Category Archives: Friar Reflections

A regular reflection from one of our Franciscan Friars on the day’s readings, the happenings around the parish, or discussing parochial outreach initiatives.

Remembering Pope Francis | From the Desk of the Pastor | May 2025

Friar Reflections, From the Desk of the Pastor, Parish News

In 2013, Pope Francis uttered arguably his most famous quote: “Who am I to judge?” This quote reminds us that never once did Jesus ask us to judge one another. Rather, Jesus said “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

As we mourn the death of Pope Francis let us follow his example of serving the poor and welcoming all people into our lives.

In lieu of my usual monthly update, I have asked some of our parishioners, ministry members, and staff to share their thoughts on Pope Francis’ impact on the Church:

“I read Pope Francis’s recently published autobiography, Hope. I will be forever impacted by his words, his authentic care for all of God’s creations, his bold and forward thinking and his sense of humor. Most importantly, is his message of Hope for all, he tells us that hope is a gift from God and we must embrace, cultivate, share and promote it to all. What a vital message for the end of his life and the future of ours.” | Shelly Hollingsworth, Reader

“Soon after I began my ministry here at Sacred Heart, Pope Francis made the following statement that summed up my own personal statement of faith and this resonated with me so much that I adopted this as my quote on my signature line for my Sacred Heart email. ‘For me, faith is born from the encounter with Jesus. A personal encounter, which has touched my heart and given direction and new meaning to my existence’. Over the past 12 years, I have witnessed our holy father live out his purpose and call to life by reflecting so clearly the presence of Christ to ALL he encountered; I can only aspire to live that mission as clearly and sincerely as he did in the faith formation ministry here at Sacred Heart and throughout my life.” | Barbara Ferreris, Director of Faith Formation

“Pope Francis met with many LGBTQ+ people throughout his papacy including our very own Deacon Ray Dever (Open Doors co-chair) fostering dialogue and building relationships. He was a true advocate encouraging Greater Acceptance and Compassion with an Emphasis on Dignity. His support for same-sex unions and blessings by priests was a monumental step toward our acceptance and recognition within the church. He strongly denounced laws that criminalize homosexuality and other forms of LGTBQ discrimination. We pray for a successor to carry on his evangelization.” | Don Murray, Open Doors ministry & Reader

“Pope Francis was so much to so many people, to people of faith and none. Even before he became Pope in his actions and words he was the face of Christ seeking an encounter with all who are on the margins and vulnerable. He was a model example for all people of good will, washing the feet of prisoners, daily reaching out to Catholics in Gaza, opening the doors to LGBTQ+, upturning the tables of corruption within the Vatican and elsewhere, dismissing Bishops who had turned a blind eye to sexual abuse by clergy, enabling the voice of the laity and clergy to be heard in the synodal process and so much more. With his passion for the care of the environment he brought the Catholic Church into accord with other Christian denominations already exploring the Season of Creation.

When it came to liturgy his presiding directed our hearts and minds to God and beyond himself. A humble servant of God and God’s world refocusing the Church and her people on the responsibilities of membership of the Body of Christ.” | Philip Jakob, Director of Music

“If actions speak louder than words, this Pope is one of the loudest. His radical acceptance of the fundamental dignity of every human person was a constant presence. The love he showed for each of us, from president to prisoner to rich man to refugee, obliged me to change how I see each person I meet, even those who anger or frighten me. And his simple life reminded me of my responsibility for all of God’s creation, living or not, sentient or not.” | Candy Olson, Social Justice Committee

“Pope Francis heard the cry of the poor. He did not believe the poor to be a burden but rather the heart of the gospel. As a parish, Sacred Heart is blessed to have many opportunities to help our neighbors in need. We too hear the cry of the poor through outreach ministries such as Hands of Hope, St Vincent de Paul, Bikes from the Heart, Giving from the Heart and others. We thank Pope Francis for his shining example.” | Susan Coppin, SVDP & Hands of Hope

While I admittedly fell away from the Catholic Church for most of my adult life, after being an altar boy and Lector in grade school and high school until 1993, Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in 2015 reminded me that my faith was still alive in my heart. My Mom became a huge fan of Pope Francis and when she died in 2017, I believe that with God and the Holy Spirit, she led me to my new home at Sacred Heart. Since then, thanks to Pope Francis’ teachings of inclusion for the marginalized, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, and the acceptance of the Franciscans, I am now blessed and grateful to live as an openly gay Catholic man who serves in all the ministries that I love and I have been called to be part of in our parish. | Felix Vega, Faith Formation, Altar Server, Reader, Knights of Columbus

“His deliberate example of living the role of a shepherd who is close especially to his most vulnerable “sheep” was his language without words that reflected what Jesus would be and do. He understood that the role of leader meant a unique opportunity to empower others vs. the opportunity to enjoy the privileges of the office. The combination of his formal education that culminated in a doctorate in chemistry before entering the Jesuits plus the discipline of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and the enlightened thinking from the early maternal influence in his family combined to develop his unique example of goodness and grace in action. I’ll miss the model he provided in serving Our Lord.” | Beryl Byles, SHHS Docent, Reader

“I can remember many of the Popes of my lifetime.  All of these Holy Fathers lead our Church and were considered World Leaders.  Pope Francis was able to lead me personally.  Pope Francis cared deeply for me; for each of us.  He was able to bring the Word of God to us in a way that felt he was speaking to us personally.  He seemed to care for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  Real Christian values.  I felt a personal connection to Pope Francis.” Aprile Black, Receptionist & Gift Store Volunteer  

“I never got to meet Pope Francis personally but I was always amazed that a person with his position and responsibilities could have such a kind demeanor and welcoming spirit. I always got the impression that whomever he was meeting was the most important person in the whole world. The peace and joy he held in his heart and the love he showed for the people was unmatched. He certainly set the bar for all of us to seek. Truly a disciple of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Well done good and faithful servant!” Larry Bevis, Outreach Committee, Knights of Columbus & Reader

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look favorably on your servant Francis, whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd; grant, we pray, that by word and example he may be of service to those over whom he presides so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to everlasting life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

He Is Risen, Indeed! | Friar Reflections | Easter 2025

Friar Reflections, Parish News

Saints of God, the Lord be with You!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! What we celebrate today is the central event of Christianity, for without the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead into a new and glorified life, there would be no Christianity. On Good Friday, Jesus, though sinless offered Himself as a sin offering on the cross for us. The Resurrection is, in a way, the proof that God the Father accepted the saving action of Jesus. That is why, to paraphrase St. Paul, if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is in vain, and we are still in our sins. (1 Cor. 15:17).

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! But how do we know this? What’s the proof? In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (10:34, 37-43) St. Peter preaches that, “this man (Jesus) God raised on the third day and granted that He be visible, not to all the people, but to us…” He was seen. The second reason is found in today’s Gospel according to John (20:1-9) in which Mary Magdalene discovers the tomb of Jesus empty. The second proof is the empty tomb. The good news for us is that this event has consequences for us. To paraphrase the second reading from St. Paul (Col. 3:1-4) we were raised with Christ…and our lives are hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life appears, we too will appear with Him in glory. St. Paul later writes in his letter to the Romans, “Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! So profound a mystery is this that the Church celebrates this mystery in a threefold way. Today, Easter Sunday the Church celebrates Christ’s victory over sin and death as we contemplate His bodily resurrection to new life. Another way of saying Easter is recalling Christ’s Ascension into heaven. Humanity and human nature are now and forever part of the divine. And finally, Pentecost, when Christ gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell among and within us forever.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! So, our traditions speak to the new life Christ has given us. We give candy because life is a bit sweeter. We dye eggs to show that our lives are a bit more colorful because of Christ’s grace to us. The image of the Easter Bunny reminds us that life is abundant. We hide eggs to imitate Mary Magdalene’s search for Jesus. (Given the fact that the one place Jesus wasn’t was in the tomb, I hid all the eggs for the friars to look for in the refrigerator…they didn’t think to look there!)

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Repeat this prayer throughout the day and the coming weeks and let this Good News sustain your faith, your hope and your works of charity.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
– Fr. Steve

Following His Path | Friar Reflections | Palm Sunday (2025)

Friar Reflections, Parish News

My Good Friends,

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”— Luke 19:38

Today we walk with Jesus as He enters Jerusalem—not on a warhorse, not surrounded by soldiers, but riding a borrowed colt. The crowds shout and wave palms, but this is not the triumph of a conqueror. This is the gentle arrival of the Prince of Peace is exactly the kind of King that St. Francis would recognize.

I would imagine that image of Jesus on a colt would have moved St. Francis deeply. For Francis, all of creation was his brother and sister. He saw no creature as lowly, no moment as small, no life as insignificant. Even a humble donkey was part of God’s plan.

This passage reminds us that God doesn’t ride in on extravagance and power, but on gentleness. Jesus doesn’t come to dominate but to dwell among us. So, what kind of King rides a colt? A King who is not afraid to be small a humble King. People expected a liberator—someone to throw off the Roman Empire. But Jesus’ revolution is not one of swords, but of servanthood. He comes as a King who lays down His life, not one who takes the lives of others.

St. Francis followed that same path. Although in his “pre-conversion” Francis had the ambition to be a solider and a knight, he soon thereafter renounced weapons, embraced the poor, and sought to rebuild the Church; not with stones, but with love. He took up the cross of Christ, not a sword. To follow Jesus into Jerusalem, we too must choose that same way of peace, embracing our own cross for Christ.

When the Pharisees tell Jesus to silence the crowd, Jesus replies: “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40) This is Franciscan at its core! In the Canticle of the Creatures, Francis invites the sun, moon, fire, water, and even Sister Death to praise God. Jesus reminds us: all creation knows its Maker. And should we forget how to praise, creation itself will carry the song.

So, what does this mean for us?

  • Are we looking for a flashy savior, or do we have eyes to see the God who comes in humility?
  • Will we walk the road to Jerusalem—knowing it leads to the Cross—and still shout “Hosanna”?
  • Can we join Francis in singing with the stones and with the colt?

And so we pray…

Lord Jesus, humble King, You entered not with might, but with mercy. You chose the lowly path, and called it holy. Make our hearts like Yours—gentle, courageous, and full of praise. May we sing with all creation:

“Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.” Amen.

Have a Blessed Holy Week!
-Fr. Zack

Moments of Clarity | Friar Reflections | Second Sunday of Lent (2025)

Friar Reflections, Parish News

Saints of God, the Lord be with you!

Have you ever have an “Aha!” moment? I did, and because I am a not too-smart Franciscan, I have them often. The most life changing “Aha!” moment happened when I was discerning my vocation. Should I continue my plan of returning to teaching as a Franciscan Brother or was God calling me to ordination? It happened that a woman approached me while I was a student friar and tearfully asked if I would hear her confession. The cause of her tears was that she was denied absolution because she didn’t know the Act of Contrition…in Latin! I told her I wasn’t a priest, but Father Andrew would make everything okay. He did, and I never saw her again.

On the ride back to the friary, I expressed my indignation at that priest, and, trying to calm me down, Fr. Andrew suggested that I go to the beach and reflect on the incident. I did, and after about twenty minutes I realized I had been asking the wrong question concerning my vocation. The question was not “should I get ordained” but rather, “how can I best serve.” And the rest you know.

It seems to me that all three readings today are about “Aha!” moments. In Genesis (15:5-12,17-18), Abram experiences the Lord God, and because of his obedience the LORD made a covenant with him and his descendants. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians (3:17-4:1), he writes that God “will change our lowly body to conform with His (Christ’s) glorified body.” The result (the “Aha!”) of standing firm (in faith) in the Lord.

With the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28b-36) of Jesus, the apostles Peter, John, and James, having become overwhelmed by sleep became “fully awake” and “saw (Christ’s) glory and the two men (Moses and Elijah) standing with Him.” An “Aha!” moment to say the least, but one which they didn’t fully understand until the Resurrection/Pentecost.

If Catholicism is anything, it is a religion of “aha moments”…Baptism changes us into Christ…bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ….we celebrate our forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

My prayer for all of us this Lent is that our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving may open us to a greater awareness of the “aha moments” that enfold us.

– Fr. Steve

Resisting Temptation | Friar Reflections | First Sunday of Lent

Friar Reflections, Parish News

My Good Friends,

Peace and all good to you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ! As we have now begun our Season of Lent, with our First Sunday of Lent, the Church leads us into the desert with Jesus. We witness His confrontation with the devil and His unwavering trust in the Father. This passage from the Gospel of Luke (4:1-13) invites us, especially as followers of Franciscan spirituality, to reflect on the themes of poverty, humility, and trust in divine providence.

St. Francis, in his deep love for the poor and crucified Christ, saw the temptations of Jesus as a call to embrace a life of dependence on God. We now continue our journey together through this Lenten Season striving to live the Gospel with the eyes and hearts of St. Francis.

“One does not live on bread alone” | Embracing Poverty & Simplicity | The first temptation Jesus faces is hunger. After fasting for forty days, He is invited by the devil to turn stones into bread. But Jesus responds, “One does not live on bread alone” (Luke 4:4).

St. Francis lived this truth profoundly. He abandoned wealth and privilege to embrace holy poverty, recognizing that our deepest hunger is for God, not material security. Lent calls us to let go of excessive attachments and trust in God’s providence. It is a time too fast, not just from food, but from all that distracts us from relying on the Lord. So, we ask ourselves… Do we place our trust in material comforts, or do we seek to be nourished by the Word of God?

“You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve” | The Call to Humility | The second temptation is about power. The devil offers Jesus’ authority over all kingdoms, saying that it will be His if He worships Satan. Jesus refuses, declaring that God alone is worthy of worship.

Francis of Assisi, though once ambitious and eager for worldly success, learned that true greatness comes from humility and service. He chose to live among the poor, not seeking power or recognition, but only the love of God. Lent is a time for us to resist the temptations of pride, ego, and the desire for control, instead choosing the humble way of Christ. Once again, we ask…Are we tempted by power, status, or the need for recognition? How can we embrace humility in our daily lives?

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” | Surrendering to God’s Will | In the final temptation, the devil challenges Jesus to throw Himself down from the temple, testing God’s protection. Jesus refuses, showing complete trust in the Father’s plan.

St. Francis also learned to trust God completely, even in suffering and uncertainty. Whether begging for food, preaching with no guarantee of success, or bearing the wounds of Christ in his own body, Francis never doubted that God was with him. Lent calls us to let go of our fears and surrender fully to God’s will. And finally, we ask ourselves… Do we trust God in times of difficulty, or do we try to control everything? Are we willing to surrender to God’s plan?

Lent is a time of renewal, a call to follow Christ more closely in poverty, humility, and trust. Like Jesus in the desert and Francis in his radical discipleship, we are invited to fast from attachments that keep us from God. Pray with simplicity and sincerity, deepening our relationship with Christ. Give generously, sharing with those in need, as Francis did.

We ask our Lord to transform our hearts this Lent, so that we may walk more faithfully in the footsteps of Jesus and St. Francis.

May our Lenten journey lead us to the joy of Easter, where we will rise with Christ in newness of life. Amen.

– Fr. Zack

How Much of Ourselves | From the Desk of the Pastor | March 2025

Friar Reflections, From the Desk of the Pastor, Parish News

Dear Parishioners,

This week we begin the season of Lent. Pope Francis once stated, “Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.”

This quote challenges us to reflect on how much of ourselves are we willing to give to God and to one another. Pope Francis went on to state, “As long as there is a brother or sister to whom we close our hearts, we will still be far from being disciples as Jesus asks us.” This Lent, as we journey to Easter, let us truly be disciples who truly love God and one another.

We are almost finished with the first phase of the preservation work on the church. This phase includes all of the work that we have finished on the front façade, including the repointing of the marble, repositioning of the cross, repairs to the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the filling the fractures on the rose window. It also includes the restoration exterior doors of the church. Our contractor, All Trades Historical Restoration, is almost done with the ADA doors at the Twiggs Street entrance. They will move on to the northern set of front doors next. To date, this work has cost the parish just north of $486,000.

Additional preservation phases are planned, but are yet to be funded. They include the following projects:

  • Dome restoration on northwest corner
    • Rinse and sand deteriorated panels
    • Sand and paint panels
    • Repair brickwork
  • Repair leaks on the exterior of the southeast portion of the apse
  • SW Vertical Wall Restoration
    • Investigate leak
    • Remove deteriorated mortar
    • Repoint joints as necessary

These future phases are estimated to cost the parish $182,000. One area of repair not listed is the tile adjacent to the sanctuary. You might have noticed that some of the tile has come loose near the choir area. We are currently looking for similar tile and as well as the utilization of the existing loose tile. This is being researched further, and will be addressed in the coming months.

We have been moving forward steadily with the planned renovations to the kitchen at the North Campus. Much of the preliminary work is done. As I have mentioned before, this project will include the installation of all new plumbing for both the kitchen and for the adjacent bathrooms. Many of the pipes are brittle or broken, and have not been retrofitted since their initial installation during the original construction. Recently, while the architect and engineers were looking at this building, it was determined that a new roof is needed for this building, which houses the cafeteria, auditorium, and Alumni Hall. The estimated cost for the new roof is in the $200,000 range.

This important work cannot be researched and accomplished without the dedicated volunteers on our Parish Maintenance Committee. With the amount of projects currently underway or in the planning stages, additional hands are needed. If you or someone you know has who has experience in construction, contracting, planning, engineering, or anything within the field of building maintenance, and wish to help the parish, please let me know. I will happily invite you to join our committee.

Lastly, I wish to let you know about a recent change to our Parish Advisory Board. Our chair, Laura Prather, has stepped down, with current board member Lynda Marsh taking on the role as the new chair. We will use this transition as a way to reorganize and to strengthen the Parish Advisory Board, and its connection with our parishioners. The board serves a vital role in helping serve our parish, and I thank Laura for all of her efforts in steering the board over these last few years.

Peace and all good,
Fr. Mike

The Burdens and Blessings of Choice | Friar Reflections | Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Friar Reflections, Parish News

Saints of God, the Lord be with you!

Years ago, when my friend Sister Kate Murphy, OSF, was in her eighties, I would often ask her, “Kate, if you had to choose Jesus or me, who would you choose?” She always answered that she would choose me, to which I would say, “Wrong choice! You’re 80!” Now picture Fr. David Phan, OFM. As soon as I would say, “David, if you had to choose…” and before I would finish, he would respond, “Yes!”

It seems to me that all the readings hold out to us the demand to choose either a life of blessing or curse. Of course, most of us would choose blessing. The difficulty is that sometimes we must choose so quickly that we choose without reflection. Other times, the choice is not between good or evil, but between two actions or things which are both good. Sometimes, we choose without enough information or life experience. And even not to choose is itself a choice.

What might help us is asking, what a person choosing blessing would look like. In today’s Gospel according to Luke (6:17, 20-26) Jesus describes a blessed person as knowing that no matter how monetarily wealthy one is, they are aware of their existential poverty. None of us will live forever, and all the wealth we accumulated does not go with us.

We are blessed when we realize that no matter how much stuff we have, we are still hungry for more. But more of what? Or better yet, hungry for whom?

The answer, of course, is God.

We choose to be blessed people when we mourn, for our own sins and the sins of the world. And when hated or ridiculed by others because of our choices to trust in God rather than our wealth, we continue to trust in “Christ (who) has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

All of today’s readings ask us to make conscious choices for God, and God’s values. Moral theologians call this “our fundamental option.” And in choosing choices that point us in the direction of God, we are cooperating with the Holy Spirit living within us.

– Fr. Steve

Recognizing the Relationship | From the Desk of the Pastor | February 2025

Friar Reflections, From the Desk of the Pastor, Parish News

Dear Parishioners,

As we get closer to the Lent, I wanted to share with you a decision that the parish has made about the weekly Stations of the Cross hosted on each of the Friday evenings during the season. Over the past few years the attendance for Stations has decreased. I believe there are several reasons for this. First, is that we do not have free parking available on Friday evenings near the church. The city previously allowed free parking on the street after 6 p.m., however that changed several years ago, and now, of course, you have to pay at a station of via the app. Second, the increase in activity downtown can make it difficult to find any parking, especially spaces that do no have surge pricing due to an event. Several older parishioners have informed me they don’t like driving in downtown Tampa at night. Last year, we also had stopped the Soup Suppers due to attendance.

The staff has looked at other alternatives, such as changing the timing or frequency. However, we always have to consider our busy wedding schedule in relation to in-church events on weekend evenings. Our wedding schedule allows for a Friday afternoon wedding where the church is occupied from 1 to 3:30 p.m.. Then we run into rehearsals for the Saturday weddings, which can be scheduled at any point between 4 and 7 p.m.

The staff came up with a solution that I am excited about, especially in relation to the increase of visitors to the church as part of the Jubilee pilgrimage. Signage will be placed in the back of the church inviting parishioners and visitors alike to take part in a self-guided prayer service of our stations. This will be available to all during our normal hours of operation.

I recently read a letter that Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, wrote this past December. In it he talks about the renewal of the church ushered in by the Second Vatican Council. I would like to share this with everyone.

“By recognizing this relationship between how we worship and what we believe, the bishops at the council made clear that the renewal of the liturgy in the life of the church is central to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. It would be a mistake to reduce the renewal to a mere updating of our liturgy to fit the times we live in, as if it were a kind of liturgical facelift. We need the restoration of the liturgy because it gives us the capacity to proclaim Christ to the world.

“Thus, for instance, the council called for the full, active and conscious participation of all the baptized in the celebration of the Eucharist to reflect our belief that in the sacred liturgy the faithful become the Body of Christ that they receive.

“Our ritual for receiving of Holy Communion has special significance in this regard. It reminds us that receiving the Eucharist is not a private action but rather a communal one. For that reason, the norm established by Holy See for the universal church is for the faithful to process together as an expression of their coming forward as the Body of Christ and to receive Holy Communion standing.

“It is important to recall that processions have been part of the liturgy from the earliest days of Christian practice. They give us a sensible experience of what it means to be a pilgrim people, helping us keep in mind that we are making our way together to the fullness of the heavenly banquet Christ has prepared for us. This is why we process into the church, process up to bring the gifts, process to receive Holy Communion and process out at the end of Mass to carry the Lord into the world.

“Nothing should be done to impede any of these processions, particularly the one that takes place during the sacred Communion ritual. Disrupting this moment only diminishes this powerful symbolic expression, by which the faithful in processing together express their faith that they are called to become the very Body of Christ they receive. Certainly reverence can and should be expressed by bowing before the reception of Holy Communion, but no one should engage in a gesture that calls attention to oneself or disrupts the flow of the procession. That would be contrary to the norms of the church, which all the faithful are urged to respect and observe.”

You can read Cardinal Blase’s full statement here.

Peace and All Good,
– Fr. Mike

Christ In Our Own Way | Friar Reflections | Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Friar Reflections, Parish News

Saints of God, the Lord be with you!

I can’t help but wonder if the Church chose this reading from the Gospel according to John (2:1-11) to direct our attention to back to the celebration last week, the Baptism of the Lord, and it’s Gospel reading according to Luke (3:15-16; 21-22).

Today’s Gospel mentions that the copious amount of water (twenty to thirty gallons in six stone water jars) were there for Jewish ceremonial washings. Washings would have been another way of saying cleansings. And isn’t that what Baptism is all about? Well, that’s part of what Baptism is about. True, we are washed clean of original sin. Baptized into the “name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” our human nature begins to be changed; divinized. We are gifted with the identity and mission of Christ. Anointed with the Chrism of Salvation (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) we are called to be the Light of Christ, as Priest, Prophet, and King. While our white baptismal robe is a sign of our Christian dignity. As St. Augustin wrote, “Rejoice O Christian! For by your baptism, you are more than a Christian, you are Christ Himself.” We are called not to be Jesus Christ, (We can’t be since we are not fully human and fully divine. Nor are we first century Jewish men.) but are called be Christ in our own way, in our own time.

God the Father gives us a “new name; we become a glorious crown and a royal diadem.” We are God’s Delight and His Spouse…God rejoices in you!” as Isaiah wrote in the first reading (Is. 62:1-5). God weds Himself to us, and in a way, we can say that in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, God weds Himself to creation and Humanity. In Christ the two become one without confusion.

The second reading from St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12: 4-11) shows us how our baptismal relationship with the Holy Trinity should be lived.

We are gifted for service toward one another. We are given the Holy Spirit who manifests Himself through wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues and their interpretation. We are called to yield our lives to the Spirit and produce these fruits of the Spirit in the world.

We might say that today’s Gospel reminds us that God has wed Himself to each of us and together we make up the Church. Let us not live barren lives, but rather let us help one another to grow in holiness and imitation of Christ. For that is what Baptism and the Sacrament of Matrimony is all about.

– Fr. Steve

A Profound Act of Humility | Friar Reflections | The Baptism of the Lord

Friar Reflections, Parish News

My Dear Friends,

The Baptism of the Lord is an important feast in the Christian liturgical calendar, especially in the Franciscan tradition. The event is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John 1:29-34) and marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. For Franciscans, this feast offers rich theological reflection, inviting us to contemplate the mystery of Christ’s humility, his identification with humanity, and his mission to bring about God’s kingdom.

Humility is considered the cornerstone of the Christian life, and St. Francis of Assisi himself is known for his deep commitment to humility, as seen in his rejection of worldly honor and his embrace of poverty. The Baptism of Jesus is seen as a profound act of humility. Though sinless, Jesus enters the waters of repentance, not because he needs purification, but because he desires to identify fully with the human condition. This moment calls us to reflect on our own call to humility, inviting us to follow Christ’s example in our own lives—especially in moments when we may feel called to serve others without seeking recognition.

When Jesus is baptized, the heavens open, and the voice of God the Father declares, “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This moment of divine revelation affirms Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and shows the deep love the Father has for him. As Franciscans, our approach to this passage emphasizes God’s love not only for Jesus but for all of creation. St. Francis often spoke of creation as a reflection of God’s love, and he saw everything—people, animals, plants—as brother or sister in the vast family of God. The Baptism of the Lord reminds us to live in the grace and love bestowed upon us and to share it generously with all creation.

The Baptism of the Lord is one of the clearest moments in the New Testament where the Holy Trinity is revealed: the Father speaks, the Son is baptized, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. The dove represents peace, simplicity, and gentleness—qualities that were central to St. Francis’s way of life. The dove’s presence at the baptism is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s role in empowering Jesus for his mission, and it reminds us of the importance of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. The Spirit calls us to embody peace and gentleness in our interactions with others and to live out the radical love that Jesus demonstrated.

The Baptism of the Lord is a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus and a rich source of reflection. It is an opportunity to contemplate the humility, love, and mission of Christ, to renew our own baptismal calling, and to remember that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives of peace, service, and joy. Through the Baptism of Jesus, we are reminded that all our vocations in life call us to be of transformed by humility, and to pursue active participation in the divine mission of working towards bringing peace to the kingdom of God to earth.

Pax et bonum!
-Fr. Zack