Homilies

Prayer is essential for every Christian. It is the lifeline that connects us to God, the way we invite him into the deepest parts of our lives. When we are in need—spiritually, emotionally, or physically—prayer is where God meets us with his grace. It is in prayer that he transforms us. Because of this, we must be people of prayer.

The story of the wedding at Cana gives us a powerful example of how to pray. Mary, the mother of Jesus, shows us what it means to approach God with both simplicity and trust. When the wine runs out at the wedding, she turns to Jesus and states the need plainly: “They have no wine.” That is all. She does not embellish her request, nor does she try to persuade or plead. Mary does not worry about the outcome. She simply places the problem before Jesus.

Baptism can seem odd at first glance. We dress a baby in a white gown, pour water on their head, and take pictures while a community looks on. It is a strange ritual in a world where water flows freely from faucets, and bathing is a daily routine. For many of us, water is mundane, unremarkable. But in the ancient world, water was precious—an essential yet unpredictable gift of life. It was carried laboriously, rationed carefully, and only occasionally used for bathing. For people of that time, being immersed in water, especially as an act of worship, symbolized something extraordinary: God’s abundant love poured out in excess.

The story of the Epiphany is almost ironic. A great king, Herod, with the full backing of the Roman Empire, is terrified of a child—a newborn baby born in humble circumstances to a young girl and her understandably skeptical husband. Yet, this reaction fits the ancient world. Kings often had to fear even the young. They never knew when someone might rally the people and overthrow them, especially among the Jews, who were actively awaiting a messiah. To protect their power, rulers would resort to ruthless measures, even murder. So, while Herod’s fear may seem absurd, it is what we might expect from that culture and time.