“You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world.” 

“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they mat see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

These are three sayings taken from this Sunday’s Gospel, and as I was reflecting on the gospel, I was prompted to especially think of the youth of the Church. While these sayings refer to us disciples, I especially think they speak to our youth.

“Blessed” is an adjective that describes someone who feels very happy, fortunate, or blessed by some circumstance. It can also refer to something that produces joy or satisfaction.

Certainly, the statement that Jesus makes about who the blessed are, does not seem to conform to the common criteria of today's society or the personal criteria of many people. How can those who suƯer, those who weep, those who hunger and thirst for justice be blessed? Perhaps we could consider blessed the merciful, the pure in heart, those who work for peace, but the persecuted?

"Go and diligently search for the child.” “He must increase; I must decrease.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In this New Year, we are called and invited to diligently search for the Christ Child, Jesus. In relation to this, we are to decrease and allow Jesus to increase in our lives. In reference to the First Letter of John: “If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God, and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy…” (1 Cor 1:2a)

In Paul’s language, to be a Christian means to be “in Christ Jesus”. It’s more than believing in Jesus or accepting him. Through baptism we were made members of the Body of Christ, and that means we are now in Christ.  According to Paul as members of the mystical Body of Christ (i.e., the Church), we do not belong to ourselves anymore. We are no longer our own. We are “in Christ.”

St. Stanislaus Catholic School stands out as an exceptional educational institution that nurtures both the mind and spirit, blending strong faith with a rigorous academic curriculum to develop well-rounded students. Our dedicated educators foster a love of learning through such programs as our innovative STEAM program, preparing children for the challenges of tomorrow. Additionally, we take pride in our stellar athletics program, promoting teamwork and perseverance alongside physical fitness.

MANY PEOPLE often go to fortune-tellers in order to know what their future would be or see how their future would look like. By merely looking at the stars, fortune tellers could foretell future events. Future events for them may be good or bad, depending on the arrangement of the stars. Sad to say, many of us Christians believe more on what they say rather than what the Sacred Scripture says. They put so much faith in fortune-tellers, and they are a kind of surrendering their own fate to them.

When I was ten, my dad gathered our family around the table in small-town Vermont and told us we were moving to the big desert city of Phoenix, Arizona. We were leaving behind family, friends, and everything familiar. None of us knew what to expect.

But something beautiful happened. As we made the move together, our family grew closer. In retrospect, I’m amazed at my parents’ courage to go on that adventure. Even as a kid I realized our family found, in that challenge, a deeper unity and mutual love.

My brothers and sisters,

Something is on the horizon - a New Day is dawning!

As Scripture says: “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” Lk. 21:28

May this Advent Season be a reflective and thought-provoking time for each and everyone of us. Let us encounter the calm of the season as we seek reconciliation with our God and neighbor.

In this 3rd Sunday of Advent we hear from the gospel: “Behold,.I.am.sending.my.messenger.ahead.of.you;. he.will.prepare.your.way.before.you.” This is referring to John the Baptist, but in many ways, Mary, the first disciple, also prepares the way for us to come to Jesus.

This past Monday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.