Today we hear that Jesus visited the Temple in Jerusalem for the first of the three Passovers that are referenced in St. John’s Gospel. Shocked by what He saw, He made a whip of cords and indignantly drove out the animals for sacrifice and the money-changers:

“‘Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.’ His disciples recalled the words of Scripture:

‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’”

The Transfiguration was the most astounding, amazing and mind-blowing experience for Peter, James and John. It again reveals Jesus as truly the Son of God. What glorious Light shines from the face of Christ as He gave a foretaste of Heaven and a vision of His hidden glory.

“After six days, Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured be-fore them and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.”

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

If today’s readings make us feel a bit uneasy and uncomfortable, this is a good thing! I say ‘good’ because it means that the readings touched on some fundamental truths about us and about our world. The world we live in is not perfect because of sin. Original Sin.

“I do will it. Be made clean.”

Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the man. The leprosy left the man... and he was made clean.”

This famous passage tells us in very few words the entire History of Salvation: Jesus Christ’s hands are the hands of God reaching out to all humanity so that we may come out of the leprosy of sin, and come back to our place of peace and holiness near God. Leprosy was and still is a serious skin ailment, not necessarily leprosy of Hansen’s disease. What Moses prescribed is found the Old Testament Book of Leviticus (Lev. 14:17-20ff). When a person became afflicted, he or she first had to be presented to the priest, and then be declared unclean by the priest.

We warmly welcome Bishop Eduardo Nevares who will celebrate the Croatian Mass at 11:30am Sunday Mass. All are welcome to attend.

Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock.” There is a famous painting that depicts Jesus knocking on a door. The door has no handle on the outside, because the door can only be opened from the inside, by the one who lives behind the door.

Jesus is The Word of God made flesh and His words are spoken with God’s authority. If we trust completely and give God authority over our lives and trust in His providence, He will take care of us no matter what. As Christian stewards, we follow Jesus’ commands out of gratitude for all that He has given us. We are more willing to live by God’s commands when we are motivated by love and gratitude.

Jesus Tells His First Disciples: “Come After Me, and I will Make You Fishers of Men.”

I can easily imagine James and John asking: “What have we signed up for here?” Last week, John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. Andrew, Peter and others were the first followers, disciples of Jesus. Today, we learn from St. Mark, who was St. Peter’s scribe, that “After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee” to begin His ministry of announcing the Kingdom of God. There was a transition from these disciples following John the Baptist to following Jesus. In other words, the disciples already knew who Jesus was and Jesus was aware of them.

After celebrating the Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord, we now return to Ordinary Time and immediately Jesus asks the first disciples: “What are you looking for?”

This time is far from ordinary, however. It is the time to follow our orders as Christians to go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Now the Voice of God, the Eternal Word Made Flesh, Jesus, was speaking to His first witnesses.

Epiphany celebrates the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God. It focuses on this great revelation to the Magi, the Three Wise Men.

On this day the Church celebrates the nativity of faith to the Gentile world. God brought the Magi to Christ… through the miraculous star… while a wonderful grace impelled their hearts and invited them to follow the star into another land… and there to adore a new-born King Who was God-Incarnate. The Magi came and adored Our Lord and they received the gift of grace that saintly Catholics have (Servant of God, Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, 1923).

The Church’s focus at this time of the year is based on the theme of the family.

The Family Is Our Connection To God: Likewise, we receive life from God through our parents; they from their parents; and then repeated over and over all the way back to God, who is the author of all life, beginning with Jesus Christ, made in the image and likeness of God.

“The Baby Jesus is born soon and needs a pure and clean manger to be placed in. Your soul is His manger. Enjoy the divine infant laying on you and resting in peace. See the multitudes coming to adore the Christ child in you! O, Holy night!!”

A friend of mine in Mount Angel, Oregon, Tony Morris, texted me this meditation a few years ago. I think that it captures the essence of our spiritual pilgrimage each December from Nazareth to the City of David, Bethlehem, the House of Bread.

"Joy Is The Echo Of God’s Life In Your Soul"

So wrote Blessed Columba Marmion, OSB. If we have the Spirit of God in us, we cannot contain it. It comes out in incredible joy. We are able to rejoice because we have made it past the half-way point on our annual Advent pilgrimage to Bethlehem. Most of all we have the gift of faith. We have Emmanuel, God-with-us, on our journey and God will provide for all of our needs. John gave everything to show us Jesus. ‘The voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord!”’

The Advent Season is a real call to conversion and renewal, not a temporary time of change.

Last week, Jesus warned us: ‘Watch!’; today, John the Baptist cries: ‘Repent…’ The desert is a place of purifying and of cleansing, with no distractions and even fewer sources of food and water; survival (or salvation) is the only thing that matters.