Homilies

We have reached the last day of the first month of the new year. Today the evangelist Mark tells us about two parables told by Jesus that compare the Kingdom of God to seeds thrown into the ground that grow. The first parable speaks of the mystery of the growth of the seed, unknown to the sower. He simply throws the seed, but it is the ground that has the power to transform the seed into fruit. We might think that the Kingdom of God mysteriously grows as the Gospel is preached to people. The evangelizer does not know the mechanism of growth; therefore, he cannot be responsible for this growth. So, the person responsible is God Himself. We can also say that, when creating woman and man, God placed in their hearts a deep desire for His Kingdom, and that with the right stimulus, at the right time, human beings open themselves to the gift of the Kingdom of God, which grows. The second parable speaks of the smallness of the seed compared to the greatness of the tree. The seed seems so fragi...

Today the evangelist Mark speaks to us of Jesus' teachings to the crowd about the function of light to reveal what is hidden, of the judgment that is made of others, and of the paradoxical justice of God. Jesus says that light serves to discover what is secret. We can think of the light that is Jesus and that is revealing the love of God; but we can also think of the sins that people commit and that, when Jesus preaches, become manifest so that they can be forgiven. Jesus says that people will be judged as they judge others. We can think that only those who have been merciful will be judged with mercy. And Jesus speaks of the paradox of divine justice: to those who have will be given even more, and from those who do not have will be taken away even what they have. We can think of the prosperity of those who are generous and the misery of those who are stingy. Let us turn on the light of Jesus wherever we are, so that God's love may be revealed in the lives of our family, friend...

Today the evangelist Mark tells us about the parable of the sower that Jesus told the crowd and the explanation He gave to the apostles. Mark says that Jesus taught at length in parables, so that those outside would hear but not understand, so that they would not convert and not be forgiven. The seed is the Word (of God that Jesus is preaching). The different soils are the people who hear the Word of Jesus, with their individual motivations. The birds that eat the seed up are Satan, who takes away the Word of Jesus. The rocks are a tribulation or persecution, which leads some to fall away. The thorns are the worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things, which choke the Word of Jesus so that It bears no fruit. Finally, the rich soil are those who hear and accept the Word of Jesus and bear fruit. Jesus is the sower par excellence! How admirable is His ability to speak about such profound and important subjects in language that is easy for ordinary people to under...

Today the evangelist Mark speaks to us of Jesus' teaching about the family. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus when they told Him that His Mother and brothers were outside asking for Him. Jesus said that His family is whoever does the Will of God. Let us talk about the Mother of Jesus. As we know from the evangelist Luke, Mary said to the Archangel Gabriel, "Behold the Handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to Me according to Your Word." In other words, the Mother of Jesus did the Will of God. Let us now talk about Jesus' brothers. Catholic Tradition teaches that, in reality, they are relatives of His, probably cousins ​​who grew up together, since Mary was a virgin and Joseph was chaste; the couple had no other children besides Jesus. The great teaching of Jesus is that the bonds of faith are superior to the bonds of blood. In other words, the family of God's daughters and sons - whoever does His Will - is more important than the biological family. Jesus' b...

We are in the third week of Ordinary Time. Today the evangelist Mark speaks to us about the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the accusation that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Moved by a mixture of ignorance and wickedness, the teachers of the Law who came from Jerusalem said that Jesus' power to cast out demons came from an evil spirit, and not from God. Their intention was to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people. How dishonest! Jesus says that this is a very serious eternal sin, a blasphemy that will not be forgiven. Let us be people of good faith. Let us place our trust in Jesus. God gave Him the power to cast out demons, to defeat every infernal force that seeks to dominate us, that seeks to destroy us. Let us recognize in Jesus the liberating action of God! Through our prayer and formation, let us help people to free themselves from all physical and spiritual evil. Today the author of the Letter to the Hebrews speaks to us of the new cove...

We have reached the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, called the Sunday of the Word. This is an initiative proposed by Pope Francis in 2019, which began the following year. Unfortunately, many Catholics do not give the importance that the Word of God deserves. We know this because many Catholics do not read It, do not meditate on It and, consequently, do not practice It or proclaim It. Many Catholics only have contact with the Word of God at Sunday Mass; during the week, they have no interest in the Word of God, which is widely disseminated through audio and video on TV, radio, the Internet, and social networks. It is not possible to know God without knowing His Word. Our God is biblical, not a figment of our imagination, invented by us. It is essential to read the Word to know God, His love for us, His Will, and His promises. Catholics should learn from Protestants, who value the Word, who memorize important biblical passages with their book, chapter and verse, and who transmit the Word ...

On this January 23, Stigmatine missionaries around the world celebrate our patron saints, the Holy Spouses Mary and Joseph. On this feast, let us reflect on the readings from the Liturgy of the Word. 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. The angel of the Lord helped Joseph understand that his sponsalia with Mary would go beyond the expectations of merely human love. Joseph understood that the mission the Lord entrusted to him was to assume the paternity of the Son of God and to care for Him and His Mother. I...

Today the evangelist Mark tells us about Jesus' teaching about the Sabbath, as the Son of Man that He is. As we know from the book of Genesis, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, indicating that it was a day dedicated to Him, the Lord's Day, a day of rest from weekly work. As we know from the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, the third of the Ten Commandments is "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day." In Hebrew, rest is called "Shabbat." The Jews had a sacred respect for the Sabbath. They forbade any and all work. The Pharisees were truly obsessed with this subject. They questioned Jesus when they saw His disciples picking the heads of grain on the Sabbath. Without denying the sacredness of the Lord's Day, Jesus taught the Pharisees that the Sabbath Law was made for the good of man, and not to oppress man. He taught that satisfying the human need to eat is as important as observing the third commandment. As Saint Irenaeus of ...

Yesterday we began the second week of Ordinary Time. Today the evangelist Mark speaks about fasting and welcoming the newness that Jesus brings us. Fasting was a renunciation of food practiced by the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees, a group formed by Jews who strictly observed the Law of Moses and religious traditions. The purpose of fasting was to purify themselves of sins in view of the arrival of the Messiah. The evangelist says that Jesus was asked why His disciples did not fast. The answer was that the bridegroom - the Messiah - was among them, and that the purpose of fasting had already been achieved. That was a time of joy. But when Jesus was taken from among them - a reference to His death on the Cross - they would begin to fast as well. Jesus brought us something new, which we should welcome with joy. We Christians, His disciples, are the people whose promises were fulfilled, unlike the Jews who still await the promised Messiah because they did not accept Jesus...

We have reached the second week of Ordinary Time. We are discovering who Jesus is through His teachings and works. Today the evangelist John tells us about the first sign performed by Jesus in His public life, in the exercise of His ministry, turning water into wine during a wedding in the city of Cana, in Galilee, in response to the request of Mary, His Mother. The Old Testament compared the joy of the arrival of the Messiah promised by God to a wedding, as we can see in today's first reading. Today the prophet Isaiah tells us about God's desire for vindication and victory to shine forth in Zion. The prophet says that Jerusalem would be the Lord's Delight, the Spoused. Isaiah concludes by telling that Zion would be the joy of God, as a virgin is the joy of the young man. How beautiful it is to know that God is in love with us, just like a young engaged couple. It is a strong, pure and true love that we must value and cannot despise. It is a love that saves us and brings us...

At the beginning of Ordinary Time, we are meditating on the Gospel according to Mark, which has as its particularity the so-called "messianic secret", through which Jesus gradually reveals His identity as the Son of God. Jesus wants His disciples to discover that He is the Messiah from the inside out, and not from the outside in, through living with Him and His attitudes, and not through the imposition of truths from above. Today the evangelist Mark tells us about the cure of Simon Peter's mother-in-law and many other people by Jesus, in addition to the expulsion of many demons who wanted to reveal His "messianic secret". The evangelist speaks of Jesus' prayer at dawn in a deserted place, when He decides to go to other places to preach. Mark concludes by saying that Jesus went into the synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout Galilee. At that time - as today - we see how sick people are in body, mind and heart. Illness prevents people from liv...

We are in Ordinary Time, in the first week, meditating on the Gospel according to Mark. It is the first of the four gospels - probably written a little before the year seventy of the Christian era - and the shortest, with only sixteen chapters. Mark certainly inspired Matthew and Luke in the writing of their gospels. Today the evangelist Mark tells us about Jesus who, in the sigagogue of Capernaum, teaches with authority and exorcises a man with an unclean spirit, who was revealing that Jesus was the Holy One of God. Mark says that the people were astonished and amazed, trying to understand the novelty that was happening. The evangelist concludes by saying that Jesus' fame spread throughout the region of Galilee. Jesus continues to teach today through the Church, and it is a teaching that frees people from the alienation that seeks to dominate them ideologically and lead them to self-destruction, taking away their freedom. The more we listen to Jesus' teachings, the freer we ar...

Yesterday we began Ordinary Time. We are in the first week. Full of hope, we will draw closer to Jesus to hear His teachings and learn from His actions. During the week, we will meditate, one by one, on the three synoptic gospels: Mark, Matthew and Luke. We will begin with the gospel of Mark. Today the evangelist Mark tells us about the beginning of Jesus' proclaming and the calling of the first four apostles: Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John. The four were fishermen by profession. Jesus proclamed about the proximity of the Kingdom of God, about repentance and about belief in the Gospel. In order to follow Jesus, the fishermen brothers immediately left their nets and their families and set out. Jesus is the clear sign that the Kingdom of God has come to us. Let us open our ears and hearts to receive this Good News, this Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus proclames to us. Let us leave behind the old life of sin and take possession of the new life in t...

Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. With this feast, the Christmas Season ends and Ordinary Time begins, which is characterized by hope and closeness to Jesus so that we can hear His teachings and learn from His actions. Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the waters of the River Jordan. The evangelist says that the Holy Spirit - in bodily form like a dove - descended upon Jesus while He was praying. Luke says that the voice of God the Father was heard saying that Jesus was His beloved Son, with Him He was well pleased. The Baptism of the Lord is a turning point. Before it, Jesus had His life hidden in Nazareth of Galilee with Mary and Joseph, working as a carpenter. The Bible does not have much information about this stage of Jesus' private life. After His Baptism, Jesus began His public life, carrying out the mission that God the Father entrusted to Him, in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, to save men fro...

This Sunday marks the end of the Christmas Season, with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the cleaning of a man full of leprosy by Jesus. The man believed in Jesus' power to clean and so he fell prostrate and asked Him for his cleaning. The evangelist says that Jesus wished to clean that man, that He used His power to do so, and that the leprosy left him immediately. Luke says that Jesus did not seek fame, ordering the cleaned man not to tell anyone. Despite this, the report about him spread all the more and great crowds sought Him to listen to Him and be cured of their ailments. Then the evangelist concludes by saying that Jesus withdrew to deserted places to pray. We can approach Jesus with confidence, and fall prostrate and asking Him to cure our ailments, because God gave Him the power on earth to do so. Jesus only wishes what is best for us. Let us speak about Jesus to the sick and help them receive the sacrament of the Anointing of...

The Christmas Season is almost over. Today the evangelist Mark tells us about the events that took place after the multiplication of the loaves. Obeying Jesus, the disciples were crossing the Sea of ​​Galilee alone in a boat towards the city of Bethsaida. It was evening, the wind was against them and the disciples were tossed about while rowing. Jesus went off to the mountain to pray. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came toward the disciples walking on the sea. They cried out and were terrified, thinking He was a ghost. Then Jesus identified Himself and encouraged the disciples. And after Jesus got into the boat, the wind died down. Despite this, the disciples were astounded. And because their hearts were hardened, the disciples did not understand about the multiplication of the loaves. How comforting it is to know that Jesus is with us during the difficulties of personal and community life. He has the power to die down the wind and to walk on the sea. The boat of the discip...

The Christmas Season ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which will be next Sunday. Today the evangelist Mark tells us about the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish, in which five thousand men were fed and twelve baskets full of fragments were collected, after Jesus asked His disciples to organize the crowd in rows by hundreds and by fifties and for Jesus to say the blessing, breaking the loaves and dividing the fish. Initially the disciples wanted Jesus to dismiss the people so that they could go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat. But Jesus' answer was that His disciples themselves should give them some food. And they obeyed Him. The evangelist begins by telling us that Jesus saw a vast crowd and His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And then He began to teach them many things. Jesus is just like that: His heart is moved with pity for people in need and abandoned by author...

We are in the last week of Christmas Season, and today the evangelist Matthew tells us about Jesus' move from Nazareth to Capernaum, both cities in Galilee, relating this fact to the prophecy of Isaiah that said that a great light had shone for the people who sit in darkness, in Galilee of the Gentiles. Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, calling people to repent and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven and Its proximity. At the same time, Jesus cured people of diseases, paralysis, epilepsy, and cast out demons. And, as His fame spread, great crowds followed Jesus, coming from Galilee and other regions. Yesterday we celebrated the Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus as the Savior of all peoples. He is the great light that guides the nations. Far from the light of Jesus, people suffer the consequences of personal and social sins. Let us accept Jesus’ invitation to repent. Let us listen attentively to His proclamations and teachings about the com...

We are in the Christmas Season and, on the second Sunday after Christmas, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, a word in Greek that means manifestation. It is Jesus who reveals Himself as the Savior of all nations, represented by the Magi from the East. Today the evangelist Matthew tells us that some Magi, upon seeing a star, knew about the birth of the King of the Jews and, leaving the East and heading to Bethlehem in Judea, came to do homage to the newborn and offer Him gifts. King Herod and the inhabitants of Jerusalem heard about this and were greatly troubled. The star had stopped at the house where Jesus was with Mary and Joseph. The Magi overjoyed. They prostrated themselves and did him homage, offering him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, recognizing His royalty, humanity and divinity. Afterwards, the Magi departed for the East without informing Herod. Those who sincerely seek the truth - like the Magi - will necessarily reach Jesus, who is the light th...

The solemnity of Christmas lasted a week - it is called the Octave of Christmas. But the Christmas Season lasts until the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord. And we still have a few days. Today the evangelist John tells us about John the Baptist who, upon seeing Jesus approaching him, declared that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John the Baptist said that Jesus is greater than him because He existed before him. John the Baptist said that he baptized with water so that Jesus would be revealed to Israel. John the Baptist said that it had been revealed to him who the Son of God would be, the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This would be the one upon whom the Spirit would descend and remain. And John the Baptist testified that he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus, like a dove, and remain in Him. How important Baptism is! We become temples of the Holy Spirit. Jesus continues to baptize today through the Church, which is His Mystical Body. Let us value th...

Merry Christmas and Happy 2025 to all of you! May it be a year full of faith, love, health and prosperity for all of us! And this is how the Catholic Church begins the year: joyfully proclaiming that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God! For non-Catholics, this statement is a source of great disagreement. But for us Catholics, this truth is easy to accept and understand, since Jesus is God the Son and Mary is His biological Mother, so we logically conclude that She is the Mother of God. Of course, not of God the Father nor of God the Holy Spirit, but of God the Son, Jesus. Today the evangelist Luke tells us about the arrival of the shepherds to the infant Jesus, lying in the manger in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph were amazed when the shepherds told them what the angels of the Lord had said about the child. Then the shepherds left, glorifying and praising God. Then, after eight days, the child was circumcised, according to the Law of Moses, and received the name given by the angel...