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

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, November 23, 2025

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. For as long as I can remember, my father had a statue of Jesus on his dresser. He was wearing a red robe and a crown; quite a contrast to the Jesus that we see each week in the church - half naked, hanging on a cross in agony.

In the time of Jesus, during the Roman occupation, Caesar was the king. He wielded absolute power on earth and was worshipped as a son of the gods. The Jews longed for the day that God would send them a messiah as their king who would deliver them from this oppression. Yet, they also recognized that any challenge to Caesar’s authority would be dealt with quickly and harshly.

This was made clear as Jesus hung with criminals on the outskirts of Jerusalem, bleeding from his wounds, a pitiful sight meant to instill fear among the Jewish population. The sign on the cross, proclaiming Jesus as “The King of the Jews,” was a sarcastic joke and an insult. Simply put, it labeled Jesus as a traitor and reminder to future rebels what awaited them if they resisted the Roman Empire. To the average person, Jesus was no king, but a man whose life and ministry were violently cut short.

Yet, that is precisely the point. Our King is not an earthly king dressed in regal roles and placed far above humanity. Jesus turned the concept of kingship on its head by first becoming a servant of all. Although He was God, Jesus did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but became human and lived among those deemed unworthy and marginalized by society. Because His kingdom is not of this world, He did not wield power but, instead, told his disciples, that if they wanted to become great in the Kingdom, they must first become servants in this world.

He extends this challenge to us as well. If we desire to be with Him in the Kingdom, we must accept His challenge to follow His earthly example and to serve “the least” in this world so that we can be with Him and them in the next. This Advent Season we will once again partner with four charitable organizations who are answering His challenge. Please consider generously supporting these partners.

Fr. Mike