Pastor’s Blog

This Sunday has been designated Word of God Sunday. The Church wishes to point out to us the importance of the Word of God in the Liturgy. There are four readings every Sunday and holy days: the first reading, usually taken from the Hebrew Scriptures, the responsorial psalm, the second reading, and the Gospel. It is only during Easter that the first reading is also taken from the New Testament. We believe that Christ, the Word of God, is truly present in the reading of the sacred text as well as in the sacraments. Today we are asked to reflect on the presence of Christ in the Word, and even in the homily given.

The Word Proclaimed in Scripture

To illustrate the importance of God’s Word in sacred text, let us look at the text proclaimed today. The first reading is taken from the Book of Isaiah. The reading speaks to us of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. This is a region in the north of Israel. It was a place that was largely populated by non-Jews. It was also a land that was regarded as a place of darkness regarding spirituality and religious observance. Yet the reading tells us that the people who live in this region have seen a great light.

In the Gospel, the same region is mentioned. Yet the light that the people see is none other than Jesus. What is the Liturgy of the Word telling us? There are people who live with a great deal of darkness and sadness. There are people whose lives are dark, who are lonely, who feel abandoned. There are people whose lives have been difficult and who are about ready to give up. Yet a great light has come. The light for them is Jesus, who can change their lives. Do you know people whose lives were changed by coming to know Jesus?

The Word That Changes Us

Once we hear the Word, know it, and allow it to touch our hearts, then we too, can be changed for the better.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
January 25, 2026
Sunday Readings

Sunday is the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The term Ordinary Time means that we are not preparing for an important feast like Christmas or Easter, nor are we celebrating an important feast. There are two Ordinary Time liturgical seasons. The first Ordinary Time follows Christmas and ends with Ash Wednesday. The second Ordinary Time follows Pentecost and ends with the First Sunday of Advent. The first Ordinary Time begins by focusing on the Incarnation and will lead us to the season of Lent. The second Ordinary Time has its focus on Easter and will lead us to the season of Advent. Keep in mind: when Jesus is involved in our lives, nothing is ordinary.​

Called to Discipleship in Belief and Behavior

In today’s readings, we are called to be followers of Christ. We are called to live our discipleship in our belief and in our behavior. In baptism, we are called to a life of holiness and wholeness. The Gospel invites us to “come and see.” We are invited to meet the Lord Jesus again for the first time. We are invited to deepen our personal relationship with the Lord. The lives of Peter, Andrew, James, and John were radically changed. They grew beyond what they may ever have imagined. Our relationship with the Lord is deepened through prayer and our relationship with others.​

The Universal Call, Personal Paths

When the call to holiness is universal, the discernment of one’s way to live out that call is personal as well as Church-related. All vocations have similar earmarks. The call always involves the giving of oneself completely to the Lord through the vocation. Each vocation is called to the service of others in the name of the Lord. Each vocation has death and resurrection experiences. Each true vocation feels natural to the one called. Thus, some are called to the vocation of marriage and parenthood, others to religious life or single life. Some are called to Holy Orders as deacons or priests. All are called to give of themselves. All have their lives completely changed for the better.​

Hear the Invitation Anew

I invite all to hear today’s Gospel for the first time. I invite all young people to consider Christ as your hero and to seek a life that will proclaim his greatness. Hear the invitation of Christ to follow him. See and hear this call as a call to deepen one’s personal relationship with the Lord in the context of the Eucharist, Scripture, and Church. See the Lord as a dynamic and alive person for you in your heart, in your mind, and your whole being. Grow in the Lord, and you will have a life to the fullest.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie​
January 18, 2026

The Baptism of the Lord is another major Epiphany of the Incarnation of God among us in Christ Jesus. In this feast, there is a manifestation or showing of Christ. In St. Paul’s Letter to Titus we read: “The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways…” and again: “When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared….” Seeing is the main theme of the readings. The invisible God is seen in Jesus. Notice that on Christmas, Christ is manifested to the shepherds by the angels. On the Epiphany, Jesus is manifested to the magi by Mary. In today’s liturgy, Christ is manifested to us by the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Feast and the End of Christmas

The feast closes the Christmas Season. The Baptism of the Lord is the manifestation of Christ Jesus, the Incarnate Word, to the world by the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Lord begins the public ministry of Jesus.

In this baptismal event, Jesus aligns himself with sinful humanity, which struggles to be sinless while faced with human weakness. In the mystery of the Incarnation, God touches our weakness, our spiritual wound, and heals it.

John’s Baptism and Christian Baptism

The baptism which John the Baptist administered is not the same baptism we as Christians receive. The baptism of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance; it was a sign that the one being baptized would try to change one’s life. The baptism John administered has its roots in the Jewish mikvah bath. The mikvah is a cleansing and signifies a new beginning.

Our baptism is an immersion into Christ Jesus. We are immersed into the redemption which Christ has brought about through his passion, death, and resurrection.

Jesus’ Solidarity with Sinners

Jesus preached a baptism of repentance in the hope of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, who is sinless, does not need the baptism of John. Jesus is not a repentant sinner.

Yet Jesus accepts John’s baptism as a sign that he stands with all struggling sinners who desire redemption, long for healing, and want the reign of God. The Baptism of Jesus begins his public ministry. The redemptive ministry of Jesus will lead to the Cross. It will be Christ’s faithfulness to his ministry that will ultimately redeem our unfaithfulness.

From Baptism to Easter

Truly, the mystery of the Incarnation is astounding when one realizes that God became human to take on our weaknesses and to make atonement for us. The event of the Baptism of the Lord resembles Easter. The baptism begins the redemptive work of Jesus which will culminate in the events of Easter.

The Baptism of the Lord begins the victory of Christ over all forms of evil and death.

Our Call to Manifest Christ

Each of us, because of our baptism, Confirmation, and especially the Eucharist, is called to be a manifestation of Christ to those around us. Yes, Christ acts through us for others. In the same way, the divine Holy Spirit, who comes to us in every sacrament, enables us to recognize the manifestation of Christ in those around us, especially in the poor, the vulnerable, the innocent, the wise, those in need, and even the gifted.

God’s presence surrounds us. The universe is singing God’s presence. We need to be alert to this divine Presence. This feast is one of hope and comfort for all of us. It reminds us that Jesus walks with all people of good will who are striving to be faithful and yet fail from time to time. The Epiphany events of the arrival of the magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Wedding Feast at Cana remind us that nothing will separate us from the love of God which comes to us in Christ Jesus.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
January 11, 2026

How do we hear these Christmas stories? What are we hearing? Do we assume we know the story? Allow me to repeat what I said at the beginning of Advent: “We are hearing the readings again for the first time.” The text of Scripture remains the same; you and I have changed. The depth of our belief may have changed. Faith may be deeper or shallower. We may be hearing these readings after experiencing loss or sadness. We may be hearing these readings at a time in life when change, for better or for worse, seems imminent. You may be hearing these texts after having your own child or while expecting your own child. How is God showing, or not showing, himself to you today?​

The Meaning of Epiphany

Today is the great feast of the Epiphany. The word Epiphany means “to show” or “to manifest.” Today’s feast is more catechetical than historical. This means the story is teaching us about Jesus. The story is addressing the identity of Jesus through the use of symbols. The liturgy recognizes three major epiphanies: the Arrival of the Magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Wedding Feast of Cana.​

In many ways, this feast is like a summation of the whole Gospel story. The entire Gospel shows us Christ. The ultimate question that the entire Gospel addresses to us, after telling us about Jesus, is “Who is Jesus?” For the Gospel, Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer, and above all else, Jesus is God made flesh. If you were asked, “Who is Jesus?” how would you answer?​

Manifestation to the World

If the celebration of Christmas was an epiphany to the shepherds and to the people of Israel, then today’s feast has a universal theme. Today is the manifestation of Christ to the world. The world is represented by gold, God is represented by frankincense, and the suffering servant who would die for his people is represented by myrrh.​

The Mystery of the Incarnation

The mystery of the Incarnation of God among us in the humanity of Jesus is so great an event that words, celebrations, poetry, music, or art cannot adequately express its complete meaning. In the mystery of the Incarnation, we see that humanity can be a vehicle, a carrier, a minister of the divine. God is made present through human relationships. The Incarnation continues in the Body of Christ, also known as the Church. Those in a relationship with Christ in his day were encountering and interacting with God.​

Thus, it is in and through our humanity—baptized into the Body of Christ, nourished by the Eucharist, in prayerful conversation with God, anointed by the Holy Spirit—that we manifest Christ to the world. It is through our frail humanity that mercy, love, kindness, justice, truth, peace, joy, etc., are carried to our respective worlds of home, work, and school. Because of the Incarnation, we carry God to a waiting world.​

Living the Incarnation

Yes, through the Incarnation, God touches a broken, weak, dirty, sinful, imperfect humanity and brings healing and reconciliation. When believers in the Incarnation live their faith in every circumstance, then Christ is manifested to the world.​

Msgr. Guy A. Massie​
January 4, 2026
Readings for The Feast of the Epiphany

At last, Christmas is upon us. Whether you are reading this before or after Mass, between visits, in a rare quiet moment, or at the end of a long day, know that you have a place in this parish family.

Most of us have watched enough Hallmark Christmas movies to last a lifetime. The cocoa is perfect, the snow falls on cue, every problem is wrapped up in 90 minutes, and the town square always looks like a postcard. Bethlehem did not look like that. Real life does not look like that either.

Imagine Mary in the real Bethlehem of 2,000 years ago: a brand new mother in a rough place, tired, probably a little nervous, holding the Child an angel once promised her. Joseph is doing his best with what they have. It is holy, yes, but also simple, very human, and a little messy.

Right there, in that ordinary scene, God chooses to step into our world and into our chaos with a love no movie can touch. Mary “treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart,” not because everything was perfect, but because God was truly with her (Luke 2:19).

So maybe this Christmas your life feels more like that real Bethlehem of long ago than a Hallmark movie. Schedules are crowded, loved ones are missed, budgets are tight, or the house looks more “lived in” than “Instagram-ready.” And yet, into exactly that kind of life, Jesus is born.

The Gospel tells us that the angel’s message was “good news of great joy that will be for all the people,” and “to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). That promise of joy, peace, and saving love is meant for hearts like ours, right here and now.

And the story does not stop at the manger or in Bethlehem. We are not only invited to receive this hope, but also to share it, carrying the news that Christ is born into our families, workplaces, and neighborhood streets, especially to those who feel forgotten or overwhelmed this year. The love we quietly experience in prayer and in the Eucharist, and yes, especially on Christmas Day, is meant to overflow in kindness, forgiveness, and concrete care for others. Like the carol “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” reminds us, this good news is too great to keep to ourselves, a message to carry “over the hills and everywhere” so that others may know that Jesus Christ is born.

Thank you for all the ways you have already done this in our parish this year: your generosity to those in need, your presence at Mass, your patience with one another, your quiet acts of service that nobody applauds but heaven notices. You are remembered at the altar this Christmas and held in the prayers of your priests and parish staff.

So yes, from the heart of Sacred Hearts – St. Stephen Parish, the most beautiful parish in Brooklyn, a very warm and joyful Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. May you know, deep down, that Christ is born for you, that His peace is stronger than your worries, and that His love is far better than any “perfect” Christmas we could script. May the blessing of the Holy Family rest upon your home, and may this Christmas fill you with a hope you cannot help but share.

A very perfect, imperfect Merry Christmas to everyone.

Monsignor Guy Massie and the Parish Staff
Christmas 2025

The Nativity Family

The Nativity scene, both outside and inside the church, presents us with a family. Family is the cornerstone of society. We learn how to be human in our family. We learn how to share mutual concern for others and the values by which we construct our respective lives. Family teaches us about loving relationships and mutual responsibilities.

Evolving Definition of Family

The constitution of the family has changed through the years. While family was defined as people who were related by blood, today that definition has expanded to mean all people with whom we have meaningful and loving relationships. Therefore, while family may include all one’s relatives, it may also include friends with whom we have bonded for many years and with whom we share a common life.

Categories of Families

There are many categories of families. There is our immediate family of mom, dad, and brothers and sisters. There is our work family. There are the people we see every day and with whom we spend most of our waking hours. There is the parish family, which is made of people with whom we worship and with whom we work for the greater good of the community.

Challenges in Relationships

Family is a network of relationships. Relationships can be rewarding and wonderful, or they can be difficult and frustrating. Relationships are complicated, and they need constant work. Forgiveness, understanding, remembering that no one is perfect, remembering that every life goes through difficulties and needs understanding, can help family life.

Importance of Communication

Communication is most important in families. Communication issues are the reasons for many family struggles. Parent-child relationships, husband-wife relationships, and brother-and-sister relationships often fall or rise over the quality or lack of quality of communication. The ability to listen to each other, to listen to what is said, and react reasonably, is a major challenge for many.

Intergenerational Stress

These issues become more acute as we are now seeing intergenerational living together. The caring for children and, at the same time, the caring for aging grandparents adds more stress to family life. Hurts come frequently in families because it is usually those you love the most who hurt you the most.

Foundations of Family Life

Family is important. For the sake of family life, the struggle to make peace based on truth and understanding is paramount. While family life has changed through the years, the way to maintain a family has not. Love, mercy, forgiveness, and sharing a common life are foundations of family life. For the family to survive, we all need to see ourselves as part of the community of family and not as independent individuals.

Reflection

What is your most challenging family issue? What is your most rewarding family issue? Both challenges and rewards make us a family.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
December 28, 2025