“Sacraments are like hoses. They are the channels of the living water of God's grace. Our faith is like opening the faucet. We can open it a lot, a little, or not at all.”

The Church is not self-made, it was created by God and is continuously formed by Him. This finds expression in the Sacraments, above all in that of Baptism: I enter into the Church not by a bureaucratic act, but with the help of this Sacrament.  - Pope Benedict XVI: (born 16 April 1927) served as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. 

Gospel Text: (MK 1:7-11)

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

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The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a good day for cultivating gratitude for the graces that flow from the One who descended into the waters of the Jordan so that our sins might be washed away.

In fact, there are four gifts that were given, or four changes that happened to you at the moment that you were baptized. For each of these, each Christian needs to express gratitude to God. The first change was a washing away of something negative: all of your sins, both Original Sin and any personal sins. But this cleansing was simply preparatory for the other three changes: that is, the gifts that positively strengthened you. These three are inter-twined.

At the moment of your baptism, God made you His own child by infusing you with the divine virtues of faith, hope, and love. At the same time, you were incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church. Any time that a person becomes God’s child, it’s as one member of the Body of Christ. So in this sense, Baptism united you not only to God, but also to all the other members of the Church. This new life of Baptism is about gaining not just a spiritual Father, but an entire spiritual family!

Yet at the same time that God made you His child, and also a brother or sister to all His children, God marked your soul with an indelible seal. This seal makes clear to us that God’s choice is irrevocable. He will never divorce us, so to speak. Any of us can choose to wander as far away from God as we wish, but God—like the father of the Prodigal Son—never ceases to wait patiently and lovingly. The seal of Baptism reminds you that you are just as much God’s child after you sin as you were at the moment of your baptism. Whenever we go to Confession, then, we need to express to God our gratitude for Him being willing to welcome us with open arms, like our Savior on the Cross.

“What are you doing, O Magi? Do you adore a little Babe, in a wretched hovel, wrapped in miserable rags? Can this Child be truly God? … Did you become foolish, O Wise Men … Yes, these Wise Men have become fools that they may be wise.”

For by gold the power of a king is signified, by frankincense the honor of God, by myrrh the burial of the body; and accordingly they offer Him gold as King, frankincense as God, myrrh as Man.— St John Chrysostom: (349 –407: Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father)

Gospel Text: (MT 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.

As we celebrate the Epiphany, we see three wise men arriving at the manger scene. They were men willing to sacrifice of themselves in order to find a newborn King. This is a sign of their wisdom: their willingness to sacrifice.

Their sacrifices reflect not only their own wisdom. Their sacrifices also reflect the wisdom of the One they were seeking. In other words, they were willing to sacrifice so greatly because they believed in the greatness of the One they were seeking.

Each of the wise men was willing to leave the realm where he was king—where everyone bowed down before him—in order to find the King of Kings before whom he could kneel in homage. Each of the wise men was willing to give up his riches in order to find an even greater treasure.

There are many people who believe they’re rich, but who actually have become satisfied with riches that—in the end—are not going to do them any real good. This usually happens because people don’t recognize that inside the human soul, the desire for sacrifice is greater than the desire for the riches of the world.

Look at these three wise kings. Look at their sacrifices. There are at least two sacrifices that each king makes.

The first sacrifice is the journey that each makes. He leaves behind the land where he rules and where he is in control, in order to bow down before the Ruler of Heaven and Earth.

The second sacrifice is what each sacrifices from his treasury, to place before the new-born King. But these gifts are given as a response to a greater Gift.

Jesus is the greater Gift. The wise man knows that the whole world, and every land, and every person in every land, will receive from Jesus an infinite blessing, if accepted. The gifts of the wise men are only responses to God’s goodness. God’s goodness—that is, His love—is primary. Always. Our response is only and always secondary, both in sequence and in the measure of its goodness.

In God the Father giving us the Gift of His Son, the Father calls us to give a gift in response. But we might understandably worry, asking, “What can measure up to God’s gift? God’s gift is infinite. I cannot give an infinite gift.”

This is true. We can only give our “all” to God. In this way, at least, we can give as God gives: as the old saying goes, not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice. If we give as God gives—by giving Him our “all”—we tap into what is best in us: the desire to give, not to get; to take joy in showering others with good things, not to accumulate them for oneself; to take interest in the growth of one’s soul, not to watch the growth of one’s accounts with interest; to sacrifice our time and pride by saying “thank you” rather than looking for the applause of the world.

“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

...Christ did not appoint professors, but followers. If Christianity ... is not reduplicated in the life of the person expounding it, then he does not expound Christianity, for Christianity is a message about living and can only be expounded by being realized in men's lives. - Soren Kierkegaard: (1813 – 1855: was a Danish philosopher, theologian, & poet)

Gospel text: (JN 1:43-51)

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
But Nathanael said to him,
"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

We cannot give what we do not have. So, before we can tell others about the Jesus, we must already have encountered Him and come to know Him. Only when we know Him well and have allowed Him to enter and direct our lives, can we share Him with others, as Philip did in today’s Gospel, and as His disciples have done throughout history.

Always remember this - Human reason can excuse any evil.

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” ― Mahatma Gandhi: (1869 –1948: was an Indian activist who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule.)

Scripture Text: (1 JN 3:7-10)

Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God's seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.

John declares plainly that “the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.” You could say that this sentence sums up John’s Gospel account, as it moves from the signs of Jesus’ seven miracles, to the Sign of the Cross, the glory of which destroys Satan’s power. John’s account of the Gospel shows how Jesus “revealed” Himself to mankind in stages. So the Holy Spirit has worked in the history of the Church, and in the life of each saint. Ask God for yet another Christmas gift: the same patience with your own spiritual growth that God has with you, as He continues unfailingly throughout your life to love you.

“Baptism is an outward testimony of an inward transformation”

“The Church does not dispense the sacrament of baptism in order to acquire for herself an increase in membership but in order to consecrate a human being to God and to communicate to that person the divine gift of birth from God.” ― Hans Urs von Balthasar:  (1905 –1988: was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest)

Gospel Text: (JN 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."

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In today’s gospel, St. John the Baptist testifies about the baptism of Jesus. Pope Francis reminded us «Baptism is the Sacrament on which our faith is based, and which grafts us to Christ and His Church, as living members”; and he added: "It is not a mere formality! It is an act that touches the depth of our existence” A baptized child is not the same as a non-baptized child. A baptized person is not the same as a non-baptized person. “With the Baptism, we are immersed in that inexhaustible fount of life that is the death of Jesus, the greatest act of love of all history; and thanks to this love we are able to live a new life, no longer at the mercy of evil, sin and death, but rather in communion with God and with our brothers» 

“A good example has twice the value of good advice”

“If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see.” ― Henry David Thoreau: (1817 – 1862: was an American essayist, poet, & philosopher)

Scripture Text: (1 JN 2:22-28)

Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.

And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

The whole Church, and therefore all its members, have the mission of bearing witness. The testimony we bring to the world has a name. Jesus Christ is the very Gospel. He is the “Good News”. And the proclamation of the Gospel all over the world must also be understood as the key of the testimony uniting inseparably the announcement and the life. It is good to remember the words from Pope Paul VI: «Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses rather than to teachers and if he does listen to teachers it is because they are witnesses».

“Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle.”

"If you ever feel distressed during your day, call upon our Lady, just say this simple prayer: 'Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.' I must admit, this prayer has never failed me." - Mother Teresa: (1910 – 1997: Founded the Missionaries of Charity)

Gospel Text: (LK 2:16-21)

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

January first used to be celebrated as the Octave Day of Christmas and the

Circumcision and Naming of Jesus. The celebration has been changed to the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God., the principal and most important title and role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "Mother of God" is the literal translation of Mater Dei in Latin and Theotokos in Greek, the "Bearer of God," which was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431.

Celebrating Jesus and Mary at the beginning of each year, we are reminded to dedicate the whole year to the Lord, realizing that each one of us in our own and specific way is tasked to be a "bearer of God." We are tasked to bring Christ to everyone and to everything in our lives, to our families, friends and work associates, to those who have lost their longing for God, to those who have been alienated from God - that each one of them may find and recognize God's presence in the world.

Through this celebration the Church challenges and encourages us to pray for the Lord's Holy Spirit to enable us to be earnest bearers of goodness, hope and love, bearers of Christ to one another. May Mary, Mother of God and our blessed Mother, who pondered all these mysteries in her heart, inspire and guide us today and throughout the coming year.