On this Septuagesima Sunday, we prepare for Lent by reflecting on God's grace, our calling to holiness, and the discipline required to run the race of faith.

On this rare Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, we reflect on St. Paul’s call to live Coram Deo—in God’s presence—through faith, grace, humility, and Christlike love.

As Epiphany closes, we see Christ’s divinity in His miracles—healing a leper and a centurion’s servant—demonstrating His power and mercy to restore both Jew and Gentile alike. These acts affirm our faith and reveal God's love for the outcast.

In Romans 12, St. Paul guides us through concentric circles of Christian duty—living as sacrifices to God, serving fellow believers, and responding to enemies with grace. Drawing on Proverbs and Christ’s teachings, Paul reminds us to forsake revenge and live peaceably with all, embodying God’s wisdom in our daily lives.

Epiphany reveals the glory of God made manifest in Christ, from His baptism to His incarnation as Emmanuel. For centuries, God's Shekinah glory appeared in the temple, leading His people. Yet through sin, the glory departed. In Jesus, the glory returned—not in cloud or fire, but as the Son, who redeems us through His cross, resurrection, and ascension, inviting us into God’s eternal family through faith.

St. Paul calls us to be living sacrifices, offering our lives in response to Christ’s perfect obedience. Jesus exemplifies this as a youth, submitting to Mary and Joseph and embracing humble work in Nazareth. Epiphany reminds us of Christ’s revelation and call to deeper obedience. Through daily acts of faith, we deny self-interest, offer thanksgiving, and testify to God’s grace in Christ, who saves sinners.

In the latter part of Advent, in the early part of Christmas, we have a healthy dose of Christ’s coming through the lens of the blessed Virgin Mary.  In the Christmas season now, we pivot, as it were, to consider the miracle of the Incarnation through the lens of Joseph. 

This homily reflects on the transition from Christmas to Epiphany, highlighting the Magi's journey to worship Christ. Despite their pagan background, the Magi followed God’s signs with zeal, overcoming obstacles to find and honor the King of Kings. Their gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbolize Christ’s kingship, divinity, and sacrifice. Let their devotion inspire us to seek Christ wholeheartedly and live as His faithful disciples

Today, we are presented with the account of Our Lord’s birth from the perspective of St. Matthew.  St. Matthew was a Gospel written for a Jewish audience, who would have been keenly interested in the testimony of the prophets and how these things were fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus.