I was pretty sad this past week over the Bears’ loss. I imagine most of Chicago was too. So, I asked the school children to give me some words to cheer me up.

Dear Parishioners, Someone recently shared with me an article on obituaries based on a study posted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers from Michigan State University, Boston College, and Arizona State University inserted into an AI processor 38 million obituaries published between 1998 and 2024. There were several observations from the data. I won’t note all of them, just one: world events influenced obituaries. For example, after September 1

Jesus asks his cousin John the Baptist to do something that doesn’t make sense in John’s eyes: baptize Jesus. Baptism was a sign of someone acknowledging their need for repentance, and repentance implies sin and imperfection. Jesus, of course, was perfect with no sin, hence he had no need to repent and no need to be baptized. John resists at first. “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” he says. Jesus responds: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for

Saint Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, our second reading today on this Feast of the Epiphany, says this: “The mystery was made known to me by revelation” (Ephesians 3:3).

I love the fact that Saint Matthew includes in his Gospel this scene of John the Baptist doubting whether Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

A couple weeks ago I gave a homily, “Church History Part III: The Church in America.” I’d like to repeat some of that here, for the Catholic Church in America embodies the line from Isaiah in our first reading this weekend: “a shoot shall sprout from the stump.” Catholicism in America was a shoot that has become a blossom.

Those of you who know me know that my typical response to a question or problem someone will pose is “Have you prayed about that? Have you asked Jesus?” Often the answer I receive from the person is, “Yes,” to which my retort is, “And what did Jesus say?” The reply: “I don’t know.” When I ask for elaboration, what I get is: “I didn’t/don’t hear Jesus say anything.”

The other day I overheard during our school’s morning drop-off the song “I just can’t wait to be king” from The Lion King. I think we all whistle that tune subconsciously, and justifiably so. For when we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ’s kingship. This is why the newly baptized is anointed on the head with the Sacred Chrism, resembling a coronation.

Jesus makes this prediction in this weekend’s Gospel: “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”

I gave a brief lesson in ancient Church history in my homily a couple weeks ago, and I feel compelled to repeat some of that here, since today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. The way All Souls Day last Sunday trumped what would have been the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, this weekend, the Lateran Feast trumps what would have been the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.