In Lent, the Christian is invited into the feast hidden in the fast… a fast from all that would keep us from God and a feast upon all that prepares us for the eternal kingdom.

On Sexagesima Sunday, we confess that we “put not our trust in anything that we do.” St. Paul’s sufferings reveal a faith anchored not in credentials or strength, but in Christ alone. In the Parable of the Sower, our Lord shows how divided trust, shallow roots, and worldly cares choke the Word—while steadfast dependence upon God yields lasting fruit. As Lent approaches, we are invited to abandon self-reliance and embrace the grace that makes us fruitful through weakness, trial, and wholehearted trust.

On Septuagesima Sunday, we reflect on the disciplined Christian life shaped by grace. Drawing from St. Paul’s exhortation to “run the race” with focus and perseverance, and our Lord’s parable of the laborers in the vineyard, we are reminded that salvation is God’s generous gift—yet it calls forth wholehearted effort. We do not “have to” serve Christ; we “get to.” Redeemed by His mercy, we strive not in comparison with others, but in gratitude, fixing our eyes on the eternal crown and the privilege of laboring in His kingdom.

On the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, we remember how God’s grace transformed Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle. His encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus reveals the power of divine mercy to humble the proud, convert the hostile, and send forth bold witnesses of the Gospel. As we reflect on Paul’s repentance and Ananias’ obedient faith, we are called to submit ourselves to Christ anew and to pray confidently for the conversion of those who oppose Him.

The Epiphany of Christ’s baptism is not a private moment hidden in history. It is the public unveiling of the Son of Righteousness. After centuries of silence, heaven is torn open, the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Messiah stands in the waters of humility. The King takes the place of a servant. The sinless One submits to a baptism of repentance. And in that obedience, the Father declares His pleasure. Here the light of God bursts forth for all the world to see: Jesus Christ, the beloved Son, come to save His people and lead them into the freedom of new creation.

Epiphany is the manifestation of light, not merely as knowledge, but as wisdom. It is the right use of what God has revealed, leading to spiritual life. The Magi followed the star and used that light rightly, not for curiosity, but for worship. So Epiphany calls us to bring the same zeal and devotion to ponder anew and worship more fully the wonder of Jesus Christ come in the flesh.

In today’s Gospel we see the eternal Son submitting Himself in humility, growing in wisdom and stature, subject to His earthly parents, and offering His life as a living sacrifice. The glory of God is revealed not through self-assertion, but through obedience. Here is the true wisdom of Epiphany: that God’s light leads us not merely to understanding, but to faithful, obedient fellowship with Him.

Epiphany is the celebration of the manifestation of Christ to the nations. By the leading of a star, God revealed His only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, and they came from the East to worship the true King of Israel. What Israel largely ignored, the nations pursued with zeal. They followed the light they had been given, and God honored their hunger by leading them to Christ.

The same light that guided the Magi later arrested Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. There the risen Lord revealed Himself to the Apostle to the Gentiles and made known the mystery hidden for ages: that Jews and Gentiles are fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the same promise in Christ Jesus. This is the unsearchable riches of Christ, the eternal purpose of God now revealed in His Church — a new humanity reconciled through the cross and united in the resurrection.

On the Feast of the Circumcision, the Church begins the civil year by proclaiming Christ’s perfect obedience to the Law on our behalf. In this homily, we reflect on the humility of the Incarnation as Jesus submits to the covenant sign of Israel, shedding His first blood for our redemption. Drawing from the Gospel, Epistle, and Collect, we see how Christ fulfills all righteousness from His earliest days, bearing the Law so that we may be clothed in His righteousness. This feast offers deep encouragement to parents and families, reminding us that God works through simple, faithful obedience—bringing children into His covenant promises and supplying what is lacking by His grace.

On the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the Church remembers the children of Bethlehem who died because of Christ and bears witness to God’s sovereignty over even the darkest acts of human violence. This homily reflects on the varied forms of martyrdom celebrated during Christmastide and confronts the ongoing destruction of innocent life in our own day. Drawing from St. Matthew’s Gospel and the prophecy of Jeremiah, we are reminded that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted by earthly power or evil schemes. At the same time, the Church is called not only to defend the unborn, but to proclaim forgiveness, healing, and restoration through Jesus Christ to all who mourn, repent, and seek His mercy.