In the Church, we are made children of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God who makes known His name and His ways to Moses in today’s First Reading. Mindful of His covenant with Abraham, God came down to rescue His people from the slave drivers of Egypt. Faithful to that same covenant, He sent Jesus to redeem all lives from destruction, as today’s Psalm tells us.

Paul says in today’s Epistle that God’s saving deeds in the Exodus were written down for the Church, intended as a prelude and foreshadowing of our own Baptism by water, our liberation from sin, our feeding with spiritual food and drink. Yet the events of the Exodus were also given as a “warning”—that being children of Abraham is no guarantee that we will reach the promised land of our salvation.

At any moment, Jesus warns in today’s Gospel, we could perish, not as God’s punishment for being “greater sinners” but because, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we stumble into evil desires, fall into grumbling, forget all His benefits. Jesus calls us today to “repentance”—not a one-time change of heart, but an ongoing, daily transformation of our lives. We’re called to live the life we sing about in today’s Psalm, blessing His holy name, giving thanks for His kindness and mercy.

The fig tree in His parable is a familiar Old Testament symbol for Israel. As the fig tree is given one last season to produce fruit before it is cut down, so too Jesus is giving Israel one final opportunity to bear good fruit as evidence of its repentance. Lent should be for us like the season of reprieve given to the fig tree, a grace period in which we let “the gardener,” Christ, cultivate our hearts, uprooting what chokes the divine life in us, strengthening us to bear fruit that will last into eternity.

Jesus’ parable of the barren fig tree illustrates his warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the people of Palestine. A fig tree normally matured within three years, producing plentiful fruit. If it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the Jews the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and unrepentant sin.

Jesus’ parable depicts the patience of God, but it also contains a warning that we should not presume upon God’s patience and mercy. God’s judgment will come in due course—sooner or later. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin and wrongdoing will result in bad fruit, painful discipline, and spiritual disease that leads to death and destruction. The Lord in his mercy gives us both grace and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. We shall always ask for God’s Grace to repent and go back to God.

God Bless you all.

Fr. Charley

In today’s Gospel, we go up to the mountain with Peter, John, and James. There we see Jesus “transfigured,” speaking with Moses and Elijah about His “exodus.”

The Greek word “exodus” means “departure.” But the word is chosen deliberately here to stir our remembrance of the Israelites’ flight from Egypt.

By His death and resurrection, Jesus will lead a new Exodus, liberating not only Israel but every race and people—not from bondage to Pharaoh, but from slavery to sin and death. He will lead all mankind, not to the territory promised to Abraham in today’s First Reading, but to the heavenly commonwealth that Paul describes in today’s Epistle.

Moses, the giver of God’s law, and the great prophet Elijah, were the only Old Testament figures to hear the voice and see the glory of God atop a mountain.

Today’s scene closely resembles God’s revelation to Moses, who also brought along three companions and whose face also shone brilliantly. But when the divine cloud departs in today’s Gospel, Moses and Elijah are gone. Only Jesus remains. He has revealed the glory of the Trinity—the voice of the Father, the glorified Son, and the Spirit in the shining cloud. Jesus fulfills all that Moses and the prophets had come to teach and show us about God. He is the “chosen One” promised by Isaiah, the “prophet like me” that Moses had promised. Far and above that, He is the Son of God. “Listen to Him,” the Voice tells us from the cloud. If, like Abraham, we put our faith in His words, one day we too will be delivered into “the land of the living” that we sing of in today’s Psalm.

When Moses met with God on Mount Sinai, the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Paul says that the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face because of its brightness. In the Gospel account Jesus appeared in glory with Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, and with Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, in the presence of three of his beloved apostles. The significance of this mysterious appearance is that Jesus went to the mountain knowing full well what awaited him in Jerusalem—his betrayal, rejection and crucifixion. Jesus very likely discussed with Moses and Elijah this momentous decision to go to the cross. God the Father also spoke with Jesus and gave his approval: This is my beloved Son; listen to him. The Father glorified his Son because he obeyed. The cloud which overshadowed Jesus and his apostles fulfilled the dream of the Jews that when the Messiah came the cloud of God’s presence would fill the temple again. The Lord Jesus not only wants us to see his glory—he wants to share this glory with us. And Jesus shows us the way to the Father’s glory: follow me—obey my words—take the path I have chosen for you and you will receive the blessings of my Father’s kingdom—your name will be written in heaven. We shall look forward to seeing his glory with Him one day in Heaven.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

In today’s epic Gospel scene, Jesus relives in His flesh the history of Israel. We’ve already seen that, like Israel, Jesus has passed through water and been called God’s beloved Son. Now, as Israel was tested for forty years in the wilderness, Jesus is led into the desert to be tested for forty days and nights.

He faces the temptations put to Israel: Hunger—He’s tempted to grumble against God for food. As Israel quarreled at Massah, He’s tempted to doubt God’s care. When the Devil asks for His homage, He’s tempted to do what Israel did in creating the golden calf.

Jesus fights the Devil with the Word of God, three times quoting from Moses’ lecture about the lessons Israel was supposed to learn from its wilderness wanderings.

Why do we read this story on the first Sunday of Lent? Because like the biblical sign of forty, the forty days of Lent are a time of trial and purification.

Lent is to teach us what we hear over and over in today’s readings. “Call upon me, and I will answer,” the Lord promises in today’s Psalm. Paul promises the same thing in today’s Epistle.

This was Israel’s experience, as Moses reminds his people in today’s First Reading: “We cried to the Lord . . . and He heard.” But each of us is tempted, as Israel was, to forget the great deeds He works in our lives, to neglect our birthright as His beloved sons and daughters.

When Jesus went out into the wilderness to fight temptation by the devil, he was led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not rely on his own human strength and willpower for overcoming temptation. He relied on the Holy Spirit to give him strength, wisdom, courage, and self-control. The Lord Jesus knows that we cannot fight temptation on our own. We need the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness and to be our guide and strength in times of testing. The Lord gives grace to those who humbly acknowledge their dependence on him and he helps us to stand firm against the attacks of Satan who seeks to destroy us. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the courage we need to repent of our sins and to turn away from them, and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to “fight the good fight of the faith” with the strength and help which comes from the Holy Spirit. We shall seek God’s wisdom and guidance for overcoming sin and avoiding the near occasions of sin in our day-to-day life. We are called to journey with the Lord in a special season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, repentance, and renewal as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover. As we begin this holy season of preparation and renewal, let’s ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit that we may grow in faith, hope, and love, and embrace his will more fully in our lives.

God Bless us all,

Fr. Charley

In last week’s Gospel, our Lord challenged us: “Be compassionate as your Father in Heaven is compassionate!” In today’s Gospel we hear, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged.” True compassion must always be at the heart of judging. That is why it is so important that we recognize and address the plank in our own eye before taking issue with the splinter in our brother’s eye. Our Lord is not asking us to disqualify ourselves from making any judgment, since no one is perfect. Our Lord is setting out a vision of the integrity between what we are and what we say. Sirach teaches that speaking is “the test of men” and their character. One who is upright will utter words that are truthful and encouraging to others. But one whose heart is cluttered with “refuse” will be exposed, since the “fruit” of his mouth speaks volumes about the “tree” that produces it. Being judgmental is actually being inconsistent. We claim the right to judge others but we refuse to be judged. If we face the truth about ourselves and acknowledge our own daily struggles with sin, we are less likely to set ourselves up in judgment over others in a “judgmental” sort of way. If we recognize how much we need God’s mercy, then our hearts will be much more compassionate when we encounter other people’s faults. St Bernard tells us that, “if you have eyes for the shortcomings of your neighbor and not for your own, no feeling of mercy will arise in you but rather indignation. You will be more ready to judge than to help, to crush in the spirit of anger than to instruct in the spirit of gentleness.” Ask the Good Lord to help us not judge others wrongly at any time. Leave the judgement in the hands of the Lord, because He is the only one who is perfect.

Lent is fast approaching. It is one of the five seasons on the Catholic liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday kicks off the Lenten season, which prepares for Easter with six weeks of repentance and closeness to God. It comes after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, a time for one last round of celebration before Lent begins.

Catholics observe Ash Wednesday with prayer and fasting to put themselves in the place of Jesus, who spent 40 days fasting in the desert and refusing temptations from Satan before he began his public ministry.

Priests will place ashes on observers’ foreheads in the shape of a cross to mark them as sinners seeking renewal with God. It is a symbolic turning of one’s heart towards God, recognizing the brokenness that exists and the need for salvation.

During Lent, we are asked to devote ourselves to prayer and reading Scripture, to service by giving alms, and to practice self-control through fasting.

Lent is a 40-day season that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday the week before Easter, although some denominations continue it until Holy Saturday.

Fasting and abstinence are obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the Friday before Easter. Observers must abstain from eating meat on the other Fridays during Lent. During the fast, observers may eat one full meal a day, or two smaller ones if they don’t add up to a full meal.

Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 (Ash Wednesday) and ends at sundown on Thursday, April 17 (Holy Thursday). God Bless you all.

Fr. Charley

The story of David and Saul in today’s First Reading functions almost like a parable. Showing mercy to his deadly foe, David gives a concrete example of what Jesus expects to become a way of life for His disciples. The new law Jesus gives in today’s Gospel would have us all become “Davids”—loving our enemies, doing good to those who would harm us, extending a line of credit to those who won’t ever repay us. The Old Law required only that the Israelites love their fellow countrymen. The new law Jesus brings makes us kin to every man and woman. His kingdom isn’t one of tribe or nationality. It’s a family. As followers of Jesus, we’re to live as He lived among us—as “children of the Most High.” As sons and daughters, we want to walk in the ways of our heavenly Father, to “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Grateful for His mercy, we’re called to forgive others their trespasses because God has forgiven ours.

In the context of today’s liturgy, we’re all “Sauls”—by our sinfulness and pride we make ourselves enemies of God. But we’ve been spared a death we surely deserved because God has loved and shown mercy to His enemies, “the ungrateful and the wicked,” as Jesus says. Jesus showed us this love in His Passion, forgiving His enemies as they stripped Him of cloak and tunic, cursed Him and struck Him on the cheek, condemned Him to death on a cross. “He redeems your life from destruction,” David reminds us in today’s Psalm. That’s the promise, too, of today’s Epistle: that we who believe in the “last Adam,” Jesus, will rise from the dead in His image, as today we bear the image of the “first Adam,” who by his sin made God an enemy and brought death into the world.

Do you know what makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is “the grace”—treating others not as they deserve but as God wishes them to be treated—with loving kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free with your merciful love that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone. Lord, help me always to treat others the way that you treat them.

With love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

The blessings and woes we hear in today’s Gospel mark the perfection of all the wisdom of the Old Testament. That wisdom is summed up with marvelous symmetry in today’s First Reading and Psalm: each declares that the righteous—those who hope in the Lord and delight in His Law—will prosper like a tree planted near living waters. The wicked, who put their “trust in human beings,” are cursed to wither and die.

Jesus is saying the same thing in the Gospel. The rich and poor are, for Him, more than members of literal economic classes. Their material state symbolizes their spiritual state.

The rich are “the insolent” of today’s Psalm, boasting of their self-sufficiency, the strength of their flesh, as Jeremiah says in the First Reading. The poor are the humble, who put all their hope and trust in the Lord. We’ve already seen today’s dramatic imagery of reversal in Mary’s Magnificat. There, too, the rich are cast down while the hungry are filled and the lowly exalted.

That’s the upside-down world of the Gospel: in poverty, we gain spiritual treasure unimaginable; in suffering and even dying “on account of the Son of Man,” we find everlasting life.

The promises of the Old Testament were promises of power and prosperity—in the here and now. The promise of the New Covenant is joy and true freedom even amid the misery and toil of this life. As Paul says in today’s Epistle, we’re to be pitied if our hope is “for this life only.”

The blessings of God mean that we’ll laugh with the thanksgiving of captives released from exile, feast at the heavenly table of the Lord, “leap for joy” as John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb, and rise with Christ, “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

Jesus began his sermon on the mount by addressing the issue of where true happiness can be found. The word beatitude literally means happiness or blessedness. Jesus’ way of happiness demands a transformation from within—a conversion of heart and mind which can only come about through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit. If we want to be filled with the joy and happiness of heaven, then we must empty ourselves of all that would shut God out of our hearts.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

Simon Peter the fisherman is the first to be called personally by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. His calling resembles Isaiah’s commissioning in the First Reading: confronted with the holiness of the Lord, both Peter and Isaiah are overwhelmed by a sense of their own sinfulness and inadequacy. Yet each experiences the Lord’s forgiveness and is sent to preach the good news of His mercy to the world.

No one is “fit to be called an apostle,” Paul recognizes in today’s Epistle. But by “the grace of God,” even a persecutor of the Church—as Paul once was—can be lifted up for the Lord’s service.

In the Old Testament, humanity was unfit for the divine—no man could stand in God’s presence and live. But in Jesus, we’re made able to speak with Him face-to-face, to taste His Word on our tongue.

Today’s scene from Isaiah is recalled in every Mass. Before reading the Gospel, the priest silently asks God to cleanse his lips that he might worthily proclaim His Word.

God’s Word comes to us as it came to Peter, Paul, Isaiah, and today’s Psalmist—as a personal call to leave everything and follow Him, to surrender our weaknesses in order to be filled with His strength.

Simon put out into deep waters even though, as a professional fisherman, he knew it would be foolhardy to expect to catch anything. In humbling himself before the Lord’s command, he was exalted—his nets filled to overflowing; later, as Paul tells us, he will become the first to see the risen Lord.

Jesus has made us worthy to receive Him in the company of angels in God’s holy Temple. On our knees like Peter, with the humility of David in today’s Psalm, we thank Him with all our hearts and join in the unending hymn that Isaiah heard around God’s altar: “Holy, holy, holy….”

This incident tells us an important truth about how God works in and through each of us for his glory. When we cooperate in his works, we accomplish far beyond what we can do on our own. Therese of Lisieux (Little Flower), wrote to a friend: “Jesus has so incomprehensible a love for us that he wills that we have a share with him in the salvation of souls. He wills to do nothing without us. The Creator of the universe awaits the prayer of a poor little soul to save other souls redeemed like it at the price of all his Blood.” Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, in Jesus Christ God chooses ordinary people like you and me as his ambassadors, and he uses the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives and work situations to draw others into his kingdom. Jesus speaks the same message to us today: we will “catch people” for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the Gospel. God Bless us all.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley Alookaran

Today’s feast marks the Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Temple, forty days after he was born. As the firstborn, he belonged to God. According to the Law, Mary and Joseph were required to take him to the Temple and “redeem” him by paying five shekels. At the same time, the Law required the child’s mother to offer sacrifice to overcome the ritual impurity brought about by childbirth.

So, the feast we celebrate shows a curious turn of events. The Redeemer seems to be redeemed. She, who is all-pure, presents herself to be purified. Such is the humility of our God. Such is the humility of the Blessed Virgin. They submit to the law even though they are not bound by it.

However, the Gospel story nowhere mentions Jesus’ “redemption,” but seems to describe instead a religious consecration such as a priest might undergo. Saint Luke tells us that Jesus is “presented” in the Temple, using the same verb that Saint Paul uses to describe the offering of a sacrifice. Another parallel is the Old Testament dedication of Samuel to the Temple as a priest. The drama surrounding Jesus’ conception and birth began in the Temple when the Archangel visited Mary’s kinsman, Zechariah the priest. And now the story of Jesus’ infancy comes to a fitting conclusion, again in the Temple.

All the readings today concern Jerusalem, the Temple, and the sacrificial rites. The first reading comes from the Prophet Malachi, who called the priests to return to faithful service and foretold a day when a Messiah would arrive with definitive purification of the priesthood. Christ now arrives as the long-awaited priest and redeemer. He is also the sacrifice. Indeed, as His life will show, He is the Temple itself.

There are lessons we can draw from these readings for our lives today: 1. Reconfirm our commitment to God’s will. Joseph’s and Mary’s obedience in presenting Jesus at the Temple shows the importance of aligning our lives with God’s. 2. Recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Cultivate a life of prayer, reflection, and openness to the Holy Spirit to discern God’s presence and guidance in everyday moments of our lives. 3. Our hope and patience in God’s promises, like Simeon’s declaration, show the reward of waiting faithfully for God’s promises and trusting in God’s timing, maintaining hope even during long seasons of waiting, knowing he fulfills his word. 4. The recognition of universal salvation—Simeon acknowledges Jesus as a light for Revelation to the Gentiles and glory for Israel, emphasizing God’s inclusivity. Embrace a broader vision of God’s work, understanding that his love and salvation are for all people, not just a select group. 5. Endurance through challenges—Simeon prophesied the suffering Mary would face, reminding us that growth often involves trials. Accept difficulties as opportunities for refining faith and deepening trust in God’s purpose. When we have trials and challenges, let us always think about Mary and Joseph. They had gone through all these in their lives. God Bless you all.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

We need background to understand what’s happening in today’s First Reading. Babylon having been defeated, King Cyrus of Persia decreed that the exiled Jews could return home to Jerusalem. They rebuilt their ruined temple and under Nehemiah finished rebuilding the city walls.

The stage was set for the renewal of the covenant and the re-establishment of the Law of Moses as the people’s rule of life. That’s what’s going on in today’s First Reading, as Ezra reads and interprets the Law and the people respond with a great “Amen!” Israel, as we sing in today’s Psalm, is rededicating itself to God and His Law. The scene seems like the Isaiah prophecy that Jesus reads from in today’s Gospel.

Please read all of Isaiah 61. The “glad tidings” Isaiah brings include these promises: the liberation of prisoners; the rebuilding of Jerusalem, or Zion; the restoration of Israel as a kingdom of priests; and the forging of an everlasting covenant. It sounds a lot like the First Reading.

Jesus, in turn, declares that Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in Him. The Gospel scene, too, recalls the First Reading. Like Ezra, Jesus stands before the people, is handed a scroll, unrolls it, then reads and interprets it. If you compare Luke 4:16–17, 21 and Nehemiah 8:2–6, 8–10, you will get it clearly.

We witness in today’s Liturgy the creation of a new people of God. Ezra started reading at dawn of the first day of the Jewish new year. Jesus also proclaims a “sabbath,” a great year of Jubilee, a deliverance from slavery to sin, a release from the debts we owe to God. The people greeted Ezra “as one man.” And, as today’s Epistle teaches, in the Spirit the new people of God—the Church—is made “one body” with Him.

The Gospel is the all-powerful and all-merciful word of God for us today. It’s a life-giving word that has supernatural power to change, transform, and bring freedom and healing to those who accept it as the living word of God. When the president of the synagogue called on Jesus to read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus chose to read Isaiah’s description of what the Messiah would do when he came to restore God’s kingdom for the people of Israel.

The Lord Jesus speaks this same word to each of us today—he comes to bring us healing and restoration, pardon, and freedom from the oppression of sin, despair, hopelessness, and destruction. We shall believe his word with expectant faith and trust. The Lord will not refuse to pour out his Spirit on all who trust in him. Ask the Lord Jesus to renew in us the joy of the Gospel and the freedom to live each day with trusting faith, joyful hope, and fervent love.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Think of these first weeks after Christmas as a season of “epiphanies.” The liturgy is showing us who Jesus is and what He has revealed about our relationship with God. Last week and the week before, the imagery was royal and filial—Jesus is the newborn king of the Jews who makes us coheirs of Israel’s promise, beloved children of God. Last week in the liturgy we went to a baptism. This week we’re at a wedding. We’re being shown another dimension of our relationship with God. If we’re sons and daughters of God, it’s because we’ve married into the family.

Have you ever wondered why the Bible begins and ends with a wedding—Adam and Eve’s in the garden and the marriage supper of the Lamb. Throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the covenant relationship God desires with His chosen people. He is the groom, humanity His beloved and sought-after bride. We see this reflected beautifully in today’s First Reading.

When Israel breaks the covenant, she is compared to an unfaithful spouse. But God promises to take her back, to “espouse” her to Him forever in an everlasting covenant. That’s why in today’s Gospel Jesus performs His first public “sign” at a wedding feast.

Jesus is the divine bridegroom, calling us to His royal wedding feast. By His New Covenant, He will become “one flesh” with all humanity in the Church. By our baptism, each of us has been betrothed to Christ as a bride to a husband.

The new wine that Jesus pours out at today’s feast is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to His bride and body, as today’s Epistle says.

God often reveals his glory to us in the unlikeliest of places—in a cold stable at Bethlehem, at a village wedding party in Cana, on a bloody cross at Golgotha, or on the road to Emmaus. In today’s Gospel reading we see the first public sign and miracle which Jesus performed. The miracles of Jesus demonstrate the power of God’s love and mercy for his people. God’s kindness knows no limits. We shall thirst for God and for the abundant life and blessings he always offers to us.

We shall also intercede to Our Blessed Mother who always shows kindness and mercy towards her children on earth. She always intercedes for us and prays for us to her Son Jesus Christ. Always pray through her and she will never abandon us.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley