On the third Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Gospel marks a turning point - not only in the life of Jesus, but in the history of salvation. Matthew tells us that after John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus withdraws to Galilee and begins His public ministry. Jesus goes to Galilee, a region considered insignificant and even suspect by many in Judea. it was called "Galilee of the Gentiles" a place of mixed cultures, imperfect religious observance and people living on the margins. Yet Matthew reminds us that this is exactly where the prophet Isaiah said the light would shine: "The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light."

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday in ordinary time. Through the Gospel the Church invites us to stand beside John the Baptist at the Jordan River and to hear words that have echoed through Christian prayer for two thousand years; "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

These words are so familiar to us that we hear them almost automatically at every Mass. But today's Gospel asks us to slow down and truly listen to them again - to hear them not just as liturgical words but as a revelation of who Jesus is and why He has come.

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a beautiful and profound moment in the life of Jesus and in the life of the church. This feast marks a transition. It brings the Christmas season to its conclusion and begins the public ministry of Jesus. The child who was born quietly in Bethlehem now steps into the public eye, revealing who He truly is and what His mission will be. At first glance, the baptism of Jesus can seem puzzling. John the Baptist was offering a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, yet Jesus is sinless.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word epiphany means manifestation - a revealing. On this day, Christ is revealed not only to Israel but to the whole world. The Magi, foreigners and seekers from distant lands, represent all nations who are drawn to the light of Christ.

Today, on the Feast day of the Holy Family, the Church invites us to turn our eyes toward a home in Nazareth - simple, quiet and ordinary on the outside, yet extraordinary within. In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we see not a perfect family free from struggle,but a holy family that learned to trust God in the midst of real life.

"The Virgin shall conceive and bear a son." Today, celebrating the Last Sunday of Advent, prior to the Feast of Christmas Day, to some extent, we can associate with the greatest joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary who awaited the coming of Baby Jesus into the World. in Four days, we will commemorate the birth of her beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus, God incarnated.

Today's celebration of the Third Sunday of Advent continues to prepare us for the coming of the Lord Jesus among us. During this special time of Advent, we are called to embrace a holy mind so that we may perceive for the benefit of our spiritual growth the true spiritual meaning of the Words of God.

On this Second Sunday of Advent, we continue to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. We are told to " Prepare the way of the Lord and to make His Paths straight". Last Sunday we learned that Advent serves the purpose of preparing us for the coming of the Lord as the Judge, either at death or at the end of this world, whichever may come first. It also taught us to prepare ourselves to receive the Real Physical Presence of our Redeemer through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. And it taught us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christmas, the birthday anniversary of the Lord's coming into this world as God incarnate.

Today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. Advent is an important time for us as we prepare for the coming of the Lord. We prepare not only for the nativity of the Lord at Christmas, but we also prepare for the coming of the Lord in glory at the end of time.

This Sunday, The Feast of Christ the King, marks the closing of Year C of the Liturgical Calendar. This special Feast reminds us that over and above being the Universal King, Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church. His Divine reign stretches out from the alpha of time to the omega. There is no other true King, for God is One. Today's First Reading from the Second Book of Samuel spoke of the elders anointing David as the king of Israel. King David was an image of things to come. At the same time, we must keep in mind that there were two distinct differences. Both Jesus and king David were anointed as kings. Both Jesus and king David ruled over a twofold kingdom.

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, which happens next weekend with the celebration of Christ the King, we always have a Gospel passage which talks about the end times. When we look at the end times in the context of our faith, we are reminded that it is the closing of one age and the beginning of another age.

Today, we recall the Basilica Saint John of Lateran, the Pope's own church, the Cathedral of Rome. The Lateran was chosen as the Cathedral Rome long before Saint Peter's was built. It is where the Papacy was housed for centuries before moving across the Tiber to where Vatican City now stands. The Gospel about the purification of the temple of Jerusalem is apt for today's feast. The Jerusalem temple serves as a symbol of the church of today. in the twenty-first century. It conveys both the idea of the temple's Sacredness and also the need for constant purification of the structures of our church.

This weekend we celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. These two commemorations begin the month of November, the month of remembrance in our Catholic faith. All Saint's Day is a solemn Holy day of our Catholic faith celebrated annually on November 1. It is a day dedicated to all the deceased faithful who have ended their lives here one earth and who have entered heaven, including the saints who are recognized by the church and those who are not.