These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

WEDNESDAY, WEEK II, ORDINARY TIME, The Inauguration (USA), January 20

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
(Mk 3:1-6)

Today is Inauguration Day. Last night for the first time during this pandemic, there was a memorial service on the Mall in Washington for the 400,000 from the United States who have died from coronavirus. The service was lead by the president-elect, Joe Biden, and the vice-president-elect Kamala Harris, and the new archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory. Joe Biden said, "To heal we must remember." Today we pray for the new president and the new vice-president. May God bless them in their new positions of service to the country. And may God bring an end to the pandemic and heal the wounds of the country!