Our human and Christian life is all grace. No one is worthy of God’s call, but he calls, he prepares and perfects them to be worthy of his mission for them. Truly, as priests or pastors, pastoral agents or Christians, we were never called by God because we are perfect beings.
We are the light and glory of God (Christ) in the world of darkness. Today, we celebrate the feast of Christ, the light of the world, and the glory of Israel. Indeed, Christ is our light. We celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord forty days after we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
A healthy body of Christ is an effective and efficacious functioning Church that works in harmony, teamwork, and a peaceful spirit, uplifting each other in service of God and others. It is a Trinitarian model of individuality in diversity for the salvation of all.
Our lives are full of complexities, but the best solution to these challenges or problems is through Mary’s intervention or prayer. With Mary’s powerful intercession, whatever difficulties there are in our lives, marriages, families, communities, societies, churches, or the world have quick and effective solutions.
Fundamentally, the sacrament of baptism opens us up to God’s grace and the Christian life. Hence, it is the most fundamental sacrament that initiates us into the divine life of God, the Church, and personal freedom from sin and slavery to Satan.
The Epiphany manifests Christ’s salvation for all and the universal. Fundamentally, the Feast of Epiphany demonstrates that God is an inclusive God. He does not exclude anyone or anything from his saving grace and mercy.
“The family, is so to speak, the domestic church.” This is the image the Second Vatican Council’s on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: (Lumen Gentium #11) paints for us.
God is love, and his love manifests itself in the great and little things of life—the great things like the mystery of the Incarnation and the little things around us daily. The theme of love is our principal focus. Indeed, we celebrate the moment of encounter with God and one another that is life-changing forever
We are called as Christians to live and share in the joy of the Lord. God intends us to live happily and joyfully despite the ups and downs of life. Therefore, to be joyful is to be a Christian, thus proclaiming the good tidings.
True peace cannot exist without forgiveness and reconciliation. Peace is vital in our hearts and lives, marriages and families, communities and societies, the Church and the world. Indeed, Advent and Christmas cannot be whole if we do not reconcile with God and our brothers and sisters.