxen, donkeys, and the rest, we have a menagerie to entertain the newborn king. It was “outsiders” not of the Jewish people who first recognized that a “king”—more specific to the Jewish imagination, a Messiah—had been born. These outsiders were in possession of an insight that it would take some time for even Jesus’ own disciples to see and accept. And the people of Jerusalem would persist in perceiving Jesus simply as a country rustic, an irritating rabbi imposter. Yet it was non-Jews who would recognize that in this helpless baby, born in a stable, God had come not to save not some, or even many, but all, without distinction. As Paul reminds us: “the Gentiles”—outsiders—“are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph 3:5–6). It is the outsider, and the outsider in us, the Gentile in us, that God summons to the stable, to come inside, to enter into the ambit of God’s love. There is no judgment here, but only inclusion of and co-partnership with the outsider. This serves as a model of what the Church must become. As Pope Francis recently wrote to the US bishops: The Church. . . bears in her heart and soul the sacred mission of being a place of encounter and welcome not only for her members but for all humanity. It is part of her identity and mission to work tirelessly for all [and to] contribute to unity between individuals and peoples. . . without distinction. For “there does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are on in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). What a radical view of reality, for any time, but especially for a time like ours, when rather than imagining ourselves as one in our humanity, we have divided ourselves into tribes, parties, and generations: Boomers vs. Millennials, progressives vs. reactionaries, liberal vs. conservative Catholics, straight and gay, citizens or aliens—marking ourselves off from others and building walls between us. This is the age of identity, a preoccupation that arises when the world seems difficult to map and people feel fearful, fragile, or at flung at sea. We turn then, perhaps naturally enough, to what we think we know most intimately—ourselves, our group, and fortify ourselves in an identity essentialism that easily functions as an ideology. Yet we can delude ourselves by delimiting ourselves within one or even multiple identities. We can paper over the multi-layered complexity of human experience, of our own hidden and interior selves—a complexity that resists sharp demarcation or boundary. And, worse, when we claim identities in a group or tribal way, we can be drawn into impasse, demonization of the other, and dismissal of certain people (the way shepherds were dismissed as ruffians) or writing off whole generations as either too old or too young. The worst outcomes of identity absolutism are truly dreadful, as we have seen on the worldwide political stage and in the tragedies of war and genocide. There is of course validity to acknowledging our distinctiveness. We may come from a home infused with a culture—be it Italian, Irish, Mexican, Filipino or Vietnamese—where language, food, religion, customs, and family systems are distinctive. This is a good thing. Yet there are some identities, or locales of human experience, such as those of women, of LGBTQ people, and, still, of African-American people, that need to be vigorously asserted within the life of a church that is still exclusionary and inscribes some forms of exclusion in doctrine (namely, the exclusion of women from ordination, and the deficient language about gay sexuality in the Catechism that has led to exclusionary practices). But in seeking an ideal church, we need to keep in mind that in Jesus’ view of the world, there are to be no identities at war with one another, and this must be pressed. Those whom I or we or some might consider to be outsiders are not only to be included, but they are to become co-heirs, co-partners. We are to learn from them and from one another. This is very difficult for us to grasp and accept, because it threatens the boundaries set by any claim to self-certain identity. It is a little bit scary. Yet it lies at the core of God’s revelation in Jesus. To be a Christian is to live in a fundamental openness to the other, even the radically different, for God may be at work there, and that other may indeed see God in a way that we do not, as did the Magi. This possibility that God is present in the “alien” other is the foundation of Pope Francis’s urging that Catholics not build walls, but welcome refugees, for they are among the outsiders, the “Gentiles” of our time. It is also the foundation for an openness to and embrace of those, like the shepherds, whose very presence might unsettle the comfortable. Jesus’ deepest identity lay not in his Jewishness, gender or politics. It lay in his intimacy with the mystery of God, whom he called Father. This intimacy anchored him and captured his imagination like a star in the vast heavens. It freed him to transcend boundaries and to welcome the outsider. This began at his birth. The great star that hovered over the stable in Bethlehem was awaiting his gaze. That star remains a reminder today that God’s love is offered to all people, inviting all, without exception, into God’s family, and that our deepest “identity” lies in intimacy with God—an intimacy that frees us and finally dissolves the need for any identity. This is the intimacy that the Magi sought, and which they found, alongside the shepherds, in the poverty of the manger. May it be so for us.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:

Like the Magi, am I a seeker of answers about my relationship with God, or do I have the answers already?

The Magi were gift-givers; what do I give of myself to the wider community--my church, my neighbor?

The Magi set out because they had a vision, a mission, a star to follow. What is my mission or goal in this life? Do I constantly keep it before me?

The Magi were foreigners---outsiders. They demonstrate that no one is excluded from the Kingdom of God. How am I a “foreigner” in the society I inhabit? What do I do to welcome and include “outsiders”?

Journey: Some similarities between that of the Magi and mine:
1. Life is a journey. Where am I in mine?
2. All journeys have obstacles, including self-made ones. What are some of the obstacles I am encountering or have encountered? How many of those are self-made?
3. All journeys have helpers or circumstances that have aided them. Who or what has helped me along life’s journey?
4. All journeys have an end. For the Magi, it was to look in the face of Christ. What do I hope for at the end of my journey?

Have I ever viewed anyone else as a religious outsider?
Have I ever viewed anyone else as an outsider in my friends, my family, my ethnic group, my country?
What does this tell me about staying in my comfort zone?

What do you think helped the Magi to persevere on this arduous journey?
Do I respect the spiritual journeys of others, even if I do not understand where they are going or why?

From --- Fr. J. Ronald Knott, pgs. 42-43: [In the church], instead of talking people into going on spiritual adventure, we often just led religious tours. We give up the goal of transforming people and settle for conformity. If you think taking a tour of shrines of the Holy Land is the same as walking in the footsteps of Jesus, you’re not on a spiritual adventure, you’re on a package tour. These Magi people were not on a tour. They were on a scary, spiritual adventure–one that took massive amounts of personal courage. ... Too many of us just don’t believe in going places. There is so much about our church that values keeping people in bounds, constraining the adventurous. We often punish the adventurous and reward, protect and coddle the mediocre. Just like the Magi, Jesus left his carpenter shop and went on a spiritual adventure. He went about inviting others to drop what they were doing and follow him without looking back.

What form does my membership in the Catholic Church take?
In what specific ways can I make Jesus manifest in my world?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Lord help us to trust that at
“..the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time,
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well,
When the tongues of flame are enfolded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one,”
—T.S.Eliot “Little Gidding”, from Four Quartets

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session… Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking questions: The visit of the Magi does not show up anywhere in recorded history as a factual report; it is a biblical story full of meaning for us. We should not be asking: “Did it really happen like that?”, but rather: “What does it mean?” What did the story mean to you as a child? What does this story mean to you now? Magi were outsiders, who did not consider themselves special in God’s eyes. Yet it was to them that the reality of Jesus was revealed. Do you know of any outsiders that have had insights or experience about God, or the church? What does that tell us about who God welcomes into the mystery of God’s life and presence?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination: I had been doing some calculations in the sand when like a thunderbolt two of my old friends walked up the road to meet me. They said they heard stories of people beyond the river where wondrous signs foretold big changes - changes that would make the world different forever. So we stood there in the road a long time, three old friends now living in faraway places only to find ourselves called together by events and stories and signs we did not understand. We argued first about what we knew, then we argued about what we didn’t know. What do these things mean, we wondered? What should we do? What can we do? Next we began to plan our journey with the same excitement we had when we first encountered each other on a pilgrimage three decades earlier. We knew once again that we had to travel where the heavens directed us. Wandering planets, stars and great comets pointed the way. Will it be a wedding, a coronation, a death or a birth, we wondered. Who are the people in this faraway land whose royalty is marked by signs in the heavens? Whatever the occasion we would honor it with gifts suitable for a royal event. We packed and set off in the cold darkness guided only by our reckonings of the path the heavens gave us. The long journey fueled many doubts and more arguments over campfires. This desert is not safe with wild animals and robbers. Why are we doing this anyway? What brought us all the way out here? Yet each time doubt and fear rose in our bellies like indigestion, one of us would point out that you do not take a journey because you know all the answers. Someone else would note how our path seemed to be set out before us like a long carpet. We all knew just where we had to go. We just weren’t sure why. Has there been a time in your life when you wondered where you were headed and why? It is comforting to know that others who have come before us have often felt the same way. Pray the following prayer of Thomas Merton. “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Adapted from ”An Epiphany” by Rev. Bob Wicker.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions: I read Psalm 72, then I reflect on the way power is revered in our society, and, in the main, how that power is used. What are the dangers of power? This psalm is frequently used as a description of the way an ideal ruler must use power. I think of our history and all of the ways in which power has been abused. Has this ever been the story in our own church? In what way am I myself tempted by my desire for power and control? What steps can I take to combat this natural tendency? I pray to Christ for the courage to let him be in control. (from Songs of Life: Psalm Meditations from the Catholic Commmunity at Stanford, by Anne Greenfield)

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action: Where are we looking for Jesus today? Even if we had no other gospel story than this one, we should know where to look: among the newcomers and displaced; among the newborn poor and their families; among those who have no roots and are searching; among those pushed around by an uncaring system of laws and decrees. Would I describe myself as one of the modern-day magi, a searcher for God? How do I go about that search each day? Foreigners were led to the Christ child’s home do him homage. National boundaries and differences dissolve when we respond to God’s invitation to come to Christ. We are always welcome into God’s presence and in gratitude our commitment is to Christian hospitality throughout this year -- to welcome visitors as we would welcome Christ. How do I practice hospitality? Have I ever been treated as an outsider? Do I treat any people or groups as outsiders? From “First Impressions” a service of the Southern Dominican Province.

POETIC REFLECTION

Two wonderful poems for this feast day.

The Journey of the Magi by T.S. Eliot

“A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.”
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wineskins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (as you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

The Three Holly Kings Legend by Ranier Maria Rilke
Once long ago when at the desert’s edge
a Lord’s hand spread open –
as if a fruit should deep in summer
proclaim its seed –
there was a miracle: across
vast distances a constellation formed
out of three kings and a star.
Three kings from On-the-Way
and the star Everywhere,
who all pushed on (just think !)
to the right a Rex and the left a Rex
toward a silent stall.
What was there that they didn’t bring
to the stall of Bethlehem!
Each step clanked out ahead of them,
as the one who rode the sable horse
sat plush and velvet-snug.
And the one who walked upon his right
was like some man of gold,
and the one who sauntered on his left
with sling and swing
and jang and jing
from a round silver thing
that hung swaying inside rings,
began to smoke deep blue.
Then the star Everywhere laughed so strangely over them,
and ran ahead and found the stall and said to Mary:
I am bringing here an errantry
made up of many strangers.
Three kings with ancient might
heavy with gold and topaz
and dark, dim, and heathenish, -
but don’t you be afraid.
They have all three at home
twelve daughters, not one son,
so they’ll ask for the use of yours
as sunshine for their heaven’s blue
and comfort for their throne.
Yet don’t straightaway believe: merely
some sparkle-prince and heathen-sheik
is to be your young son’s lot.
Consider: the road is long.
They’ve wandered far, like herdsmen,
and meanwhile their ripe empire falls
into the lap of Lord knows whom.
and while here, warmly like westwind,
the ox snorts into their ear,
they are perhaps already destitute
and headless, for all they know.
So with your smile cast light
on that confusion which they are,
and turn your countenance
toward dawning with your child:
there in blue lines lies
what each one left for you:
Emeralda and Rubinien
and the Valley of Turquoise.

Feast of the Holy Family

December 28, 2025

What it means to be family.

First Reading: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children and confirms a mother’s authority over her sons. Those who honor their father atone for sins; they store up riches who respect their mother. Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children, and when they pray they are heard. Those who respect their father will live a long life; those who obey the Lord honor their mother. My son, be steadfast in honoring your father; do not grieve him as long as he lives. Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime. Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering—it will take lasting root.

Second Reading: Colossians 3: 12-21
My son, be steadfast in honoring your father; do not grieve him as long as he lives. Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime. Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering—it will take lasting root. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet d  might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions - Feast of the Holy Family by Jude Siciliano, O.P.
Sirach 3:2-7,12-14; Psalm 128: 1-5; Colossians 3: 12-21; Matt 2: 13-15,19-23

In light of today’s Scriptures, I would not use this occasion to speak of the Holy Family as a model of perfection or suggest that we simply imitate them. We must avoid sentimentality. This “holy family” is on the run, its life threatened – particularly the life of the innocent child. While our sanctuary still holds tranquil Christmas mangers, the quiet, romantic image can mislead us. A week after Christmas, the child must be cared for in exile. In Egypt, the family becomes a refugee family. This passage invites reflection on the contemporary reality of family life in our own country: the vulnerable must be protected; many live in exile or under threat, facing powerful forces. In particular, many poor families are under siege. Let us first look at the reading itself and then consider a contemporary reflection. Matthew’s Gospel presents a deliberate echo of the Exodus. The chosen people were once exiles in Egypt, led out by Moses. Matthew portrays Jesus as the New Moses, leading his people out of Egypt – or, metaphorically, out of whatever exile (sin, oppression, alienation) we find ourselves in. From the beginning, Matthew emphasizes that God is actively delivering the people. And it is a “people” whom God delivers – we are saved in community. God enters our human situation, even accompanying us into places where we feel “away from home.” This is a story of a poor, indistinguishable family facing the power of forces beyond their control. In taking this family into exile, God stands in solidarity with all the poor and displaced. As the year ends with a focus on the family, perhaps the new year will help us become more “family conscious” and “family friendly.” Perhaps we will see ourselves as a community, connected to one another through our parent God. This awareness calls us to care especially forthe most vulnerable members of the human family. To mark the tenth anniversary of their pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, the bishops issued a new message. They acknowledged that we have a remarkably strong and creative economy, yet too little of its growth reaches everyone. They described three “nations” or “families” living side by side: The prospering, who drive the new information economy and are doing well economically. The squeezed, whose real income is declining, leaving them uncertain about providing for their children. The discouraged and despairing, a underclass whose children grow up in deep poverty. The bishops remind us that we are called to be a people of faith, not competing classes; brothers and sisters, not economic statistics. Today’s feast brings this lesson home: the newborn Savior was born away from home and had to flee into exile. This feast sensitizes us to the families among us who live in exile today. The bishops saw the parish as an ideal place to promote the common good and contribute to a more just and compassionate world. They encouraged participation in public life, fostering respect for the dignity of every person. Parishes educate the faithful about Church teaching, their responsibilities, and the need to measure public policy against Gospel values. They call for speaking out with courage, skill, and concern on public issues affecting human rights, social justice, and the life of the Church. One guiding principle underlies all this: the “call to family and community.” Pope Leo has written about migrants, noting that migration is part of the history of God’s people (as in the flight of Mary and Joseph), and that the Church “has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord.” In his apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I Have LovedYou”). “The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking. Where the world sees threats, she sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges. She knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome. And she knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

And over all these put-on love, that is, the bond of perfection. —Colossians 3: 14

On this, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I thought I would write about Cathedral being part of the HFH Catholic Coalition consisting of seven area parishes: St. Andrew (Apex), St. Francis, St. Joseph, St. Luke, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Raphael, and HNOJ Cathedral. 2025 marked the 16th project that HFHCC has participated in building in order to help families buy new, safe homes. Our Coalition team is made up of a diverse group of parishioners that are both skilled and unskilled. All are full of the spirit of our carpenter Lord and there is lots of camaraderie on site.n“Family” is much more than just the family who will receive the home. Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. But without realizing it, Habitat also provides a way for God’s family to come together in love and in the common cause of simple decent housing for our working poor brothers and sisters. Home ownership would be simply out of reach for this economic part of God’s family. And, in truth, home ownership is even more out of reach today than it was when the Coalition started in 2010. There is an introduction to an old book called Leaves of Gold that I would like to share: Civilization had its beginning around an open fire. Here, at its warmth, gathered the family group to find safety, comfort, and companionship. If you trace the origin of the word “fireplace,” you will find it definitely related to the Latin word, ‘focus.’ There is the explanation of what home has always meant; for home is the center of life—no mere residence of the body but the axis of the heart; the place where affections develop themselves, where children love and learn, where a family toils together to make life a blessing.” On this Feast Day of the Holy Family, as we gather around the fires of our families and friends, let us thank God for our shelter and for giving us the opportunity through Habitat for Humanity to help shelter others—to create a home, to be a blessing, to put on love. To join in the ministry of Habitat for Humanity here at HNOJ Cathedral, contact Walt Milowic, our parish coordinator, at socialconcern@hnojnc.org.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From Colossians reading: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

Reflection: This passage calls us to live as God’s chosen people, marked by holiness and love. It reminds us that our relationships are a reflection of God’s grace: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not optional but the way we embody Christ in the world. Forgiveness is at the heart of this calling – just as the Lord has forgiven us, we are invited to forgive others, letting go of grudges and healing wounds.

So, we ask ourselves:
1. In what ways can I show more compassion, kindness, or patience to those around me this week?
2. Are there relationships in my life where forgiveness is needed? How can I take a step toward it?
3. How does remembering that I am “holy and beloved” change the way I treat others?

Reflection on Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Inspiration from 2025-12-28 Daily Prayer

Almost nothing has gone as the Holy Family might have expected.  First, having to uproot themselves from Bethlehem, they find themselves forced to travel to Egypt to escape the murderous tactics of King Herod, and even after his death, it seemed safest to travel northwards to the little village of Nazareth. We can visualise their plight and are reminded of it by the many migrants who find themselves in equally hazardous conditions today, with nowhere safe to lay their heads, and in need of the support, care and guidance of those around them to stay afloat. Just after the wonders and signs of the visit of the Magi, Joseph is ready to move on. I pray that I may be able to relish inspiration wherever I find it, hope yet always remain poised to act. Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived the lives of exiles. I pray for all who are away from home at this time because of political conditions and think of the exiles I encounter. When I read this passage where is my mind and heart drawn? Is it to the fragility of the child, the Word of God, under threat of extinction? Is it the solid, reliability of Joseph in the father’s role? God’s inspiration coming in remarkable ways? God has something for me here. What is it?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, we know so little of your life as a child. Help us to understand that your family had challenges, just like any normal family. Help us to make our own families a place of love, joy, and refuge.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

Commentary on Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

After Christmas, we traditionally celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. In some respects, it was very modern in being just a one-child family. We may be inclined to think that, with three such good people, life must have been very easy for them. But if we are to take the Incarnation seriously, there is no reason to believe that this family—living the lifestyle of a rural village in those times—did not have its share of hardships over the years. In addition, there is the record of the child being lost for three days in a large and strange city. Imagine the anxiety of the parents in such a situation. Later, the mother will see her son become famous and then the object of great hostility. She will see him abused, arrested, tried, sentenced, scourged, crowned with thorns and finally die like a common criminal with two criminals before jeering crowds. Few mothers have to go through anything like that kind of experience.

Families in trouble: Today, in celebrating the Holy Family, we ask God’s blessings on our own families. It is cliché to say that family life today is in trouble. And it is a self-perpetuating problem. Sadly, children from dysfunctional families themselves may be more likely to set up equally dysfunctional families. Never having experienced good family life, how can they themselves establish a good family? And it seems that very few couples go through any real formation process in becoming husband and wife and parents. Yet the skills needed do not come naturally—or easily.

Family and church: Jesus said that: …where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (Matt 18:20) This should be true of every Christian family. The Catholic family is the basic Christian community, through which Christ is present and reveals himself in this world. It has been called the domestic church. Christian families not only belong to the Church, but their lifestyle is also a living out of the Christian vision: the vision of unconditional love in a truly sharing community. Family life is not meant to be lived in isolation. The world around it is not just there for its benefit. It should be united with, supporting and supported by the other families in the parish community and with the wider Church. The mission of the family is identical to that of the whole Church: to give tangible witness to the vision of Christ for the world.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:

Has there been a time in my life when I was impatient with my father or mother?

What happends in families when children, as they grow older, disagree with their parents?
How do we do this with respect?

What does Sirach say about dealing with elderly parents?
What does society seem to say about dealing with elderly parents?

How does the letter of Paul echo some of the sentiments in Sirach?

Do you disagree with any of the phrases in the letter to the Colossians?

What line in this letter is the greates challenge for you?

Is my family a conventional one, or does it have a different configuration?
Do I understand that families come in all shapes and sizes?
Have I ever dismissed certain families because they look “different”?

Do we often forget how scary it was for Mary and Joseph to have this baby and almost immediately have to flee for their lives?

Do we see in this flight to Egypt echoes of the Jewish exile in Egypt?

Do I realize that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were undocumented immigrants?

Do you wonder how long they were there andhow they supported themselves while in Egypt?

Does this story seem to say that when the family returned from Egypt they went to a new town where no relatives lived?

Have you ever moved to a new town where you knew no one?
How dfficult and lonely-making was it a first?

Have you ever moved to an entirely different country for a time ot forever?
What were the challenges?

Does this gospel passage remind us of the way our country should be treating those who come to our shores because they are fleeing persecution, poverty, or other issues?
What do I think of our country’s policies on immigration?
What do I think of our country’s handling of undocumented peoples?
Who do I think Jesus would advocate for in this time?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Dear Lord, sometimes we romanticize your little family and forget the challenges and, yes, the disagreements you might have faced. Let us look to your example of resilience and patience as we live together with our own families. Help us to be patient with those we love.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session…Rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.

Meditations:

A Meditation in he Domnican Style/Asking Questions: I re-read this gospel, and reflect on what this family must have been like. How, for example, did Joseph feel about bringing up a child who was not really his? How did Mary feel about sharing her life with a man who was not the father of her child? What do I consider a “normal “ family? Do I tend to romanticize my own family dynamic and denigrate the families of others as being imperfect, or “not a real family”? Do I have opinions about the relationships of others? Are they negative opinions? Do I freely share them? I pray to be free of negative jugements about other families and how they treat one another or how they interact with society. On the other hand, do I often wish I were not a member of the family (or certain members of same) that I am stuck with? I pray for wisdom to see my family as it is, imperfect, but still a family. I pray for patience with the most annoying family member, and for energy to deal with the most needy family member. And finally I pray to be a better member of the family I find myself part of.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action: Here are some family activites (pinched from an unknown website) which might serve to create more awareness of the sacredness of family:

Prayer & Reflection:
- Family Prayer: Say prayers like the Rosary or the Litany to the Holy Family.
- Renew Vows: Parents can renew their marriage vows privately.
- Scripture: Read about the Holy Family or Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical on marriage. 

Family bonding and Service:
- Storytelling: Share family stories that are part of the family “culture”.
- Recall a favorite family experience growing up.
- Share family history. With each parent describing his/her father, mother, siblings, and any challenges the family had.
- Share how each family celebrated Christmas, any ethnic traditions your family celebrated.
- Special Meal: Cook favorite dishes that y our family shared while you were young. Create your current favorite family dish.
- Game Night: Play cooperative board games.
- Acts of Service: Visit the elderly, volunteer at a food pantry, or do a local service project.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Because this is our last set of reflections until the new year, I have decided to share with you two Christmas poems based on the Gospel of Matthew, which is the only infancy narrative which includes Herod and the Wise Men. The poets are Ranier Marie Rilke and Wiliam Everson (a Dominican lay brother also known as Brother Atnoninus).

Legend by Ranier Marie Rilke
Once long ago when at the desert’s edge
a Lord’s hand spread open –
as if a fruit should deep in summer
proclaim its seed –
there was a miracle: across
vast distances a constellation formed
out of three kings and a star.
Three kings from On-the-Way
and the star Everywhere,
who all pushed on (just think !))
to the right a Rex and the left a Rex
toward a silent stall.
What was there that they didn’t bring
to the stall of Bethlehem!
Each step clanked out ahead of them,
as the one who rode the sable horse
sat plush and velvet-snug.
And the one who walked upon his right
was like some man of gold,
and the one who sauntered on his left
with sling and swing
and jang and jing
from a round silver thing
that hung swaying inside rings,
began to smoke deep blue.
Then the star Everywhere laughed so strangely over them,
and ran ahead and found the stall and said to Mary:
I am bringing here an errantry
made up of many strangers.
Three kings with ancient might
heavy with gold and topaz
and dark, dim, and heathenish, -
but don’t you be afraid.
They have all three at home
twelve daughters, not one son,
so they’ll ask for the use of yours
as sunshine for their heaven’s blue
and comfort for their throne.
Yet don’t straightaway believe: merely
some sparkle-prince and heathen-sheik
is to be your young son’s lot.
Consider: the road is long.
They’ve wandered far, like herdsmen,
and meanwhile their ripe empire falls
into the lap of Lord knows whom.
and while here, warmly like westwind,
the ox snorts into their ear,
they are perhaps already destitute
and headless, for all they know.
So with your smile cast light
on that confusion which they are,
and turn your countenance
toward dawning with your child:
there in blue lines lies
what each one left for you:
Emeralda and Rubinien
and the Valley of Turquoise.

The Wise - a Christmas Poem by William Everson (aka Brother Antoninus, O.P.)
Miles across the turbulent kingdoms
They came for it, but that was nothing,
That was the least.  Drunk with vision,
Rain stringing in the ragged beards,
When a beast lamed, they caught up another
And goaded west.
For the time was on them.

Once, as it may, in the life of a man,
Once, as it was, in the life of mankind,
All is corrected.  And their years of pursuit,
Raw-eyed reading the wrong texts,
Charting the doubtful calculations,
Those nights knotted with thought,
When dawn held off, and the rooster
Rattled the leaves with his blind assertion---
All that, they regarded, under the Sign,

No longer as search but as preparation.
For when the mark was made, they saw it.
Nor stopped to reckon the fallible years,
But rejoiced and followed,
And are called “wise”, who learned that Truth,
When sought and at last seen,
Is never found.  It is given.

And they brought their camels
Breakneck into that village,
And flung themselves down in the dung and dirt of that place,
And kissed that ground, and the tears
Ran on their faces, where the rain had.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21, 2025

Do not be afraid, God has a plan for each of us.

Matthew 1:18-24

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means “God is with us”. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions - 4th Sunday of Advent by Jude Sicilano, O.P.
Isaiah 7: 10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1: 1-7; Matthew 1: 18-24

“The virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.” This well-known verse from Isaiah captures the heart of our Advent hope. It was first spoken in a time of political fear and instability – circumstances not unlike our own. King Ahaz faced powerful enemies and the threat of invasion. The prophet Isaiah urged him to trust in God’s protection rather than in military alliances. But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, unwilling to rely on God. Still, God gave one: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” The child was to be a sign of God’s enduring faithfulness – a reminder that God is with us even in distress. Over time, this promise took on a deeper meaning. As Matthew’s Gospel tells us today, its ultimate fulfillment came in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary: God-with-us in the flesh. As we draw close to Christmas, Isaiah’s prophecy calls us to the same trust. Like Ahaz, we may be tempted to rely on our own strength or worldly solutions. Yet God invites us to lean instead on divine presence, even when we cannot fully understand. In Jesus, our Emmanuel, God comes quietly and humbly through Mary’s faith and the Spirit’s power. Advent is a season of turning – a time to receive “Emmanuel, God-with-us,” here and now. We may not see this presence in grand displays, but in quiet assurances: in prayer, in community, and especially in the Eucharist. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, we also welcome him into the ordinary moments of our lives. Isaiah’s challenge to Ahaz was to trust that God would not abandon the people. Centuries later, Joseph faced his own moment of fear and uncertainty when he learned that Mary was with child. Like Ahaz, he could have chosen self-protection. But unlike Ahaz, Joseph trusted. He listened to the angel’s message that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would save his people from their sins. Through Joseph’s obedience, the Word became flesh – Emmanuel truly entered our world. The readings from Isaiah and Matthew reveal the contrast between hesitation and trust. Ahaz refuses the sign; Joseph receives it. Advent invites us to open our hearts in faith, trusting that God is with us – not only in the warmth and lights of Christmas, but also in times of uncertainty and hardship. In this final week of Advent, let us make room – in our hearts, homes, and plans – for Emmanuel’s quiet coming. The same God who entered the world through Mary’s “yes” and Joseph’s obedience still desires to be born anew in us. When we say “yes” to God’s will, we too become signs of divine presence, living witnesses that God is truly with us. Isaiah’s message to Ahaz came in an age of fear and division. Our world too is filled with anxiety – wars that displace millions, violence in our cities, political and social strife, families under strain, and a planet in distress. Like Ahaz, we are tempted to seek security in power, wealth, or control. Yet God offers us another sign – not one of strength, but of vulnerability: a child, born of a woman whose very name means “God is with us.” Emmanuel is born anew whenever we choose compassion over cynicism, forgiveness over resentment, peace over division. He is with us when we sit beside the sick, welcome the displaced, stand up for justice, and offer kindness in a world that often forgets it.

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 1:7

Has the noise of the consumer bandwagon, endless Christmas music, and merrymaking overwhelmed these last few days of Advent? There were times when my children were small that I thought I could never get a moment’s silence in the midst of so much Christmas activity and, I have to say, I found wonder in those precious days. Yet, I realized that if I was to prepare my own heart for the presence of the Lord, silence, solitude and self-gift were necessary ingredients to a richer understanding of the coming of the Lord. Our late Pope Francis once said, “The most beautiful gift we can receive is our encounter with Jesus… We meet Jesus in the sacraments, but we also meet Him when we do good deeds, when we visit the sick, when we help the poor, when we think of others, when we are not selfish…” (Vatican Radio via Missio app 12/1/13) The Church’s tradition of encouraging everyone to create time for waiting, watching, wondering, and welcome in these four weeks of Advent make this period one of the most spiritual. As you light your fourth Advent candle, invite others into the stillness. Breathe in the peace and calm. Let go of all distractions. Picture a world where even the impoverished person has their needs and hopes met and they can be who they were created to be. Imagine yourself as God’s instrument to help someone less fortunate in this Jubilee Year of Hope. Then, say this prayer:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for sustaining me on my Advent journey as I go forth to welcome the One who is to come within me.
When the discouraged cry for hope, it makes me hope.  
When the hungry cry for bread, it makes me bread.  
When the thirsty cry for water, make me water. 
When the suffering cry for help, it makes me help. 
When the sick cry for healing, it makes me healing. 
When the bound cry for freedom, it makes me freedom. 
When the outcasts cry for love, they make me love.
This Advent transform me anew, 
and so keep me close to you, 
as you transform the world. Amen.
(adapted from Our Current Prayer | CRS)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Have a blessed Christmas and may you receive the most beautiful gift of encountering Jesus.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Isaiah reading: “Therefore, the Lord will give you this sign; the virgin shall conceive and bear a son.”

Reflection: As we draw close to Christmas, Isaiah’s prophecy calls us trust. Like Ahaz, we may be tempted to rely on our own strength. or worldly solutions. Yet God invites us to lean instead on divine presence, even when we cannot fully understand. In Jesus, our Emmanuel, God comes quietly and humbly through Mary’s faith and the Spirit’s power.

So, we ask ourselves:
1. What fears, or uncertainties, make it difficult for me to trust God’s promise?
2. How do I recognize the signs of “Emanuel’ – God-with-us,” in my daily life?
3. How can I, like Mary, offer my own “yes” to God’s will as Christmas approaches?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

God of surprises, keep us open to your plans for us, keep us remembering that you hold us close to your heart. Teach us resilience and patience as we live out the lives you have planned for us.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

By Fr. Paul Gallagher, from “First Impressions” 2004

The understanding of marriage in Mathew’s community is much different than that of most people of western cultures. In the Mediterranean culture of Jesus’ day, marriages were arranged in an effort to strengthen the bonds between families. Both sets of parents hoped that the marriage would enhance the political and economic situation of the family. They understood marriage as a bringing together of families, not individuals. Also, betrothal was not like engagement. It was the first step in the families’ accepting the marriage contract. The contract was completed when the man took the woman into his house. Even though a couple was betrothed they had very little contact with each other. To terminate the relationship required a formal decree of divorce. This gospel text relates the events of Mary’s pregnancy from Joseph’s view. He is portrayed as a man of great compassion who desires to do the right thing. In the first verse Matthew tells his audience that Mary is pregnant through the work of the Holy Spirit, a fact that Joseph learns through a dream. Because Mary is pregnant, and Joseph is not the father, Joseph and his family are publicly embarrassed. Mary is presumed to have committed adultery and should be stoned to death. Even if Joseph would want to avoid public embarrassment for his and Mary’s family, and proceed with the proposed marriage, he cannot. A child is considered the property of the father. He cannot, in good conscience, receive/take the property of another and make it his own. The law required Joseph to return Mary to her father and expose her to death. By divorcing her quietly, he creates the possibility of the father of the child to come forward, accept the child, and marry Mary. It may help to remember that Joseph would have very little personal relationship with Mary at this point and is likely making his decisions void of the opportunity of significant communication with Mary. His decisions are extraordinary expressions of both compassion for Mary and trust in God.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:

The following are also from Father Paul Gallagher, following his commentary on the readings for 4 Advent A, 2004.

Can you recall times in your life when you have been seriously disappointed in another person?
Can you remember how you were feeling toward that other person?
How did the situation affect your relationship with that person?

Have you known people who seem to be aware of God “calling” or “giving direction” to their life?
Do you have a sense of how God seemed to be speaking to that person?
How would you describe the quality of their life?

Joseph seems to have been asked to act in a way that was outside of what was expected of him as a faithful follower of his tradition. What kind of person would Joseph have been to be open to the course of action that God was asking of him?

Do you think that this story reveals a “one-time experience” of how God chose to come into our world or a “pattern” of how God chooses to break into our world?

Have you ever thought God was calling you to respond to a situation in ways that stretched you beyond what you thought were reasonable?
How did you become conscious of God’s call to you?

Do you think that your response to God’s call in your life is as important to God as Joseph’s?

What leap of faith are youfaced with thwt actually causes you some fear? (new job, new school, new relationship, new career, actually staying in any other the above situations)

Is it wrong the feel afraid?

What events/situations in our contemporary culture or my personal situation are a cause of legitimate fear?

Was Jesus ever afraid, do you think?
What does Jesus’ life/death tell us about courage in the face of fear?

Am I afraid of God? Why or why not?

What does Jesus’ birth tell us about God’s concern for humanity?

The name Emmanu-el is Hebrew for “God-with-us.” How did Jesus demonstrate this truth of his “name”?

Harking back to this bible passage, which is told from Joseph’s point of view, what do you think about Joseph’s fears concerning this whole enterprise?
Were they legitimate?
Did Joseph know something we wouldn’t in the same circumstances, and if not, what does that tell you about his quiet courage?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Dear Lord, during this Christmas season, especially, be with those who are lonely, sad, ill, or who are dealing with circumstances beyond their control. Give them the comfort inspired by a little baby, born so long ago, who brought the love of God into this world and hope for all who face uncertainty.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination: The references to Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, in the Gospels, is to say the least, underwhelming. In the gospel of Matthew, he shows up in chapter one, and is gone in chapter 2, never to appear by name in this gospel again. However, the bulk of today’s story focuses on Joseph, and the story of Jesus’ conception from his point of view. Using our imagination, let us put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes as this dramatic story is playing out: What is your profession; is it a lucrative one? Do you already have a home? How old are you? How religiously observant are you? Are you quiet or somewhat dynamic as a person? Are you a local person and did you know Mary and her family before this betrothal? What did you think of her? Is she mature for her age? Beautiful? Quiet or lively? Assertive or meek? What made you decide to marry her—or was it a family decision? Where and how will you live as a family? Do you want children? How did you find out that Mary was already pregnant and you knew the baby was definitely not yours? Did she tell you? Did her father? Her mother? Town gossip? Were you angry? Sad? Confused? All of the above? Did you decide not to stay betrothed to her? Why? What did you think would be the best solution for all concerned? Why, in fact, were you concerned about her in the first place? What would her fate be if you repudiated her and her baby? Then imagine the dream… How real did you think the angel was, or was it merely an overactive and anxious brain? Construct the dialogue between yourself and this “dream messenger.” In any event, what convinced you that God’s will was for you to take Mary into your home and treat her as your wife permanently? Did you think there will be repercussions? (This is a very traditional and strict society, and people can count, can’t they?) Now imagine the very awkward conversation with Mary as you let her know what you decided to do. (Obviously, Mary did not get a vote in the final decision.) Were you afraid of the consequences of this decision? How does your trust in God’s plan keep you strong, or does it? What we learn is that “God is with us,” is no guarantee of easy sailing, even for the saints. Their faith/trust wavered at times, just like ours does. Think of a situation in which you have been called upon to risk your reputation, your security or your happiness because God might be calling you to take a leap of faith. Pray for courage in the face of fear, wisdom in the face of anxiety, and trust in the face of uncertainty…

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Advent 
(On A Theme by Dietrich Bonhoeffer) by Pamela Cranston

Look how long
the weary world waited,

locked in its lonely cell,
guilty as a prisoner.
As you can imagine,
it sang and whistled in the dark.

It hoped. It paced and puttered about,
tidying its little piles of inconsequence.
It wept from the weight of ennui,

draped like shackles on its wrists.
It raged and wailed against the walls
of its own plight.
But there was nothing

the world could do
to find its own freedom.

The door was shut tight.
It could only be opened
from the outside.
Who could believe the latch
would be turned by a pink flower 
—
the tiny hand
of a newborn baby?

On the Mystery of the Incarnation by Denise Levertov

It’s when we face for a moment
the worst our kind can do,
and shudder to know
the taint in our own selves, that awe
cracks the mind’s shell and enters the heart:

not to a flower, not to a dolphin,
to no innocent form
but to this creature vainly sure
it and no other is god-like, God
(out of compassion for our ugly
failure to evolve) entrusts,
as guest, as brother,
the Word.

Adult Advent Announcement by David A. Redding

O Lord,
Let Advent begin again
In us,
Not merely in commercials;
For that first Christmas was not
Simply for children,
But for the
Wise and the strong.
It was
Crowded around that cradle,
With kings kneeling.
Speak to us
Who seek an adult seat this year.
Help us to realize,
As we fill stockings,
Christmas is mainly
For the old folks —
Bent backs
And tired eyes
Need relief and light
A little more.
No wonder
It was grown-ups
Who were the first
To notice
Such a star.