January 2025

It might appear that those who offer their services to voluntary organizations, religious life, or Non-Governmental Organizations do so with altruistic motives.  But today’s readings (1 John 5:14‑21 and John 3:22-30) are a warning that the devil is smart and subtle and is always willing to corrupt our good deeds.  He loves to tempt people […]

Here we are at the beginning of a new year, moving from the Christmas season to Ordinary Time. I admit that I love the Christmas season, perhaps because it seems so overlooked in our culture in which the “Christmas season” begins on Thanksgiving and ends on Christmas night. So I’m a little sad as we

Today’s gospel passage (Luke 4:14-22) portrays Jesus stepping out into his mission, his public life, defining that mission using the words from Isaiah.  All the events that follow, all his preaching, all his miracles and his eventual passion, death and resurrection, represent a living out of what he proclaims in the synagogue this day. However,

“If we love one another, God dwells in us,and His love is brought to perfection in us.”1 John 4:12 In today’s readings, Jesus has just fed the five thousand men with the five loaves and two fish.  He has performed a great miracle before the eyes of His disciples and through their hands.  Yet “their

What is happening in the world today reminds me of a case study in behavior modification.  Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who wrote, The Power of Habit—Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.  He tells the story of a US Army major in the town of Kufa, in Iraq, who decided

Remember how there was only a reduced Fourth Week of Advent this liturgical year?  Well, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has given us another twist this year. USCCB has moved Epiphany from the traditional January 6th to January 5th so Epiphany would fall on a Sunday.  I presented my Daily Reflection for Epiphany yesterday.  In

Today’s Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord (traditionally celebrated January 6) takes me back 51 years, back to when I was a young scientist embarking on a career in scientific diplomacy.   While working in Germany, I had the opportunity to travel to its capital (at that time), Cologne (Köln).   There, on the

The scripture readings today remind us that we all are called to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. We are reminded that, as Christians, we are a called and chosen people, that we have received from Jesus the assurance of joy and eternal life that will be ours if we keep our faith in Him.

Today’s feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus is another way for the Church to call our attention to Jesus’ identity, and to encourage us to call upon him. When Gabriel visited Mary, the angel told her, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”

During Advent, we opened our hearts to be ready to receive Jesus. We followed devotions that would help us grow ever closer to Him. After the world-changing, calendar-defining, cosmos-altering birth of Jesus, we flocked to Church to receive Jesus in a deeper way at Christmas. Now it is more than a week past Christmas. People