God’s presence

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, 14 December 2025, Advent IIIA: Matthew 11:2-11; Is 35:1-6,10

Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?

This question of St. John the Baptist is a very good one for us to pose as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. If Jesus is not the one - if he is not the promised Messiah of Israel - indeed if he is less than God Incarnate - then we should cancel Christmas, close the monastery, and give up coming to Mass.

Homily for Advent 2A, 7 December 2025: Matthew 3:1-12

Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 3:2).

Once again we hear the cry of St. John the Baptist, always valid, always relevant, always urgent. John calls us to prepare for the coming of the Lord: to know that the Lord is even now among us; to be certain that nothing whatever in our life is more important than knowing him, receiving him, listening to him, following him.