Homilies

The only Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary! Joy overflows in our hearts. The octave of Christmas ends tomorrow, but the liturgical season of Christmas goes until the Sunday of the Baptism of Jesus. We still have a few days. Today the evangelist John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God Who became flesh and dwelt among us. John tells us that before Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit, He already existed and lived with God. The Father made all things through the Son and for the Son. The Son is the light and life of men. The evangelist speaks of John the Baptist as a witness of the Son, the Word made man for the salvation of the world, to lead men out of darkness. The evangelist John says that some rejected the Word; but those who accepted the Word and believed in It became children of God, by grace, for in Jesus is the fullness of grace. Through Him we know the Father, for the Son is the visible image of the invisible God. Isn't that incredible? Isn't...

We are in the octave of Christmas. What joy, Jesus, the Son of Mary and Joseph, was born! God is with us! He is born today in our hearts! Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the elderly prophetess Anna in the temple of Jerusalem, who worshiped God night and day with fasting and prayer. The context was the presentation of Jesus by Mary and Joseph forty days after His birth. The Law of Moses said that parents should consecrate their firstborn son to God in the temple of Jerusalem, after the days of the mother's purification were over. After speaking of the elderly righteous man Simeon who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recognized that Jesus was the Christ of the Lord, the evangelist speaks of the prophetess Anna. She gave thanks to God and spoke of Jesus to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.  Luke concludes by saying that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth in Galilee, and that Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and that the favor of God was upon H...

Once again, Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope that Jesus has truly been born once more in our hearts. On the Sunday after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. God loves families. God wanted a man to leave his father and mother and be united to his woman, and for both to become one flesh. God wanted the love of a man and a woman to be fruitful and for new human beings to come into the world from it. God wanted Jesus - God the Son who became flesh to save men from their sins - to have a family, to have a biological mother and an adoptive father. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are a model and inspiration for our families. Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the loss and finding of the boy Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem, at the feast of Passover. We see that Mary and Joseph passed on their faith to Jesus. We see the parents’ care and concern for their son’s safety and protection. We see how the son was obedient to his earthly parents and to the Fathe...

Today is the liturgical feast of the apostle and evangelist John, considered the "disciple that Jesus loved most", who was the brother of the apostle James the Greater. In the symbolism of the four evangelists (inspired by the prophecy of Ezekiel and by the Revelations), John is identified with the eagle. (The others are: Matthew - winged man or angel, Mark - lion, and Luke - bull). John and James the Greater, after Andrew and Simon Peter, were the first ones whom Jesus called to follow Him. They were fishermen and sons of Zebedee. They lived in Bethsaida, in Galilee. John and James the Greater received from Jesus the nickname Boanerges, which means "sons of thunder", because of the strong and impactful personalities of the brothers. The Tradition of the Church attributes five books of the Second Testament to John: the fourth Gospel, three apostolic letters and the Revelations. These five books are called the Johannine Liturature. Today, the evangelist John tells us...

It's Christmas! It's Christmas! Jesus was born of the virgin Mary! Let us rejoice in the Lord! Let us worship the baby God lying in the manger! I hope you and your family had a happy Christmas Night! Today the evangelist John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God Who became flesh and dwelt among us. John tells us that before Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit, He already existed and lived with God. The Father made all things through the Son and for the Son. The Son is the light and life of men. The evangelist speaks of John the Baptist as a witness of the Son, the Word made man for the salvation of the world, to lead men out of darkness. The evangelist John says that some rejected the Word; but those who accepted the Word and believed in It became children of God, by grace, for in Jesus is the fullness of grace. Through Him we know the Father, for the Son is the visible image of the invisible God. Isn't that incredible? Isn't that wonderful? This...

He was born! He was born! Jesus was born, my sister, my brother! It's Christmas! Merry Christmas to all! We prepared for four weeks for this festive and solemn day. It was the Season of Advent. We did penance and reconciled ourselves with God. Now it is fitting that we rejoice! Today the evangelist Luke tells us that the virgin Mary, Joseph's wife, had to give birth to her firstborn son, Jesus, our Savior, in the small town of Bethlehem, in a stable. When He was born, the baby God was laid in a manger, among the animals. It so happened that there were many people in the city, because of the census ordered by the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he went to Bethlehem with Mary to register, since it was the hometown of David's descendants. At that very moment, an angel of the Lord appeared to some poor shepherds who were tending their flocks, announcing to them the birth of the Savior, who is Christ, the Lord. And then a great multitu...

We are closing the Advent Season. Tonight we will gather to joyfully celebrate the Vigil of the Solemnity of Christmas, the birth of Jesus! On this last day of Advent, the evangelist Luke presents us with the famous "canticle of Zechariah" (the "Benedictus"), the priest and father of the newborn John the Baptist. This canticle is so important that the Church recites it every day in the morning prayer, called Lauds, in the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a wonderful praise to God, who fulfills His oath to the patriarch Abraham and His promise to David, the famous king of Israel, as the prophets foretold. In this canticle, the priest Zechariah said that his newborn son would go before the Lord to prepare His ways. Yes, Zechariah was speaking of the child growing in the womb of the Virgin Mary, Joseph’s wife, who would be born in six months. In other words, the Lord Jesus! We are invited to join Zechariah in praising God with a thankful and joyful heart. And may we be like...

We are anxious! Christmas is coming! Jesus will soon be born! These are the last days of Advent Season! While Jesus is not born, let us speak of the birth of John the Baptist, the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, a relative of the virgin Mary. Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the joy of John the Baptist's parents, his relatives and neighbors. They praised God for His mercy toward Elizabeth, who was old and barren. A week later, when the newborn was circumcised, his mother named him John (which means "God is favorable"), which was confirmed by his father. Then Zechariah spoke again and began to praise God. Let us remember that he had remained mute because he had not believed the news of Elizabeth's pregnancy that the archangel Gabriel had announced to him. When they learned of John’s birth, people wondered about the future of this child. And the evangelist concludes by saying that the hand of the Lord was with John. So let us join Zechariah and Elizab...

Christmas is just around the corner! Only a few days left! Mary has already said YES to the Archangel Gabriel about God the Father's plan, the Holy Spirit has already impregnated Joseph's wife, and Jesus is already growing in His Mother's womb. We are experiencing this beautiful mystery with great joy and hope! Today the evangelist Luke presents us Mary - pregnant with Jesus - Who visited Her relative Elizabeth - pregnant with John the Baptist. This is the second joyful mystery of the Holy Rosary. It was a wonderful encounter, in which the Holy Spirit was acting and inspiring the conversation of these women. Elizabeth said that Mary was blessed among women, as was the fruit of Her womb, which was Jesus. The mother of John the Baptist said that the Mother of her Lord was blessed for having believed, and affirmed that the Lord would fulfill what He had spoken to Mary. The pregnancies of Elizabeth - who was elderly and barren - and Mary - who was an adolescent and a virgin - w...

We are counting down to the solemnity of Christmas. Only a few days are left until the birth of Jesus! Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary. The messenger makes several important revelations to Joseph's betrothed: about His exalted dignity in the eyes of the Lord; about God the Father's plan for God the Son to become Man through the action of God the Holy Spirit in order to save men from their sins; about the eternal reign of God the Son - whose name would be Jesus - in fulfillment of the promises made to the ancestors of the Jews. At first, Mary was greatly troubled and afraid. But, after the revelations of the Archangel Gabriel, Joseph's betrothed accepted the divine plan, as the Handmaid of the Lord. What joy! Thanks to Mary's MADE IT BE DONE and the action of God the Holy Spirit, God the Son Jesus was conceived and is already growing in the virginal womb of Joseph's betrothed! Now we just have to wait for the...

Christmas is coming! We are preparing for the solemnity of the birth of the Savior Jesus, which will be in a few days. Today, the evangelist Matthew tells us about the announcement of the angel of the Lord to Joseph in a dream. The messenger explained to Mary's betrothed that She was the virgin Who would be with child and would bear the Emmanuel, God is with us, through the Holy Spirit. Before this explanation, Joseph had decided to divorce Mary quietly, when he realized that she was with child and that he was not his. After this explanation, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife Mary into his home. When we are going through difficult situations and we cannot understand anything, let us not make hasty decisions, but let us pray and ask God to explain His plan of love to us. And, like Joseph, let us accept God's will. Today the prophet Jeremiah tells us about the Lord's promise to raise up righteous shoot to David, with the name "The Lo...

We are one week away from Christmas! Today we begin the second part of the Advent Season, our immediate preparation for the birth of Jesus. Once again we are invited to remember with joy and devotion the events of the lives of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, narrated by the evangelists Matthew and Luke. Today Matthew begins his gospel by presenting us with the genealogy of Jesus. Genealogy is the list of a family's ancestors. We know that Matthew wrote his gospel for Christians who had converted from Judaism. For Matthew, it was important to emphasize that Jesus belonged to the family of two great figures of the Jewish faith: the patriarch Abraham and King David. Matthew's intention was to affirm that God's promise made to the ancestors of the Jews was fulfilled with the birth of the Messiah Jesus, the adopted son of Joseph, the husband of the virgin Mary. The Messiah would be of the descendants of David, of Abraham. Jesus entered this important family through His adoptive father, ...

Today we conclude the first part of the Advent Season, our preparation for the second coming of Christ. Starting tomorrow, we will begin to prepare for the solemnity of Christmas. Today the evangelist Matthew presents Jesus being questioned by the chief priests and the elders of the people about the origin of his authority to do things. Without answering their question, Jesus asks them if they consider that the Baptism performed by John the Baptist came from Heaven or from human. Since the chief priests and the elders of the people did not answer Jesus' question, for fear of the people's reaction, He did not answer their question either. In fact, if those men were not capable of recognizing the religious authority of John the Baptist, even less would they recognize the divine authority of Jesus. We must accept the religious authority of John the Baptist to baptize and the divine authority of Jesus to do things. Let us be women and men of faith. Today the book of Numbers introdu...

We are in the penultimate week of Advent, our preparation for the second coming of Christ and for Christmas. The third Sunday of Advent is special, and is called "Gaudete", from the Latin, which means "Rejoice". The reason for joy is the proximity of the coming of Christ. The liturgical color is pink, which expresses this joy. The evangelist Luke continues today to tell us about John the Baptist, the one whom God sent before Jesus to prepare the Jews for His arrival. People approached John the Baptist to ask how they should prepare for the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist asked them to share their cloaks and food with the person did not have none. He asked them not to be liars or ambitious. To avoid any deception, John the Baptist declared to them that he was not the Messiah, but rather a humble servant of His. John the Baptist said that the Messiah was mightier than he was. While John's baptism was in water to purify sins, the Messiah's baptism would...

During Advent Season, we have two feasts in honor of the Mother of God. One is dedicated to Her Immaculate Conception and the other is dedicated to Her apparition in Mexico in 1531 to the indigenous Saint Juan Diego. Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared patroness of all America by Pope Pius XII on October 12th, 1945. Today, the evangelist Luke tells us about Mary who visited Her relative Elizabeth. Both were pregnant. The mother of John the Baptist, filled with the Holy Spirit, declared that the Mother of Jesus was blessed, as was the fruit of Her womb. Inspired by God, Elizabeth affirmed that Mary was blessed because she had believed, because the Lord was fulfilling what He had promised Her. So Mary, with Her joyful spirit in God, magnified the Lord with Her soul. This is the beginning of the famous canticle of the Magnificat. He who is filled with the Holy Spirit, he who allows himself to be inspired by God, following the example of Elizabeth, necessarily declares that the Mother of Go...

In this Advent Season, we are invited to remember that God cares for us, as a shepherd cares for his sheep. Today, the evangelist Matthew presents us with Jesus telling the parable of the sheep that was lost and was found by its shepherd, who was overjoyed to recover his sheep. Jesus says that the Father in heaven does not want any of the little ones to be lost. Unfortunately, because of our sins, we have distanced ourselves from God and the Church, and we expose ourselves to great dangers and privations, including the possibility of losing salvation, Heaven. In this Advent Season, let us allow ourselves to be found by God, let us allow Him to free us from dangers, let Him heal our wounds, let Him place us on His shoulders, let Him take us back to the sheepfold (which is the Church), let Him feed us with green pastures and give us crystal clear water to drink. Let us not resist. Let us be docile. Today the prophet Isaiah speaks to us of hope. He tells his people and us that slavery is ...

Within the Advent Season, we have the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We have the liturgical color white, flowers and the Hymn of Praise, to emphasize the festive tone. This is a dogma of the Church, a truth of faith, officially proclaimed by Pope Pius IX on December 8th, 1854. Catholics firmly believe and transmit their faith that the Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin when she was conceived by her parents Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. This grace was granted to Her by Almighty God, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity. The Evangelist Luke, in the context of the Annunciation, teaches us today that Saint Gabriel the Archangel revealed to Mary that She was full of Grace, that She had the fullness of Grace, that She lacked nothing of divine Grace. The great theologians of the Church interpreted this revelation of Saint Gabriel the Archangel as a teaching about the Immaculate Conception of Mary, that is, th...

With the entire Church, we are beginning the second week of Advent, our preparation for the glorious coming of Christ and the Solemnity of Christmas. John the Baptist is a very important character in Advent. The Gospel of Luke speaks about John the Baptist today. He transmits the Word of God, inspired by the prophecy of Isaiah. John the Baptist's mission is to prepare the way of the Lord, to prepare His people for the fulfillment of divine promises, for the arrival of Christ, of the Messiah Jesus. John the Baptist speaks of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. At that time, the quality of the roads was terrible, which made access to the cities very difficult. When an important political authority was going to arrive in a city, the people needed to fix the roads. Knowing this, John the Baptist tells the people that a very important person was going to arrive and that it was urgent to prepare the way for him. This person is the Messiah promised by God, and the preparation was conv...

Jesus balanced action and prayer. He had profound moments of intimacy with God, praying through the Holy Spirit. Today's Gospel shows us exactly this. The evangelist Luke shows us the content of Jesus' prayer. He praises God the Father for having handed over everything to God the Son. Jesus praises God's way of acting, who reveals Himself to the childlike, and not to the wise and the learned. In reality, God reveals Himself to everyone, but the childlike find God in the little things, while the wise and the learned wait for great revelations and lose the opportunity to welcome God's presence. The childlike found God in the humble life of Jesus. But the wise and the learned lost the opportunity to welcome God's presence in Jesus. Prophets and kings of the past greatly desired to see and hear the promised Messiah. But they did not have this opportunity. Jesus told His disciples that they were blessed to be able to see and hear Him. Through His person and His words, Je...

We are inaugurating the new Liturgical Year, with the Time of Advent, our preparation for the second coming of Christ and for Christmas. It is not a festive time, as one might imagine. Note that the liturgical color is purple, that is, an invitation to penance, repentance and conversion. We have no flowers, we have no Hymn of Praise. It is an opportune time for reflection and to confess ourselves through the sacrament of Reconciliation. It would be very important to dedicate more time to prayer and charity towards the poorest. Let us organize charitable initiatives that purify us of our sins. Jesus is the Son of Man, who will come at the end of time to free us from all evil, from all danger, and to take us to Heaven. We are not afraid of His return. On the contrary, we long for Him to return. We pray like this: "Come, Jesus. Come soon. Come quickly. Don't delay. Come, we are waiting for You."  The time before Christ's return will be difficult, marked by persecution, v...