Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Gospel places before us one of the most powerful and surprising proclamations in all of Scripture. John the Baptist looks at Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John does not say, “Behold the King,” or “Behold the powerful one,”. He says, “Behold the Lamb.” From the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, God reveals that salvation will not come through domination, force, or fear—but through humility, sacrifice, and love.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, the Church brings the Christmas season to a close by celebrating the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This beautiful feast invites us to move from the manger to the river, from Bethlehem to the Jordan, and to reflect on who Jesus is and who we are because of Him.

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord a feast that reveals something essential about who God is and how God chooses to work in the world. The Gospel presents us with the Magi: seekers from a distant land, outsiders to Israel, scholars who studied the heavens and followed a star they could not fully explain. They were not kings of power or people of privilege in Jerusalem. They were watchful hearts, attentive minds, and open souls. And to them God chose to reveal the birth of His Son. That alone tells us something important about God.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, A blessed and joy-filled Christmas to you and to all those you love. Each year, as the Church gathers around the manger, we celebrate the deepest truth of our faith: God sent His Son into the world because He loves us—completely, personally, and without hesitation. Jesus is God’s answer to a world longing for hope. He is the Father’s response to every human heart searching for peace, healing, and meaning. The birth of Jesus is God’s way of saying, “You are not alone. I am with you.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This Fourth Sunday of Advent brings us right to the edge of Christmas. In today’s Gospel, the Church gives us a quiet but powerful moment, the story of Joseph, a man who planned an ordinary life but found himself face-to-face with the extraordinary. Joseph discovers Mary is with child. Confused, hurt, and uncertain, he begins to step back quietly, trying to do the right thing. But God interrupts his plan. An angel speaks into Joseph’s fear and says: “Do not be afraid… for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” And then, we hear one simple name: Emmanuel — God is with us.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, This weekend, the Church invites us into one of the most beautiful moments of the Advent season—Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of JOY. We light the rose candle, a color that surprises us right in the midst of Advent’s deeper purple tones. And maybe this year it surprises us even more, because we may not feel very joyful in the busyness of Advent.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we enter the Second Week of Advent, and as I prepare to celebrate the Children’s Mass this weekend, my heart turns toward the unfolding story of how God chose to enter our world, quietly, humbly, and through people who said yes to Him. Advent invites us not only to prepare for Christmas, but to remember the astonishing way God chose to come close to us.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We enter this sacred season of Advent at a time when life feels full, sometimes overwhelmingly so. Many of us are carrying quiet pressures: family responsibilities, financial concerns, work deadlines, holiday preparations, expectations from others, and the weight of trying to “make everything perfect” for Christmas. And in the midst of all that, it is easy for our hearts to slip into spiritual tiredness, distraction, or even numbness.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend, we celebrate the final Sunday of the liturgical year—the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It is a feast that stands as both a conclusion and a beginning. It closes one Church year and prepares our hearts for Advent, when we once again await the coming of our Savior. But the Gospel chosen for this feast may surprise us. Instead of seeing Jesus enthroned in glory or surrounded by angels, we see Him crucified—nailed to a cross between two criminals.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, This Sunday’s Gospel can sound unsettling. Jesus speaks of wars and earthquakes, of persecution and betrayal, of great trials that will come before the end. It’s not the kind of message we like to hear, especially as we approach the end of the liturgical year when our hearts are already turning toward Thanksgiving and Advent. Yet, as always, Jesus’ words are not meant to frighten us, but to awaken and strengthen us.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In this Sunday’s Gospel (John 2:13-22), Jesus offers a bold and puzzling statement: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Those who heard Him were confused. They thought only of the massive stone structure in Jerusalem—a building that took decades to construct. But Jesus was speaking of something far greater: the temple of His Body.

Dear Parish Family, Each year on November 2nd, the Church pauses to celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, more commonly known as All Souls Day. It follows immediately after All Saints Day—and together, these two feasts remind us of a beautiful truth at the heart of our faith: that we are all united in the Communion of Saints—the Church on earth, the souls being purified in Purgatory, and the saints in Heaven.

Dear Brothers & Sisters, One of the greatest challenges in the spiritual life is finding the courage to come before God just as we are. So often, we think we must have everything together before approaching Him — that we need to fix our mistakes, hide our flaws, or somehow “earn” His love. But today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s mercy is not for those who appear perfect, but for those who are humble enough to come before Him with open hearts.

Dear Friends, In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a widow who keeps coming to a judge, pleading for justice. She doesn’t give up, even when she’s ignored. And in the end, because of her persistence, the judge finally responds. Jesus shares this story “To show the necessity for us to pray always without becoming weary.” It’s an important reminder for us all: God does not always answer our prayers immediately. He allows us to experience moments of silence, delay, and even suffering — not because He is absent, but because He is doing something deeper within us.

Dear Friends in Christ, Today’s Gospel begins on the dusty road between Galilee and Samaria, where Jesus encounters ten lepers. They are desperate, isolated, and cut off from their families and communities. They cry out to Him with one simple plea: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” These ten men begin where all true faith begins — with need. They know they cannot heal themselves; they know they need help.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear a short but powerful plea from the disciples: “Increase our faith.” These are words we might find rising in our own hearts when life feels uncertain, when prayers seem unanswered, when we face challenges bigger than ourselves. The disciples knew that following Jesus would require more trust than they could muster on their own. So, they turned to the only One who could give what they lacked.

Dear Friends in Christ, This weekend’s Gospel about the rich man and Lazarus gives us one of the clearest moral lessons Jesus ever taught. The story is not only about wealth and poverty, but about the position of our hearts before God and our neighbor. The rich man’s failure was not that he was wealthy, but that he closed his heart to the suffering man at his very doorstep. He looked away, day after day, until it was too late. In contrast, Lazarus—poor, afflicted, and forgotten by the world—was embraced by God for eternity.

This fall marks the 6th year of the AVCC Social Justice Ministry! With our loyal group, we’ve strived to build our understanding of Catholic Social Teaching, focusing each year on one of the 7 themes of CST. This year, we’re ready to introduce the important theme of Life & Dignity of the Human Person. We’ll be offering a variety of activities throughout the ministry year to help us examine how all human life is sacred--in all stages and circumstances, within the context of God’s creation.

Dear Friends in Christ, In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). These words are at the very heart of our faith. They remind us that life is not an accident, not a possession, but a sacred gift from God. Each of us has been created in God’s own image and likeness. That means every person—no matter their background, age, ability, or circumstance—is a beloved child of God, worthy of dignity, respect, and love.

Dear Bothers & Sisters, In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the way we think about hospitality. We have grown accustomed to a kind of hospitality that feels safe, managed, and conditional. We invite people we know—family, friends, neighbors—people who can invite us back, return the favor, or make us feel comfortable. But Jesus turns that upside down.