Homily for 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Feb. 8, 2026
Matt 5: 13-16
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

(pinterest.com)

“Jesus said to his disciples:  ‘You are the light of the world.  Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matt 5: 14, 16)

Last week we began 3 weeks of gospel readings from the Sermon on the Mount, a fundamental core of Christ’s teachings.  Right after laying out the Beatitudes, the dangers of discipleship, and discipleship’s rewards, Jesus compares his followers to salt, a lofty city, and light.

Light is a constant theme in the sacred Scriptures, right from the 3d verse of the book of Genesis:  “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (1:3).  That divinely created light, according to Genesis, overcame the initial darkness of the universe (1:2).

St. John’s Gospel, modeling its opening on that 1st chapter of Genesis, tells us, “All things came to be thru” the divine Word, and “what came to be thru him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (1:1-5).  Further on, St. John quotes Jesus’ announcement to crowds of people in Jerusalem, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12).  Jesus overcomes the darkness in our lives:  sin and death.

That’s why the Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, refer to Baptism as “enlightenment.”  Baptism joins us to Jesus Christ, the light of the world.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us:  “This bath is called enlightenment….  Having received in Baptism the Word, ‘the true light that enlightens every man,’ the person baptized has been ‘enlightened,’ he becomes a ‘child of light,’ indeed, he becomes ‘light’ himself” (CCC 1216, adapted).

So Jesus tells his disciples that they are light in themselves and light for the world.  Those who practice the virtues he teaches in the Beatitudes (last Sunday’s teaching) possess his divine light.  But the light isn’t for ourselves; it’s for the world.  “A lamp … is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house” (Matt 5:15).  “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (5:16).

That is, whatever virtues we have must be put into practice, must be exercised in action.  Our faith, our charity, our patience, our gentleness, our kindness, our humility, our honesty must be seen by others—not so that people will exclaim, “Oh, how wonderful you are!  How holy!” but so that people will see Christ acting in us and thru us.

Isaiah today commands us, in God’s name, to “remove from your midst oppression, false accusation, and malicious speech” (Is 58:7-10), which is sound advice in this age of political division and mud-slinging and bias against a whole lot of people.  He commands, “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked.”  He doesn’t tell us to restrict our concern only to our friends or our fellow citizens.  It’s an open-ended command.  Our country ought to be ashamed of the disgraceful abuse of immigrants—our bishops and the Holy Father have said that.  We ought to be ashamed of having canceled almost all our foreign aid programs—feeding the hungry and combating disease and providing education—while cutting the taxes of our wealthiest and most powerful citizens.[1]

Christ the light of the world wants to shine on others thru us.  We show others the power and goodness of Christ so that they may come to him, learn from him, grow in him to be closer to God our Father.  In and thru Christ, we glorify God.

Just by coming to church at an early hour on Sunday, you’re glorifying God our Father and giving good example to your fellow parishioners and your neighbors.  If you’re a parent or a grandparent, you reveal the light of Christ to youngsters by teaching them to pray, by catechizing them, by giving them the good example of virtue.  We’re citizens of our blessed country, and we can be light by bringing Christ’s teachings to our civil life, our culture, and our politics.

I’ll end by quoting something our new archbishop said yesterday:  “We exist to follow Jesus, who fed the hungry, healed those ill in body and spirit, rejected hatred, and proclaimed love.”[2]

---

[1] After I drafted this, I found in the NYT of Saturday, 2/7/26, on p. A8 a full-page, amply illustrated article, “After U.S. Aid Cuts, ‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Return in Africa” (‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Resurge in Africa, Health Officials Fear - The New York Times).

[2] Dave Collins, Associated Press, “New Catholic archbishop of New York wants a church that ‘shows respect for all’ and builds unity,” at CRUX online, 2/7/26.

Holy Certifies Diocesan Inquiry into Fr. Luis Bolla's Cause

Holy See Certifies Diocesan Inquiry into the Cause of Fr. Luis Bolla

(ANS – Vatican City – February 6, 2026) – On February 6, the anniversary of the Servant of God Luis Bolla’s entry into heaven, a communique was sent to the postulator general for the Causes of Saints of the Salesian Family, Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, stating that the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in its session on January 14 had given legal validity to the diocesan inquiry for the cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Luigi Bolla, professed priest of the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco. Fr. Bolla, born at Schio, Italy, August 11, 1932, was a missionary among the Shuar and Achuar Indians of Ecuador and Peru. He died at Lima, Peru, February 6, 2013. The Vatican certification verifies the formal procedures and the consistency of the evidence gathered at Lima: number and quality of witnesses, documents collected.

The postulator general emphasizes that “this is a great achievement, the result of the passionate and competent work of the members of the diocesan tribunal in Lima and all those who contributed, in particular the historical commission, the theological censors, and the vice postulator, Fr. Jesus Adrian Jurado Alarcon, SDB.”

The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints will now be asked to appoint a rapporteur to guide the preparation of the Positio super virtutibus of the Servant of God.

The diocesan inquiry took place at the archiepiscopal chancery in Lima from September 27, 2021, to May 30, 2025.

The life of Fr. Luis Bolla (Father Yankuam’) among the Shuar and Achuar peoples teaches us that mission is not “doing something” but choosing to “be there,” allowing oneself to be profoundly transformed by the encounter with those to whom the mission is directed. He knew how to realize God’s dream for him: in 1943 and 1944, at the age of 11 and 12, the young oratory boy in Schio, Luis Bolla, heard the voice of Jesus (he was certain of it), indicating his plan: “You will be a missionary in the jungle among the indigenous people, and you will bring them my Word. You will walk a great deal on foot in the jungle....” And all this came true between 1953 and 2013.

Joyful International Celebration of Don Bosco in Moscow

A Joyful International Celebration of Don Bosco in Moscow

(ANS – Moscow – February 5, 2026) – Despite intense cold, snow, and temperatures reaching –7°F, the Salesian house and orphanage in Moscow was filled with warmth and joy during the celebration of the feast of St. John Bosco, held on February 4. The large turnout exceeded expectations, with so many participants that it was impossible to include everyone in photographs—a visible sign of the affection and closeness surrounding the Salesian presence in the city.

A Celebration Marked by Wide Participation

The feast brought together a vibrant and diverse assembly of people. Besides Salesian priests and brothers, Salesian sisters, former pupils, young people, benefactors, and friends of the Salesian Family took part in the celebration, reaffirming a long‑standing tradition that makes Don Bosco’s feast a true family event in Moscow.

Strong Diplomatic and International Presence

The celebration was further enriched by the presence of distinguished guests from the diplomatic community. Among those attending were the ambassador of Argentina, accompanied by his secretary, members of the diplomatic corps of the Italian embassy, representatives of Italian associations in Russia, including an Italian women’s club actively involved in supporting charitable initiatives—and representatives from the Polish and German embassies. Their participation highlighted the esteem and trust enjoyed by the Salesian mission.

An Italian Spirit in Honor of Don Bosco

In honor of Don Bosco’s Italian origins, the celebration took on a distinctly Italian character. Following the Eucharistic celebration, a cultural and theatrical performance was presented, portraying Italy through its ancient, medieval, and modern periods. The performance, rich in color and meaning, captivated the audience and was received with great appreciation.

More than 30 Years of Salesian Mission in Moscow

The Salesian orphanage in Moscow has been serving poor and abandoned children for more than 30 years. While the liturgical feast of Don Bosco is celebrated on  January 31—and was in fact celebrated in the parish—the celebration at the orphanage was held on a later weekday to allow for greater participation. This year’s feastday Mass was presided over by Fr. Dariusz Gojko, director of the Salesian Community in Moscow, in the absence of the bishop, who was ill.

A Feast of Fraternity and Hope

The celebration concluded with a festive gathering marked by joy, fraternity, and gratitude. Even amid winter’s harsh conditions, the feast of Don Bosco once again demonstrated how his charism continues to bring together people of different cultures and nations around a shared mission of education, care, and hope.

Homily for Thursday, Week 4 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
4th Week of Ordinary Time

Feb. 5, 2026
1 Kings 2: 1-4, 10-12
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

David, by Nicolas Cordier
(St. Mary Major, Rome)

“When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave [his] instructions to his son Solomon” (1 Kgs 2: 1).

David has been completely rehabilitated before the Lord in spite of his sins and the blood he shed over the years.  His youngest son, the favorite of his old age, will succeed him.  But even so great a servant of the Lord as he must “rest with his ancestors” (2:10).  He’s wise enuf to prepare for inevitable death, and he meets it calmly.

His instructions to Solomon are twofold.  We heard the 1st set; the reading skipped the political set about dealing with his enemies so as to secure the throne, and our future readings will pass over how Solomon did so.

The 1st part of David’s advice reminds his son to be faithful to the Lord, and the Lord will be faithful to him.  David does as Moses and Joshua had done in years past.  His assurance to Solomon, tho, is conditional:  “If your sons so conduct themselves…” (2:4).  The sacred historian knew that many of Judah’s kings—even Solomon himself—wouldn’t be fully faithful, David’s kingdom would soon be divided, and the part ruled by his dynasty would end in disaster.

Yet God was—is—faithful; the Son of David, Jesus of Nazareth, would prove most faithful and would be given sovereignty over not only Israel but all the nations, greater than David could have dreamed.  We are witnesses to Jesus’ faithfulness and God’s fidelity.

David’s instructions remind Solomon and all rulers—God’s word is permanent—that they are subject to God’s rule; to God’s conditions, if you will.  Our Baptism into Christ has made us kings, as well, members of his royal family.  If we’re faithful to God’s covenant with us, he’ll protect us and preserve us for his eternal kingdom, “from eternity to eternity” (1 Chron 29:10).

Ven. Fr. Carlo Crespi Returns to MHC Shrine in Cuenca

Venerable Fr. Carlos Crespi Returns to MHC Shrine in Cuenca

(ANS – Cuenca, Ecuador – February 3, 2026) – Saturday, January 31, was a historic day of faith and gratitude in the city of Cuenca with the blessing of the chapel in memory of the Venerable Salesian Fr. Carlos Crespi Croci, and the final transfer of his mortal remains, which will now rest permanently in what was his home for many years: the city's Mary Help of Christians Shrine.

The Mass that accompanied the transfer was presided over by Abp. Marcos Perez Caicedo of Cuenca and was attended by members of the Salesian Family, ecclesiastical and civil officials, as well as numerous faithful who gathered to accompany the “Apostle of the Poor.”

In the context of the feast of St. John Bosco, the celebration also had a special meaning for the province of Ecuador, thanks to the simultaneous profession of perpetual Salesian vows by Edin Oswaldo Villamar Franco, who thus consecrated himself definitively to God, to the service of the Church, and to the Salesian mission.

After Communion, Fr. Marcelo Farfan, provincial of the Salesians in Ecuador, together with the Commission for Beatification, presented the mortal remains of the Venerable Fr. Crespi to the archbishop. For over 40 years, these remains had rested in the Patrimonial Cemetery of Cuenca, as a sign of gratitude for a life totally dedicated to God and as a gift offered to the whole Church.

In an atmosphere of profound silence, Archbishop Perez received the remains and, accompanied by the celebrants, began the procession inside the church toward the new chapel. This moment was marked by an intense expression of popular faith: many faithful approached the coffin in tears, placing rosaries, images, and photographs on it and invoking the intercession of the venerable Salesian, while remembering his goodness and compassion, especially toward those most in need.

Once they reached the chapel, a solemn blessing was celebrated for this space, conceived as a permanent place of prayer, recollection, and spiritual encounter. The sprinkling of holy water marked the consecration of the place, entrusting it to God as a living memory of the gospel and a school of charity, in harmony with the charism of Don Bosco.

Subsequently, the Ordinary of Cuenca proceeded to place the mortal remains in the columbarium, specially prepared for their dignified custody, emphasizing that holiness has a place in the community and that the witness of Venerable Fr. Crespi will thus continue to animate the faith of the believing people.

The ceremony concluded with a communal prayer of thanksgiving, in which the life of Fr. Crespi was remembered, a life entirely devoted to proclaiming the Gospel, serving the poor, and accompanying young people.

With this event, the Salesian Family of Ecuador reaffirms the deep spiritual bond between the Fr. Carlos Crespi and the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, and offers the Church and the city of Cuenca a permanent place of prayer, inviting the faithful to have recourse to his intercession and to keep alive the hope of seeing him soon raised to the altars.

Angelica Almeida,
Secretary of the Commission for the Beatification of Fr. Crespi

Salesian Missions Helps Feed Thousands in Ethiopia

Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children Partner to Feed More Than 2,500 Families

(ANS – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – February 3, 2026) – More than 2,500 families across 8 communities in Ethiopia had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions of New Rochelle and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The families have felt the impact of the ongoing strife in the Tigray region of the country.

A Salesian explained: “The war started in November 2020. Until the peace agreement was reached in November 2022, there were active clashes between the federal military and the regional force, and hundreds of thousands of people died on both sides. The food shortage began around November 2020, coinciding with the start of the conflict in Tigray. As the war unfolded, it worsened food access and contributed to the broader humanitarian crisis.”

Salesians have been a crucial lifeline for war-affected people in Tigray, operating primarily through established communities in Mekelle, Adigrat, Adwa, and Shire. Salesians address immediate humanitarian needs while also focusing on long-term recovery and resilience.

This donation was sent in partnership with Flexport.org, which managed the shipping and funded the shipping costs. Salesian Missions will partner with Flexport.org for additional upcoming humanitarian aid shipments.

Salesians have also organized and distributed food baskets containing essentials like wheat, rice, and oil to tens of thousands of internally displaced persons and families facing food shortage-like conditions. They are running programs for the most vulnerable, especially malnourished children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers, providing high-nutrient food like fortified flour to combat acute malnutrition. They are also providing non-food items like blankets, mattresses, and other items.

With infrastructure broken, Salesians have taken on projects to restore clean water access. They are currently working to repair damaged wells and boreholes in order to provide a more sustainable water source for local communities.

In addition, Salesians are providing education to children and skills training for older youths and adults. A Salesian explained, “Education is at the heart of what we do in these communities. Salesians have been instrumental in getting schools functional again by providing books and pens, repairing damaged classrooms, and paying incentive salaries for teachers who otherwise wouldn’t work. For children who have missed years of schooling, we also provide informal classes for internally displaced people, setting up temporary learning spaces to help them catch up. For older youths and adults, we provide access to skills training with short technical and vocational courses and startup kits to help them generate a small income.”

Salesians were in these communities well before the war started and will be there long after it’s done. The existing trust with the community means that Salesians can often operate when international non-governmental organizations are unable to gain access. This has been critical in assessing nutritional needs and ensuring that food shipments reach people most in need.

Source: Mission Newswire

Homily for Tuesday, Week 4 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
4th Week of Ordinary Time

2 Sam 18: 9-10, 14, 24-25, 30—19: 3
Mark 5: 21-43
Feb. 3, 2026
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

David Mourns for Absalom
(Gustave Dore')

In our 1st reading we heard one of the most heart-wrenching stories in the Bible.  It seems to come to us out of nowhere, partly because we missed the readings for Monday of Week 4 on account of yesterday’s feastday, and partly because only 2 passages of the whole sad tale of Absalom make it into the lectionary—a tale that takes up a section of ch. 12 and almost all of ch. 13-18 of 2 Samuel.

Absalom has come to battle and defeat because he’s been vengeful, resentful, ungrateful, proud, and lacking in filial piety.  He’s attempted to overthrow God’s anointed king.  So God undoes him, which is part of the message that the biblical historian intends for us.

We heard the Cushite messenger’s wish that all the king’s enemies should suffer Absalom’s fate (18:32).  Those who indulge in Absalom’s vices risk a worse fate from the Lord.

David, on the other hand, exhibits a spirit of forgiveness and mercy.  He anticipates the sentiments that Jesus shows in the double episode of today’s gospel:  willingness to go out of his way for the welfare of someone in anguish (Mark 5:24), sensitivity to the touch of a desperate woman (5:30), gentleness with a child (5:41), and even the practical wisdom of seeing to food for a youngster (5:43).

David lost his son.  Jairus got his daughter back.  By imitating David’s patience and Jesus’ compassion, we strive to defeat the vices that might impede our happiness and we feed our hope that on the Last Day Jesus will take us by the hand and bid us rise.

February Message of the Rector Major

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR

Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB

Coherence

The privileged path to charity

A passage from the Gospel of Luke, 11:37-41, recounts how Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, accepts an invitation to dine with a Pharisee. We witness a dialogue that represents a confrontation between two visions of religiosity: the formal one, centered on rules about rituals, and the one of the heart, proposed by Jesus.

In response to the question put to Jesus about why he doesn’t observe the traditional ritual actions, the Pharisee is invited to go beyond outward actions and to verify whether the outward appearance truly corresponds to what is in his heart.

Jesus accepts the invitation without conditions.

Like the Pharisee, we too can invite Jesus to our table. His response is astonishing: Jesus always accepts, without imposing any conditions. He doesn’t demand that our house be in order, nor does he require any guarantee that we’re coherent. “He went and sat down at the table” – with this disarming simplicity, Jesus enters the life of the Pharisee, already knowing what he’ll find, aware of the contradictions, the shadows, and the duplicity.

This is the first liberating message: Jesus doesn’t wait for us to “have it all together” before coming to us; he comes to help us put things in place. We don’t have to hide who we truly are to be worthy of his presence; on the contrary, it is precisely our incompleteness that causes us to need an encounter with him.

Presence that brings clarity

But beware: while Jesus accepts without imposing conditions, his presence is never neutral or “innocuous.” Jesus enters and brings light. The Pharisee perhaps expected an obliging guest, someone to show off, to present to his acquaintances: “Look! Jesus is coming to my house.” Instead, he finds himself exposed, yet without being humiliated or embarrassed. Jesus’ presence casts light on the contradictions, bringing into the open what we’d prefer to keep hidden.

It’s not an attack; it’s more like turning on a light in a room: the light doesn’t create the dust that’s there, but it makes it visible. Similarly, Jesus doesn’t cause our defects, but gently and gradually helps us to see them for what they are. In short, his presence is an invitation to bring clarity to our lives: to examine with honesty where we’re authentic and where we hide behind masks, where there’s coherence and where there’s a disconnect between what we appear to be and who we truly are.

Beyond appearances: the call to personal coherence

“You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you’re full of greed and wickedness.” Jesus doesn’t condemn outward practices in themselves – the ablutions, the public prayers, the observance of rituals – but he sheds light on that subtle and terrible division between the external and the internal, the duplicity of those who care for their image while neglecting their heart.

It’s a temptation that spans all time. How much energy we spend building a flattering image! On social media, in professional life, even in our most intimate relationships: we filter, we select, we show only what makes us look good. Instead, Jesus calls for coherence at a very personal level, even before the public level. It’s not about what others see, but about who we truly are when no one’s looking. It’s there, in the intimacy of the heart, that our authenticity is put on the line.

A vision without shadows

“Fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside?” There’s a profound human and spiritual insight here: the human being is one. We’re not divided into airtight compartments – the public and private spheres, the body and the spirit, the exterior and the interior. We can’t keep areas of our lives hidden in the shadows, thinking that they won’t contaminate the rest.

Jesus’ invitation is to see clearly, without shadows: to a life in which there are no hidden corners where we cultivate vices, selfishness, or duplicity. It’s about inner transparency where everything is brought into the light of the conscience and of grace. This doesn’t mean instant perfection, but radical honesty: recognizing our weaknesses, calling them by name, and neither justifying nor hiding them. This is the first step towards healing.

Almsgiving as a gift of oneself

“Give what’s inside as alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” Here lies the culmination of Jesus’ message. True purification doesn’t come from external rituals, but from giving what’s within. Coherence has the power to be a bearer of goodness. The word “alms” in Greek has its roots in the word “mercy” and “compassion.” It’s not just a matter of giving money, but of giving ourselves: our time, our attention, our presence, our vulnerability.

When we live this inner unity, when there’s no longer a division between who we are and who we appear to be, then from this unity emanates true charity and authentic mercy: it’s a genuine gift, not calculated, not a means to a personal end. We don’t give to appear generous, but because generosity has become who we are.

Young people’s thirst for adults who are authentic and coherent.

This message resonates particularly strongly today, especially for the younger generations. Young people live immersed in a culture where everything has a price and everything’s calculated in terms of return and utility; identities are fragmented among a thousand profiles, masks, and social roles; relationships are mediated, filtered, and often anonymous or superficial.

In this context, young people have a desperate thirst for authentic adults: people who practice what they preach, who don’t have one face for the public and another for their private life, and who don’t lie for convenience’s sake.

We must never forget that young people don’t look for perfect adults – they reject them as fake. They look for adults who are authentic: capable of acknowledging their own weaknesses, of being consistent in the small things of everyday life, of keeping their promises, and of having an inner life that’s visible. The greatest service we can render to the new generations is not to give them moral advice or rules of conduct but to bear witness to an authentic life.

The timeless invitation

The Pharisee invited Jesus once. But the text reveals to us that Jesus is always available to be invited, today as he was two thousand years ago.

The question for each of us is: are we willing to welcome him, knowing that his presence will confront us with the truth about ourselves? Are we ready to let him shed light on our shadow areas? And then, after having welcomed this light, are we willing to live authentically, renouncing our masks, and giving to others not what turns to our benefit, but rather “what’s within us”?

In a world thirsting for truth, being authentic is not a spiritual luxury: it is the first act of charity that we can perform. Especially toward those, like young people, who have the right to see that it’s possible to live without duplicity, that integrity isn’t a utopia, and that coherence between the inner and the outer self is the path to true freedom.

1st Feast of St. John Bosco in Vanuatu

The 1st Feast of St. John Bosco in Vanuatu
Don Bosco works miracles in Oceania

(ANS – Port Vila, Vanuatu – February 2, 2026) – The first Salesians arrived in Port Vila on 13 December 13, 2025. On December 18, they settled into their temporary residence, with the aim of understanding the pastoral context and local culture and, over time, preparing a Salesian project capable of responding to the situation of young people in this country, the most recent to welcome Bosco’s Salesians, the 137th[1] overall in the world.

Being new, the Salesian pioneers had planned to celebrate the feast of Don Bosco in a simple way, together with just the clergy and religious. Unexpectedly, however, it was the parishioners themselves who approached the Salesians, asking to learn more about Don Bosco. Accepting the invitation of the parishioners, the novena Mass was celebrated in the main church and, in the afternoon, the Salesians, together with the parish leaders, visited the nine communities, bringing with them a picture and a relic of Don Bosco.

The visit included a brief presentation of Don Bosco’s life, an explanation of the meaning of the relic, the Rosary with the possibility of confessions, and finally a moment of pastoral exchange during which the local communities expressed their spiritual needs and desires, while the Salesians explained how they could walk together.

Unexpectedly, during the novena, it was Don Bosco himself who performed miracles. “The way people venerate the relic with great devotion and prayer was something that moved us all. Local communities flocked in large numbers to welcome ‘Don Bosco’s visit’, and many approached us for confession after 5 or even 10 years!” testified one of the missionary pioneers.

During the same novena, a teacher from the Catholic school approached Salesian Bro. Paulus Bataona, telling him that he wanted to become a Salesian. “I explained to him that, being married, he could become a Salesian Cooperator,” says Bro. Bataona, “and he replied: “Yes, I want to become one! In recent days, I have already searched for information on the internet and I understand quite well who a Salesian Cooperator is!”

“It was a pleasant surprise,” continued the Salesian, “because none of us had talked about the Cooperators; in fact, we thought it was still too early to talk about the Cooperators, even though we had already begun to spread devotion to Mary Help of Christians and were also open to the possibility of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA). But Don Bosco has gone ahead of us,” Bro. Bataona explains.

When the teacher then approached Fr. Alfred Maravilla, the director of the mission, expressing the same desire, he told him that a formation program could begin once the minimum number of four candidates had been reached. “In that case, Father, we can start right away, because I already have 4 adults who, like me, want to become Cooperators too!”

“We are deeply touched to see how Don Bosco is truly helping us to realize his dream in Oceania,” exclaimed Fr. Maravilla.

During the feast of Don Bosco, the small village church was packed with faithful for Mass presided over by the chancellor of the diocese of Port Vila, as the bishop was out of the country.

“We were really touched by how the people prepared practically everything: the celebration, the lunch according to Vanuatu tradition, the program, and the logistics,” observed Fr. Moïse Paluku, the 3d member of this 1st Salesian community in the Melanesian archipelago. We really have no words to express our joy at seeing how the first feast of Don Bosco resonated in the hearts of the people. They themselves said it publicly: “From now on, this is our ‘Don Bosco Day’!”

---

[1] The “official” count.

Homily for 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Feb. 1, 2026
Matt 5: 1-12
1 Cor 1: 26-31
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

The Sermon on the Mount
(Cosimo Rosselli)

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and … he began to teach them” (Matt 5: 1-2).

When Moses went up Mt. Sinai, God gave him the 10 Commandments and the rest of the laws that were to guide and govern Israel.  St. Matthew presents Jesus as the new Moses who ascends a mountain—really, it’s just a hillside near the Sea of Galilee—and gives his disciples a new law.  This is the Sermon on the Mount, which takes up ch. 5-7 of Matthew’s Gospel.  We’ll read parts of ch. 5 on the next 2 Sundays before we begin Lent on Feb. 18, which has its own cycle of gospel readings.

The Sermon on the Mount begins with what we call the Beatitudes.  They’re not 10 in number, but 8.  Nevertheless, they’re Christ’s new set of commandments—not to replace the 10 Commandments from Mt. Sinai but to supplement or perfect them.  On Feb. 15, we’ll hear Jesus say, “Don’t think I’ve come to abolish the law or the prophets.  I’ve come to fulfill them” (Matt 5:17).  He adds, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you won’t enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20).  The Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount instruct us on how to build on what Moses taught so as to become more like Jesus, the Son of God.

(Vatican News)

In fact, in 2020 Pope Francis called the Beatitudes “the ‘identity card’ of Christians because they outline the face of Jesus himself, his style of living. . . .  These ‘new commandments’ are much more than a set of rules.  Indeed, Jesus does not impose anything but reveals the way of happiness—his way—by repeating the word ‘blessed’ eight times.”[1]

A preacher I know refers to the Sermon on the Mount’s first words as “a lesson plan—instruction in how to achieve holiness and happiness by being a disciple of Christ.”[2]  In fact, some translations use the word happy rather than blessed.  But blessed is more suggestive of our spiritual dependence on and hope in God.  We’re concerned about more than just an earthly or emotional happiness.

The Beatitudes propose to us virtues:  poverty of spirit or detachment from material goods; mourning or sadness at the evil in the world; mildness and humility; a desire for holiness.  They tell us how to act so as to become holy:  be merciful, be pure, be peaceable, be completely committed to God’s kingdom.

Take note that Jesus addresses this message to “the crowds” who’ve come to him.  It’s not just for the 12 apostles, not just for a restricted or special circle of his friends, not just for priests and nuns.  It’s for everyone.  It’s for our practical lives as his followers.

For example, we’re called to “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  That means being in a right relationship with God—pursuing holiness.  It also means wanting what’s right, what’s just.  Jesus’ teaching has social and cultural implications.  He tells us, his disciples, that we’re blessed if people insult us and persecute us and utter evil against us falsely for following him.  Insult, lies, and persecution are exactly what’s happened to people in some American cities when they’ve spoken up for and tried to defend their vulnerable neighbors, fellow human beings created in God’s image.  It means being merciful to the poor, the hungry, the refugee, those in danger—in our country or anywhere else.

Is this political?  Yes.  It’s the politics of putting the Gospel into practice, which is our right and our responsibility as citizens and as disciples of Jesus.

USCCB

Back in November, the bishops of the U.S. issued a statement on immigrants.  Among other things, they said:  “We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants.  We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.  We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. . . .  We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.  We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”[3]  That was back in November.

A few days later, Pope Leo backed up the bishops and told reporters, “When people are living good lives—and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years—to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least,” is not acceptable.[4]

Last week Abp. José Gomez of Los Angeles wrote for his archdiocese that “America was the first nation to be established on the belief that human rights come from God and that the government’s purpose is to protect these rights,” and that “we do not lose our rights based on the color of our skin, or the language we speak, or for not having the proper documents.”  Bp. Anthony Taylor of Little Rock wrote in his diocesan paper, “This is a pro-life issue.  And it will remain a pro-life issue so long as millions of people continue to live lives trapped in desperate circumstances, where countries with means refuse to help.”[5]

In one of his parables, Jesus tells us that on the Last Day we’ll be judged in part by how we’ve treated strangers.  He’ll say to the saved, the sheep of his flock:  “I was a stranger and you welcomed me....  As often as you did it for one of my least brothers and sisters, you did it for me.”  And to those going to hell, he’ll say, “As often as you neglected to do it to one of these least ones, you neglected to do it to me.” (Matt 25:31-46)

St. Paul tells the Christians of Corinth—and us—that they and we aren’t “wise by human standards,” nor powerful nor highborn (1 Cor 1:26).  Rather, they and we have been chosen by God for a different standard than the wealth, power, and glory that the high and mighty of the earth strive for.  God has called us to find our wisdom personified in Jesus Christ.  He’s called us for holiness thru our union with Jesus (1:30), which flows from his lesson plan, his way of happiness, laid out in the Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.

---

[1] General Audience of 29 January 2020 at www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2020.

[2] Deacon Greg Kandra, Scripture Reflection for Feb. 1, 2026, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, The Pilot online, 1-28-26.

[3] U.S. Bishops Issue a “Special Message” on Immigration from Plenary Assembly in Baltimore | USCCB (website).

[4] Cindy Wooden, Pope calls treatment of migrants in U.S. 'extremely disrespectful' | USCCB (CNS, Rome, 11/19/25).

[5] Gina Christian, More US bishops warn: ‘The country cannot go on like this’ - OSV News, 1/28/26.