Dear Esteemed brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, one of the four feasts surrounding the nativity of Jesus. The other three are the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

As you may know, the Gospels were not written with the intent of teaching history but rather to teach faith lessons using stories. And that's particularly true of this week's Gospel reading from Matthew. Matthew gives us a look at St. Joseph that's a little different from what many have come to think about Joseph.

From the other gospels, we know much more about Mary, Elizabeth, Mary Magdalene, Peter and many of the apostles. But it's Matthew who gives us insights into the character of the man, Joseph. For many years, it was thought that Matthew's focus on the men in Jesus' life, with very little on the women, reflected the chauvinistic bent of his heritage.

My dearly beloved in Christ,

As we anticipate the celebration of Christmas in a few days, the first reading from the prophet Isaiah recounts the famous prophecy of the Virgin birth. The prophecy also contained a Divine promise to send a savior in the lineage of David whose name shall be Emmanuel.

According to John Bergsma in his book, The Word of The Lord, 'The name, in Hebrew literature, is frequently not the term by which someone will actually be referred to in conversation. In Hebrew, the name is usually a way of referring to the essence, meaning, or description of someone or something. So, when Isaiah says, 'They shall name him Emmanuel,' it means 'His essence shall be Godis-with-us."

"Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for another?" (Matthew 11:3)

Today is known as "Gaudete" Sunday, and the Mass begins with the opening antiphon, "Gaudete in Domino semper" ("Rejoice in the Lord always"). Correspondingly, the entire Liturgy invites us to rejoice; we also light the rose candle of the Advent wreath, and the priest wears rose vestments-all to express our communal joy in the coming of Jesus as our Savior.

It is the second Sunday of Advent, a time for us to prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior. As I mentioned last Sunday, the first two weeks of the Advent season focus on the second coming of Christ, often referred to as eschatology, for which we do not know the specific day or hour. This emphasizes the importance of preparing the way for the Lord.

Today, we begin the sacred season of Advent, a four-week period that leads to Christmas festivities. This season has a two-fold character: during the first two weeks, we direct our minds and hearts toward the second coming of Christ (also known as the Parousia) or the end of time, which we do not know the day or hour of. The last two weeks focus on Christ's first coming to humanity in the flesh, which we celebrate at Christmas. For this reason, Advent is a time of devotion and joyful expectation.

This year, on the feast of Christ the King, we hear in the Gospel one of the most moving stories we will ever hear. In a moment of great suffering, Jesus replied to one who had turned to Him and said, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." [Luke 23:43]. This gives us all great hope, but there's more to the story.

In the accounts of the Passion of Christ, the words convey the stark reality that Jesus suffered and died for us at the hands of evil men. But, true to the mission of transmitting the Christian faith, the evangelists were not primarily teaching what happened, rather they were teaching faith and encouragement lessons using stories about what happened [cf: CCC #425].

When I was a kid growing up in New England, I’d occasionally go on a whale watch. Once we went out with calm waters and clear skies. But on the way back in, the sea got rough. I was just a kid, and I remember thinking we should turn left or right toward the shoreline I could see. But the pilot of the boat kept going straight — right into the waves — focused on a small, discouragingly distant lighthouse. Even when it flickered in and out of sight, he stayed the course. He knew where he was going.

Esteemed brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday, we celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica, known as the Pope's church and the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, where the Bishop of Rome resides. The term "basilica" has its roots in ancient Roman history, referring to a large public building used for business, legal proceedings, and gatherings. These buildings typically featured a rectangular floor plan with a central nave, aisles on either side, and an apse (a semicircular area at one end).

Esteemed brothers and sisters in Christ,

Padre Pio once reported to Padre Anastasio di Roio: "One night I was alone in the choir and saw a friar cleaning the altar late at night. I asked him to go to bed since it was so late. He said: 'I'm a friar like you. I did my novitiate here, and when assigned to take care of the Altar, I passed by the Tabernacle many times without making the proper reverence. For this sin, I am in Purgatory, and the Lord sent me to you. You decide how much longer I have to suffer in those flames.' I told him, I will pray for you at Mass in the morning.' He said, 'Cruel,' and disappeared. I still have a wound in my heart. I could have sent him immediately to Paradise; instead, he had to stay one more night in the flames of Purgatory" (Following Padre Pio, 2025).

In this weekend's Gospel, we encounter the parable about the Pharisee and Tax Collector who were at a Temple prayer service [cf. Luke 18:9-14]. At first, this parable sounds like the lesson was intended for the Pharisees who had confronted Jesus in Bethany, near the home of Lazarus and his sisters, only days before His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But close attention to the parable shows us that the lesson was actually intended for Jesus's disciples, including us.

Dear Fr. Thomas and Beloved Parishioners,

On behalf of myself, the priests, the religious, and the entire Catholic faithful of Zaria Diocese in Nigeria, I write with a heart full of gratitude to thank you most sincerely for your outstanding generosity during the recent Mission Appeal conducted by Rev. Fr. Samuel Aliba in your parish.

The sum of $20,688.20 realized from the Appeal is one of the highest we have ever received. Beyond the figure, however, is the powerful message of love, solidarity, and faith that your parish community has sent to us. Fr. Samuel spoke so warmly of the kindness and hospitality he receives from you, Fr. Thomas, and from the parishioners. It was truly a beautiful witness of our shared priesthood and the unity of the Body of Christ.

Dear esteemed parishioners

In the spirit of Canon Law#1287, the diocesan policy of Phoenix mandates that the Parish Finance Council supervise the preparation of the annual financial report to the Bishop by July 31 each year-30 days afterthe conclusion of the fiscal year. This report is to be shared with the faithful within 120 days following theend of the fiscal year and will be published in the parish bulletin. This weekend, the Parish Finance Counciland I are pleased to fulfill this important responsibility. The 2024/2025 Financial Report is included in thisweekend's bulletin.

Dear beloved parishioners,

A friend of mine returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2004 and brought me several souvenirs, including a grain of mustard seed, which is mentioned in this Sunday's Gospel. It is a very small and round grain, typically measuring 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, and originates from a mustard plant, commonly used in cooking and farming.