Ad Jesum per Mariam

The Mystery of Belonging: Receiving the Kingdom as a Child The readings today explore the profound mystery . . . . . . behind Jesus’ invitation for children to come to Him. We all have heard the story of Jesus holding a child. But do we really understand the meaning behind the mystery? The Essence of Being a Child It emphasizes that the essence of being a child is belonging—to a family, to one ano...

Walking in Wisdom: Preparing for Lent with Sirach As the Catholic Church approaches the Lenten season; we stand at the threshold of a sacred time—a time to reflect on the profound mystery of our salvation and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Lent calls us to renew our baptismal promises and deepen our spiritual journey. But why is this reflection so essential? Discover more in today’s homily. A Time...

The Chair of St. Peter: A Seat of Authority and Faith The Church emphasizes the significance of the Chair of St. Peter, . . . . . . on this Feast Day, which symbolizes the authority and witness of the Apostle Peter and his successors. It explores the meaning of a chair as a place of rest, stability, and authority, linking it to the role of Peter as the foundation of the Church. The homily highligh...

The Strength of Restraint: Lessons from David and Jesus The Homily reflects on a challenging Gospel passage that urges . . . . . . believers to transcend the natural human desire for revenge and vindication. Using the Old Testament story of David sparing King Saul’s life as an example, the Homily highlights the importance of choosing mercy over retaliation, even when given the power to strike back...

The Tower of Babel and the Danger of Self-Glorification St. Augustine’s definition of sin is self-centeredness . . . . . . when a person turns inward instead of toward God. Using the metaphor of a bronze helmet with a mirror, the saint illustrates how sin causes individuals to focus only on themselves, unable to see beyond their own image. This idea is connected to modern “selfie culture,” where s...

Who Do You Say That I Am? A Call to Deep Discipleship For hundreds and hundreds of years in the Catholic tradition, . . . . . . well before the image of the rainbow was co-opted for other agendas less connected to the gospel of the Lord, the rainbow set in the sky as a sign of the covenant has long been held to be a symbol of Our Lady. It is not uncommon in some parts of Europe to find stained gla...

The Beauty of Waiting: God’s Plan Unfolds in Time The Homily today emphasizes the importance of patience . . . . . . in growing our faith and waiting on God’s timing rather than our own. Using the story of Noah from Genesis, it highlights how he waited patiently before leaving the ark. We’ll hear the significance and the lessons for us within the Homily. Similarly, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus hea...

The Gift of Hearing: A Path to Faith and Proclamation There is a special prayer of blessing at the baptism of children, . . . . . . spoken immediately after pouring water on the child. In this prayer, the priest or deacon invokes the Lord who made the deaf hear and the mute speak, asking that He touch the child’s ears to receive His word and their mouth to proclaim His faith. This prayer, known as...

Mercy Rising in the East: The Promise of Salvation In the entrance antiphon for today’s Mass, . . . . . . we hear that the Virgin Mary is blessed because from her arose the Son of Justice, Christ our God. This image—Christ, our Savior, rising from the Virgin Mary to bring light to the world—is deeply significant in light of today’s readings. At the end of the first reading, after God pronounces ju...

Turning Hearts to God: The Key to Eternal Life Today’s readings guide us to seek something that never ends—eternal and everlasting blessings. In the first reading from the book of Jeremiah, we encounter two types of people: those who are cursed and those who are blessed. Jeremiah warns, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings.” This prompts us to pause and reflect: In our families, we natura...

The Sower’s Hope: A Reflection on God’s Patience God’s Hope in You and Me God has hope in you. God has hope in me. And in His infinite mercy, He grants us time. There is a well-known saying: Keep the Word of God, and the Word of God will keep you. This wisdom reminds us of the importance of holding onto God’s truth, for it has the power to sustain and guide us. Today, the Gospel presents us with t...

The Mustard Seed of Faith: How Small Actions Shape Our Spiritual Journey The readings we hear today—from the Letter to the Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark—share a common theme: . . . . . . they were written during times of Christian persecution. The first reading describes the hardships faced by early believers: some were killed, others imprisoned, and many had their possessions taken—all because o...

Faith Beyond Sight: Trusting God in the Unseen Today’s readings present us with a fundamental question: What kind of faith do we have? Renowned theologian Roger Haidt describes faith as a universal human experience. He argues that everyone possesses faith in some form. For example, when you leave your home to come here, you have faith that you will find your parish or shrine. When you sit on a cha...

When God Enters His Temple: The Mystery of the Presentation A Light Revealed: The Feast of the Presentation We begin with candles—simple yet profound. By doing something so unusual, the Church signals that today’s feast is anything but ordinary. The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas, begins with the lighting of candles, the blessing of the very instruments that will il...

From Law to Grace: The Conversion That Changed Christianity The Conversion of St. Paul: A Remarkable Transformation Today, we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul. Before becoming one of Christianity’s most influential figures, Paul was known as Saul. He was born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, to Jewish parents who were slaves to Roman citizens. However, due to Roman law, children born to enslaved...

Jesus, Melchizedek, and the Priesthood of All Believers Today’s homily reflects on Jesus as the eternal priest, . . . . . . drawing a parallel to Melchizedek, a mysterious biblical figure who blessed Abraham and had no known lineage. The comparison highlights Jesus’ divine origin. The homily then shares a personal anecdote from the early days of his priesthood, recalling a moment when his father,...

Faith in the Face of Violence: The Message of the Holy Innocents The Feast of the Holy Innocents: A Call to Faith and Compassion The Church gives us the Feast of the Holy Innocents as a reminder that the birth of Jesus Christ—the coming of God to dwell among us—will be met with resistance. From the very beginning, his presence is opposed, and his path ultimately leads to suffering and death. Those...

Receiving and Sharing God’s Love: The Secret of St. John the Evangelist The Witness of Love: Learning from St. John the Evangelist Yesterday, as we honored the Feast of St. Stephen, we reflected on his life and martyrdom. The word “martyr” means to witness—offering a total and unwavering testimony of faith. Today, we celebrate another profound witness: St. John the Evangelist. Among the apostles,...

He Must Increase: St. John the Baptist’s Lessons in Spiritual Humility The first reading comes from the First Letter of St. John, ending with a powerful reminder: “Do not make yourselves idols.” This message speaks to the human tendency to create idols—objects, ideas, or even people—that we elevate to the status of a god. An idol is something we design in our own image, reflecting our desires and...

Devotion to Mary: Levels of Consecration For those that are considering making an act of Consecration to Our Lady, there are normally several questions. What exactly is Consecration vs. Total Consecration? How do the various forms of Consecration relate to each other? In this audio, the Levels of Consecration are described as degrees or steps. Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary is the highes...

The Root of Jesse and the Bloom of Christ: An Advent Meditation The entrance antiphon for today’s Mass reflects a powerful image. “A shoot shall sprout from the root of Jesse.” Sometimes translated as “from the stump of Jesse,” this image resonates deeply when we pause to consider its implications. A stump represents what remains after a tree has been cut down, a remnant of something once towering...

Mary, Elizabeth, and the Spirit of Advent Encounter As we approach the final days of the Advent season, . . . . . . our readings and prayers guide us to focus more intently on the events and circumstances leading up to the birth of Christ. By the time we reach the last day of Advent, we metaphorically find ourselves standing on the threshold of His Nativity. In this reflective time, we encounter s...

God’s Call to Each of Us This Christmas As Christmas draws near, we find ourselves immersed in the exchange of greetings. These greetings come in many forms—gifts, cards, words, and heartfelt messages. Yet, they hold a deeper significance beyond their outward expressions. Giving Inspired by God When a gift is given, it can transcend its material value, especially when inspired by God. Such gifts a...

From Darkness to Dawn: The Mystery of Grace Unfolding: Reflections on St. John of the Cross When this weary world approached the shadows of night, . . . . . . the ancient hymn reminds us, the Lord came—not in regal splendor or majestic power, but as a humble child born to Mary, the pure and gentle mother. The saint we honor today, John of the Cross, profoundly shaped the Church’s understanding of...

God’s Unfailing Love: Transforming Burdens into Blessings Casting Our Burdens Upon the Lord As the Gospel reminds us, Jesus invites us to come to Him, for He is humble and gentle in heart. This message resonates deeply, as all of us face difficult moments in life. We carry various burdens—some stemming from responsibilities, others from personal struggles. Leadership, whether in the workplace, at...