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Daily Readings from the USCCBThe Baptism of the LordJesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. Matthew 3:13–15John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, entrusted with the mission to immediately prepare the way for the Messiah. Today’s feast marks a pivotal transition from the Old Law...

By Dr. John BergsmaThis Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which will close the liturgical season of Christmas. But why do we celebrate this event at all? The primary meaning of baptism appears to be the washing away of sin. Since Jesus had no sin, why be baptized? That’s one of the more obvious questions raised by the theme of this feast and by the readings. At the same time, the readings for this Sunday point us in the direction of an answer. 1. The First Reading is Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7:Thus says the LORD: Here...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase;...

'I am filled with remorse and repentance, and I have nothing to stand on except God’s mercy and grace,' Philip Yancey notedChristian author Philip Yancey, who has been married for more than five decades, confessed to engaging in a multi-year affair, telling Christianity Today in a statement that he had "disqualified" himself from ministry. Yancey did not mince words or seek to defend the affair — he acknowledged the sinfulness of his behavior and the devastating consequences of his actions. "To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married...

Daily Readings from the USCCBIt happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”Luke 5:12What a perfect prayer! This leper, likely shunned by the townspeople, including his own family, had been reduced to a life of isolation and rejection. Some might have pitied him, but out of fear of contracting his dread disease, they kept their distance. The emotional and social isolation he endured would have been even more painful...

A federal court has sided with a Christian ministry seeking to ensure it has the right to hire only employees who agree to abide by its religious beliefs, ordering the state of Washington not to enforce a nondiscrimination law against the organization. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous opinion Tuesday, ruling that Union Gospel Mission of Yakima has the right to hire employees who align with the organization’s religious beliefs. The Christian ministry sued the state's attorney general and the Washington State Human Rights Commission, alleging that the Washington Law Against Discrimination...

Daily Readings from the USCCBJesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. Luke 4:14–15This passage from Luke’s Gospel takes place immediately after Jesus was baptized by John and spent forty days in the desert, enduring and overcoming the temptations of the evil one. He returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” Although Luke had not yet recorded any of Jesus’ miracles, it becomes clear later in the chapter that Jesus had already performed some in Capernaum, and...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:50–52When Jesus appeared to the Apostles, walking on the sea, they were filled with fear. His words to them are the same words He speaks to us: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” We need to hear those words more often than we realize. Many things in life can cause us...

Daily Readings from the USCCBBy now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” Mark 6:35–36It is wise to be practical, realistic, and pragmatic. But when it comes to Christ and our call to participate in His divine mission, pragmatism can sometimes be a hindrance. Today’s Gospel illustrates this truth powerfully. The passage begins by showing the compassionate heart of Christ, who looked out upon the vast...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop[Jesus] went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him. Matthew 4:23–24Once Jesus began healing the sick, expelling demons, curing paralytics, and performing other miracles,...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThe Epiphany of the LordWhen Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1–3Why did God use a star to reveal the birth of the King of Kings to foreigners from the East? To Mary, Joseph, and even the shepherds, God sent an angel to...

By Dr. John BergsmaThe Christmas season can sometimes seem to be just one joyful feast after another. We are scarcely past the glow from the Holy Family and Mary, Mother of God, when Epiphany is already upon us. The word “Epiphany” comes from two Greek words: epi, “on, upon”; and phaino, “to appear, to shine.” Therefore, the “Epiphany” refers to the divinity of Jesus “shining upon” the earth, in other words, the manifestation of his divine nature. The use of the word “epiphany” for the revelation of divinity predates Christianity. The Syrian (Seleucid) emperor Antiochus IV (175-164 BC), the villainous...

Daily Readings from the USCCBJohn the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John 1:29–31Though John grew up in the hill country of Judea near Jerusalem and Jesus grew up in Nazareth, it is very likely that their families...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 1:26–28Though John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he also prepares us to receive the fruit of that ministry and mission. One way he does this is by revealing the identity of...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSolemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God The Octave Day of the Nativity of the LordThe shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Luke 2:16–19 At the birth of Christ, the Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Heart was full of love and...

By Dr. John BergsmaJanuary 1 is the Solemnity (Holy Day) of Mary, Mother of God. To call Mary the “Mother of God” must not be understood as a claim for Mary’s motherhood of divinity itself, but in the sense that Mary was mother of Jesus, who is truly God. The Council of Ephesus in 431—long before the schisms with the Eastern churches and other non-Catholic Christians—proclaimed “Mother of God” a theologically correct title for Mary. So far from being a cause of division, the common confession of Mary as “Mother of God” should unite all Christians, and distinguish Christian orthodoxy...

Daily Readings from the USCCBIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth. John 1:1; 14The Prologue to John’s Gospel, John 1:1-18, is one of the most profound and theologically rich passages in Scripture. It is both contemplative and mysterious, inviting us to come to know God in His essence through the depth of contemplative prayer. The opening words, “In the beginning…,” echo...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThere was a prophetess, Anna… She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36–38Like Simeon, Anna was among those “awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” She belonged to the faithful remnant of Israel who believed in the prophecies, understood the Messiah’s spiritual and salvific role, and awaited His coming with great hope. Because Anna “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with...

As Josh Abbotoy gazes out at lush green woods and pastureland nestled among Tennessee's Appalachian hills, he describes what he intends to build here: a neighbourhood with dozens of residential lots, centred around a working farm and, crucially, a church. Mr Abbotoy is prominent in US conservative circles and describes his development as an "affinity-based community" - marketed to people not only interested in the peace and quiet of rural life, but in a constellation of right-wing ideals. "Faith, family and freedom," he says. "Those are the values that we try to celebrate." Initially he didn't attract much local attention...

They say they’re Christians and are not occultists. Nor, he says, are they witches. Her husband, she swears, isn’t a warlock. But this Chesapeake couple does sell crystals, intended to help customers heal — their bodies, their auras — physically and metaphysically. Chris and Lindsey Thornhill own and operate Love and Crystals, marketing it specifically as a Christian crystal store and gift shop.