I had the amazing honor of baptizing my friend’s newborn. Baptism is so awesome because no matter if you were baptized with just water gently poured on your head, or if you were fully immersed, or even if a fire hose was shot at you. When you are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, you are adopted by God.
Jesus, in the gospel for this Sunday, says, “You have one father in heaven.” At the moment of baptism, the Father adopts you. You have a dad in heaven. One of my favorite moments at baptism is when I get to hold a baby, and we all pray to our Father because that’s the first moment this child can claim God as a dad. So, no matter your relationship with your biological Father, you have a perfect Father in heaven. He claims you, and he chooses you. Have confidence in your Father in heaven. And if you still need to be baptized, put that on your to-do list for this week.
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Let Jesus Satisfy
St. John the Baptist might be the original hipster, organic locusts, honey, vintage camel hair, but more importantly, he was the first to point to Jesus and say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” He reminds us that only Jesus can truly satisfy. Even our best moments can still feel incomplete. One student described the “best day of her life” surrounded by everyone she loved… yet something was missing. She realized that missing piece was Jesus. Joy is good but without Him, it never feels whole. This Advent, get your priorities straight: let Jesus be the one who fills what nothing else can. Point to Him, stay focused, and don’t waste the weeks leading up to Christmas.
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Loved Like The Samaritan Woman
Every year, this Gospel comes up during Lent, and every single year, it wrecks me. Yes, priests can get emotional, too, okay? In the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, she finds her identity in all the husbands who use her. And here is Jesus who is love Himself. And what’s so incredible is that He loves her well, and He loves her how she is…
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Remembering Pope Francis
Several years ago, I got to meet Pope Francis. I didn’t have much time with him, so I asked him one question: “Holy Father, can you please pray for my sister and her future spouse, whoever that might be?” Two weeks later, my sister began to date her now husband, which is incredible. However, what struck me the most was how Pope Francis responded to me. He said, “I will, of course, pray for your sister, but I need…
