Holy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper

 Jesus tells his disciples: "For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you." (Jn 13: 15) God does not want us to be passengers. Jesus performs his Messianic task of salvation not as a solo act but as the pioneer of a reality into which we are called to follow him. We need to cooperate with his grace to contribute to his Kingdom on earth. Passivity and quietism are not an option. To do so would be to hide our talent in the ground and hear the dreaded words: "As for this worthless slave, throw him into the out darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mtt 25: 30)St Paul exhorted the Philippians: "Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil 2: 12-13)

The Mass of Chrism

 Today the gospel records Jesus saying: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Lk 4: 21) In a Mass, where the sacred oils used in sacraments are consecrated, these words remind us that Christ, according to Vatican II, is present in the sacraments as well as in the Word, the people, the Blessed Sacrament and the priest (SC, 7). The sacraments, as enactive utterances, make present what they signify. Each of these moments bring about change desired by God and received by the faithful. Thus, whenever we gather a scripture is being fulfilled in our hearing and Jesus is at work. The Messianic jubilee as the Kingdom of God is proclaimed grows and evicts the power of evil wherever it is manifested. Let us have confidence that our work for the Gospel is not wasted: "Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Cor 15: 58)

6th Sunday of Lent - Palm Sunday

 The Passion of the Lord gives witness to the depths of the suffering Our Lord Jesus Christ accepted in order to accomplish our salvation: "He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2: 8) We do not, in Matthew's account, hear the last words of Jesus as he expires, rather: "Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last." (Mtt 27: 50) Elijah does not come to save him. The impact of the death of the Son of God is manifested in the natural world with an earthquake while the curtain of the Temple is torn and the bodies of the saints are raised. The cosmic significance of the death of Jesus is thus illustrated. All that there is left to do is to bury the body. How often do we feel in our own lives that in the face of personal suffering and disaster all that there that remains to us is to bury out hopes, aspirations and dreams? Let us not forget that the words of St Paul to the Philippians do not stop at verse 8 instead they continue: "Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2: 9-11) We need to identify ourselves with our Lord and unite our sufferings to him, trusting in God's power: "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny his own self." (2 Tim 2: 11-13)

Solemnity of the Annunciation

 The words of Our Lady: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Lk 1: 38) are hugely significant in the life of the Church and therefore of the world. They are, in fact, according to Pope St John XXIII, along with the words of St Peter: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Mtt 16: 16), constitutive of the Church. The importance of the obedience of Our Lady is tremendous. In Lumen Gentium we hear: "Rightly therefore the holy Fathers see her as used by God not merely in a passive way, but as freely cooperating in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience. For, as St. Irenaeus says, she "being obedient, became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race." Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert in their preaching, "The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience; what the virgin Eve bound through her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith." Comparing Mary with Eve, they call her "the Mother of the living," and still more often they say: "death through Eve, life through Mary." (LG, 56) This applies not only to her personally but to the whole of the Church whom she represents and embodies: "For in the mystery of the Church, which is itself rightly called mother and virgin, the Blessed Virgin stands out in eminent and singular fashion as exemplar both of virgin and mother. By her belief and obedience, not knowing man but overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, as the new Eve she brought forth on earth the very Son of the Father, showing an undefiled faith, not in the word of the ancient serpent, but in that of God's messenger. (LG, 63) Let us therefore not only honour Our Lady on the Solemnity but also seek to imitate her in our lives.

5th Sunday of Lent

 This Gospel, on the raising of Lazarus, simultaneously reveals Jesus' humanity while showing forth his divinity. The former is manifested in the profound emotions felt by Jesus upon the death of his friend. The onlookers exclaim: "See how he loved him!" (Jn 11: 36) The latter is not only shown in the deed of power with which Jesus brings Lazarus from the dead but by the intimacy, trust and confidence that he has in his heavenly Father: "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." (Jn 11: 41-42) In this way we, in 2026 listening to the living Word, are invited into that relationship. We become onlookers as well, marveling at the power of God and getting a privileged insight into the divine relationship between the Son and the Father. As Catholics we not only participate in the Blessed Sacrament, the living memorial of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also gather to listen to his Word. It is this Word that conforms us to the life of our Saviour: "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4: 12) Both aspects of the Eucharistic liturgy form a unity that mediates to us Jesus Christ -Word made flesh and splendour of the Father.

Solemnity of St Joseph - Spouse of Our Lady and Patron of the Universal Church

 Today we have the principal feast day of the foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Joseph. The other feast is that of St Joseph the Worker. For a man of few words Joseph has had a tremendous influence in the life of the Church especially as patron of religious orders. He was poor - the Holy Family offered, at the Presentation of Our Lord, the sacrifice of the poor; he was chaste - Our Lady is a perpetual virgin and he respected that; he was obedient - he responded with alacrity to the instructions given by God to him in dreams. He is often portrayed as holding lilies. This is derived from the personification of Israel: "... he (Israel) shall blossom like the lily." (Hos 14: 5) As a member of the Holy Family of Nazareth he is a role model, intercessor and archetype for fathers and other male roles in the Church and the family. A righteous man he was still open to the action of God which took him beyond his comfort zone. Three times he responded to God's call and moved to protect his family. We need something of his faith and courage today.

Feast of Saint Patrick

 A Catholic visitor to the southern hemisphere might be puzzled as to how the Feast of St Patrick, which is listed as a Commemoration in the Universal Calendar, is celebrated as a solemnity in Australia and a feast in New Zealand. The key lies in the Irish roots of the many Catholics who came, voluntarily or otherwise, to this part of the world in the Nineteenth Century. They brought with them their faith and the historical memory of their homeland. Not only that, but at the Synod of Thurles 1850 they had instilled in them a new energy and focus. The desire to renew the Church through the discipline of clergy and devotional practices helped a people scarred by poverty, colonialism and famine to build a new life on the other side of the world. The linking of faith and nationalism, which also took place in other countries, for example, St Joan of Arc in France, harnessed the spirit of the age to Catholic society. Now, in 2026, this link has been weakened if not dissolved as Australia and New Zealand establish new bases for community and identity. What then does the celebration of this feast have to offer? The key is to be found in the gospel for the day where St Peter says to Jesus: "Master, we have worked all night ling but caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." (Lk 5: 5) We need, as missionary disciples, the courage of St Patrick. He was prepared to go to a people who were not his own to bring them the Good News despite the ill-treatment he had received in being enslaved by them. We can abandon our own hurts and disappointments, as the church we knew of our youth implodes, to embrace the future with confidence and the Holy Spirit: "When they had brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed him." (Lk 5: 11)

4th Sunday of Lent

 We hear today in the Second Reading: "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph 5: 10-11) The spiritual life takes effort. Jesus tells us: "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mtt 7: 14) We must resist the temptation to be complacent. To take God's grace for granted is to commit the sin of presumption. Lent is a season to help us open our eyes to our sinfulness and strive for greater holiness. The Pharisees in the Gospel sit in judgement on Jesus and seek reasons to condemn him for breaking the sabbath law. They are blind to their hypocrisy. Jesus passes judgement on them when he tells them: "If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains." (Jn 9: 41) When our eyes are opened to sin, we have the opportunity to see not only the truth about ourselves but the truth about Jesus. The formerly blind man's response to Jesus, when he reveals himself, is: "Lord, I believe." (Jn 9: 38) We too are called to see Jesus for who he is and make an act of faith in him.

We hear today in the Second Reading: "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph 5: 10-11) The spiritual life takes effort. Jesus tells us: "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mtt 7: 14) We must resist the temptation to be complacent. To take God's grace for granted is to commit the sin of presumption. Lent is a season to help us open our eyes to our sinfulness and strive for greater holiness. The Pharisees in the Gospel sit in judgement on Jesus and seek reasons to condemn him for breaking the sabbath law. They are blind to their hypocrisy. Jesus passes judgement on them when he tells them: "If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains." (Jn 9: 41) When our eyes are opened to sin, we have the opportunity to see not only the truth about ourselves but the truth about Jesus. The formerly blind man's response to Jesus, when he reveals himself, is: "Lord, I believe." (Jn 9: 38) We too are called see Jesus for who he is and make an act of faith in him.

We hear today in the Second Reading: "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph 5: 10-11) The spiritual life takes effort. Jesus tells us: "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mtt 7: 14) We must resist the temptation to be complacent. To take God's grace for granted is to commit the sin of presumption. Lent is a season to help us open our eyes to our sinfulness and strive for greater holiness. The Pharisees in the Gospel sit in judgement on Jesus and seek reasons to condemn him for breaking the sabbath law. They are blind to their hypocrisy. Jesus passes judgement on them when he tells them: "If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains." (Jn 9: 41) When our eyes are opened to sin, we have the opportunity to see not only the truth about ourselves but the truth about Jesus. The formerly blind man's response to Jesus, when he reveals himself, is: "Lord, I believe." (Jn 9: 38) We too are called see Jesus for who he is and make an act of faith in him.

We hear today in the Second Reading: "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph 5: 10-11) The spiritual life takes effort. Jesus tells us: "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mtt 7: 14) We must resist the temptation to be complacent. To take God's grace for granted is to commit the sin of presumption. Lent is a season to help us open our eyes to our sinfulness and strive for greater holiness. The Pharisees in the Gospel sit in judgement on Jesus and seek reasons to condemn him for breaking the sabbath law. They are blind to their hypocrisy. Jesus passes judgement on them when he tells them: "If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains." (Jn 9: 41) When our eyes are opened to sin, we have the opportunity to see not only the truth about ourselves but the truth about Jesus. The formerly blind man's response to Jesus, when he reveals himself, is: "Lord, I believe." (Jn 9: 38) We too are called see Jesus for who he is and make an act of faith in him.

3rd Sunday of Lent

 Jesus says to the Samaritan woman: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him." (Jn 4: 23) The question I ask is, are we such worshippers and how do we know? We know that there are sadly divisions among Christians and even among Catholics about the correct way in which to give proper worship to God. Throughout history there has even been much violence between those who disagree on what this means. The key, for Christians, is surely the interpretation of the injunction of the Lord at the Last Supper to: "Do this in memory of me." We have advantage not only of the Scriptures, including the teachings of St Paul on the Holy Eucharist, but also of the testimony of the Church Fathers, Papal Magisterium and the uninterrupted Tradition of the Church. When we enter the liturgy, therefore, we must be attentive to these teachings so that we are not ultimately worshipping in a manner inconsistent with the example and person of Christ. This is not a question of legalism. Sometimes priests will say: "Say what is black, do what is in the red" however, there is a need for engagement of the heart. We need not only to obey the Church and its liturgy but also to love it. Our love of the Church will help us to love the Lord and to be guided and informed by the Holy Spirit. let us always strive therefore to worship in spirit and in truth.

2nd Sunday of Lent

 Last Sunday we heard at the conclusion of the temptations in the desert: "Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him" (Mtt 4: 11) The gospel of the Transfiguration, for today, comes after an unsettled time in the ministry of Jesus. He has said to Simon Peter: "Get behind me, Satan!" (Mtt 16: 23). and the disciples are admonished: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Mtt 16: 25) I find it a rule of the spiritual life that consolation follows from desolation.  This is the case with Lent. We intentionally enter the desolation of fasting, prayer and almsgiving, so as to prepare ourselves for the consolation of Easter. In our times of suffering the ability to endure given us by our faith in Jesus Christ can be helped by knowing that the Lord will grant us consolation when we emerge from the time of trial. St Paul speaks of this when he wrote: "And not only that, but we boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Rm 5: 3-5)

1st Sunday of Lent (Year A)

 Eve looks at the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She knows that she and her husband are forbidden to eat from it because she reports as much to the serpent. Yet the serpent assures her that God is a liar: "You shall not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil." (Gn 3: 4-5) Eve can see three reasons for why she should eat the fruit: the tree was good for food, the fruit was a delight to the eye, and it could make her wise (Gn 3: 5-6), in other words, food/appetite, beauty and knowledge. The devil also holds out three reasons to Jesus to tempt him to disobey his heavenly Father in the gospel: food, fame and power. How many of our obvious or hidden addictions/compulsions are underpinned by a desire for such things? For this reason, Lent is a valuable season to purify our hearts and the vision of our minds so that we repudiate any form of idolatry. Jesus dismisses the devil saying: "Worship the Lord your God and serve only him." (Mt 4: 10). I exhort all Catholics to commit to the process of repentance and renewal of Lent by attending Mass every Sunday and, if possible, on weekdays, as well as the ceremonies of the Easter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil. Together we will vindicate ourselves against all temptations in a society that has eyes only for the blandishments of the devil.

Ash Wednesday

 The sight of Catholics going about their business on this day, with ash crosses marked on their foreheads, reminds us that faith is not a purely subjective or private matter. Many are fond of saying: "I am spiritual but not religious." Why do they say that? It is like saying: "I have words but I do not have language." Since we are enfleshed spirits, our spiritual exercises for Lent will necessarily have an observable effect. It remains that as missionary disciples we are called to manifest our faith to the world so that others may know the joy of the Gospel.  This does not mean that we are going to congratulate the world or conform ourselves to it. Our message is that of the Gospel which was, from the beginning one of metanoia or repentance. This change of life is a response to the revelation of God's grace and is enabled and sustained by the Holy Spirit. To this end we can take St Paul's words to the Corinthians as our own as we encounter a wounded world: "We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us, we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (1 Cor 5: 20)

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The Church continues this week to listen again to the Sermon on the Mount. As the new law given by the new Moses, Jesus Christ who leads us in the exodus from sin and death to eternal life (see Lk 9: 31), it is written not on tablets of stone (Ex 32: 15-16) but on human hearts (see Jer 32: 33 and Heb 10: 16). For this reason, it is superior to the old law in its demands: "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mtt 5: 20) It calls for a transformation of the heart that makes us ready and fit to serve in the Kingdom: "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Mtt 5: 28) God does not look at the surface: "... for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Sam 16: 7) As we approach the season of Lent let us look to our hearts and strive to live in accord with God's love and grace since: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Mtt 5: 8)

The Church continues this week to hear again the Sermon on the Mount. As the new law given by the new Moses, Jesus Christ who leads us in the exodus from sin and death to eternal life (see Lk 9: 31), it is written not on tablets of stone (Ex 32: 15-16) but on human hearts (see Jer 32: 33 and Heb 10: 16). For this reason, it is superior to the old law in its demands: "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mtt 5: 20) It calls for a transformation of the heart that makes us ready and fit to serve in the Kingdom: "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Mtt 5: 28) God does not look at the surface: "... for the does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Sam 16: 7) As we approach the season of Lent let us look to our hearts and strive to live in accord with God's love and grace since: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Mtt 5: 8)

The Church continues this week to hear again the Sermon on the Mount. As the new law given by the new Moses, Jesus Christ who leads us in the exodus from sin and death to eternal life (see Lk 9: 31), it is written not on tablets of stone (Ex 32: 15-16) but on human hearts (see Jer 32: 33 and Heb 10: 16). For this reason, it is superior to the old law in its demands: "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mtt 5: 20) It calls for a transformation of the heart that makes us ready and fit to serve in the Kingdom: "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Mtt 5: 28) God does not look at the surface: "... for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Sam 16: 7) As we approach the season of Lent let us look to our hearts and strive to live in accord with God's love and grace since: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Mtt 5: 8)

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 In philosophy there is a word "teleology" which speaks of the inherent purpose of an object. An example of this would be the teleology of the acorn is to become an oak tree. What is the teleology of the missionary disciple? Jesus tells us, in the gospel, that the teleology of his disciples is to be "salt of the earth" and "light for the world." If we fail to be the former we are: "no longer good for anything" (Mtt 5: 13) and if we fail to be the latter, we are illogical: "No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket." (Mtt 5: 15) Today can I ask myself how I am salt of the earth and light for the world? I am fulfilling my purpose as a missionary disciple and realizing my vocation given me in baptism. Let us all be alert to the challenge to put the gospel into practice and bring the joy of the gospel to those whom I meet.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 It is interesting that only two of the nine Beatitudes, that mark the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, have their reward in the present. They are: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" and "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mtt 5: 3 and 10) The kingdom of heaven, therefore, is a present reality for those who are poor in spirit and are persecuted for righteousness' sake.  When we pray the Lord's Prayer during the Mass we say: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come...". Thus, we desire to be subjects of the Father's heavenly rule and not ruled by any other authority, temporal or spiritual. So, what is this kingdom? St Paul tells the Romans: "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but the righteous and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rm 14: 17) When we serve the church, through ministries and prayer, we are striving to be poor in spirit, and when we testify to our faith in public, we open ourselves to being persecuted for righteousness' sake. In this way we can experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, here and now.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 We have come to the conclusion of the Jubilee Year. As Pilgrims of Hope, where do we go from here? Pope Leo is asking us to be inspired by the 700th anniversary of St Francis Assisi in 2026. St Francis and St Dominic were revolutionary for their time because they effectively took the monastery to the people. They sought to combat the heresies of Manicheism and the Waldensians Likewise, we are called to go forth and, as missionary disciples, engage with the culture and society of our time. In the gospel Jesus says to Peter and Andrew: " 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people'. " (Mtt 4: 19) He does the same with James and John the sons of Zebedee.  We are told: "Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him" (Mtt 4: 22) There is an urgency about their response. In the midst of their everyday work they have a call to a higher purpose which is to follow the Lord. We may not be called to leave our work and families behind but we are called to bring the joy of the Gospel to those who are awaiting it. The Holy Spirit has gone ahead of us. We can, with confidence, embrace the challenge of bringing the Good News to a world in profound need of it. Let us follow the Lord knowing that he empowers us through his grace and leads by example: "Jesus went throughout Galilee. teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people." (Mtt 4: 23)

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 It is interesting that in a year of the lectionary, given over to the Gospel of Matthew, we have a gospel reading, for the start of Ordinary Time, from the Gospel of John. Last week the reading was for the Baptism of the Lord with Matthew's gospel emphasizing the inferiority of John the Baptist who asks why he should be the one to baptize Jesus. Today's gospel serves to build on this as John the Baptist is shown explicitly identifying Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." (Jn 1: 29) This is not through their familial connection, as we see on the Feast of the Visitation, rather John witnesses the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus after his baptism. In Mark and Matthew it is only Jesus who witnesses the descent of the Holy Spirit while in Luke it is ambiguous as to whether it is Jesus or everyone who witnesses this event. The differences do not change the overall picture but can tell us of the theological emphases of the respective evangelists. For ourselves we can understand the role of others in baptism and encouraging us to grow in faith and discipleship. They act as witnesses to the Holy Spirit at work in our lives even when we may be unaware of it. Perhaps we, like John the Baptist, can serve to alert others to God's action in their lives and encourage them to respond with faith and courage to the call which God has for each of them.

Feast of Baptism of the Lord

 Of the synoptic gospels, it is Matthew which records the misgivings of John the Baptist about baptizing Jesus: " 'I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?' " (Mtt 3: 14) John's baptism was one of repentance. The word for repentance in Hebrew is shuv which is often translated in Greek as metanoia. It involves a change of life. A turning around to take another path. Jesus' reply to this is: " 'Let it be so for now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.' " (Mtt 3: 15) Thus, that Jesus be baptized by John, is a part of the Father's plan for salvation. Jesus, although sinless, he nevertheless identifies with the people who long for the coming of the Messiah and the fulfilment of God's promises. He also recognizes the legitimacy of John's ministry and message.  Jesus waits until John is martyred before he begins his earthly ministry. The opening message of the ministry is the same as John's: " 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.' " (Mtt 3: 2 cf Mk 1: 14) There is a sense here that God does not discard John the Baptist. Everything happens in its proper time. In John the Baptist God was giving the Jewish people immediate preparation to reform their lives so that their hearts would be purified to recognize the Messiah when he was revealed. Jesus explains it this way: " 'He (John) was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.' " (Jn 5: 35) This tells us that each of us need repentance before we can have hearts to receive Jesus as he truly is and ears to hear in our own baptisms the words: " 'This is my Son the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.' " (Mtt 3: 17)