Today, being the Fourth Sunday in the Church's liturgical year, the readings outline that the promised Messiah is one whose Word is authoritative and rightly to be obeyed.

St. Paul emphasizes that holiness remains the yardstick of serving God and worshiping Him with undivided attention whether we are priests, religious, married or unmarried persons. He also presents an example of the "New Doctrine": the new value attributed to virginity which is lived for the love of and at the serving of our brothers and sisters.

One remarkable feature we encounter in the Gospel of Mark is that the first time ever we hear Jesus speak, his words were "This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel." This is to show that Jesus came to reconcile us with the father and be at peace with him. We can achieve this reconciliation and peace, IF and only IF, we repent of our own sins and believe in Jesus who has come to save us.

In today's First Reading we see God trying to call out to Samuel, but Samuel does not realize that it is God calling to him. Yet this does not deter God, nor get him upset and annoyed because we then see God try to call to reach out to Samuel two more times with no response from Samuel. But Samuel is lucky because in the midst of all this he has help. His father Eli is with him. Eli has a strong personal relationship with God because Eli has accepted God's gift of faith and knows that it is God reaching out to his son Samuel.

"Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

What a wonderful example the Magi give us in their visit to the infant Jesus. First of all, they demonstrate profound faith in God's word, spoken through the prophet Micah: "And you, Bethlehem ... from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel" (cf. 5:2). Embarking on a long and difficult journey, they trust that they will find this newborn king of the Jews in Bethlehem as the prophecy announced.

We are in an age when family life is threatened by conflicts, violence, exploitation, humiliation, disrespect, indifference, hatred, abuse and above all, when members of the family think only about themselves, hurt others and marital vows are grossly disregarded, husband and wife tend to forget that they are one flesh and that their children are flesh of their flesh.

The answer to family questions lies in the family of Nazareth, when mothers could learn from Mary's affection for the Infant Jesus and respect for her spouse Joseph; fathers could learn from Joseph's unwavering support and protection for the Infant Jesus and his wife, even in difficult moments.

Dear Parish Family,

Baby Jesus has come to you. He had you in mind when he created the world and when he made a promise to Abraham, Jacob, Moses and David. He was born for you and carried his cross for you. He prepared a way for you on the day of his resurrection and on the day of his ascension. He prepared a place for you on the day he entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter and the Apostles, and also on the day of Pentecost, the birthday of his Church. All of this from the beginning of time until today is for you. Jesus is born for you.

We are very close to Christmas and tonight we begin the celebration of the mystery of the incarnation of Christ among us. As we can see, the attention shifts from John the Baptist to Mary the Mother of God. It is good to point out that this story is only found in Luke's gospel. Hence, we reflect upon Mary's example of faith and obedience to God which permitted her to receive the angel's message that God's son would be born as a human person like one of us. She is to be mother of Christ.

“There is one ... coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” Untying sandalstraps was no prestigious job. In the days of John the Baptist, those straps would have been especially unpleasant to deal with. Besides the usual odors that accompany sockless leather footwear, there would have been the grime and dirt from the sandy roads and paths that swirledaround the people who went everywhere on foot. Taking off someone’s shoes upon their arrival wasthe task of the lowly servants. So when John says he’s unworthy of doing this task for the “one whois coming after me,” he is putting himself in a very humble position. And rightly so.

Day by day, Day by day, Oh Dear Lord, Three things I pray: To see thee more clearly - Love thee more dearly - Follow thee more nearly -Day by day!

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. It is easy for the world to skip over Advent with its "Buy, Buy, Buy" materialism. It is easy to forget about prayer and repentance.

In many 'quit smoking' campaigns, the emphasis is on quitting something.....and too often people have to quit many times before they finally quit for good. Once they realize that they can breathe better, have more energy, and food actually has a taste, they see the benefits of their journey of quitting smoking. They have replaced smoking with a healthier life and better breathing to be sure.

What do you do when someone you love very dearly and miss very much has been gone a verylong time but promises to return soon? How do you prepare to welcome him/her? Naturally, we anticipate the return with great excitement getting ready with all we can to ensure that on his arrival we are seen in a very good situation. We would be glad that this person finds us happy, joyful and looking good. This is what the season of Advent is all about, getting ready to welcomethe Lord at Christmas with joy, happiness and excitement. The joy and excitement that is rooted inthe word of God that should inspire our every act.

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Todaywe celebrate the feast of an unusual kind of king. Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,does not run his kingdom in the standard fashion. Instead of insisting upon the pomp and circumstance that usually surrounds earthly royalty, Jesus has a different focus. He thinks not ofhimself, but of those he loves. And in today’s Gospel, his interest is especially focused on the poorand suffering in our midst.

Proverbs gives us the example of a very industrious woman and also reminds us that so much ofwhat we think is important passes away with time. The reading uses the example of a woman, butit just as easily applies to men: Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears theLord is to be praised.

St. Paul tells us that the master will come unexpectedly; life is serious and we should not wastetime. We are all call to exercise a ministry within our community.

In the first reading, we are given a description of what we are to do with Wisdom. So, what does the word Wisdom mean to you and I? Is it like a profound form of knowledge? Is it something that automatically comes with age? They say "With age comes wisdom." How does wisdom benefit us? What is the true source of Wisdom? What does Wisdom, in a biblical setting, refer to? These arequestions we must find answers to because our relationship with God depends on it!

Who doesn't desire the praise and respect of others? Who doesn't like to be recognized or to be praised? We want others to see us at our best with all of our strengths and achievements, rather than at our worst with all of our faults and shortcomings.

Prophet Malachi in the first reading of today calls the attention of priests who prefer the praise and respect of people rather than giving glory to God. He says "If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name; says the Lord of hosts. I will send a curse upon you and your blessing I will make a curse." Prophet Malachi condemns the attitude of priests who have abandoned true worship and service of God for self-praise and fame. In the days of the Prophet Malachi, many priests had lost the true meaning in the worship of God.