This week we are reminded that God is with us, when we are tired, in need or unsure. The readings focus on faith, conversion and God's desire to fill us with new life. We hear about people who feel empty and thirsty, but God gives them what they truly need. God listens to their cries with love and care. He guided Moses to strike a rock so that water would flow out even though others were doubting God's presence and even quarreling with Moses.

This week God calls people to trust Him. In each reading we see someone stepping forward with faith. Abram leaves his home; the disciples follow Jesus up the mountain and Paul tells Timothy to keep going even when life is hard. Lent is a time that we need to listen and follow even if it is in ways that we do not expect, or when it is hard. We should not stay in one place; we are called to move forward with hope and with faith, that God is leading us somewhere good. Have you noticed that when God wants to meet people in a special way He does it on a Mountain?

This week we hear about Jesus as he is in the desert and fasts for forty days and is tempted by the devil. Jesus stays faithful and He chooses what is right. This is a reminder that Lent is a time to turn away from sin and follow Jesus more closely. Try to picture what the world would be like if Adam and Eve did not give in when Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden. Man brought about sin, but another man, Jesus, brings us life. Through Jesus we are made right with God again and gives us hope. Lent is a season for change, to say no to things that pull us away from God. We need to trust, to pray and to begin again during Lent.

This week we are asked to think about our choices. God gives us the freedom to choose between good and evil. He doesn't force us. God gave us the commandments, not to burden us, but to guide us to make the right choices. We hear this Sunday, that Jesus didn't come to get rid of the law for the Jews but instead to have the people learn its full meaning. Jesus tells us that it is not just by our actions that we gain the entrance to heaven, but that we need to be honest, to be pure, to let go of anger, and to speak with truth. Anger can be just as harmful as violence, and impure thoughts can lead a person away from God. We need to live with self-control and be guided toward holiness with love as its center. We are reminded by Saint Paul that God has good things planned for those who love Him.

Our faith is not something we should keep hidden. This week we hear Jesus say that we should be like salt and light. These are simple items, but they help us understand what it means to be followers of Christ. This Sunday we read that we should help others, we should care for the poor, we should be kind and trust in God. We need to point ourselves to Jesus and live in a way that points others to God. Our faith must show in our actions not just in our words. By serving and helping others we reflect God's love.

Have you looked through your high school yearbook lately? Did you look at the fashions such as haircuts, clothes, jewelry that were the coolest thing in their time? They might seem a little silly today, but everyone thought they were the things to wear or have. If you wanted to be cool and fit in, you wore whatever was the rage like big hair, or bowl cuts, from leisure suits to poodle skirts because the reality is, when we were young, one of our greatest desires was just to fit in.

This week we are reminded that God brings light into darkness that He does not leave us alone but is near even in hard times. Isaiah tells us about a people who once lived in gloom but now see light. Jesus begins preaching and calling his first followers and He brings light to Galilee, a place people often forgot about. Jesus tells them to turn their lives around and follow him and His message is simple but clear: the kingdom of heaven is close. Saint Paul tells us to stop fighting and focus on Jesus because we belong to Christ and not to any group or leader.

This Sunday we hear that God calls people for a purpose. Isaiah, a servant, and a faithful person listens and obeys God. We also hear how John the Baptist points to Jesus while calling Him the Lamb of God. Each person has a part in God's plan. John the Baptist sees the Spirit come down on Jesus. He tells everyone that Jesus is the Son of God. This moment shows us who Jesus is and why he came. God chose him, and now he is ready to bring light and life to others. Paul also reminds the people in Corinth that they are holy and called and this message is for us too.

The Baptism of the Lord reminds us of who Jesus is and what He came to do. He walks into the Jordan River, not because He needs to, but to show us the way. This moment tells us that Jesus is ready to serve. He stands with us, not above us. As He comes out of the water, something amazing happens. The Holy Spirit comes down like a dove. God speaks from heaven and calls Jesus His beloved Son. This is the first clear sign that Jesus is sent by God to bring peace and healing.

Today we celebrate The Epiphany of Our Lord, and it is a feast that celebrates Jesus being made known to the world. It remembers the visit of the magi, also called wise men, who traveled from far away to find the newborn King. They followed a star that led them to Jesus. This story reminds us that Jesus came for all people. The magi were not Jewish, but they were still welcomed. They brought gifts and knelt before Jesus. This shows that anyone who seeks the truth can come to Him.