Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, February 8, 2026

You are the light of the world…your light must shine before others.

In 1988, President George H. W. Bush described his vision for an engaged and generous society: “For we are a nation of communities…all of them varied, voluntary and unique…a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.”  He hoped that a spirit of volunteerism would replace the expensive and often ineffective efforts of Federal, State and local governments.  I often think of his words whenever I hear this week’s Gospel about being the light of the world; about having to put my light upon a lampstand so that it will shine to all who come near; about having to let others see my good deeds so that they will glorify the heavenly Father.

The word “light” is found over 200 times in the Bible. From its first appearance in Genesis when God says, “Let there be light” through the closing verses of Revelation where we read, “for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.”  Throughout the Bible, light is always good.  As in today’s reading from Isaiah and in the Responsorial Psalm, light stands in stark contrast to darkness that is generally evil, foreboding, or gloomy.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus calls himself the “light of the world.”  In a prior chapter of his Gospel, Matthew uses Isaiah’s words, “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.”   

Today, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they (and, by extension, we) are the “light of the world.”  How can both Jesus and we be lights to the world?  An analogy is that both the sun and the moon are lights to the world.  The difference is that the sun is the source of light, the moon merely reflects the sun’s light.  So it is with Jesus, who is light itself – the source of all light.  Jesus emphasizes that being His follower is an active, intentional commitment: “your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” As His followers, He asks us to reflect His light to all whom we encounter. Wherever we go, people will be attracted to our light.  We must let it shine!

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, February 1, 2026

What do we live for?  Maybe, the better question is, “who do we live for?”  Do we live for our spouses, children, our parents?  Do we live for God?  If we did live for God, what would that even look like?  Today, the readings give us some idea of what it would be like to live for God. Living for God means to be “blessed.”  In Jewish tradition, to be blessed means to increase (in joy, in peacefulness, in gratitude, etc.). Their concept of blessing was twofold: God blesses us and we bless Him. 

When God blesses us, he is increasing in us all that is good and beautiful.  The first reading tells us that the Lord invites (blesses) the humble and lowly to take refuge in Him.  Paul reminds us that God intentionally chose (blessed) those who were viewed by the world to be “foolish,” “weak,” and “lowly” to shame the wise, the strong, and the powerful.  Both passages make it clear that all that we have and all that accomplish are blessings from God and for God.  Therefore, we should never boast about ourselves or our successes.

When we “bless” God, we are both thanking and praising Him.  When the popular contemporary hymn says, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul,” it points us to the source of all good gifts around us.  As the priest receives the gifts of bread and wine at the offertory of each mass, he recites an ancient Jewish prayer over the gifts of Bread and Wine, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have…” 

Jesus turns everything upside down in the Gospel and puts a strange twist on the idea of being blessed.  He reminds us that God blesses us even when things are not going as we had hoped or planned. Jesus says that the poor, hungry, weeping, and hated people are blessed.  How can that possibly be?  Perhaps, because those are the people that are most likely to invite God into their lives.  Those are the people that are most likely to look beyond this life toward eternal life with God. 

To bless and be blessed is a fundamental part of our relationships with God and others. Blessings, whether given or received, help us recognize God in our lives and draw closer to Him.

Fr. Mike

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