Today's gospel brought us to Jesus' hometown where He had His "inaugural speech." In his home synagogue, Jesus was well received. Everyone spoke highly of Him. But this turned around in an instant when Jesus spoke of the truth - the truth that people did not want to hear. We are also told that people brought Jesus to the edge of the cliff and attempted to throw him over. 

How do we often react when someone has told us the truth? We always say that we want to hear the truth, but is this really what we harbor in our hearts - to hear the truth? Or are we like the people in Jesus' time, who became angry when confronted with the truth? In this Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, let us ask ourselves if we can accept the truth that is being taught to us by the Church. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts to the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life - Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The first reading today speaks of the different members of the One Body of Christ. Some are prophets, apostles, healers, and teachers. We can also add mothers, fathers, ministers, artists, handymen, care providers, bankers, service men and women, and so on - the list is endless. All are different but everyone is necessary. Together we are all part of the great plan of salvation. We each have our own role to fulfill and no role is insignificant. Together we make up the Body of Christ.

Today, on this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, let us celebrate our diversity and affirm our unity as part of the family of God. By baptism, we became children of God and became members of the Body of Christ. Let us pray for the courage to embrace our unique role in the Body of Christ, and may we use what God has given us to help those members of this One Body become well and alive.

We begin our new year with high hopes that 2022 will be better than 2021. With all of the dismal news in 2021, let us remember to put our continued trust in God that He will hear our prayers, particularly for peace and security. 

In this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the gospel presents to us a story that surely gives us a greater sense of hope and trust in God's providence. Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana upon Mary's plea. When we are experiencing times of confusion and hopelessness, let us remember that Jesus will turn our sorrow into joy, but we must obey Him as Mary said in the gospel, "do whatever he tells you". 

May we keep an open heart as we listen to the words of the gospel, so that we can be filled with the gifs of the Holy Spirit and respond to Jesus's miracle of turning our water into wine with deeper faith and trust in His divine providence. 

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lore, which signifies the beginning of Jesus's public life. This was the beginning of Jesus's Messianic mission to preach salvation. John the Baptist, the catalyst for this mission, acknowledged his role in the life of the Messiah by making way for the coming of the one who is sent to save His people. 

Jesus's baptism in the river Jordan invites us to examine our commitment to fulfill our mission to become heralds of the good news brought about by Jesus's passion, death and resurrection. Let us be mindful today of how we respond daily to the challenge of our Christian faith to love God and our neighbor.