Mass Schedule
SATURDAY
5:00 P.M. - Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church
8:30 A.M. - First Saturday Mass with Devotions (first Saturday of each month only)
SUNDAY
8:00 A.M. - Our Lady of Consolation Church
9:30 A.M. - St. Malachi Church
11:15 A.M. - Schneider Parish Center
Holy Days
7:00 P.M. Vigil Mass, 8:30 A.M. - Our Lady of Consolation Church
Daily Mass
8:30 A.M. - Monday through Friday* at Our Lady of Consolation Church
*First Friday Devotions following Mass on the first Friday of each month
Confession & Adoration
3:30-4:30 P.M. - Saturday at Our Lady of Consolation Church
5:00 P.M. - Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church
8:30 A.M. - First Saturday Mass with Devotions (first Saturday of each month only)
SUNDAY
8:00 A.M. - Our Lady of Consolation Church
9:30 A.M. - St. Malachi Church
11:15 A.M. - Schneider Parish Center
Holy Days
7:00 P.M. Vigil Mass, 8:30 A.M. - Our Lady of Consolation Church
Daily Mass
8:30 A.M. - Monday through Friday* at Our Lady of Consolation Church
*First Friday Devotions following Mass on the first Friday of each month
Confession & Adoration
3:30-4:30 P.M. - Saturday at Our Lady of Consolation Church
Pastor's Corner
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The latest thoughts from Fr. O'Neill can be found in this week's bulletin.
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5-18-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
If someone recognizes you either they know you, or possibly, they may mistake you for a sibling or relative that you resemble. How are we recognized as Christians? By how much we resemble Jesus. Jesus tells His Apostles that all will recognize them by their love for one another.
Love was and is the signature feature of Jesus’ life and ministry. His command to love one another not only draws us into the love of the Father, but that God would draw the world to Himself.
Paul and Barnabas are striving to do this very thing in the first reading from Acts. They are proclaiming the Gospel out of love for God and His people, so that the reign of His love may spread throughout the world.
May we follow this command to love one another as Christ has loved us each day.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
5-11-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we wish all mothers a Happy Mothers’ Day. With Mary our Mother, we pray for all our moms, living and deceased:
All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old. We pray for young mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy. We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away. We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion. We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.
Amen. Happy Mothers’ Day!
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Today we wish all mothers a Happy Mothers’ Day. With Mary our Mother, we pray for all our moms, living and deceased:
All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old. We pray for young mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy. We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away. We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion. We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.
Amen. Happy Mothers’ Day!
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
5-4-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Who doesn’t like a great fishing story? Usually, fishermen are very creative in telling their “fish tales” and over time, somehow, fish grow in size and the drama of catching them increases, too!!
In our Gospel, Peter and the other 10 go fishing, going back to what they knew best. They didn’t have a great time of it at first, until a “stranger” on the shore suggests they cast to the other side of the boat. They did, they had the catch of a lifetime! 153 total. John was the first to recognize that the stranger on the shore was the Lord Himself.
The miraculous catch symbolizes what Jesus said to them long ago: He would make them fishers of men. The huge amount of fish symbolizes that their message of the Risen Christ would “catch” men and women from all over the world and bring them into the Bark (boat) of the Church.
As we continue to celebrate this glorious season of Easter on this Third Sunday of Easter, our readings show us how the Resurrection was preached and made manifest to the early Church and how this gradual “catch” came about.
They also indicate how Jesus’ first followers were strengthened in their faith, becoming enthusiastic and faithful witnesses to the risen Lord. The same Risen Lord strengthens our faith as well. May His Presence make us enthusiastic witnesses to Christ as those first followers were.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Who doesn’t like a great fishing story? Usually, fishermen are very creative in telling their “fish tales” and over time, somehow, fish grow in size and the drama of catching them increases, too!!
In our Gospel, Peter and the other 10 go fishing, going back to what they knew best. They didn’t have a great time of it at first, until a “stranger” on the shore suggests they cast to the other side of the boat. They did, they had the catch of a lifetime! 153 total. John was the first to recognize that the stranger on the shore was the Lord Himself.
The miraculous catch symbolizes what Jesus said to them long ago: He would make them fishers of men. The huge amount of fish symbolizes that their message of the Risen Christ would “catch” men and women from all over the world and bring them into the Bark (boat) of the Church.
As we continue to celebrate this glorious season of Easter on this Third Sunday of Easter, our readings show us how the Resurrection was preached and made manifest to the early Church and how this gradual “catch” came about.
They also indicate how Jesus’ first followers were strengthened in their faith, becoming enthusiastic and faithful witnesses to the risen Lord. The same Risen Lord strengthens our faith as well. May His Presence make us enthusiastic witnesses to Christ as those first followers were.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
4-20-25
EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Lord is Risen, Alleluia! He has Risen indeed, Alleluia! I wish you and your families sincere and joyful Easter blessings! On this Day that the Lord has made, let us truly rejoice and be glad, for the tomb is empty and Jesus Christ, Our Lord is truly Risen. We who are baptized into his death have been raised with Him and are called to proclaim the Good News that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His Name. Christ, our Paschal Lamb has been sacrificed. Let us feast with joy in the Lord and find in the Banquet of the Eucharist in His Word and Sacrament the strength to bear faithful witness to His Resurrection!
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
The Lord is Risen, Alleluia! He has Risen indeed, Alleluia! I wish you and your families sincere and joyful Easter blessings! On this Day that the Lord has made, let us truly rejoice and be glad, for the tomb is empty and Jesus Christ, Our Lord is truly Risen. We who are baptized into his death have been raised with Him and are called to proclaim the Good News that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His Name. Christ, our Paschal Lamb has been sacrificed. Let us feast with joy in the Lord and find in the Banquet of the Eucharist in His Word and Sacrament the strength to bear faithful witness to His Resurrection!
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
4-13-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The joyful singing and shouting of the disciples as they accompany Jesus into His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem is palpable.
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord,” (Lk. 19:40) is their refrain, as palm branches and cloaks are laid down on the road before Jesus. However, in a few short days, the same disciples will be silent and absent as Jesus is led away to His throne on Golgotha, the Cross on which He was crucified under the inscription, “This is the King of the Jews.” (Lk. 23:38)
Desolate and defeated, the disciples are in hiding until the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. As we begin this Holiest of Weeks, how filled with hope, then, can we be that even in times of trial, difficulty, and confusion, or because we are suffering from defeats in life, that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, given to us by Jesus, will give us words and courage to proclaim in full voice, “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:11)
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
The joyful singing and shouting of the disciples as they accompany Jesus into His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem is palpable.
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord,” (Lk. 19:40) is their refrain, as palm branches and cloaks are laid down on the road before Jesus. However, in a few short days, the same disciples will be silent and absent as Jesus is led away to His throne on Golgotha, the Cross on which He was crucified under the inscription, “This is the King of the Jews.” (Lk. 23:38)
Desolate and defeated, the disciples are in hiding until the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. As we begin this Holiest of Weeks, how filled with hope, then, can we be that even in times of trial, difficulty, and confusion, or because we are suffering from defeats in life, that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, given to us by Jesus, will give us words and courage to proclaim in full voice, “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:11)
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
4-6-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today, on this 5th Sunday of Lent, our Gospel passage takes a detour from the Gospel of Luke as we hear from John’s Gospel this weekend. A woman we are told, has been “caught in the very act of adultery” (Jn. 8:4) She does not, nor can she deny the charge, but neither does she protest her innocence. She does not express repentance, either. But, our Lord does not demand that of her.
We might view Jesus’ attitude as “striking.” He is strikingly silent as he writes or doodles on the ground. Take note that when Jesus finally does speak, he does not condemn scornfully, but instead, offers words of love and mercy.
Any accusation that the crowds or any of us for that matter, could have uttered would have been silenced by Jesus’ statement: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn. 8:7).
Commenting on this passage, St. Augustine observed of the encounter between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery that “Misery and Mercy are face to face.” In Jesus’ merciful face, especially when we are in misery, we see God face to face. The unfailing patience, understanding and willingness of God to wait for us to return to Him are unmeasurable.
We recall this same patience and understanding from last week’s Gospel from Luke’s Prodigal Son Parable: the Father was patient with both his sons. God never tires of forgiving us, no matter when and how often we return and seek out His forgiveness. A question for us to ponder: Jesus offered unconditional and gracious pardon to this woman caught in adultery.
He offers it to us, too. To whom do I need to offer this unconditional and gracious patience and pardon?
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Today, on this 5th Sunday of Lent, our Gospel passage takes a detour from the Gospel of Luke as we hear from John’s Gospel this weekend. A woman we are told, has been “caught in the very act of adultery” (Jn. 8:4) She does not, nor can she deny the charge, but neither does she protest her innocence. She does not express repentance, either. But, our Lord does not demand that of her.
We might view Jesus’ attitude as “striking.” He is strikingly silent as he writes or doodles on the ground. Take note that when Jesus finally does speak, he does not condemn scornfully, but instead, offers words of love and mercy.
Any accusation that the crowds or any of us for that matter, could have uttered would have been silenced by Jesus’ statement: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn. 8:7).
Commenting on this passage, St. Augustine observed of the encounter between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery that “Misery and Mercy are face to face.” In Jesus’ merciful face, especially when we are in misery, we see God face to face. The unfailing patience, understanding and willingness of God to wait for us to return to Him are unmeasurable.
We recall this same patience and understanding from last week’s Gospel from Luke’s Prodigal Son Parable: the Father was patient with both his sons. God never tires of forgiving us, no matter when and how often we return and seek out His forgiveness. A question for us to ponder: Jesus offered unconditional and gracious pardon to this woman caught in adultery.
He offers it to us, too. To whom do I need to offer this unconditional and gracious patience and pardon?
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
3-30-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The description of the Passover Celebration in the First Reading from Joshua, with the use of the produce of the Promised Land, is Israel’s “homecoming celebration.” (see Joshua 5:9a, 10-12.) The father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son orders the fatted calf to be killed and a feast prepared, celebrating the “homecoming” of and reconciliation with his lost son, who has now been found.
We can only conclude that since the son had gathered all his belongings at his departure (see Lk. 15:13), the finest robe that was fetched for him belonged to his loving father. The father had broken all taboos by running out to his errant son and embracing him publicly, dismissing any customs of shame and disowning his son in favor of generous compassion.
The ring given to the son was equivalent to a PIN number or family access code. The symbol on the ring was the official seal for all family business. Despite the son’s dissolute life, the father shows him unconditional trust. In addition, the order to bring him sandals elevates his status to beloved son, thereby demonstrating the father’s reconciling forgiveness.
The killing of the fatted calf and the feast was an invitation to the entire household and village to participate in a feast of reconciliation and forgiveness, the homecoming of the son who had been lost. Every time we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are “welcomed home” by the Father.
While we can relate to the prodigal son and his waywardness, what we might miss in this parable is the sin that the father wants to bring in, the son who while physically close, is far away from his father and brother. We need to beware of being the elder son, who refuses to enter, standing outside, incapable of rejoicing and seething with rancor that his unworthy brother now shares in the family’s banquet and life once again. He wanted nothing to do with his brother’s homecoming. His action forces the father to leave the feast in order to plead with and convince him to welcome his brother home.
The son’s reply to his father is one of disowning his brother. He hurts his father by describing what the father must have thought of as loving, family collaboration of caring for the farm as slavery. In contrast with the father’s compassion and mercy, the elder son has laid harsh and severe judgment on his brother and even on his father. Even then, the father’s response is one of love and then an appeal once more to forgive and be reconciled:
"My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found." (Lk. 15:31b-32) This parable, only found in Luke, wants to help us to become more like the father, more like our Heavenly Father, who seeks out the lost and seeks to reconcile, people who like the Father, welcome home those that have been away, even those who have done us wrong.
Our own reconciliation in Christ with God, who is boundless in mercy, means that we are now instruments, agents of reconciliation, as St. Paul relates in the Second Reading (see 2 Cor. 5:18). May we seek ways to be instruments of reconciliation during this Lent in an unconditional and non-judgmental way. Questions for reflection: To whom have you and I behaved like the elder son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son? To whom will you and I, like the father (in imitation of God the Father) be forgiving, welcoming and reconciling? What are some ways that we can be instruments of reconciliation toward others?
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
The description of the Passover Celebration in the First Reading from Joshua, with the use of the produce of the Promised Land, is Israel’s “homecoming celebration.” (see Joshua 5:9a, 10-12.) The father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son orders the fatted calf to be killed and a feast prepared, celebrating the “homecoming” of and reconciliation with his lost son, who has now been found.
We can only conclude that since the son had gathered all his belongings at his departure (see Lk. 15:13), the finest robe that was fetched for him belonged to his loving father. The father had broken all taboos by running out to his errant son and embracing him publicly, dismissing any customs of shame and disowning his son in favor of generous compassion.
The ring given to the son was equivalent to a PIN number or family access code. The symbol on the ring was the official seal for all family business. Despite the son’s dissolute life, the father shows him unconditional trust. In addition, the order to bring him sandals elevates his status to beloved son, thereby demonstrating the father’s reconciling forgiveness.
The killing of the fatted calf and the feast was an invitation to the entire household and village to participate in a feast of reconciliation and forgiveness, the homecoming of the son who had been lost. Every time we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are “welcomed home” by the Father.
While we can relate to the prodigal son and his waywardness, what we might miss in this parable is the sin that the father wants to bring in, the son who while physically close, is far away from his father and brother. We need to beware of being the elder son, who refuses to enter, standing outside, incapable of rejoicing and seething with rancor that his unworthy brother now shares in the family’s banquet and life once again. He wanted nothing to do with his brother’s homecoming. His action forces the father to leave the feast in order to plead with and convince him to welcome his brother home.
The son’s reply to his father is one of disowning his brother. He hurts his father by describing what the father must have thought of as loving, family collaboration of caring for the farm as slavery. In contrast with the father’s compassion and mercy, the elder son has laid harsh and severe judgment on his brother and even on his father. Even then, the father’s response is one of love and then an appeal once more to forgive and be reconciled:
"My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found." (Lk. 15:31b-32) This parable, only found in Luke, wants to help us to become more like the father, more like our Heavenly Father, who seeks out the lost and seeks to reconcile, people who like the Father, welcome home those that have been away, even those who have done us wrong.
Our own reconciliation in Christ with God, who is boundless in mercy, means that we are now instruments, agents of reconciliation, as St. Paul relates in the Second Reading (see 2 Cor. 5:18). May we seek ways to be instruments of reconciliation during this Lent in an unconditional and non-judgmental way. Questions for reflection: To whom have you and I behaved like the elder son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son? To whom will you and I, like the father (in imitation of God the Father) be forgiving, welcoming and reconciling? What are some ways that we can be instruments of reconciliation toward others?
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
3-23-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hear about two current events--current at the time Jesus was preaching--that our Lord used to instruct His listeners in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13. One apparently refers to Pilate’s “mingling the blood of Galileans with the blood of their sacrifices.” Evidently, Pilate murdered these Galileans while they were engaged in ritual worship, perhaps during one of the great Jewish feasts.
He may have done so to send a message as a consequence of a revolt. The Galileans were particularly problematic for the Romans and Pilate was making his authority known to teach them a lesson. Regardless of what the actual historical details were, Jesus’ point is that it wasn’t because of any fault of their own that these particular Galileans suffered grievously.
Jesus also speaks about a tragic accident when a tower near the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem fell and killed 18 people. This was an unexpected event and certainly no moral culpability was the cause of their untimely death. In Jesus’ time, the people believed that these events were a sign that the victims or their families were being punished by God for some sin they or family members committed, even random things like these two incidents, and these were the just consequences of their iniquities.
Jesus says with clarity that this is not the case with God. God does not act in this way. However, what Jesus does teach is that we need to be prepared for all possibilities. We know not the day or the hour when our earthly lives will end and we will be called to give an accounting for how we lived the gift of our lives.
Jesus is the Rock onto which we cling for mercy, but our responsibility is being prepared, to do our part in working out our salvation. We cannot take for granted the mercy and love of God. God desires our full participation in cooperating with His grace as we journey through life.
Lent certainly is a time to work on our preparedness and to connect again with His grace to live out our faith journey. May God’s gracious assistance help us to be prepared and ready to respond to whatever life throws at us.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
We hear about two current events--current at the time Jesus was preaching--that our Lord used to instruct His listeners in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13. One apparently refers to Pilate’s “mingling the blood of Galileans with the blood of their sacrifices.” Evidently, Pilate murdered these Galileans while they were engaged in ritual worship, perhaps during one of the great Jewish feasts.
He may have done so to send a message as a consequence of a revolt. The Galileans were particularly problematic for the Romans and Pilate was making his authority known to teach them a lesson. Regardless of what the actual historical details were, Jesus’ point is that it wasn’t because of any fault of their own that these particular Galileans suffered grievously.
Jesus also speaks about a tragic accident when a tower near the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem fell and killed 18 people. This was an unexpected event and certainly no moral culpability was the cause of their untimely death. In Jesus’ time, the people believed that these events were a sign that the victims or their families were being punished by God for some sin they or family members committed, even random things like these two incidents, and these were the just consequences of their iniquities.
Jesus says with clarity that this is not the case with God. God does not act in this way. However, what Jesus does teach is that we need to be prepared for all possibilities. We know not the day or the hour when our earthly lives will end and we will be called to give an accounting for how we lived the gift of our lives.
Jesus is the Rock onto which we cling for mercy, but our responsibility is being prepared, to do our part in working out our salvation. We cannot take for granted the mercy and love of God. God desires our full participation in cooperating with His grace as we journey through life.
Lent certainly is a time to work on our preparedness and to connect again with His grace to live out our faith journey. May God’s gracious assistance help us to be prepared and ready to respond to whatever life throws at us.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
3-16-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our Gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Lent always presents to us the great event of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, this year from the Gospel of Luke. The voice of God the Father exhorts Peter, James and John and all who could hear it (and us!): “This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.”
Unlike the uncertainty, confusion or unclarity of some words we hear throughout a given day, the Father’s words are clear. We have no need to worry in listening to what Christ says to us, as so many who heard Him preach said that He spoke with authority.
Knowing this, however, we struggle to listen to Jesus’ words to us. We know they are truth, that He is Himself, indeed, the Way, the Truth and the Life and has only the best for us in our following Him. But, to take up our cross daily and follow Him, to enter through the narrow gate, to love and forgive our enemies, to seek out and help the poor from our own hearts usually gets drowned out by other words that we allow to take precedence. An integral part of our Lenten journey and our life as disciples of Jesus is listening.
Lent invites us to hear and listen once again to the words of Jesus, who is the Word of God. What a wonderful thing it would be to take up and focus on the words of Jesus that our Father commands us to listen to. May I offer a suggestion? Take up one of the Gospels--Mark is the shortest, Matthew contains many of Jesus’ teachings, Luke is the Gospel we hear from throughout this liturgical year (and Café and myself are offering a study of Luke’s Gospel) and has so many familiar parables and uniquely shows the universal message of Christ to all--and read it in one sitting.
As we get closer to Holy Week, maybe we could read St. John’s Gospel. Now, we may think that we’ve heard it all before and we know the various passages and words and actions of our Lord. But, I guarantee you that you will see, notice, in essence “hear” the words of Jesus in a new and different way.
The late Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., in his book, “The King, Crucified and Risen: Meditations on the Passion and Glory of Christ,” shares that when he spent time in jail for praying a rosary outside of an abortion clinic, was only allowed one book: his Bible. While in his cell, he relates that he read whole books of the Scriptures.
As fruitful as this was, he found that after reading the Gospels in one sitting, something different happened. He said that every time he concluded reading a Gospel in one sitting, he had “the experience of knowing Jesus as I had never known Him before. “In fact,” Fr. Groeschel continues, “the clarity of each evangelist’s picture of Him, most of all the power of His words, electrified me.” (pp. 46-47)
In reading the Gospels in this way, see how a word, an idea comes into your heart and mind that you know does not originate from you, but from the words of the Gospel. Allow the words of the Father to remind you to “listen” to the words of His Son.
Believe that this is the word or words that Jesus has for you to respond to as you continue through Lent, a word of renewal and grace for you, a word of conversion, of “changing the mindset,” an invitation to follow Him anew, not fearing the Cross, but seeing it as the entrance into new life in Him
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Our Gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Lent always presents to us the great event of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, this year from the Gospel of Luke. The voice of God the Father exhorts Peter, James and John and all who could hear it (and us!): “This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.”
Unlike the uncertainty, confusion or unclarity of some words we hear throughout a given day, the Father’s words are clear. We have no need to worry in listening to what Christ says to us, as so many who heard Him preach said that He spoke with authority.
Knowing this, however, we struggle to listen to Jesus’ words to us. We know they are truth, that He is Himself, indeed, the Way, the Truth and the Life and has only the best for us in our following Him. But, to take up our cross daily and follow Him, to enter through the narrow gate, to love and forgive our enemies, to seek out and help the poor from our own hearts usually gets drowned out by other words that we allow to take precedence. An integral part of our Lenten journey and our life as disciples of Jesus is listening.
Lent invites us to hear and listen once again to the words of Jesus, who is the Word of God. What a wonderful thing it would be to take up and focus on the words of Jesus that our Father commands us to listen to. May I offer a suggestion? Take up one of the Gospels--Mark is the shortest, Matthew contains many of Jesus’ teachings, Luke is the Gospel we hear from throughout this liturgical year (and Café and myself are offering a study of Luke’s Gospel) and has so many familiar parables and uniquely shows the universal message of Christ to all--and read it in one sitting.
As we get closer to Holy Week, maybe we could read St. John’s Gospel. Now, we may think that we’ve heard it all before and we know the various passages and words and actions of our Lord. But, I guarantee you that you will see, notice, in essence “hear” the words of Jesus in a new and different way.
The late Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., in his book, “The King, Crucified and Risen: Meditations on the Passion and Glory of Christ,” shares that when he spent time in jail for praying a rosary outside of an abortion clinic, was only allowed one book: his Bible. While in his cell, he relates that he read whole books of the Scriptures.
As fruitful as this was, he found that after reading the Gospels in one sitting, something different happened. He said that every time he concluded reading a Gospel in one sitting, he had “the experience of knowing Jesus as I had never known Him before. “In fact,” Fr. Groeschel continues, “the clarity of each evangelist’s picture of Him, most of all the power of His words, electrified me.” (pp. 46-47)
In reading the Gospels in this way, see how a word, an idea comes into your heart and mind that you know does not originate from you, but from the words of the Gospel. Allow the words of the Father to remind you to “listen” to the words of His Son.
Believe that this is the word or words that Jesus has for you to respond to as you continue through Lent, a word of renewal and grace for you, a word of conversion, of “changing the mindset,” an invitation to follow Him anew, not fearing the Cross, but seeing it as the entrance into new life in Him
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
3-9-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Please see this week's Bulletin.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Please see this week's Bulletin.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
3-2-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We often have check lists when we’re preparing to do something: a shopping list for the store, a to-do list of various chores/ activities for a particular day, a check list when preparing for a trip, etc. This coming Wednesday, March 5th, we will once again begin our journey through the Holy Season of Lent, a time of preparation for the central Mysteries of our faith, the Paschal Mysteries of the Passions, Death and Resurrection of Christ our Lord.
As we “prepare to be prepared,” we might have come up with a few things for Lent, or maybe not. Usually, our default is, “Ok, what am I going to give up this year?” And, we might pick things like chocolate, or our favorite snacks, etc. That’s certainly all well and good, but Jesus gives us some insight on coming up with a check list that might lead to a more fruitful Lenten experience.
To begin with, I suggest we go back to last week’s Gospel reading (Lk. 6:27-38) and prayerfully reflect on it. It can serve as an examination of conscience of sorts. Jesus exhorts us to be forgiving, generous, to treat others as we would want them to treat us, to not judge, etc. He also teaches us that we need to look at our actions/ways of living and to honestly ask ourselves if we can see a difference in how we live and how the rest of the world does. Lending, helping, loving not just those we like or love, but those who even don’t love us back. This is what distinguishes us from being Christian from the rest of the world.
Jesus goes a bit deeper in His Sermon on the Plane in Luke’s Gospel today. (Lk.6:39-45) A major theme that our Lord focuses on is our integrity: a correlation between our speech and our actions that are in sync. The first reading from Sirach uses an apt image of a sieve shaken to reveal the husks of bean stalks or corn, which are no good for consumption. The comparison is that just as the husks appear when the sieve is shaken, so too our true interior faults when we speak. Our words identify our actions and our
actions flesh out the words we first formulate in our minds and on our lips.
This is part of the check list of our Lenten journey that Jesus invites us to include. Lenten challenges us to be renewed from within, including our mindset and approach to living, which goes deeper than what is on the surface. This is all part of the work of being transformed by Christ into the persons He calls us to be.
That transformation, despite the contrary notion we might get from reading this section of Luke, is possible. It is possible because with Jesus, all things are possible, left to ourselves, not so much. It’s pretty awesome to see the Church present these readings today just as we are preparing on the threshold of Lent. These readings don’t come up this way every year, so it is a blessing that we have this to reflect on. Let us, therefore add this to the list: how do our words and actions, the intentions of our hearts jive together?
As we seek to open our hearts to God’s grace and make this coming Lent a truly fruitful time of renewal, may we ask the Lord to help us in all areas of our lives in need of conversion and offer what we do as a gift to God our Father.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
We often have check lists when we’re preparing to do something: a shopping list for the store, a to-do list of various chores/ activities for a particular day, a check list when preparing for a trip, etc. This coming Wednesday, March 5th, we will once again begin our journey through the Holy Season of Lent, a time of preparation for the central Mysteries of our faith, the Paschal Mysteries of the Passions, Death and Resurrection of Christ our Lord.
As we “prepare to be prepared,” we might have come up with a few things for Lent, or maybe not. Usually, our default is, “Ok, what am I going to give up this year?” And, we might pick things like chocolate, or our favorite snacks, etc. That’s certainly all well and good, but Jesus gives us some insight on coming up with a check list that might lead to a more fruitful Lenten experience.
To begin with, I suggest we go back to last week’s Gospel reading (Lk. 6:27-38) and prayerfully reflect on it. It can serve as an examination of conscience of sorts. Jesus exhorts us to be forgiving, generous, to treat others as we would want them to treat us, to not judge, etc. He also teaches us that we need to look at our actions/ways of living and to honestly ask ourselves if we can see a difference in how we live and how the rest of the world does. Lending, helping, loving not just those we like or love, but those who even don’t love us back. This is what distinguishes us from being Christian from the rest of the world.
Jesus goes a bit deeper in His Sermon on the Plane in Luke’s Gospel today. (Lk.6:39-45) A major theme that our Lord focuses on is our integrity: a correlation between our speech and our actions that are in sync. The first reading from Sirach uses an apt image of a sieve shaken to reveal the husks of bean stalks or corn, which are no good for consumption. The comparison is that just as the husks appear when the sieve is shaken, so too our true interior faults when we speak. Our words identify our actions and our
actions flesh out the words we first formulate in our minds and on our lips.
This is part of the check list of our Lenten journey that Jesus invites us to include. Lenten challenges us to be renewed from within, including our mindset and approach to living, which goes deeper than what is on the surface. This is all part of the work of being transformed by Christ into the persons He calls us to be.
That transformation, despite the contrary notion we might get from reading this section of Luke, is possible. It is possible because with Jesus, all things are possible, left to ourselves, not so much. It’s pretty awesome to see the Church present these readings today just as we are preparing on the threshold of Lent. These readings don’t come up this way every year, so it is a blessing that we have this to reflect on. Let us, therefore add this to the list: how do our words and actions, the intentions of our hearts jive together?
As we seek to open our hearts to God’s grace and make this coming Lent a truly fruitful time of renewal, may we ask the Lord to help us in all areas of our lives in need of conversion and offer what we do as a gift to God our Father.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
2-23-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As Jesus continues to preach His Sermon on the Plain of Luke's Gospel, He presents to the crowds something more than the Golden Rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us: the rule of mercy. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Lk. 6:27b-28) He teaches that we must be merciful, not only because it is the "correct" thing to do, but to "be merciful as your Father is merciful." ( Lk. 6:36)
The implication here is this: since we have been created in God's image and likeness, and God is merciful, it follows that we have been created to be merciful. This is something Jesus wanted to remind all of His hearers to consider, not merely His disciples. Being merciful is part of our being, part of what it means to be a human being. Is it not true that the word "humane" refers to being merciful, a word that derives from the word "human"? Often in conversation, we would say how downright "inhuman" it is when we see senseless acts of violence, treachery or abuse of fellow human beings toward other human beings. Humanity is synonymous with mercy. To be human is to be merciful and to respect the dignity of our brother and sisters on a simply human level.
To begin His teaching, Jesus begins with the foundation of our human nature, which was damaged by sin, to begin His work of restoring us to our "roots" of more clearly and distinctly reflecting the image and likeness of our merciful God and Creator.
Jesus does more than preach words on this topic: we know that the very words He spoke as He began His ministry would one day become manifest in the extreme on Good Friday. The crowds hated Him, cursed Him, mistreated Him with taunts and spat on Him. His response was that which is at the core of our humanity, a response that was to restore our fallen human nature to elevate it to its true "default": mercy.
He forgave them all, prayed for them and asked His Father to forgive them from the Cross. You and I know that each day presents us with many opportunities for us to respond in mercy, to forgive. Yet, we often fall way short of that. We can even have difficulty forgiving ourselves for our lack of mercy and our selfishness. We feel this way because it's contrary to who we are as human beings, created by Mercy for mercy.
How can we put a little more mercy into the encounters with others and the situations we will deal with this week? May the life giving Holy Spirit, the Spirit of mercy Himself fill our hearts with mercy, compassion, patience and love for others.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
As Jesus continues to preach His Sermon on the Plain of Luke's Gospel, He presents to the crowds something more than the Golden Rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us: the rule of mercy. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Lk. 6:27b-28) He teaches that we must be merciful, not only because it is the "correct" thing to do, but to "be merciful as your Father is merciful." ( Lk. 6:36)
The implication here is this: since we have been created in God's image and likeness, and God is merciful, it follows that we have been created to be merciful. This is something Jesus wanted to remind all of His hearers to consider, not merely His disciples. Being merciful is part of our being, part of what it means to be a human being. Is it not true that the word "humane" refers to being merciful, a word that derives from the word "human"? Often in conversation, we would say how downright "inhuman" it is when we see senseless acts of violence, treachery or abuse of fellow human beings toward other human beings. Humanity is synonymous with mercy. To be human is to be merciful and to respect the dignity of our brother and sisters on a simply human level.
To begin His teaching, Jesus begins with the foundation of our human nature, which was damaged by sin, to begin His work of restoring us to our "roots" of more clearly and distinctly reflecting the image and likeness of our merciful God and Creator.
Jesus does more than preach words on this topic: we know that the very words He spoke as He began His ministry would one day become manifest in the extreme on Good Friday. The crowds hated Him, cursed Him, mistreated Him with taunts and spat on Him. His response was that which is at the core of our humanity, a response that was to restore our fallen human nature to elevate it to its true "default": mercy.
He forgave them all, prayed for them and asked His Father to forgive them from the Cross. You and I know that each day presents us with many opportunities for us to respond in mercy, to forgive. Yet, we often fall way short of that. We can even have difficulty forgiving ourselves for our lack of mercy and our selfishness. We feel this way because it's contrary to who we are as human beings, created by Mercy for mercy.
How can we put a little more mercy into the encounters with others and the situations we will deal with this week? May the life giving Holy Spirit, the Spirit of mercy Himself fill our hearts with mercy, compassion, patience and love for others.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
2-16-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today, we hear Luke's version of the Beatitudes. His account of the Beatitudes is more challenging than that of Matthew, with which we are more accustomed. In Luke's version, immediately following the Beatitudes are the corresponding "woes."
As we listen to the Gospel today, let’s take the time to consider which of the latter apply to us: how can you and I change our style of living to be more confirmed to the Beatitudes? How can I receive God's blessings in such a way that I can help others receive them, too?
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Today, we hear Luke's version of the Beatitudes. His account of the Beatitudes is more challenging than that of Matthew, with which we are more accustomed. In Luke's version, immediately following the Beatitudes are the corresponding "woes."
As we listen to the Gospel today, let’s take the time to consider which of the latter apply to us: how can you and I change our style of living to be more confirmed to the Beatitudes? How can I receive God's blessings in such a way that I can help others receive them, too?
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
2-9-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Luke’s Gospel passage for this Sunday depicts Jesus encountering Peter and his brother Andrew washing their nets after a long night of very slow fishing--nothing caught. They got skunked! For all you fishermen out there, I think we’ve all had that humbling experience, I know I sure have!
Jesus tells Peter to put the boat out a little ways, then instructs him to lower their nets for a catch--The Catch of a lifetime! We can only wonder that Peter and Andrew might have been tired, that pride could have entered in just a bit. After all, this was their livelihood, was this Jesus serious? Then again, if He knew where the fish were, who were they to argue!! It is in this miraculous experience that Peter recognizes the power and holiness of Jesus: “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”(Mk. 5:8) Jesus assured him that from now on he will be catching men.
Like Isaiah in the first reading, who experiences the call of God to be a prophet while worshipping in the Temple, or Paul called on his way to Damascus, Peter is called in the midst of his normal, everyday activity to share in the ministry that Christ is inaugurating. Right from the beginning, Jesus starts His mission by calling and inviting others to share in and continue that same mission.
That is the case for us, too. First of all, when “Christ is in our boat,” that is, with Christ in our lives, allowing Him to guide us, in the midst of our daily lives. As things change, things get better. That doesn’t mean that we will always have that miraculous catch of fish, but our everyday, ordinary activity will be consecrated and empowered by Christ in faith, even when things don’t exactly appear great on the outside. We are called to witness to Christ each day. That’s how we continue His mission. We are called and sent to announce that He has died, He has risen and He will return in glory. At the heart of all ministry in the Church, the Body of Christ is this core message and it is the gist of Paul’s message to the Corinthian community that we hear in the Second Reading.
In some cases, like those first Christians, we may proclaim this message of the death and Resurrection of Christ will be done in a very open and obvious ways: caring for the dying, the sick, the elderly, teaching the faith and proclaiming it in word and action, in our defense of the faith and of the unborn.
Also, it takes place in less conspicuous ways. Comforting a coworker who has suffered loss, or has just been diagnosed with cancer, working for just resolutions at work or at school, steering a gossipy conversation to another more charitable one, etc. Using tasteful humor to bring joy to someone who is discouraged or down in the dumps.
n all these ordinary aspects of our daily lives, we are called and sent to carry the dying and rising of Christ in the particular ways that God has blessed us. May we heed His call and carry on Jesus’ mission, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through His presence and grace in the “boat” of our lives.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Luke’s Gospel passage for this Sunday depicts Jesus encountering Peter and his brother Andrew washing their nets after a long night of very slow fishing--nothing caught. They got skunked! For all you fishermen out there, I think we’ve all had that humbling experience, I know I sure have!
Jesus tells Peter to put the boat out a little ways, then instructs him to lower their nets for a catch--The Catch of a lifetime! We can only wonder that Peter and Andrew might have been tired, that pride could have entered in just a bit. After all, this was their livelihood, was this Jesus serious? Then again, if He knew where the fish were, who were they to argue!! It is in this miraculous experience that Peter recognizes the power and holiness of Jesus: “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”(Mk. 5:8) Jesus assured him that from now on he will be catching men.
Like Isaiah in the first reading, who experiences the call of God to be a prophet while worshipping in the Temple, or Paul called on his way to Damascus, Peter is called in the midst of his normal, everyday activity to share in the ministry that Christ is inaugurating. Right from the beginning, Jesus starts His mission by calling and inviting others to share in and continue that same mission.
That is the case for us, too. First of all, when “Christ is in our boat,” that is, with Christ in our lives, allowing Him to guide us, in the midst of our daily lives. As things change, things get better. That doesn’t mean that we will always have that miraculous catch of fish, but our everyday, ordinary activity will be consecrated and empowered by Christ in faith, even when things don’t exactly appear great on the outside. We are called to witness to Christ each day. That’s how we continue His mission. We are called and sent to announce that He has died, He has risen and He will return in glory. At the heart of all ministry in the Church, the Body of Christ is this core message and it is the gist of Paul’s message to the Corinthian community that we hear in the Second Reading.
In some cases, like those first Christians, we may proclaim this message of the death and Resurrection of Christ will be done in a very open and obvious ways: caring for the dying, the sick, the elderly, teaching the faith and proclaiming it in word and action, in our defense of the faith and of the unborn.
Also, it takes place in less conspicuous ways. Comforting a coworker who has suffered loss, or has just been diagnosed with cancer, working for just resolutions at work or at school, steering a gossipy conversation to another more charitable one, etc. Using tasteful humor to bring joy to someone who is discouraged or down in the dumps.
n all these ordinary aspects of our daily lives, we are called and sent to carry the dying and rising of Christ in the particular ways that God has blessed us. May we heed His call and carry on Jesus’ mission, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through His presence and grace in the “boat” of our lives.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
1-19-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Newness is the focus for our readings this Sunday. The first reading from Isaiah and the Gospel highlight marriage as a creation of a new union, and highlights marriage as an image of the union we have with God and the salvation that He gives to us in Christ. Jesus, too, experienced a call to something new. At the wedding feast at Cana, we see yet another Epiphany of Jesus, a public manifestation of who He is. In fact, the Fathers of the Church would speak of this event, along with His Baptism as part of the Epiphany. Through Mary’s intercession, Jesus performs His first “sign,” the miracle of the water transformed into wine, thus beginning His public ministry. This wine was something new and better than the previous wine offered. With this new beginning, Jesus would put into motion the fulfillment of transforming the world into a new creation of God. The new wine represents the newness that Jesus brings. Christmas was the season when we saw the in-breaking of God’s newness. Ordinary Time shows us how this newness transforms the world and this includes us. In Baptism, we have become a new creation. We received a new name, we are the delight and the espoused of God, His Holy People. We have been called and sent out as disciples of Jesus to continue His mission. May we see “what’s new” today and each day as we taste and see the goodness and newness of the Lord in the Eucharist.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Newness is the focus for our readings this Sunday. The first reading from Isaiah and the Gospel highlight marriage as a creation of a new union, and highlights marriage as an image of the union we have with God and the salvation that He gives to us in Christ. Jesus, too, experienced a call to something new. At the wedding feast at Cana, we see yet another Epiphany of Jesus, a public manifestation of who He is. In fact, the Fathers of the Church would speak of this event, along with His Baptism as part of the Epiphany. Through Mary’s intercession, Jesus performs His first “sign,” the miracle of the water transformed into wine, thus beginning His public ministry. This wine was something new and better than the previous wine offered. With this new beginning, Jesus would put into motion the fulfillment of transforming the world into a new creation of God. The new wine represents the newness that Jesus brings. Christmas was the season when we saw the in-breaking of God’s newness. Ordinary Time shows us how this newness transforms the world and this includes us. In Baptism, we have become a new creation. We received a new name, we are the delight and the espoused of God, His Holy People. We have been called and sent out as disciples of Jesus to continue His mission. May we see “what’s new” today and each day as we taste and see the goodness and newness of the Lord in the Eucharist.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
1-12-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today, the Church concludes the Christmas Season with the great Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Fathers of the Church long held this Feast as critical to the Incarnation of Jesus and His birth among us as our Savior. Certainly it is key for our own sanctification in the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism, it is also key to the sanctification of all human activity and the Church’s activity. St. Gregory Nazianzan, Bishop and Doctor of the Church and one of the greatest of Church Fathers once wrote on this subject: “Perhaps [Jesus] comes to sanctify his baptizer; certainly he comes to bury sinful humanity in the waters. He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake and in readiness for us; he who is spirit and flesh comes to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water.” The Church’s Dicastery for the Clergy has a beautifully written explanation of today’s Feast: “The mystery of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by St John, the Precursor, proposes the contemplation of an already adult Jesus. This mystery is infinitely linked to the Solemnities of the Lord’s birth and the Epiphany that we have just celebrated, as in some ways it takes up and represents their significance to us. At Christmas we have contemplated the human birth of the Word incarnate by the Virgin Mary.
In the 4th century, the Fathers of the Church deepened the understanding of the faith with regard to the Christmas mystery in the light of Jesus’ Humanity. They spoke of the Incarnation of the Word already working like the ‘Christification’ of that humanity that he had assumed from His mother. Or put in simpler terms: Jesus is the Christ from the first instant of conception in Mary’s spotless womb because He Himself, with His Divine Power, consecrated, anointed and ‘Christified’ that human nature with which He became incarnate. In the mystery of the Epiphany, we then meditated on Christ’s manifestation to all nations that was represented by the Magi, the wise men from the East, who came to adore the Child.
Now, in the mystery of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan River, we again encounter and represent the truth of the Lord’s incarnation and His manifestation as the Christ. Jesus’ Baptism is in fact His definitive manifestation as the Messiah or Christ to Israel, and as the Son of the Father to the entire world. Here we find the dimension of the Epiphany which was His manifestation to all nations. The Father’s voice from heaven shows that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows the Trinitarian nature of the Christian God. The true and unique God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, shows Himself in Christ, through Him, with Him and in Him. The Baptism in the Jordan returns to the great Christmas theme of ‘Christification,’ Jesus of Nazareth's spiritual anointing, His presentation as the Anointed One par excellence, the Messiah or the One sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind. The Spirit that descended on Jesus shows and seals in an incontrovertible way the ‘Christification’ of Jesus’ humanity that the Word had already fulfilled from the first moment of His miraculous conception by Mary. Jesus, from the very beginning, was always the Lord’s Christ, He was always God. Yet, His one, true humanity, that which is perfect in every way, as the Gospel records, constantly grew in natural and supernatural perfection. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men’ (Lk2:52). In Israel at 30 years of age, one reached full maturity and therefore could become a master. Jesus came of age and the Spirit, descending and remaining on Him, definitively consecrated His whole being as the Christ.
The same Spirit, that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. ‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realized what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Pope Benedict XVI, (Joseph Ratzinger), Jesus of Nazareth, Bloomsbury 2007, p 18).” —Excerpted from the Decastery for the Clergy.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Today, the Church concludes the Christmas Season with the great Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Fathers of the Church long held this Feast as critical to the Incarnation of Jesus and His birth among us as our Savior. Certainly it is key for our own sanctification in the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism, it is also key to the sanctification of all human activity and the Church’s activity. St. Gregory Nazianzan, Bishop and Doctor of the Church and one of the greatest of Church Fathers once wrote on this subject: “Perhaps [Jesus] comes to sanctify his baptizer; certainly he comes to bury sinful humanity in the waters. He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake and in readiness for us; he who is spirit and flesh comes to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water.” The Church’s Dicastery for the Clergy has a beautifully written explanation of today’s Feast: “The mystery of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by St John, the Precursor, proposes the contemplation of an already adult Jesus. This mystery is infinitely linked to the Solemnities of the Lord’s birth and the Epiphany that we have just celebrated, as in some ways it takes up and represents their significance to us. At Christmas we have contemplated the human birth of the Word incarnate by the Virgin Mary.
In the 4th century, the Fathers of the Church deepened the understanding of the faith with regard to the Christmas mystery in the light of Jesus’ Humanity. They spoke of the Incarnation of the Word already working like the ‘Christification’ of that humanity that he had assumed from His mother. Or put in simpler terms: Jesus is the Christ from the first instant of conception in Mary’s spotless womb because He Himself, with His Divine Power, consecrated, anointed and ‘Christified’ that human nature with which He became incarnate. In the mystery of the Epiphany, we then meditated on Christ’s manifestation to all nations that was represented by the Magi, the wise men from the East, who came to adore the Child.
Now, in the mystery of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan River, we again encounter and represent the truth of the Lord’s incarnation and His manifestation as the Christ. Jesus’ Baptism is in fact His definitive manifestation as the Messiah or Christ to Israel, and as the Son of the Father to the entire world. Here we find the dimension of the Epiphany which was His manifestation to all nations. The Father’s voice from heaven shows that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows the Trinitarian nature of the Christian God. The true and unique God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, shows Himself in Christ, through Him, with Him and in Him. The Baptism in the Jordan returns to the great Christmas theme of ‘Christification,’ Jesus of Nazareth's spiritual anointing, His presentation as the Anointed One par excellence, the Messiah or the One sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind. The Spirit that descended on Jesus shows and seals in an incontrovertible way the ‘Christification’ of Jesus’ humanity that the Word had already fulfilled from the first moment of His miraculous conception by Mary. Jesus, from the very beginning, was always the Lord’s Christ, He was always God. Yet, His one, true humanity, that which is perfect in every way, as the Gospel records, constantly grew in natural and supernatural perfection. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men’ (Lk2:52). In Israel at 30 years of age, one reached full maturity and therefore could become a master. Jesus came of age and the Spirit, descending and remaining on Him, definitively consecrated His whole being as the Christ.
The same Spirit, that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. ‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realized what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Pope Benedict XVI, (Joseph Ratzinger), Jesus of Nazareth, Bloomsbury 2007, p 18).” —Excerpted from the Decastery for the Clergy.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
1-5-25
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! Pope Francis recounts that we each have “2 books” that provide signs to guide us in our earthly pilgrimage: the book of creation and the book of scripture. The star which the Magi followed was discovered by the natural light of human reason. It is part of the created world. They found Jerusalem based upon divine revelation based in the Scriptures. This would require the gift of faith, which only God can give to us. Surely, following the star must have cost the Magi dearly in money, resources and travel time. However, even more costly was the price of conversion demanded by scripture. They did not find, as they expected, the newborn King in the palace in Jerusalem. Rather, it was a power-thirsty, pathetic, greedy and homicidal king in Herod the Tetrarch. By the guidance of the prophecies of Scriptures, they changed up their journey toward a sleepy, forgotten village of Bethlehem. It was by this humbling of themselves that they were able to find at last their true destination. Following the “star” of divine inspiration, a deeper challenge arose for them: Could they see in a powerless and tiny child, born to poor parents without status, the mystery of Emmanuel, God-with-us? We know they did, for we are told that they prostrated themselves before the Christ-child and opened their coffers and presented Him with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi, in their journey of discovering Christ, also call us to a new challenge of conversion: They show us that we encounter God in a personal way, not in the passing splendor of earthly wealth or power, but in the gentle and humble love of God. May we, like the Magi, set our course during this New Year by the brilliant star of God’s unfathomable mercy and the love of Christ.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! Pope Francis recounts that we each have “2 books” that provide signs to guide us in our earthly pilgrimage: the book of creation and the book of scripture. The star which the Magi followed was discovered by the natural light of human reason. It is part of the created world. They found Jerusalem based upon divine revelation based in the Scriptures. This would require the gift of faith, which only God can give to us. Surely, following the star must have cost the Magi dearly in money, resources and travel time. However, even more costly was the price of conversion demanded by scripture. They did not find, as they expected, the newborn King in the palace in Jerusalem. Rather, it was a power-thirsty, pathetic, greedy and homicidal king in Herod the Tetrarch. By the guidance of the prophecies of Scriptures, they changed up their journey toward a sleepy, forgotten village of Bethlehem. It was by this humbling of themselves that they were able to find at last their true destination. Following the “star” of divine inspiration, a deeper challenge arose for them: Could they see in a powerless and tiny child, born to poor parents without status, the mystery of Emmanuel, God-with-us? We know they did, for we are told that they prostrated themselves before the Christ-child and opened their coffers and presented Him with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi, in their journey of discovering Christ, also call us to a new challenge of conversion: They show us that we encounter God in a personal way, not in the passing splendor of earthly wealth or power, but in the gentle and humble love of God. May we, like the Magi, set our course during this New Year by the brilliant star of God’s unfathomable mercy and the love of Christ.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. O’Neill
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