In our second reading today, St. Paul touches on celibacy, one of the core practices in the Catholic Church, that has often been a subject of discussion among Catholics and non-Catholics alike especially in the wake of recent sex scandals involving priests. It is important to understand the historical root of celibacy and why the Church considers it a virtue for Priests and Religious in the Latin Rite.

It’s hard to believe that at this time last year, the news about Coronavirus did not get a lot of attention by many people around the world. The unbelievable rate at which the virus spread across the globe is a reminder of how much we are all connected as one human family and how much we depend on each other to survive. I thank God that we have not had an outbreak of the Coronavirus in our parish community through the year. However, I am aware that a number of our parish families have been affected directly by the virus in different ways. If you or anyone in your family tested positive for the virus, or if you lost a loved one to the virus, please know that you are in my prayers for healing. The mental stress and other indirect impact of the pandemic are equally devastating.

The story of Jonah in our first reading today is one of the most popular stories in the Bible, especially among children. The first time God called Jonah, he was afraid to follow God’s command to go and preach to the people of Nineveh. As a result, he was punished when a fish swallowed him up for three days. As we hear in the first reading, when God called Jonah a second time, he obeyed and went to Nineveh. Similarly, in the Gospel, Jesus called the disciples and they immediately followed Him, leaving everything behind.

The month of January is generally known as the Pro-Life month, especially among Christians in the United States. Special prayers are offered throughout this month for the protection of human life from conception until natural death. This week, you’re invited to join thousands of Catholics nationwide in prayer for the respect of human life during a special Novena called 9 Days for Life (9daysforlife.com) from January 21-29.

The annual vote for best places in Ahwatukee is here again. This year, our St. John Bosco Preschool and St. Benedict Parish are on the list. Please help our St. John Bosco School win “Best of Ahwatukee Preschool 2020” by casting your vote in the Ahwatukee Foothills News. You can also vote for your favorite preschool teacher and your “Best Place of Worship.” Here are the instructions:

NO registration is needed.

The Christmas Season ends today with this celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. We can now put away all Christmas decorations. We will begin the 1st week in Ordinary Time, Year “B” tomorrow, January 11th. Ordinary Time lasts from this week until Ash Wednesday on February 17th. I thank everyone for their participation in the Christmastide this year. My special thanks to the Art and Environment ministers and the Liturgy Ministry leaders for their effective planning for the Christmas and New Year Liturgies. I also thank those who sent donations for the poinsettias and other gifts to the parish and staff during this time.

The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist marks the beginning of His ministry; it was a major turning point in Jesus’s life, especially since we know very little of his life between the ages of 12 and 30. As we heard in the Gospel today, right after his Baptism, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of the Lord descended upon him in the form of a dove. The voice of the Father was heard, “This is my beloved son, listen to him.” God’s voice is heard at the baptism of each one of us reminding us that we are his beloved sons and daughters.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a peaceful Christmas and New Year celebration. The Christmas Season ended this past weekend with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. We can now put away all of our Christmas decorations. We will begin the 1st Week in Ordinary Time, Year “B”, on January 11th. Ordinary Time lasts from this week until Ash Wednesday on February 17th. I thank everyone for their participation in the Christmastide this year. My special thanks to the Art and Environment Ministers and the Liturgy Ministry Leaders for their effective planning for the Christmas and New Year Liturgies. I also thank those who sent donations for the poinsettias and other gifts to the parish and staff during this time.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, meaning the revelation of God to the gentiles. Epiphany, commonly known as the story of the “Wise Men,” is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. We are told that the three wise men, also known as the “Magi’’ or “Three Kings of Orient,” traveled a long distance from the Eastern part of the world to Jerusalem, following the guidance of a star in search of the newborn King, Jesus. One question many people ask is, “Why do we call them wise men if they were pagans?” They are generally considered wise men because they were able to search for Jesus using common sense and natural science; they embarked on a journey in search of God as pagans but when they found the Baby Jesus, they worshipped him and then returned as missionaries and believers in God.

This weekend, the Church presents us with the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as a role model for all Christian families. The scripture readings today give some practical examples of the roles children and parents have and how each can help create a holy family and home. We hear some key words that describe the nature between each relationship within the holy family such as love, respect and obedience. This goes beyond the interrelationships within the family...it also pertains to our relationship with God and others in society. The Gospel reading presents Joseph and Mary as being obedient to the Jewish tradition and God. Ordinarily, Mary has no physical reason to present herself for purification. A lamb is to be offered for the ritual sacrifice of atonement, but in the case of a poor couple, two turtledoves and two pigeons would do. The first child to be born is sacred and presented to the Lord, because that child opened the womb.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, our scripture readings are focused on the “Temple of God.” Our First Reading today tells us the story of King David who wanted to build a Temple for the Lord in appreciation for God’s favor to him and his nation. We are told that God sent Prophet Nathan to tell David that his plan was rejected. Nathan explained to King David about the implication of his intention and why God rejected his plan. Ordinarily, King David’s plan to build a house for the Lord was a wonderful idea, however the motive behind his intention was that he was trying to reward God for his goodness and blessings towards him, which is a sin of pride. We learned from King David’s mistake that no matter how blessed and how grateful we are, no human being can reward God and God does not bless us in exchange for our loyalty to him or our good behaviors. God generously bestows his blessings upon us, unconditionally.

Welcome to the final weekend of preparation for Christmas. If you are familiar with liturgical settings and official prayers of the Church, you will notice that prayer book settings are specifically different from December 17-23. This is because December 17 marks the beginning of the tradition of the “O Antiphons.” These are 7 antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17th-23rd, recalling the seven Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies about Christ. This tradition dates back to around the fourth century AD. You may incorporate the antiphons into your evening prayers up to December 23rd. Find out more here.

As we observe Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday this weekend, we may ask ourselves, “What is there to rejoice about in the midst of the pandemic?” In our Second Reading today, St. Paul reminds us to rejoice always in all circumstances. Even in the midst of the pandemic and other challenges, we have many reasons to rejoice this weekend and always. Our reasons to rejoice go beyond the need for physical health or protection from harm. It is the Joy of the Lord, the joy that the world cannot give us. In the First Reading, Prophet Isaiah describes his reasons for rejoicing in the Lord. We too can share with him in rejoicing that the spirit of the Lord is upon us, that the Lord has anointed us, that the Lord has entrusted us with the opportunity to announce the Good News, to heal the broken-hearted and to set the captives free. In the Gospel Reading today, John the Baptist also rejoices that he was given the honor of announcing the arrival of Jesus Christ. He saw the light of Jesus Christ, he testified to the Light, he pointed at the Light and in doing so, directed people to follow Christ.

This weekend, I will be presenting the parish Annual Finance and Pastoral Reports for the fiscal year 2019-20. This will include reports on finance, pastoral ministries, sacraments and parish charitable outreach from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. We will include a finance report and other information from St. John Bosco school community for the first time this year. Please note! Our fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. The Annual Report will be presented by the Presidents of the parish Pastoral and Finance Councils at the end of all Masses this weekend. A digital copy of the report will be posted on the parish website. A few copies will be printed and available at the Church vestibule for those who prefer hard copies.

If we were to give a nickname to the liturgy this weekend, it would be “Announcement Sunday.” This is because the First Reading and the Gospel are quite similar; both Isaiah and John the Baptist announce the need for preparation for the arrival of the Messiah. The First Reading from Prophet Isaiah begins with, “Comfort my people.” What a beautiful message! God gave the Prophet Isaiah the privilege to see the future events that preceded the arrival of the Messiah. He heard the voice of someone crying out in the desert, calling people to repent, preparing them for the coming of the Messiah.

His prophecy was clearly fulfilled more than 700 years later in the person of John the Baptist. As foretold, John the Baptist did not only call people to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Lord, he also had the honor of baptizing the people to wash away their sins in the River Jordan.

The Scripture readings during Mass this weekend are timely; they invite us to raise our heads above the tide and keep our hopes high as we await the coming of the Lord. With the news of the increasing rate of new cases of Coronavirus also comes the increasing hope that vaccines will be available soon. I understand there are mixed feelings about the vaccines. While some are hopeful that it will help, others are concerned about the ethical standard of the vaccines. I urge everyone to resist the temptation of spreading any unfounded rumors concerning the vaccines until we have clear evidence about their nature. For now, we have every reason to hope that the vaccines will help control the spread of the virus.