Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, January 25, 2026

Paul tells the Corinthians, “There [should] be no divisions among you…you should be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” Today we live in a world in which members of the same parish squabble with one another, members of the same Church squabble with one another, and Christians throughout the world squabble with one another. The sad truth is that we (like the Corinthians) are more focused on minor squabbles and points of personal pride than on the Word of God. Thousands of Christian denominations spend more time and energy fighting with each other than spreading the Word of God.

In the Gospel passage we are reminded that the first four disciples dropped everything to follow Jesus. They accepted his invitation without hesitation or question. Jesus spoke the Word to them in a very simple, direct way, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They were so moved by the Word that they put their own hopes and dreams on hold, they left their jobs, they left their families, they put their egos away, swallowed their pride, and humbled themselves before Jesus. They truly had no idea what to expect. They didn’t do it for money, power, glory, status or recognition. It was about Jesus, not about them. They said, “Yes!” to Jesus because His Word moved and transformed their hearts. They would never be the same again.

At each mass we are invited to hear and to follow God’s Word. However, we cannot be open to God’s Word, unless we put aside our pride, our egos, our greed, and our selfish priorities. While God does not call most of us to sell everything we have, give the money to the poor, and leave our homes to follow Him, He is calling us to make His Word a priority in our lives. He calls us to listen to His Word and to act in a manner that reflects that Word. He calls us to transform our lives so that His Word is an important part of all that we say and do. We must be prepared to respond with faith and determination. God is calling. God is asking. It is time for us to say “YES” and to live His Word in our lives each and every day.

Fr. Mike

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