Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, December 14, 2025

There is a line in a song from 1971 that says,“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign…do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”  In the song, signs were everywhere.  They were easy to spot.  The messages on the signs should have been easy to understand. 

In the Gospel this weekend, we hear that John the Baptist is sitting in prison and is concerned about whether Jesus is the Messiah.  He is having trouble seeing, and possibly, believing, the signs.  He thought that the Messiah would arrive in dramatic fashion.  He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and He would exercise judgment.  But Jesus fits neither John`s expectations nor those of Jews in general. Jesus comes as one who proclaims the kingdom of God, calls upon people to trust in God, heals the sick, and befriends sinners and tax collectors.  It is little wonder that John is having doubts.  He knows that the end of his life is near and is concerned that all of his work baptizing and preaching repentance has been wasted. 

So, he sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Instead of saying, “Yes! I am the Messiah,” Jesus tells John’s disciples to look around at the signs.  He does not proclaim himself; he proclaims the kingdom of God, breaking in upon the world.  There are signs that Isaiah’s vision of the Messiah is being realized.  Whoever perceives the connections and concludes that Jesus does the work of the coming one is blessed. There are signs EVERYWHERE. You get the sense that Jesus wants to ask them, “Can’t you read the signs?”

We are blessed and fortunate to be living on this side of Jesus’ resurrection and to be a part of His body, the Church. We do not have to rely on signs that may be ambiguous or unclear. We are not people adrift in the world with uncertainty about who we are, how we should live, or where we are going. We belong to His community of believers, dedicated to Him, instructed by Him, and carrying out His ministry. As His disciples, and with mutual support, we align ourselves with His ministry in our witness to the gospel and in our works of mercy and our care for the world. 

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, December 7, 2025

This second week of Advent introduces us to John the Baptist.  According to Luke’s Gospel, John, who was about six months older than Jesus, was the son of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, a small-town priest.  God sends his word to John, a relatively unknown man living in the wilderness.  Perhaps because of his simple, humble presence, John is not only open to the word of God, but he is also moved by it to call for repentance.  He precedes, prepares the way for, and foretells the coming of the Messiah, the one who is the salvation of Israel.

Matthew repeats several verses from the prophet Isaiah to make it very clear that John is the herald for the Messiah who pronounces the coming of the one true King.  John had only one purpose: to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight His paths.  He baptized the Jewish people, encouraged them to repent, and prepared them to meet Jesus.  John created great anticipation among the people regarding the arrival of Jesus. 

Both John and Jesus preach repentance.  John prepares us for Jesus.  Jesus prepares us for the Eternal Kingdom.  Both will lose their lives because people refuse to heed their warnings.  Yet, even in death (and through Christ’s resurrection) they will shake the foundations of earthly power.  While most earthly leaders in the first century died without making any long-term impact, John and Jesus, who have no earthly power, sparked a flourishing Christian community.  This reminds us that we do not have to be well known or of great influence to be used by God.  He can, and will, use each of us to do His vital work. 

We are certain that the “coming” of the King - heralded by John - occurred two thousand years ago.  We are just as certain about the imminent “coming” of the King.  In each instance, the coming was and will be profoundly joyful for those who heeded the warnings and who were and are prepared.  It will be far less joyful for those who are caught off guard or are prevented from recognizing Christ due to fear, anger, pride, or other deadly sinful tendencies.  The good news is that being well prepared is entirely within our control.  Now is the time to prepare the way of the Lord.

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, November 30, 2025

Although Christmas decorations have been in stores since Halloween, the Church waits until today to begin the liturgical season of Advent. During these next four weeks, we acknowledge that Jesus was present 2,000 years ago, that He is present here and now, and that He will be present again. As we mark progress through Advent by lighting candles on our Advent wreath, we both remember His coming and we anticipate His coming.

Rosemary, John and I typically travelled to both New York and Michigan for Christmas. It took detailed preparation on Rosemary’s part to ensure that every gift got where it was supposed to be long before Christmas Day. That meant that, by the first week of December, she had to buy, wrap, box, and ship all of the presents for our families. The shipping bills alone would have provided the average family with a nice Christmas! One year, when my son was three or four, Rosemary’s parents decided to visit us for Christmas. This meant that, in addition to dealing with the gifts, Rosemary had to spend weeks cleaning, decorating, and baking in anticipation of their visit. Whether we were at home or away, careful preparation was critical to an outstanding family Christmas.

Advent is also a time of careful preparation. We cannot simply look fondly at the scene in Bethlehem and feel the joy of the birth of the infant Jesus. We must also recall that His coming took some by surprise and that, throughout His life, some people never accepted Him because they were not prepared for His arrival. As we look forward to our Lord’s second coming, we must heed the warning from today’s Gospel: “Stay awake…be prepared!” Jesus is returning. If we do not wake up and prepare for Him, we may react as the Pharisees did 2,000 years ago and reject Him because we are not ready to receive Him.

So, as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, let’s also take time to prepare our hearts and souls for Christ’s coming. Fortunately, this preparation does not require us to fight with tangled lights or crowds at the mall. His instructions are simple and clear: Love God and love one another. There is no better way to prepare for His coming - His Advent – than to simply follow his instructions.

Fr. Mike