News in Homilies

Commentary to the 4th SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR A

In today’s passage, John is inspired by an episode in the life of Jesus. He uses it to develop the central theme of the Christian message: the salvation given by Christ. He uses a biblical language: the dark–light contrast. In the Bible, darkness always has a negative connotation. It is the symbol of the dark power of evil, death, and destruction. Light represents an orientation towards God, the choice of good and life.

Commentary to the Third Sunday of Lent - Year A

 The heartfelt words of the prophet who calls his people to conversion—“Come here all of you who are thirsty, come to the water!” (Is 55:1)—are the prelude to those spoken by Jesus in the Temple Mount: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and let the one who believes in me drink” (Jn 7:38). He is the source of pure water that quenches all thirst.

Commentary to the SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR A

 When God calls a person or chooses a people, He entrusts them with a mission to make them carriers of his blessings intended for all. So Abraham has to become “a blessing to all the families of the earth.” Israel, the servant of the Lord, is charged to “bring justice to the nations” (Is 42:1), and Paul is a “chosen instrument to carry the name of Christ before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15). The vocations of God do not confer any privilege. They do not offer any reason to feel superior or better than others. They are a request for availability to serve, to become mediators of salvation.

Commentary to the First Sunday in Lent

The Bible invites us to consider temptation in an original perspective: as a moment of verification of the soundness of man's choices, as an opportunity for growth. Inherent in temptation is also the risk of making mistakes, but this danger is inevitable if one wishes to mature, to become "experts," "experts". These terms in fact mean nothing other than 'tempted', 'subjected to a test, an examination'.

Commentary to the ASH WEDNESDAY

Lent is a privileged time to return to ourselves, nourish, and let the divine grow within us. It is a time to listen to God’s Word. It is not a superficial, distracted listening, almost fearful that the message will penetrate too deeply into the mind and heart, causing a disturbance, but a more profound listening that requires radical changes of direction in our lives.

Commentary to the SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

 ‘Lord, I am not worthy’—we repeat before receiving communion, aware that the union with Christ in the Eucharist involves the sharing of his chosen lifestyle. For this we say with all sincerity: ‘I am not worthy,’ that is, I know I can’t become bread broken, bloodshed without reserve like you, for the brethren. I know that I will not have the strength to let myself ‘be consumed’ by them. ‘I just come to beg your Spirit.’

Commentary to the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year A

The Torah revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai, however, was not the final Word of God. On the Mount of the Beatitudes, Jesus has recognized its validity, but, considering only one phase, he indicated a new goal, a more distant and boundless horizon: the perfection of the Father who is in heaven. The one who does not practice the new justice, vastly superior to that of the scribes and Pharisees, stops halfway and does not enter into the Kingdom of God.

Commentary to the FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

 ‘Today, there is no more faith. Once there was so much.’ How do you measure faith? Referring to statistics, do you simply count the number of those who participate in Sunday Mass, receive the sacraments, marry in the Church, or send their children to catechism? The imposing crowds can perhaps assess it at ecclesial gatherings. How do we know when it increases or decreases?

Commentary to the Presentation of the Lord

 Forty days have passed since Christmas, and it may be that the Star of Bethlehem that “we have seen in its rising” has been a bit blurred. It does not fascinate us more as then or is no longer the only one to get our attention. Perhaps we’ve let ourselves be enchanted by other more striking and concrete stars, by other stars that better reflect our dreams and our expectations. 

Commentary to the FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

The Bible guarantees a paradox: true and lasting joy is born of commitment, renunciation, self-denial, sacrifice, and accompanied by pain. “Now I am glad to suffer for you,” says Paul to the Colossians (Col 1:24). To persecuted Christians, James recommends: “My brethren, consider it as the greatest happiness to have to endure various trials” (James 1:2). And Peter recognizes: “You ... rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

 Today’s Gospel is made up of three parts. First of all, with a quotation from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus’ activity in Galilee is introduced (vv. 12-17). Then there is the vocation story of the first four disciples (vv. 18-22). Finally, the activity of Jesus is summed up in one sentence (v. 23). After the conclusion of John the Baptist’s mission, Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum. It became the center of his activities for nearly three years.

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

It is this message of hope and joy that, through the Baptist, John, from the very first page of his Gospel, wants to announce to the disciples. Despite the apparent overwhelming power of evil in the world, what awaits humanity is the communion of life “with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” These things—John says—I write, “so that our joy may be complete” (1 Jn 1:3-4). 

BAPTISM OF THE LORD – A

Luke does not specify where the baptism of Jesus took place, but John alludes to it: "It happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing" (Jn 1:28). The tradition has correctly located the episode in Bethabara, the ford where the people of Israel, guided by Joshua, crossed the river and entered the Promised Land. The gestures of Jesus contain explicit references to the passage from slavery to freedom and the beginning of a new exodus to the true Promised Land. Bethabara also has another recall, less obvious but equally significant: geologists assure it is the lowest point on earth (400 meters below sea level).

Epiphany of the Lord

 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.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, bring us peace

The author focuses on “popular Marian piety.” This is only one of many possible Marian themes, but it is of radical importance since for Bergoglio “feeling with the Church” is not only linked “ to feeling with its hierarchical part.” With regard to Mary, “if you want to know how you love her, you have to ask the people. In turn, Mary loved Jesus with the heart of the people.”

December 30, 2022 - Feast Of The Holy Family

 Every family has its cares and worries. On today’s feast of the Holy Family we are shown that Mary and Joseph and Jesus had more than their share of problems and woes, especially that the very reason and heart of this family was Jesus, this bewildering son. They did everything for him. What is typical in the Holy Family is that in everything they sought God’s will; the same is true for Jesus, God’s will was to be his food and drink. Let the heart of our families, be like that of Jesus, and together with Mary and Joseph may we ask ourselves what God wants of us and joyfully do it.

The Birth of the Lord – Years A B C

GOD HAS REVEALED HIS JUSTICE

At Christmas, God reveals the immensity of His unconditional love. This is his justice. All people are invited to contemplate with wonder and let themselves be freed from fear because "there is no fear in love. Perfect love drives away fear, for fear has to do with punishment: those who fear do not know perfect love"(1 Jn 4:18).

Commentary to the Fourth Sunday of Advent-Year A

 In Mary, the Only Begotten of the Father is not only sinewed with muscles but fully inserted in our human condition. He had feelings, emotions, and passions. He experienced the joys of affection and the disappointment of betrayal. He shared our anxiety, sorrow, humiliation, ignorance, satisfaction in learning, and our fear of death. He was not just united with a real body but became a man like us in every way, except sin. For this, he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Commentary to the THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A

The inquiry by John seems to contradict what happened at the baptism of Jesus by John. Here Matthew deals with Jesus as the true messiah, the anointed one of God. To the disciples of John the Baptist who came asking about the messiah, Jesus replies by pointing out the redemptive joy that wells up in the hearts of the blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers, the poor, and the dead who have come back to life. Paul invites us to wait in joyful patience as the sower does, for the fruits of his labor.

Commentary to the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin Mary

There is a way to present the figure of Mary that discourages instead of animating. She is referred to as the absolutely exceptional woman, exempted from original sin and its tragic consequences—and that's not because of her own merit, but for a unique divine privilege—confirmed in grace, preserved from making mistakes, blessed in all her works ... We wonder what this wonderful woman has in common with us.