Homilies

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...

We begin the second week of Ordinary Time with Mother Church, a season characterized by hope and closeness to Jesus, so that we may hear His teachings and learn from His actions. The person of Jesus is extraordinary. We do not yet know Him completely and deeply. If we already knew Him, we would certainly be saints and better human beings; but unfortunately, this has not yet happened, because personal and structural sins still remain and threaten humanity and the environment. We are invited to begin again with greater commitment our following and discipleship, falling in love and being surprised anew by the person of Jesus and by His teachings and actions. Today the evangelist John speaks to us of John the Baptist who, upon seeing Jesus approaching, 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...

Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. With this feast, the Christmas Season ends and Ordinary Time begins, characterized by hope and closeness to Jesus, so that we may hear His teachings and learn from His actions. Today the evangelist Matthew tells us about the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. The evangelist says that the Holy Spirit – in bodily form like a dove – descended upon Jesus. Matthew says that the voice of God the Father was heard saying that Jesus was His beloved Son, and that He was well pleased with Him. When Jesus came to be baptized, John protested, for he was aware of his own smallness before the divine greatness of the Lord. But, after Jesus said that they should fulfill all righteousness, John finally agreed. Certainly, John's Baptism was the final stage of a serious process of preaching and conversion. It was not a trivial event, without preparation, without commitment. It was a discipleship that involved the...

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...

Merry Christmas and Happy 2026 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...