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.
After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:13-17)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011126.cfm
In the gospels, the Epiphany, the Manifestation, is a continuing revelation of Jesus as Son of God. Jesus is revealed as Son of God not only in his birth, his baptism, his ministry of healing and preaching, his compassion for the poor, the hungry, and the suffering, his death and resurrection. As Saint Paul tells us, in our baptism, we put on Christ, so that Christ lives in us, accomplishing the work of of our salvation. https://youtu.be/vDmAYNq2YDw?si=xd6tmYcjIDQ-55cJ
Beloved: We have this confidence in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. (1 Jn 5:14-21)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011026.cfm
Faith is not some celestial grab bag—where we get anything we want. As the writer of the letter reminds us, God hears us when we “ask anything according to his will.” We are called to pray as Jesus prays, “Not my will but yours be done.” https://youtu.be/ylw8wO9ih4w?si=DlSLyy0-u84dW3SX
God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. (1 Jn 5:5-13)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010926.cfm
To have life means we do not follow the way of death. We follow the way of Christ who gives us abundant life. I’m so grateful for all your birthday wishes. Today’s photo is from the birthday fiesta my Colombian family gave me last night. https://youtu.be/GwNs4Vy4H4o?si=nBwrixWOSJPyWMxQ
Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 Jn 4:19-5:4)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010826.cfm
Today is my birthday. I think of my mother, Norma Torp Boyd. Mom wanted grandkids, but I was an only child and a Catholic priest. But Mom got her grandkids after all: every infant I baptized, every child who made their First Communion, every young person confirmed, every couple I married, every confession I heard, every sick person I anointed, every person I blessed, every soul entrusted to my care in all the parishes where I served, every person I walked alongside in my ministry. They are all hers. The promise made to Abraham is fulfilled in my mom: she has descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. https://youtu.be/5TVrD0nBE4M?si=KP8VZ-2PwPpW3wuy
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. (1 Jn 4:11-18)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010726.cfm
That God loves us is wonderful, but as the writer says, “No one has ever seen God.” The hard part is loving one another. The Epiphany message is that since God has been revealed in human flesh, as Emmanuel, God-With-Us, then we must love one another. And it is by loving one another God’s love is brought to perfection in us—it is not optional. https://youtu.be/dN_pFtCvIJQ?si=z3N4NIBvT--R58TR
