​Beloved in Christ,
 
"This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory" (Jn 2:11). The first part of the gospel of John is called the Book of Signs. In John's narrative, he refers to miracles as signs. There are seven signs in all that Jesus performed. What are the significance of these signs? What do those signs point to? What is the importance of the sign at Cana in Galilee? What does this first sign by Jesus in John's gospel say about him?
 
Signs is the English translation of the Greek "Semeion," which implies that Jesus' miracles or signs point to something beyond the act. Jesus indeed brought about a change of water to wine, a miracle! However, Jesus' sign goes beyond the miraculous act to indicate something about Jesus' identity. Jesus is the new wine that brings joy, gladness, and abundance. The more profound meaning and significance of turning water into wine is connected with the prophecies and events in the Old Testament. The motif of wedding and banquet points to the identity of Jesus and our need to trust in Him. The wedding sign is indicative of God's covenantal union with his people. We see the allusion to marriage between God and his people in our first reading from Isaiah 62. St. Paul would later write on this espousal of God to his people in the new covenant as it implies the union of Christ to his body, the Church (Eph 6). The marriage of Jesus, the groom to his bride, the Church, is the reconciliation of God to his people, restoring the proper relationship between God and his people.
 
The image of the wedding extends to the banquet held to celebrate the nuptial act. The Jewish wedding banquet is lavish, with an abundant supply of wine and food that lasts seven days. The celebration was crashing because they ran out of wine, as Mary announced to her son. Jesus is the one who restores joy and gladness. He asked that the six stone water jars that can hold thirty gallons be filled and served to the guest. On tasting the drink, the head waiter announced with excitement that the groom had just served the best wine at the end of the banquet instead of at the beginning. Here, we see the sign pointing to us placing our trust in Jesus, the perfect one, he who can restore our joy and grant us life in abundance (Jn 10:10). Jesus reveals himself through the sign at Cana as the messiah who comes to restore us to living union with the Father, to complete in the New Covenant what is incomplete in the Old Covenant. Through this sign, he shows his glory and identity as the world's redeemer and calls us to believe in him and trust in his power to transform our lives. Can we trust Jesus and believe in his words as Mary, his mother, tells us: "Do whatever he tells you"? We should.
 
Next Sunday is designated as Sunday of the Word of God, an opportunity for the body of Christ to devote herself to celebrating, studying, and disseminating the Word of God. To celebrate this day solemnly, I encourage each of us to come to mass next Sunday with our bible; we will use it literally and metaphorically.
 
Have a Happy Martin Luther King, Jr Day!
 
In Christ, I trust.
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
"After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized...." (Lk 3:21). In today's feast, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus by John the baptism at the River Jordan. Why would Jesus need baptism? This is the first question that came to mind when reading about Jesus' baptism. Jesus has not sinned. The baptism conducted by John is not sacramental as we have it today; it is a sign of cleansing and purification according to the Old Law. But even then, Jesus did not have a personal sin that needed cleansing. Jesus went under the requirement of the Law for our sake and was an example to us to fulfill the demands of the Law. He chose to submit himself to the Law's requirement and instructed us to obey God's Law. Also, by requesting baptism, Jesus, according to St. Augustine, intends to "freely proclaim through his humility what for us was to be a necessity." We need baptism because it is the first step towards our salvation (See 1 Pet 3:21).
 
Jesus prepares us for the Sacrament of Baptism by his baptism, which he will require as the doorway to the journey to paradise. The necessity of baptism is indicated when he commanded baptism in the power of the Holy Trinity at his Ascension (Mt 28:13). In the sacrament of baptism, Jesus himself is at work in us as He, the Father and the Holy Spirit come to make a home in us and make us sons and daughters of God. As John says, so it is; Jesus' baptism is done in power and effects a supernatural change to our soul. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Lk 3:16).
 
The day of our baptism should be the most cherished one. On that day, our sins, original or actual, are forgiven, and we not only become sons and daughters of God by adoption, but we also receive faith and grace. Without these gifts, our longings and desires are never going to be fulfilled. Through the gifts of baptism, we receive help to make our efforts fruitful. By the grace of baptism, God makes our lives bear the fruits of a heavenly dimension. God healed our sin-soiled nature with this healing sacrament. What a great gift we receive in baptism! And how unaware are we of what happened to us at such a mystery-filled moment of baptism? Our mouths will be filled with praise and thanks only if we know what happened to our souls at our baptism.
 
St Leo the Great famously says of baptism in a Christmas homily: "Thanks to the Sacrament of Baptism you have been turned into a temple of the Holy Spirit. Don't let it happen that you drive away so noble a guest by your evil deeds, or ever again submit to the power of the demon: for a price you were bought with is the Blood of Christ." May we heed St. Leo's exhortation. Let us be thankful to God for the gift of our baptism. Let us begin to apprehend the meaning and implications of our baptism. Let us recover the faith and grace of this sacrament if we have allowed sin or indifference to the life of faith to make us lose them. Let us turn to the Lord to help those who have become passive or dormant in exercising their baptismal faith and grace. We know of so many in our families and parish. In particular, to our parish family, let us raise prayers of praise and thanks to God for all the five children who received the sacrament of baptism from our baptismal fount in 2024.
 
After the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we come to the end of the Christmas season, and Ordinary Time begins on Monday, 13 January. Let's continue with the daily business of seeking and embracing life in Christ. Don't forget that our first parish monthly Adoration of the Year is on Monday, 13 January, at 6 p.m.
 
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
The divine gift of the Baby Jesus continues to draw the attention of all and now constitutes a universal appeal. The baby born in Bethlehem invites the attention of the Magi from the East, an indication of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Today, we remember the revelation of the Light to all people. Prophet Isaiah says in the First reading, "Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance" (Is 60:3). When Matthew writes, "We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage (Mat 2:2), he indicates the fulfillment of the prophecy about the expected king of the Jews whose influence will extend to the far ends of the world.
 
The gift of the baby God gave us on Christmas day, the baby who took our humanity to restore it, is the subject of the magi's adoration. The three magi from the East, guided by the Light, come bearing their riches to worship the newborn king: "They opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Mt 2: 11). 
 
The feast we celebrate today is the gift of our acceptance into God's family, which is no longer limited to the Jews but is now accessible to all nations. This gift of light, in the words of St. Paul, is the mystery not made known to people in other generations; it is the good news "that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Eph 3:6).
 
We, too, like the magi, guided by the bright morning star and the light of the world, must bring to fulfillment the prophecy contained in our responsorial mass regarding the Lord, "every nation on earth will adore you" (Ps 72: 11). As the magi adored the baby Saviour in the manger, as "They prostrated themselves and did him homage" (Mt 2:11), so must we offer him our lives in worship. Let us renew our baptismal vow in this new year to serve Him more intensely, placing all our gifts- prayers and talents on the altar of the Sacrifice of mass. We must freely and joyfully surrender to Him all our lives in praise and thanksgiving. No lesser gift than the gift of our lives is sufficient for the newborn king, the Light of life.
 
 
Merry Christmas!
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
God is the author of the family. What does the structure of God's family look like? The answer to this question can be derived from the example of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Holy Family is a perfect one made up of a divine Son, a sinless mother, and a just father. It is a family structure that reflects the familial nature of the relationship among the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, the perfect constitution of the Holy Family does not exclude the existence of stress and tension. Even the Holy Family had its share of difficulties in the human family as we all know it. 
 
As St. Luke writes about the family, they kept God's commandments. As a family, they went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover feast. They kept the faith in all its details. Each person plays an assigned role in the family structure established by God. Joseph and Mary have authority over Jesus. They exercise this authority in charity and patience. Jesus, though a divine person, obeyed his parents: "He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them" (Lk 2: 51). Jesus, though superior to Mary and Joseph, respected their authority over him, obeying their instruction to go with them to the feast of Passover and return home to Nazareth. Joseph knew he was not a perfect father to Jesus; he was a foster father, and God was the true Father. Yet, Mary and Jesus accepted his authority over his family- they recognized him as the head of the family.
 
 Despite this perfect family structure established by God, with each playing its God-assigned role regarding love, mutual respect, and order (we see more details of these roles in Col 3: 12-21), tension and stress are found in the family. When Jesus went missing in Jerusalem, Joseph and Mary must have felt a sense of failure and hardship. The three days of searching for Jesus must have constituted a problem for them and tension in the family. 
 
Our contemporary families undergo similar and more significant difficulties. Our families battle with divorce, separation, poor morals, abusive parents, disobedient or rebellious children, children who turn away from the faith their parents raised them in, and many other forms of dysfunction. There is hardly any family that is spared some form of moral failure. The feast of the Holy Family we celebrate this Sunday calls us back to the drawing board and the basics of family structure. Let us practice all the virtues and morals of the family illustrated in the Gospel of Luke 2, St. Paul's Colossians 3, and Sirach 3. Let us, above all, turn to God in prayers to renew and restore our family to what God intended. Let parents pray to God for their families; let them turn especially to Jesus, Mary and Joseph in prayers. Fathers, invoke St. Joseph!
 
Wednesday, January 1, is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God; it is a holy day of obligation this year. The Church, our Mother and teacher, invites us back to a solemn feast in honor of the Mother of our Lord Jesus. It is one of the highlights of the Octave of Christmas. Come to be taught and blessed by this solemn liturgy.
 
Happy Christmas!
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
Mary is the icon of holiness. As the mother of Jesus, Mary is a saint par excellence, beyond an emblematic or symbolic status; she embodies holiness in its fullness. Mary's holiness is the fruit of her faith in Jesus, her savior. Full of grace, Mary opened herself entirely to the will of God: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1: 38). Conceived immaculately, Mary, in her sinless condition conceived, bore and raised her Lord who conquers sin forever. She is the subject of Micah's prophecy in this Sunday's first reading: the one " who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel" (Mi 5:2). Mary fulfills the prophecy of Micah when she gave birth to Jesus in Nazareth. She accomplished her purpose on earth because she was full of grace, and in responding to grace, she believed God's word and did God's will.
 
"Full of grace," Mary is "the most excellent fruit of redemption" (SC 103). We can also consider Mary an image of Christ because she spent her life doing God's will, like her Son and Savior. Christ came to the world to do the will of his Father: when Christ "came into the world he said: behold, I come to do your will, O God" (Heb 10:5, 7). Jesus emphasized his mother's fiat above all things in his response to the woman who said to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that bore you," by saying, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it" (Lk 11:28).
 
Jesus would want us to learn the art of living for Him from his mother. As we prepare for the coming of Christ, let us ask Mary to teach us how to yield to Jesus. Mary is the first to believe and prepare for the coming of Jesus. Elizabeth recognizes Mary's faith when she says: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled" (Lk 1: 45). The Blessed Virgin Mary is our mother and teacher. We will grow in faith if we approach and pray for her help. Let us call her blessed as Elizabeth did when we say the Hail Mary. Pray the Hail Mary often, and her intercession will obtain you from her son the grace you need to grow in holiness that befits your state in life.
 
We will begin the Christmas season in a few days. Let us long for the coming of Christ into our hearts and lives. We have masses scheduled for Christmas vigil and Christmas Day; make it a priority to attend with devotion. 
 
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! (Jn 22:20).
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 
 
 
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
Why am I in a rose-colored vestment today? In Catholic liturgy, the rose color vestments indicate the spirit of joy. Today is Gaudate Sunday- rejoicing Sunday! Why have we suddenly switched from violet to rose during the Advent season? We rejoice because the Lord is near. The one whose coming we have been preparing is close to us, and we must be joyful. St. Paul is emphatic on this call for rejoicing: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (Phil 4:4). Paul encourages us to be joyful, and I echo him, be joyful! We can relax the restraints and discipline of Advent for a while and allow the presence of Jesus to fill us with unending and enduring joy- even while we experience sadness and suffering. Our pains and sorrows never overshadow the joy of Christ because the closeness of Jesus empowers us to endure and live through any tragic or unpleasant experiences we may be going through.
 
Advent is a season of happiness and hope. If Jesus is near us, if we draw closer to him, he will fill us with Joy beyond our understanding. The Christian joy is what Paul preached in his epistle to Christians in Philippi in 4:4. We only find ourselves unhappy by choosing to be separated from Jesus. What takes us away from Jesus? Sin and spiritual laziness. The answer to the absence of Jesus' joy in our life is to make immediate recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation once we fall into mortal sin and a vibrant life of prayer. If we remain in a state of grace and keep a vibrant prayer life, ours will be a life of "joyful mysteries." A holy and blameless life before God made possible by a constant prayer relationship with God keeps us joyful. Grace and prayer are signs of the nearness of Jesus to us. When Jesus is close to us, we will be joyful.
 
Mary accepted Jesus into her life and found joy, as expressed in the Magnificat. John the Baptist leaped joyfully in his mother's womb when he felt Jesus's nearness. The angels announced the good news of great joy to the shepherd because of the birth of Jesus. These are examples of finding joy in Jesus's nearness to us. We find joy when we have Jesus; we become unhappy when we lose him. To have Jesus always is to be joyful. With St Paul, I say to you again, rejoice, the Lord is near. 
 
The Advent season is coming close to an end. Let us begin to anticipate the joy of Christmas. The preparation continues in prayers and acts of charity. We hit the peak of our preparation for Christmas at St. Peter with our Advent retreat with the International Irish Tenor, Mark Forest, which will be held tomorrow, Monday, at 7 p.m. Make plans to attend this spirit-filled hour of prayer and praise of Jesus present in the Eucharist. We will find joy in the presence of Jesus. We should not expect to find true happiness if we remain constantly away from Jesus' presence. Come close to Jesus and find joy.
 
With Joy,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
  
"All flesh shall see the Salvation of God" (Lk 3: 6). Let's continue from where we stopped last Sunday. Vigilance was the keyword last Sunday. The Scripture reminded us of the importance of vigilance or watchfulness for the coming of the Lord. As we watch and prepare for the coming of Jesus, we should ask a pertinent question: what awaits us after a lifetime of prayerful vigilance? The evangelist Luke gives us the answer. It is a divine promise: we shall see the Salvation of God. In the end, the purpose of our preparation for the coming of the Lord is the divine assurance that we shall fully experience God's redemption.
 
​Is vision of the salvation of God enough reason for us to persevere in prayers and devotion in our preparation for the coming of the Lord? It is more than sufficient reason. The salvation of God is the fulfillment of our human aspirations and hunger. We are perpetually in need of God's healing and deliverance of our soul from eternal damnation, which is the consequence of sin. God saves and heals sinful souls. Sin distorts our lives. It creates a deep valley of horror and an unassailable mountain of sadness. Only the visit of God's mercy and love can make things right for our souls. Only by presenting ourselves before the healing grace of God will winding roads be made straight and rough roads made smooth. The necessity and possibility of God's salvation are what John the Baptist represents. He is the voice in the wilderness that Prophet Isaiah spoke about. He is the advent figure announcing "the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
 
The vision of God's salvation should be an adequate reason for our contrition for sins and regular visits to the sacrament of penance. We are needy of God's salvation. God's mercy and love are without end. But if we do not acknowledge our need for his saving grace, we risk not beholding God's face. The word of God beckons us to go into the desert, where we see the actual state of our soul and our need for salvation. As we heed the word of God and listen to the voice calling us to a more profound friendship with God, it will be clearly shown to us the importance of striving to show ourselves pure and blameless for the day of Christ (Phi 1: 10). God wants us to approach his healing grace; he wants to purify us and make us worthy to stand ready for the coming of Jesus, and then he will joyfully show all the earth our splendor (Bar. 5:3). May we prepare ourselves constantly, and especially during Advent to behold the salvation of God. God wants to save our souls. How desirous are we for this grace?
 
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our country's patronal feast day, has been transferred to Monday, December 9. Although it will not be observed as a Day of Obligation this year, we should be eager to celebrate and benefit from the graces that accrue from doing so. The Mass of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is at 7 p.m. on Monday. All are highly encouraged to attend. We have two additional Marian feast days this week: Our Loreto (Tuesday) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Thursday). Make it a priority to implore the help of our Blessed Mother in this triple celebration!
 
In His Hope,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
God promises us the kingdom of truth. The universal kingship of Jesus is the reign of truth in this kingdom. The coming of Jesus, the incarnation of the divine word, is a testimony to the truth that God fulfills his promises. There are many instances in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament about the coming of an everlasting kingdom that will surpass and outlast that of David. God fulfills that promise in the dominion of Jesus Christ over all things. The kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of truth. Jesus came to testify to the truth of this kingdom. The Pilate interviews Jesus to examine his claim to kingship but finds out that the Kingdom of Jesus is not a temporary kingdom but a transcendent kingdom that entails the revelation of the mystery of God's reign over all things. There is truth. This truth contradicts what many in our world and time think about truth. We live in a time of relativism. Truth is often defined based on personal or subjective truth, that is, your perception and judgment. The truth here is relative. But Jesus, the king of the universe, is the truth in all its glory; he is "the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty" (Rev 1:8), the divine and supernatural being who has dominion over all things, thoughts, people and ages. 
 
"Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice"(Jn 18:37), Jesus declares. The kingdom of Christ comprises those who embrace and live by his truth. Jesus is the absolute truth, the fullness of divine revelation, the savior and redeemer of all the universe. Anyone who belongs to his reign must also be a witness to the truth. It is falsehood and pure hypocrisy to claim the lordship of Jesus and be a purveyor of lies. Truth is fundamental to the kingdom Jesus came to establish in the world through the Church. Those who belong to the Kingdom of the Father that Jesus will bring to its fullness at the end of time must constantly learn, love, and follow the truth. 
 
The truth as we know it in the biblical sense is rooted in the body of Christ, the Church. Jesus must continue to reign in our world, our will, our thoughts, our minds, and our bodies through his voice, which speaks to us in our time through his Church. "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice," says Jesus. Where do we continue to hear the voice of Jesus today? In His body, the Church. We are His Church; Christ called us to witness his truth through our lives and examples. Jesus expects and demands that we witness the truth. We are his; we belong to his dominion. We must be people of his kingdom of truth. Our life must be a continuous witness to the truth about the everlasting kingdom and covenant built upon Christ, our King. Seek the truth, love the truth, speak the truth. In truth lies the coming of God's kingdom on earth. Say the Lord's prayer with meaning often: "Your kingdom come, you will be done on earth as in heaven" (Mt 6: 10).
 
Next Sunday is the first of the Advent season. Believe it or not, Advent is a significant liturgical season despite its shortness. So much happens in the brief season of Advent. Primarily, the Advent is about preparation. So often, we fail to give due attention to readiness for the celebration of the comings of Christ. We get trapped in the spirit of the secular world. The secular world has already begun the "celebration of Christmas" after All Hallows Eve (Halloween). But we are disciples of the truth, of Jesus. Let's display the signs and spirit of Advent in the Advent season. You can manifest it in your manners of living. We must not cave in easily. Let us put on the habit of preparation for the coming of Jesus. Let us live out the truth so that others may come to the knowledge of truth. We have many opportunities for spiritual growth and apt preparation during Advent. Please be sure to get familiar with all the spiritual and liturgical events offered in the parish by reading the bulletins and listening to announcements.
 
In Christ's Reign,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved friends in Christ,
 
As we approach the final days of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to reflect on the second coming of Christ, when He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead, as we profess in the Creed. This moment will arrive after a period of tribulation. How do we prepare for this time, known only to the Father? What should we do during this waiting period? How do we anticipate the parousia, the day of the Lord?
 
We must stay the course and live every moment anticipating His return. We mark this time by remaining vigilant. "Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). Perseverance in faith is the most essential form of vigilance. The early Christians faced suffering and persecution with courage and patience, longing for the day of the Lord when God would grant them resurrection to new life. We should follow their example by enduring our suffering and adversity with the hope of heavenly rewards. If we persevere in faith, Christ will prepare us to be ready and worthy of His everlasting kingdom.
 
We should be mindful that the fullness of God's kingdom is not to be found in this world. Despite progress in civilization, science, medicine, politics, and all human affairs, they will not bring about human fulfillment. There will still be problems of evil, sin, and death. But with our hope placed in Christ, we can bear all things. Christ is our hope. We keep vigil for his coming by living in this hope that will not fail us, the hope of seeing Christ in his glory at the end of time. Let's keep our faith and get the reward of this hope at his return in glory.
 
In Christ, our Hope,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP 
 

​Beloved friends in Christ,
 
Generous giving. These words aptly describe the two widows we encounter in our liturgy of the word this Sunday. "Reckless," generous giving perhaps captures the sacrificial nature of these poor women's giving to God's mission. The Zarephath widow's sacrificial giving of "a handful of flour in her jar and a little oil in her jug to Elijah (1 King 17: 10-16) in the time of biting scarcity is a testimony to her faith in God and detachment. Likewise, the poor widow who contributed all her livelihood and life to the treasury (Mark 12: 38-44) teaches us poverty in spirit and trust in God. Detachment, trust in divine providence, stewardship, and faith are the lessons these women teach us today. 
 
I can testify that our parishioners have imbibed this lesson of generous giving and good stewardship of their treasure, talent, and time in several ways. One indication of my optimistic view of the generosity of our parishioners is the response I have received from you in my pleas to contribute towards the parish DAC 2024 goal of $83,106.68. We have not only met our goal, we have exceeded it! As of October 31, 2024, we have received gifts of $86,931.51, and I believe more are still coming! The good news is that the Diocese returns the money to our parish without tax. These monies will be put into the support of our parish ministries. An exciting aspect of the giving is the percentage of parishioners who have given so far: 178 of 760 households (23.42% participation rate). This percentage could be better, but it is still good when viewed in the context of participation in DAC across the Diocese.
 
At this point, I want to thank donors for their generous giving to me and the parish. I will eventually give more extensive details, but at this point, a huge thanks to my ever-reliable and supportive CCW and Men's Club members. Thank you for your labor of love in the name of the parish. Other parish societies and individuals have gone beyond the norm to give their treasure, time, and talent. Thank you. I will be extending further words of appreciation to you. Like the woman who never ran out of flour and oil, may you never run out of spiritual and material blessings.
 
Thanks to all who turned out for Eucharistic adoration on Monday night to pray for vocation and a peaceful election. I was impressed at the number of people in attendance; such should be the norm, not the exception. I know God has heard our prayers and continues to act in our lives. The election has come and gone, and may God's will continue to be. Meanwhile, we must continue to pray and love as Christ instructed us.
 
Please continue to offer suffrages for the souls in purgatory. November is the month dedicated explicitly to this holy and charitable act. Remember to pray at mass for the departed faithful and offer your penances and works of charity for this intention. We recently lost one of our precious parishioners, Michael Vertucci. Please pray for the repose of his souls and those of all the faithful departed of our parish.
 
Let's stay positive, generous, and loving. Let's be Christlike in all we do.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved friends in Christ,
 
Loving God and our neighbors is the fulfillment of all the commandments. The Old and New Testaments clearly show the centrality of keeping and observing God's commandments. God alone is the subject of our most profound display of love. The Jewish people said the shamai prayer daily, in the morning and the evening: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deut 6:4-5). Jesus reiterates this commandment and completes it by demanding the love of neighbor: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mk 12:31).

But what form of love is referred to in this scripture verse? What does it entail? Why is it mandatory to love God and others? We must answer these questions correctly to fulfill the law of love. The biblical koine Greek word translated as "love" in this passage is "agape." This form of love is divine in origin, a love that connects us to God in a unique way. It is a disinterested love that gives itself to the other only for the good of the other. When we say we love God, it differs in form from saying we love our spouses, parents, pets, or ice cream.
 
There are other words for love that describe our acts of love towards those subjects and realities. There is love that is classified as eros, storge, filia, filautia, xenia etc. To love God and neighbor is to do so unconditionally without considering what good we derive from it. We learn to love God and our neighbor from how God himself loves us: He loved us while we were unlovable when we were sinners, St. Paul says (fr. Rom 5:5). We were ugly and unattractive to love, yet God reached out to love us without placing a condition for doing so. His love is not a one-time act but a continuous, unchanging reality. It is who God is: God is love" (1 Jn 4). "HE LOVED US," Saint Paul says of Christ (cf. Rom 8:37), in order to make us realize that nothing can ever "separate us" from that love (Rom 8:39), wrote Pope Francis in his new enciclical letter.
 
In like manner, we are to love God with all the faculties and abilities we have received from him: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Nothing must be spared in loving God in any circumstances we find ourselves, good or bad. We must not allow anything to separate us from the love of God (see Rom 8: 35-38) because God alone deserves our uninterrupted self-giving and sacrifice. To love God in the way He demands entails giving our heart, soul, and body to him in worship. This is why, for instance, we are obligated to offer him sacrifices of prayers, especially the Holy Eucharist. To love God unconditionally, whether things are going well with us or not, is to strive to keep his word and do his will daily (Jn 14:3). We must always ask ourselves before we act if our actions are generated by love if they are in keeping with his word and will as taught us in the Bible and the doctrines of his church.
 
God mandates us to love our neighbor because it proves in deeds that we love God. If we don't love the human beings we see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? (see 1 Jn 4: 20). There is no boundary or restriction on who we should direct our Christian love to. To love our neighbor- whether they love us or not, will determine how God will judge us on the last day. St. John of the Cross reminds us of this when he said, "At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love (CCC 1022).
 
To love is to be Christlike. We are Christians; our identity is love. Do we love as Jesus commands us? We must respond to this question with every deed we perform or carry out towards God or our neighbor.
November is dedicated to remembering and praying for souls in purgatory. As an indication of the love we have for our neighbors, including our brothers and sisters God has called home, please pray for the repose of their souls. The best way to pray for them is to offer the sacrifice of mass for the repose of their souls. It is a Catholic tradition to visit our loved ones' places of rest in the cemetery to pray for them. Please visit them in the graveyard and pray for them as an act of love. Requiem aeterna dona eis, Domine/Grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

Remember that our monthly adoration time is tomorrow, Monday, November 4. Since this is a vocation awareness week, we will have an adoration for vocation. We must not cease to cry to God for vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Let us ensure we come out in large numbers to offer worship to our Eucharistic Lord.

Tuesday, November 5, is General election day! It is our civic duty to vote. The church taught us that we have a moral obligation to vote (CCC 2240) and to form our conscience in light of Christ and his church's teachings. May the Holy Spirit direct us, and may we have a peaceful, free and fair election.
 
In His Sacred Heart,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved friends in Christ,

Jesus will save and restore us if we go to him. In today's first reading from Jeremiah 3: 7-9, the Lord rejoices in the restoration of the remnant of Israel on their return from exile to the promised land: "Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the North; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst...I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble." The prophecy of Jeremiah on the deliverance and restoration of his people finds ultimate fulfillment in the Messianic age, in Jesus Christ, who walks in our midst as he did with Bartimaeus, the blind man.

Jesus is the revelation of God's mercy and salvation. Bartimeus had faith in Jesus, and he persevered in that faith, which led to the restoration of his sight and his following in his footsteps: "Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way" (Mk 10: 52). Jesus can deliver us, like he did Bartimeus, from any miserable conditions that might hinder our total dedication to him. All we have to do is go to Jesus in faith. Jesus is constantly passing by; he is present among us, willing to heal and renew us. We need our sight restored to see who Jesus is and follow him. Jesus has the power and is willing to restore and revive us; all we need is a heart in love with Jesus and faith in his name and person to heal us. We must show this in the consistency and ardor with which we pray. There will be obstacles like there were to Bartimeus, but we must learn not to give up calling on Jesus despite those obstacles. Jesus wants to heal and renew us, but we have to go to Jesus in faith.
 
St. Bernard of Clairvaux expresses our role in receiving the superabundance of grace from Jesus in the following words: "We are the ones who have to go to Jesus. Our eyes have been blind. We have lain paralyzed on our mats, incapable of reaching the grandeur of God. This is why our most lovable Saviour and Healer of souls has descended from on high." We must go to Jesus with complete faith in the power of the one willing to heal and save us. Jesus is with us always, especially in the Eucharist. What a great comfort to know he is so close to us. All that is left is to grow in the faith that keeps us praying to him during our time of misery and suffering, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." It is that simple, but nothing is more powerful to save us. Empowered in faith, call on Jesus, go to Jesus.
 
As we call upon the saving name of Jesus, I want to call our attention to an opportunity to call on the name of Jesus in worship at the "Fall Worship Night" event this Saturday from 6: 30. It will be a time of faith-driven worship and praise of God with our parish-based band, FORGVEN.

The last two days of this week are significant. Friday is All Saints Solemn Feast, a holy day of obligation, and Saturday is All Souls' Day. Please check the bulletin for further details. We will remember our departed loved ones throughout November, but a special remembrance will occur next Saturday, November 2nd, at 4 p.m. Mass.

In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved friends in Christ,
 
"The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized," Jesus says to his disciples, who seek to share in the glory of Christ's kingdom. On the one hand, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, misunderstood the purpose and nature of leadership, and Jesus had to educate them on the suffering servant leadership model. On the other hand, Jesus taught about suffering as the path to a share in the glory of Christ's kingdom. To share in the glory of the Lord, a follower of Christ must be willing to drink the cup He drinks and be baptized in the baptism in which He is baptized.
 
What do this cup and baptism entail? Drinking the cup symbolizes God's judgment. In the Old Testament, the wicked must drink the cup of punishment for their sins. But Jesus has come to take our place, to drink this cup of punishment for sin and be immersed, that is, baptized, in the suffering that should rightly be ours to bear. Jesus would fulfill the promise of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 by giving his life as an offering for our sins in the manner of Israel's priest, who offered sacrifices for the sins of the people. As we read in Hebrews 4, Jesus, the high priest, has been tested in every way and willingly "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45) and has delivered us from sin and death, offering himself as a model for us to follow.
 
Are we willing to follow in his footsteps? As today's epistle to the Hebrews encourages us, let us "hold fast to our confession" in the supernatural merit and rewards of Christ's suffering; they are redemptive. Therefore, in our daily trials and sufferings, we must see portions of the cup Jesus said we should drink. Pauline's epistle to Colossians 1:24 reminds us that Jesus promised believers to share "in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church."
 
When we approach the altar this Sunday to receive the body and blood of Jesus, let us do so with the awareness that in our baptism, we have been immersed in Christ's passion and death and that the chalice we drink is His saving blood. Jesus, who calls us to share in his baptism and cup, knows our limited human nature and will fortify us with sufficient grace to bear our crosses cheerfully and with dignity. Let your sufferings as Christians not be in vain; see in them a participation in the victorious passion of Jesus Christ. Kiss and embrace the sacred wounds of Jesus and draw strength to last you through daily temptation and suffering.
 
On this World Mission Sunday, let us remember to assist and pray for those who sacrifice their lives in the selfless service of those in mission territories, especially those in the peripheries, as Pope Francis often describes them. Our monetary contribution should correspond to a significant participation in the cup of Salvation Jesus offered on behalf of souls in the mission land. 
 
In Christ Crucified,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
"I pleaded, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me," the author of the Book of Wisdom (7:7) tells us this Sunday. The rich young man's request to Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel, Mark 10: 17-30, reflects his inner cry to God for something more profound, for Wisdom, a gift preferred above other precious things. The turn to God for Wisdom is the key to our quest for eternal life, just as the rich young man sought from Jesus. The young man's story is our story; it is the narrative of our inner journey and our quest for a deeper relationship with Jesus, the Wisdom of God. Jesus is the Wisdom of God that our heart hungers for, and it is only when we surrender our will totally to God in this search that God makes what seems impossible possible for us.
 
In the rich young man's search for more, just like our adventure into the spiritual life for a closer connection to divine grace and eternal life, obstacles will emerge. For the rich young man whom Jesus gazes upon in love and extends an invitation to an intimate encounter with Him, the Lord of Life, his attachment to wealth constitutes the obstacle to furthering his quest. The young man's disordered attachment to his wealth is why Jesus said it would be harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10: 25). As long as the young man resists the call to surrender his will and trust entirely in Jesus for the rest of his search for meaning and share in the inner life of God, he will be incapable of seeking, finding and following Jesus.
 
Like the rich young man, we all have obstacles in the way of our total commitment to Jesus' followership. We are searching for a closer and tighter connection to God's Wisdom. Still, we are often unwilling to entrust our freedom and trust totally and absolutely to God, who makes all things necessary possible. The total surrender of all we have and are to Jesus, preferring him to all the beautiful and lovely things we have received and enjoy in this world, is the only way we can attain our desire for eternal life. Jesus, the Incarnate Word and Wisdom of God is the way to Eternal Joy, and the most incredible wisdom lies in seeking and following Him closely at the cost of any other good.
 
For all of us searching for true meaning and eternal life, let us turn away from attachment and dependence on worldly comfort and turn to Jesus, who continues to look at and love us to life. We must hand over our will freely to God. How do we do this? Let's keep learning from the Scriptures and the saints.
 
In Jesus' Love,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved brothers and sisters,

Is divorce lawful? According to the Bible, God does not permit divorce. The sacred texts for our Sunday mass, especially those from Gen 2: 18-24 and Mk 10: 2-12, point to marriage, the holy union between a man and a woman, as an icon of the bond between Christ and his mystical body, the Church. Christ institutes the sacrament of marriage, and part of its essential composition is unity and indissolubility because God is one and stable. Consequently, as a sacred bond, it cannot be dissolved. In other words, no human can dissolve a validly contracted marriage: "Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate."

Pope John Paul II stresses the need for the church to continue to affirm the unity and permanence components of marriage in his Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, 22: "It is a fundamentals duty of the church to reaffirm strongly... the doctrine of indissolubility of marriage. To all those who, in our times, consider it too difficult, or indeed impossible, to be bound to one person for the whole of life, and to those caught up in a culture that rejects the indissolubility of marriage and openly mocks the commitment of spouses to fidelity, it is necessary to reconfirm the good news of the definitive of that conjugal love that has in Christ the foundation and strength (Eph 5:25)."

John Paul II continues, God "wills and He communicates the indissolubility of marriage as a fruit, a sign and a requirement of the absolutely faithful love that God has for man and that the Lord Jesus has for the Church." Only death can break this bond that unites a man to his wife because, as Tertullian says, " they are truly two in one flesh, and where the flesh is one, one is the spirit" (FC, 13). Marital unity and permanence indicate the bond between Christ and his Mystical Body.

The health and functionality of the family are the fruit of the true sense of marriage as a single and permanent union. Once the moral health of the family is corrupted, society ends up dysfunctional. We must pray and never stop fighting for the endurance of the sacred marital bond. Keeping Christian marriages alive is a battle for the life of society, and all of us must fight through our prayers for its sustenance. Divorce is not lawful in the eyes of Christ and His Church. Hence, we must strive to keep Christian marriages united and permanent. This calls for intense prayers.

We can adopt many forms of prayer to help keep marriage as one and untouched by divorce, but the Holy Rosary of Our Lady ranks high among them. She is the one at the marriage feast in Cana who rescued the newlywedded couple who ran out of wine. Our Lady's intercession is effective. Let us celebrate the feast of the Holy Rosary on Monday with a special plea to the Blessed Virgin Mary to obtain graces from her Son to keep marriage united and permanent.

Our parish's monthly Eucharistic Adoration is tomorrow, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. I cannot say enough about the spiritual potential of spending an hour with the Lord via silence, scriptures, and songs of praise. Again, I urge you and your family to make it a priority to attend and see how Jesus enriches you. I expect to see YOU!
 
In Jesus and Mary,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP