Homilies and Other Writings

  Baptism of the Lord Today, we celebrate what could be considered the beginning of Jesus’ public mission. Jesus comes to establish a Kingdom, He comes to bring forth justice. It is not about an earthly kingdom, but the Kingdom of God; it is not about legal, political justice, but about holiness, a spiritual justification. Let us reflect upon each of today’s readings. 1.   We enter Jesus’ kingdom not by natural birth but by baptism, a spiritual rebirth. As St. Peter says (cf. Acts 10:34-38), “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Jesus’ message is not one that puts nations against each other, but a message that unites all nations under one King and Lord, God: “You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all.” Today’s readings and today’s feast of the Lord’s Baptism, allow us to reflect upon the liberation that Jesus ca...

  Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh They offered gold, as for a king; frankincense, because they recognized Him as God; myrrh, because, despite being the immortal God, as a man He was going to die. 1. They offered frankincense, because Jesus is God. For some people there is no problem in saying that Jesus is God, because God, for them, is “up there” in heaven and does not bother too much with the earth and how things are going here. Religion, for them, is an escape from reality, like something you want to think about when things on earth become too hard. Religion, for them, is about “God,” about something “spiritual,” about something so tenuous that cannot touch the hard reality of matter and the world. That God, they think, might be called King of Heaven, but He does not rule on earth and does not rule in our lives. From Heaven, God has sent his commandments, but here on earth there is no law enforcement for those commandments. 2. However, to this God, the Magi offered myrrh. ...