Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, January 18, 2026

The Old Testament is filled with many passages in which the author is lamenting the God’s absence. In the first reading this weekend, the prophet Isaiah is writing about 700 years before Jesus was born. Israel was a mess. They had been defeated and scattered. They wondered how God could let this happen and whether He had abandoned them. In the Psalm, the writer says, “I have waited, waited for the LORD.” Both Isaiah and the psalmist remind the people that this is the God of all creation. Isaiah tells them that He will send a servant who will “restore the survivors of Israel” and make them “a light to the nations.” The psalmist says that the Lord heard his cry.

Paul confirms the nearness of the Lord as he writes for “all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” John says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In other words, John preached that the time for waiting and wondering is over. The Lord is present – then and there as well as here and now. He is among us, in every aspect of our lives. Sometimes, we come to church to “see” God, but then we think that He remains there when we leave. We spend an hour with Him each weekend, then we live our lives without His involvement until we return the next weekend. However, that is not at all how it works. God is with us ALWAYS. We must recognize and appreciate His loving presence. We must treat others as if God is standing right next to us.

I recently heard a quote that puts this in perspective. “God is not in synagogues. He’s not in churches, he’s not in mosques. God is in relationships and it’s in the interaction of human beings and the quality of those interactions that you really find God.” We remind ourselves of the importance of relationships when we greet one another before we begin each mass and at the Sign of Peace. It’s a small way that we show that relationships matter in our worship. It’s a way for us to take a moment to see God in all things, particularly in the folks sitting next to us. Those relationships are a key component of every mass.

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, January 11, 2026

As parents we have all experienced moments when we were so proud of our child that we wanted to tell everyone: “That’s my son” or “That’s my daughter.” When my son played high school baseball, I was the stadium announcer. As I read the gospel passage, it made me think how cool it would have been to announce my son as: “Now batting, the pitcher, number 13, my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.” He would have hated it, but it would have been a great way to let everyone know how I felt.

As we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, we remember that Jesus came into the world “to do the work of him that sent him” and to be the light to the nations, the light that overcame the darkness. He is baptized by John the Baptist because God the Father chose this event to publicly introduce Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As Jesus rose from the water, the sky opened, the Spirit descended, and a heavenly voice spoke. All three events reveal not only God's power in baptism, but the sacred relationships of the Trinity.

The heavens opening meant that the God opened His kingdom to His people. The descent of the Holy Spirit reflected the special loving relationship between the Father and the Son. Then voice of God announcing Jesus as His son, removes any doubt about this special gift that God has given to us. The voice from heaven focused upon Jesus who God calls “my Son” with whom He is “well pleased.” In other words, the voice revealed Jesus as the Messiah, God’s Anointed, who is both “beloved” by the Father and very pleasing to the Father.

This moment also introduces the Trinity which is comprised of the one who loves (God the Father), the one who is loved (God the Son), and the manifestation of the love of the Father and the Son (God the Holy Spirit). Through our Baptism, we are invited into the love of the Trinity and we enjoy the presence of the same Spirit.. We become God’s children whom He loves: all day, every day, forever. We may not hear God’s booming voice in the clouds, but we must never forget that we are His beloved sons and daughters, with whom He is well pleased.

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, January 4, 2026

Happy New Year! Today, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, the day on which “magi from the East” came seeking the infant Jesus, to bring Him gifts, and to pay Him homage. “Magi” were learned (or “wise”) men who studied the stars and probably performed some types of magic. More than anything else, they were “seekers” who had great intellectual curiosity.

They sought the birthplace of the “the newborn king of the Jews” which had been heralded by the prophets Isaiah and Micah more than 700 years earlier. They carried gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold represented wealth and power. Frankincense was a type of incense and perfume. Myrrh was added to oil used for anointing kings. These foreigners approached this infant “king” with reverence and humility. Yet, His own people could not understand the critical importance of His arrival. In fact, King Herod was “greatly troubled” because he was worried about whether Jesus would be a challenge to his power. The chief priests and scribes were – at best – ambivalent to Christ.

On the other hand, the Magi, who knew very little about the God of Israel, spent much time and effort to seek Him. While the Magi did not know God, He knew them and placed a remarkable star in the winter sky precisely because He knew that the Magi would notice a new, very bright star. The Magi opened themselves up to the unknown possibilities of following the star. They weren’t sure where they were going, or even why they were going, but they humbly devoted their time and resources to take the journey.

When they arrived, they were “overjoyed” and transformed by their encounter with Jesus. Then, they “departed for their country by another way.” They not only physically followed another road to their home, but they were different men when they got home. They did not just follow another way; they were now joyfully following The Way. Like the Magi, we must have the humility and curiosity to be “seekers:” seekers of deeper relationships with God and others; seekers of the light of Jesus Christ; seekers of the truth of the Gospel; and, seekers of The Way to eternal life.

May God richly bless you as you seek Him throughout this New Year!

Fr. Mike