Brothers and sisters,

Merry Christmas and Blessed Epiphany!

When God created humanity, He endowed us with an innate curiosity. This desire to explore and understand the myriad facets of life is a fundamental part of our nature. Marketing campaigns and social media influencers have adeptly harnessed this curiosity to seize our attention. How often have you clicked on a post or watched a video solely because the title piqued your interest, only to find yourself disillusioned by its failure to deliver on the promised insights? In a similar vein, Herod harbored a curiosity about the Magi and their remarkable journey to find the “newborn king of the Jews.” Yet, unlike genuine seekers of truth, his curiosity was tainted by a preoccupation with preserving his own power and authority, leading him away from true understanding.

Herod’s example shows us that curiosity can be misdirected—but it also reveals what happens when we allow it to fulfill its true purpose. Curiosity itself is not the problem; it is a gift meant to lead us toward God. Before we dismiss our curiosity, let us remember it can lead us to discover the abiding presence of Jesus. Feed the curiosity that makes you marvel at the wonders of God and his great love for you. When the Magi found Mary and Jesus at the end of their journey, they humbled themselves and worshiped the Lord. Come to the Lord and worship, offering him not a gift of limited value but all that you have and all that you are.

And as we worship, let us recognize how the Holy Spirit is already at work among us. Join us this coming Friday, January 10, at 7:30 p.m., as Fr. John Bilenki leads us in the Festival of Praise. In his witness to the Holy Spirit at work in his life, we may discover how Christ is making his grace present in ours. Just as Jesus told John’s disciples to bear witness to the miracles surrounding Jesus—sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, walking to the lame, life to the dead, and the good news proclaimed to the poor—what miracles are surrounding your life? One way the Lord is present to the world and to your neighbors is through you.

This new year offers us an opportunity to center our lives more fully on Christ. I encourage men of the parish to join our Exodus 90 fraternity, which starts on Monday, January 6, giving us 90 days until Easter Sunday. Under the theme “I will be with you,” Exodus 90 is the Lord’s invitation to enter the desert to find the healthy rhythm of life centered on him. While the disciplines may seem daunting, such as the infamous cold showers, the emphasis is on finding the freedom from all that enslaves us and pulls us away from the Lord. If interested, reach out to event leader Chad Ruggles at (410) 440-2651 or Chad.Ruggles@vylla.com.

May the Lord pour forth his graces upon you and your families in this new year!