Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 4: 12, 17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Often when we think about the Saints, we honor their courage; their willingness to suffer; or the extraordinary lengths they’ve gone to in order to spread the Gospel.

Think of people Saint Paul, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

Today’s feast, honoring Saint André Bessette, challenges that notion of “greatness” a bit. We might place André in the category of the “little” Saints, those who did nothing extraordinary in the eyes of the world … but are extraordinary in the eyes of the Church.

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André was orphaned at age 12. He grew up in very poor health with almost no formal education. 

But by the age of 25, he discovered his purpose: God was calling him to religious life. After initially being rejected, André was admitted into the Society of Holy Cross Priests. 

He was never ordained a priest, but became a religious brother, who spent his days as a doorman at Notre Dame College in Montreal. Aside from opening doors and greeting visitors, André prayed for those who were ill.

Miraculously, thousands were healed through his intercession during his lifetime. André credited the healings to Saint Joseph, whom he held a deep devotion to.

And so, after saving up $200 by giving haircuts for 5 cents each (that’s 4,000 haircuts!), André opened a shrine in thanksgiving to Saint Joseph on October 19, 1904. It became so popular that a basilica was later erected in its place, which you can still visit today!

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On January 6, 1937, Brother André died at the age of 91. During the week that his body lay in state, an estimated 1 million people braved the Canadian cold to pay their respects. 

His intercession is still sought by many today. 

If you or a loved one are in need of healing, ask Saint André to intercede:

Prayer to Saint André for Healing

Saint André,

I come to you in prayer for healing.

(state your intention)

You were no stranger to illness.

Plagued by stomach problems,

you knew suffering on a daily basis,

but you never lost faith in God.

Thousands of people have sought your healing touch

as I do today.

Pray that I might be restored to health

in body, soul and mind.

With St. Joseph as my loving Protector,

strengthen my faith and give me peace

that I might accept God’s will for me

no matter what the outcome.

Amen.

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Image credits: (1) Benefits Canada.com (2) The Catholic Defender, deeper-truth-blog (3) Saint Joseph’s Oratory, YouTube

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Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I’m sure we’ve all wondered when a loved one will come to faith – a child, a spouse, a friend.

The journey of the magi suggests the road of belief is much broader and more far reaching than we may imagine; God is working in all of our lives, often before we realize it. As the old saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

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The magi are unique for several reasons. They’re the first human beings to speak in Matthew’s Gospel and the first to adore Christ as Lord, but they’re not Jewish; they’re Gentile astrologers from the East. 

They discerned world events – and divine intervention – by studying the sun, the moon, and the stars. Thus, their journey begins and ends at night. 

The darkness surrounding them was not merely physical. These wise men were also in the dark about salvation through the God of Israel. 

But that’s often how God begins drawing people into faith – through what is familiar. For the magi, it was astronomy. For others, it’s another scientific discipline, nature, philosophy, beauty, personal witness, or life experience.

But the key is this: the magi begin their journey relying upon what is already familiar to them – the light of a star. This intrigues them, providing their first lesson in faith. 

In spite of all the dangers they faced on a journey to an unknown destination – wolves prowling in the darkness, thieves lurking in the bushes, or violent storms suddenly erupting around them, the star reveals that there is someone else working in the night.

Emmanuel.

God with us.

God for us.

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After months, perhaps years, of travel, the magi arrive safely in Jerusalem. As they near the Christ-child, the threat of darkness still looms over them. There’s the blackened soul of Herod who reigned supreme and is willing to do anything to stay in power.

In fact, shortly after their arrival, Herod will issue a royal decree that any male child under the age of two must be killed. This brutal edict was the fruit of the magi’s question:

“Where is the newborn King of the Jews?”

This phrase frames the narrative of Christ’s life. At his birth, he is proclaimed as, “King of the Jews.” 

And at his death, Pontius Pilate will nail a sign above his head crowned with thorns: “The King of the Jews.”

Matthew weaves this irony throughout his Gospel. While God had prepared his people Israel for his coming over thousands of years – and through hundreds of prophesies – the first people to discover him in the flesh were not Jews, but Gentile astronomers.

Then, throughout Christ’s public ministry, it will be the poor, the tired, the hungry, the outcast – in a sense, the “loser” – who is given eyes of faith to see Jesus as Lord. Meanwhile, the religious authorities, who studied the scriptures their entire lives, remain blind.

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Still, the magi cannot approach Christ until they consult the scriptures. “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” they ask. Unrolling a scroll containing the prophecy of Micah, they’re told:

“And you, Bethlehem, from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

The magi are now only an hour’s walk away.

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Once they find Jesus, they kneel at his feet, offering him the gifts they’ve traveled so far to bring: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Beneath this gesture is the gift of the magi themselves. 

While they cannot fully understand who Jesus is yet, they surrender to mystery. Somehow, this child is not only the King of the Jews; he is also their King. 

My King.

After they adore him, the magi return home – back to their own lives, to their own town, to their own people, to what is familiar. But they return changed.

Faith, in that sense, is not meant to be lived inside a bubble, or only kneeling before a child in a manger; it’s meant to be lived out as a guiding light throughout our lives.

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Perhaps the most important detail of all is the fact that the magi make this journey together.

Such is the nature of faith. While we’re all at different stages – in faith and in life – we journey together.

As the old saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

A desire to see.

The light of a star.

Piercing the darkness.

Emmanuel, God with us.

God for us. 

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Image credits: (1) Church Sermon Series Ideas (2) God With Us, YouTube (3) Soaking in God’s Word

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Gospel: John 1: 29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The first time John the Baptist lays eyes on Jesus in John’s Gospel, he cries out, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”

The priest repeats these same words every time he presents the Eucharist to the faithful at Mass. So, where do these words come from? Or, what, exactly, do they mean?

As with many questions about Christianity, the answer is rooted in the Old Testament. 

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The Old Testament is a story of covenants – or agreements – between God and his people, Israel. 

After Israel officially became a nation, God made his first covenant with them, the 10 Commandments. So long as the Jews followed the commandments faithfully, they would remain bound and blessed as God’s people.

However, if the covenant were broken, then, according to covenantal law, blood had to be shed, which is why animal sacrifice develops in the Book of Leviticus.

Each time Israel broke one of the Commandments, they had to atone for their sins by offering a sacrifice. Poor lambs!

Although this sounds strange to us today, God was using this ancient sacrificial system to prepare the way for his Son, who in John’s words is, “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

At the Cross, Jesus becomes the spotless Lamb, the God-man, who atones for the sins of the entire world by offering himself as the perfect sacrifice.

What he has left behind is a new, eternal covenant sealed in his Blood: the Eucharist, which renews God’s commitment to us – and ours to him – daily.

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The next time you are at Mass, look upon Jesus with eyes of faith. There he is in that little Host, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Yours and mine.

Now and forever.

Thanks be to God.

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Image credits: (1) Behold the Lamb of God, Fr. Gabriel Stack (2) Van Eyck, Lamb of God (3) The Catholic Leader