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In today’s Gospel (Luke 9:28b-36), Jesus wants to bring some focus to Peter, James, and John by having them witness the Transfiguration. The Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent always includes the Transfiguration. Jesus begins by leading the three Apostles up a mountain – the traditional place to which one went to encounter God. Once there, Jesus is transfigured before their eyes. “…his clothing became dazzling white…”.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:1-13), Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for forty days of prayer. Prayer was Christ’s usual practice to discern and obey the will of the Father, and to prepare himself for whatever momentous event was ahead of him. Sustained by only grace and prayer, Christ encounters the devil. Imagine the audacity of the devil as he tries to put God himself to the test!

Wednesday of this week is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. There are some people who seem to have a mistaken understanding of the reception of ashes and assign more importance to receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday than they do to attending Sunday Mass. Do not be misled. The ashes are NOT a Sacrament. They are what is called a “sacramental” and are no different than blessing yourself with Holy Water when you enter or leave the church. What is exceptional about the reception of ashes is that it normally occurs only one day a year (on Ash Wednesday), and that it is an outward sign – a public declaration, if you will – that one is a sinner and is in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. If we receive the ashes and then do not follow it up with a Sacramental Confession at some point during Lent, we have done nothing but condemn ourselves as hypocrites.

As Christians, we worship a God who loves us so much that he became human for our sake and went the extra mile of love, dying an excruciating and humiliating death on a cross. St. Paul assures us in today’s Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:45-49) that as we are human and in the likeness of Adam – complete with sin – so we will also take on the likeness of Jesus, the heavenly one.

How does God guide us? Listen to the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Reading from the Gospel according to Luke (Luke 6:17, 20-26). This is a great place to start. The Beatitudes are at the very heart of Jesus’ preaching. They expand upon Jesus’ command that we are to love our enemies and love our neighbor. The Beatitudes are contained in what is called the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, though in Luke’s Gospel this is called the Sermon on the Plain because it is described as taking place on level ground rather than on a sloping hillside. At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on love.

Looking back at our life, we may recognize a particular person or a specific experience that caused us to make a significant change or to go in a different direction than we would have otherwise. Hopefully, the change was good, enabling us to think bigger, do better things, and use our talents in a way that we had not considered before. This is what happens in today’s readings. Isaiah is called by God to be his prophet (Isaiah 6:1-8). In the beginning, Isaiah does not feel worthy of this call, but by the end of today’s First Reading, he is responding with “Here I am, send me!”

Next weekend is the beginning of our Annual Catholic Appeal campaign for 2019 and we will have the opportunity to complete pledge cards. The theme for this year’s campaign is “His Mercy Endures Forever…Welcome the Stranger,” once again focusing on the Corporal Works of Mercy. All registered parishioners recently received a letter, pamphlet, and pledge card from Archbishop John Wester regarding the importance of the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA). Unlike the tithing renewal that we do each November in which we commit ourselves to a weekly tithe to the support of our parish, the Annual Catholic Appeal is our opportunity to consider the needs not just of our own parish, but of Catholics across the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, many of whom are not only our “spiritual” brothers and sisters in Christ, but are also literally members of our extended families.

Every January we seem to be flooded with advertisements for weight loss programs, exercise machines, or “miracle” pills that all claim to help us achieve our ideal body shape with little or no effort. Right! But as persons made in the image and likeness of God, we have a fundamental dignity that goes beyond anything we might ever achieve in outward appearance. It is a dignity that is inherent in us by virtue of our relationship with the One who has created us and sustains us in life.

The image of a wedding is frequently used throughout the Old Testament to describe God’s relationship with his Chosen People, Israel, such as in our First Reading today (Isaiah 62:1-5). Though Israel was often unfaithful, God always took her back, forgave her, and turned her sadness into joy. As she awaited the coming of the Messiah, Israel’s hopes were expressed in terms of a wedding – a time of great rejoicing and celebration. Like abundant wine, God’s blessings would be poured out on his people in full measure.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and the official end to the Church’s observance of the Christmas season. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, he was praying when Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove; and a voice came from the heavens declaring, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22). God the Father favored his Son, Jesus. Rightfully so, since Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God. He is God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, as our Nicene Creed boldly proclaims. If we have any doubt regarding how God felt about his Son or the importance of his mission, the Gospels make it clear for us. The descending of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus in the form of a dove after his baptism was significant for two reasons: (1) it was a clear sign that Jesus was the promised Messiah anointed with the Holy Spirit, and (2) the Holy Spirit gave Jesus strength to fulfill his saving mission.

Fr. John and I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the many acts of kindness that we have received in the past few weeks. I am humbled by the thoughtfulness of so many people who sent cards, or brought over homemade cookies and other gifts. A special “thank-you” also to all those who donated baby diapers and baby clothing to our “Giving Tree” to support Birthright in their mission to provide for mothers who are in need of assistance. May the Lord’s blessing be upon you throughout the new year.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Take a moment to look around the church some time. You will see families of all sizes, shapes, and descriptions. Some are the biological variety, with a dad and mom and children of different ages. Some may be blended or adopted, foster families or families with only one parent in the home. Sometimes it is grandparents who open their homes to their grandchildren, or siblings who share an apartment and function as a family. Maybe the time has come for an elderly relative to move into your home.

Christmas is nearly here!. It may be a very busy time for you, but please take the time to read the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. You will hear about Elizabeth, her husband Zechariah, the angel Gabriel, Mary and Joseph and the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. If you do this, you will likely be better prepared to celebrate with joy the birth of our Savior this Christmas.

Today, the Third Sunday of Advent, is known as “Gaudete Sunday” and is marked by a rose colored candle on the Advent wreath. The use of the rose-colored candle rather than a purple one symbolizes “the light at the end of the tunnel” so to speak – that Christmas is getting nearer. The Latin word gaudete means “rejoice” and is taken from Philippians 4:4 in which Saint Paul declares: “Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, rejoice!” The title “Gaudete Sunday” thus refers to the joy that we feel as Advent is half over and Christmas is drawing near. The season of Advent is one of preparation and anticipation. Today, as the celebration of the Birth of the Lord approaches, we are filled with joy.

Many of us may be living lives that are full but not fulfilling. We may be overwhelmed with responsibilities and worries, consumed by busyness, clutter, or demands being made upon us. What we really long for is peace, wholeness, and simplicity. We are in a holy season that unfortunately has been overrun by consumerism. Many people will be stressing out trying to come up with the perfect gift for the person who already has too much “stuff” to begin with. Indeed, many people feel trapped by possessions, time, and work. The more possessions they have, the less time they have for themselves and others because of the pressure to get even more or “better” possessions. This might be a good time to take a few moments of silence and reflection, and ask ourselves if this is what we really want to keep on doing?

Have you ever wondered about the end of the world? The end of the world is a fascination shared by many people. Predictions about how and when the world might end are commonplace. In today’s Gospel, even Jesus offers a scenario as to how the world might end. He tells his disciples that the sun, moon and stars will change; the seas will roar; and the heavens will be shaken. He warns that when all this happens the end is near, and then cautions his listeners to remain alert and vigilant, steadfast in faith and persistent in strength.

Today’s Solemnity of Christ the King always takes place on the last Sunday in Ordinary Time just before the beginning of Advent and the start of a new liturgical year. In Advent, we prepare for the two comings of Christ - as a baby in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago, and his return as a King in glory at the end of time. Today’s celebration of the Kingship of Jesus prepares us for both comings of the Christ.

On Thursday of this week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Family members who may live great distances apart try to come together for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving is about families. Thanksgiving is also about turkey and stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and all the favorite side dishes that have been passed down from one generation to another. Thanksgiving is about watching football on TV, taking a walk in the autumn sunshine as the falling leaves rustle around your feet, visiting with neighbors, and Thanksgiving is about the afternoon nap to recover from the big dinner. And for some, Thanksgiving is about looking at all the advertising circulars and planning their shopping trips.

This weekend, we will join other parishes of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in renewing our commitment to sacrificial giving (“tithing”) as the means of financial stewardship within the parish. Many of our parishioners have embraced sacrificial giving and I am grateful for your commitment to God and to our parish. Your “Attitude of Gratitude” is a blessing to our parish and to your personal life as well. There is no doubt that we find ourselves in difficult economic times and many people are suffering the effects of unemployment or underemployment. Others have seen their retirement “nest egg” decline significantly. Still, there is much to be grateful for because in spite of the current economic hardships, we continue to have a much higher standard of living than most of the people of the world.

There sure is a lot of “love” in today’s Scripture Readings! In the First Reading (Deuteronomy 6:2-6), Moses tells the Israelites to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” The Second Reading (Hebrews 7:23-28) reminds us that Jesus gave himself as the perfect sacrifice for all of us – the ultimate sign of God’s love. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 18) contains the refrain – “I love you, Lord, my strength.” And in the Gospel (Mark 12:28-34), Jesus adds a new commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which is taken from Leviticus 19:18.