Sunday Homilies From St. John The Baptist

The Candy Cane's stripes symbolize the two natures of Jesus Christ, human and Divine. The unity of the two natures (the Hypostatic Union) is the marriage of heaven and earth.

The image of the candy cane both symbolizes the simplicity of the gift of Jesus born in a stable and the very person of Jesus himself, divine and human.

The Theotokos meets St. Elizabeth in a remarkable encounter in which the mother of John the Baptist calls Mary, the "Mother of my Lord" thereby testifying to the Divinity of Jesus Christ and the title of Mary as "Mother of God".

Advent is a season of joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord, yet also a reminder that the Lord has never left us but has always been here.

The kingdom of Christ is that of Truth. All followers of the Lord Jesus are witnesses of the Truth.

Jesus speaks of the end times, the coming Apocalypse. Christians are called to be prepared by reconciling them to God and each other.

The widows in the 1st Reading and the Gospel models for us the sacrificial generosity that God is asking of us. When we respond generously, God looks kindly at the great faith in our hearts.

The story of the blind beggar Bartimeus is an allegorial description of the encounter between a sinner and Jesus Christ. This joyful encounter takes place necessarily within the context of the Church and her ministers and people who invite those who are far from him with the word "Take courage, Jesus is calling you".

The disciples, James and John seek glory and prestige, but Jesus asks them to "drink of the cup I shall drink". What is the Lord's cup? What does it demand? What does it require of us?

The encounter of Jesus and the young man in Mark's Gospel is a challenge to us to open our lives to generous love. To give to the Lord of our time, talent and our treasure.

Jesus is asked to express his opinion on the nature of divorce and marriage. His response challenges the acceptable behavior of the day, he reference God's original design for life and marriage. Jesus' answer "because of the hardness of your heart" refers to a disordered love which can help us answer the controversies of today; homosexual marriage, contraception, and abortion. As Catholics were are called to defend human life, protect the sanctity of marriage, God's plan for human beings.

Jesus calls John to consider the damage of sin and scandal and not to be envious of the honor of those who do good in the Lord's name.

Jesus presents a child to the apostles as a remedy for their desire to be honored. He asked them to "receive" a child in order to receive him. It wasn't until St. Therese of Lisieux showed us her "little way" the way of Spiritual Childhood, that we could understand what it means to "receive a child".

The violence spread across the Middle East and other parts of the world, in the name of God, must be responded to by the only means to overcome it; Crucified Love! This is why Jesus rebukes Peter today because he is ready to fight, to return violence for violence in order to save Jesus. Jesus proposes the way of love. We Christians must respond to the brutality of the extremists and terrorists, the Cross of Jesus Christ, lifted high, the Love of Christ proclaimed!

The healing of the deaf and mute man points to what can be called "spiritual deafness" which is defect in us that does not allow us to listen to the voice of God in our life. God is always speaking to us we need to make time to listen to him.

Bishop Mulvey's Homily during the Mass of Installation of Fr. Vasquez as Pastor of St. John the Baptist

To be a follower of Jesus Christ demands a choice be made. Christians cannot remain on the sidelines, or simply coast by. Many left the Lord when he presents his teaching on the Eucharist, he questions his followers "do you also want to leave?" He asks each one of us the same question. We must make a choice.

The Eucharist is the source of our unity, our communion with God, the Church and with one another.