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.