Year C – The Presentation of the Lord

Groundhog Day

(Mal.3:1-4; Heb.2:14-18; Lk.2:22-40)

Today, February 2nd, is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. Years ago, it was known as Candlemas and it was the Church’s day for the blessing of candles. 

In the USA and Canada, today is also Groundhog Day. This is a folkloric tradition that grew out of Candlemas, which itself marks the mid-point between the northern winter and spring.

On Groundhog Day, a groundhog’s shadow is supposedly used to predict the weather, but I’ll come back to that shortly. [i] 

In today’s Gospel, Mary and Joseph go to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Law of Moses required every mother to undergo ritual purification and to present her child for consecration to God, 40 days after birth (Ex.13:1-2; Lev.12). 

As the Holy Family enter the Temple, Simeon and Anna are waiting inside. The Holy Spirit long before had promised Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Christ. So, for years he and the prophetess Anna waited patiently.

When baby Jesus finally arrives, Simeon is overjoyed. He holds Jesus in his arms and prays his famous prayer Nunc Dimittis: ‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised…’

This story reveals so much about the character of these saints. Simeon, Anna and the Holy Family are all Spirit-filled and very devout in the practice of their faith. They’re also humble, obedient and patient, and they trust God completely.

Life may be hard, but they’re happy.

Now, let’s compare them to Phil Connors, the actor Bill Murray’s character in the movie Groundhog Day (1993). He’s a cranky TV weatherman who goes to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report on the annual Groundhog Day festival.

We soon learn that he’s an obnoxious and self-centred narcissist. ‘People are morons,’ he tells his producer Rita. He can’t wait to return home, but a snowstorm forces him and his film crew to stay.

The next morning, Phil’s alarm clock wakes him up and he’s appalled to discover that it’s Groundhog Day all over again. He’s caught in a strange time-loop, and he has to relive this day over and over and over again.

Every day, every little action is repeated, from meeting an old friend in the same place at the same time, to stepping into an icy pothole. Phil’s life becomes incredibly monotonous, but he’s the only one who notices.

At first he’s amused, but then he becomes bored and then he despairs. He hates his repetitive life so much that he even tries to commit suicide. But he’s always back the next day.

It becomes clear that what’s important in this story isn’t the groundhog’s shadow, but Phil’s. At one point in the film, one of the townsfolk says to him, ‘Watch out for your shadow there, pal!’

It’s his shadow side that’s condemning him to this endless cycle of emptiness. It’s his sinfulness and bad behaviour that are holding him back and making him unhappy. He’s trapped in darkness.

It’s only when Phil opens his heart that things change. He starts noticing Rita, his producer. He’s attracted to her and her happy outlook, and he finds himself inspired by her to do good things. He makes friends, he rescues a homeless man and he even starts learning music and poetry.

It’s only when Phil discovers love that time starts to move forward. He wakes up to find that it’s February 3rd and he’s been given new life.

The movie Groundhog Day is a parable about life. It’s full of lessons about the state of our hearts and whether we choose to live in the light or in the shadows.

Simeon and Anna in Luke’s Gospel also lived predictable and monotonous lives.  For years they went to the Temple every day, waiting for Jesus to arrive. But what made them different to Phil was their deep faith. The Holy Spirit had filled their hearts with hope, and when Jesus arrives, they’re overwhelmed with joy.

Just like Jesus, we’ve all had an official Presentation. At our Baptism, we were presented and consecrated to God and given a candle lit from the Paschal candle (symbolising Jesus, the Light of the World) . 

At that moment, the priest or deacon said, ‘You have been enlightened by Christ. Walk always as a child of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your heart…’

This light, this flame of faith and love, is the difference between a dreary repetitive existence and a life of meaning, purpose and joy.

So, the question for you today is this: Is this divine flame burning inside you?

Or are you just living the same old life over and over and over again?


[i] Midseason weather predictions were important to European farmers. An old English song rhymed: ‘If Candlemas be fair and bright, / Come, Winter, have another flight. / If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, / Go, Winter, and come not again’.  In other words, if the bright sun ‘overshadows’ the brightness of Candlemas Day, more winter is expected. But if the light of Candlemas Day outshines the season’s gloom and darkness, then spring is near. In 1887 German immigrants adapted this tradition in the US to create Groundhog Day. Of course, the weather predictions are notoriously unreliable.

Year C – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Getting to Know Jesus

(Neh.8:2-6, 8-10; 1Cor.12:12-30; Lk.1:1-4; 4:14-21)

In recent weeks, our Gospel readings have been painting a picture of Jesus, giving shape to his humanity and divinity.

Two weeks ago, at his baptism in the Jordan, a heavenly voice was heard to say ‘you are my beloved Son. I am well pleased with you.’

Last Sunday, as he turned the water into wine in Cana, we learnt more about Jesus: how much he respects his mother, how incredibly generous he is by producing so much wine, and how much he cares about ordinary people, even those living in obscure villages.

And in today’s Gospel, we not only hear that Jesus is a respected teacher and preacher, but we also learn the scope of his earthly mission.

Jesus tells us himself when he reads from the Book of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth. Using Isaiah’s words about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus says that he has been sent by his Father to bring good news to the poor, to give sight to the blind, to heal the broken-hearted, and to set captives free (Is.61:1).

This is genuinely good news, because Jesus is offering hope, healing and liberation to everyone. And not just to other people, but also to ourselves, because we’re all to some extent poor, enslaved, blind or held captive. We all need hope, healing and liberation. 

Given how much Jesus is seeking to do for us, it’s worth asking: how well do we know Jesus? And are we as close to him as we should be?

In his book, The Joy of Knowing Christ, Pope Benedict XVI writes that there are two ways of ‘seeing’ and ‘knowing’ Jesus. The first is that of the crowd, which is superficial. And the second is that of the disciples, which is more penetrating and genuine.

The crowd, Benedict says, tends to see Jesus as a prophet. This isn’t wrong, but it is inadequate. Today, many people, including scholars, only approach Jesus from the outside. They might recognise his spiritual and moral stature and his influence on human history, and they might compare Jesus to Buddha, Confucius, Socrates and other wise and important historical figures.

But they don’t recognise Jesus as being unique. They don’t recognise him as the Son of God. As Jesus says to Philip at the Last Supper, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me?’ (Jn.14:9). [i]

So, how might we get to know Jesus better?

There are several ways to do this: including by spending quiet time with Jesus in prayer, by regularly receiving him in the Holy Eucharist, by following his teachings (Mt.22:37-39; Jn.14:21), by learning from the saints and from other faithful followers, by being alert to the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life, and by studying the Bible.

Indeed, each of the four Gospels paints a slightly different picture of Jesus. Mark depicts Jesus as a lean and busy figure with a deep compassion for those who suffer. But Jesus himself also suffers greatly, and he is often alone.

Matthew sees Jesus as a relaxed but masterful teacher; the new Moses who delivers his Sermon on the Mount and who leads his people to salvation.

For Luke, Jesus is the prayerful and kindly saviour, the prophet and healer who is empowered by the Holy Spirit. He is a wonderful storyteller who cares about women and children, and he is a loyal friend to both the rich and the poor.

And John focuses on Jesus’ divinity and his mission to reveal God to us all. He portrays Jesus as the bread of life who nourishes us; the light of the world who leads us out of darkness, and the lamb of God who sacrifices himself for us.

Why are we given four slightly different pictures of Jesus? It’s because he is not only human – he’s also divine, and one single depiction of him would not do him justice. But it’s also because we all have our own individual needs, and these multifaceted portraits allow us to choose the Jesus we are most drawn to.

So, if you need someone gentle to accompany you in your suffering, go to Mark.

If you need sensible and down-to-earth advice, then go to Matthew.

If you need someone to remind you of our all-powerful God, then turn to John.

And if you need a genuine friend, Luke’s Jesus will always be there for you. [ii]

And what does Jesus want in return? The only thing he wants is our love.

So, how well do you know Jesus?

Are you as close to him as you should be?


[i] Pope Benedict XVI, The Joy of Knowing Jesus, The Word Among Us Press, Ijamsville, MD, 2009, p.68.

[ii] Michael T Hayes, Homilies for the Whole Community, Year C, Twenty-Third Publications, New London, CT, 2006, p.130-132.  

Year C – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Six Stone Water Jars

(Is.62:1-5; 1Cor.12:4-11; Jn.2:1-11)

According to the Gospels, Jesus performed 37 miracles before his crucifixion.

Seven of them are in John’s Gospel, but he doesn’t call them miracles. He calls them ‘signs,’ because they all point to something profound about God and our relationship with him.

Today, John gives us the story of Jesus’ first recorded miracle, at the Wedding at Cana. It’s sometime around the year 30AD, and Jesus, Mary and the disciples are at a Jewish wedding feast near Nazareth.

In those days, such celebrations typically lasted for seven days, however this time the wine is running out. It’s a grave embarrassment for the hosts and an insult to the guests, so Mary decides to do something about it. (This suggests that she must have been a relative or close friend of the hosts.)

Mary says to Jesus, ‘They have no wine.’ She expects her son to fix the problem, but note that she doesn’t tell him what to do.

At first, Jesus isn’t so sure that this is his problem. But Mary simply turns to the servants, saying, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ These are Mary’s last recorded words, and they are significant because they teach us something about her relationship with her son, and about our prayer.

Firstly, Mary’s words reveal how much influence she has over Jesus, and how effective her intercession can be. Indeed, her intercession not only solved this wine shortage; it also started Jesus’ public ministry.

Secondly, Mary’s approach teaches us that when we pray for something, it can be wise to simply hand the issue over to Jesus, and let him pick the solution.

Trust Jesus. He knows what to do.

So, what does Jesus do? He ignores the empty wineskins and he turns instead to the 6 stone water jars standing near the door. He asks the waiters to fill them with water, and miraculously he turns that water into very fine wine.

Now, why are these stone jars there? It’s because they are used for Jewish purification rituals, including handwashing before meals and prayers. The presence of so many jars indicates that this could be the house of a Jewish priest.

Each jar is about a metre tall, and cut from a single block of stone. They are there because ritual purity is critical to the Jews, and the ancient Law of Moses states that stone jars cannot become impure – unlike pottery, which is porous and thought to absorb impurities. (Earthenware pots were usually smashed after their first use.)

The presence of these stone jars, then, symbolises the Old Testament and the covenant God made with man that was initially written on stone rather than the human heart (2Cor.3:3; Ezek.36:26). And the water in these jars reminds us of the water that Moses provided in the desert (Ex.17:6).

But plain water simply sustains you; it’s wine that brings you joy (Zech.10:7).

So, by contrasting the jars of water with the jars of wine, Jesus is contrasting the Old Covenant with the New. He’s making a statement that the ancient world of Moses is about to be replaced by a new age of hope and joy.

‘The Marriage Feast at Cana’ by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

The presence of six jars is significant, too, because seven is the perfect number, and six symbolises incompleteness or imperfection. So, Jesus is signalling here that he has come to wash away our sins with the new wine of God’s grace.

Indeed, how plentiful is God’s grace! Each of these stone jars holds ‘20 to 30 gallons’ – that’s the equivalent of 600 to 900 bottles of the finest quality wine – for a humble village wedding!

Through his first miracle, Jesus is essentially announcing that a new age is dawning. And by taking on the bridegroom’s traditional responsibility for the wine, Jesus reveals that he is the Bridegroom of God’s people (‘the Bride of Christ’), fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that God will renew his nuptial love for Israel (Is.61).

So much is embedded in Jesus’ first miracle. It shows just how much God cares for ordinary people and their challenges.

It demonstrates just how easily God can transform something ordinary into something quite extraordinary. Indeed, he does this at every Mass, when he transfigures the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

And finally, let’s remember the chief steward’s words that ‘you have kept the best wine until now.’

This tells us that for Jesus’ faithful followers, the very best is yet to come.

Year C – The Baptism of the Lord

St Genesius of Rome

(Is.40:1-5,9-11; Tit.2:11-14;3:4-7; Lk.3:15-16, 21-22)

Today, as we celebrate Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, let’s begin with the story of St Genesius of Rome.

Genesius was an actor and comedian who entertained the emperor Diocletian in the 3rd Century. He and his theatrical troupe generated great laughs by mocking Christianity.

In his last satirical play, Genesius pretended to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. It was meant to be funny, but during his performance something changed inside him: Genesius had a profound mystical experience. As he emerged from the water, he declared himself a Christian.

At first, Diocletian thought this was a joke, but on realising that Genesius was serious, he was enraged. He had Genesius tortured, and when he refused to renounce his new faith, Diocletian had him beheaded. [i]

Genesius had discovered that the Sacrament of Baptism is not a meaningless ritual at all. It’s actually a sacred rite that changes lives.

We can see this in Jesus’ own baptism, because after his immersion in the Jordan his life is never the same again. As he emerges from the water, a dove descends on him and he hears his heavenly Father say, ‘you are my beloved Son, my favour rests on you.’

After this dramatic moment, Jesus goes into the desert to contemplate what it means. And instead of returning to his old life in Nazareth, he begins his public ministry, widely proclaiming the arrival of God’s Kingdom.

So, what does Baptism do for us? Essentially, it gives us a fresh start.

In Greek, the word ‘baptise’ means ‘drown’ or ‘submerge,’ so baptism is a kind of death and resurrection. You die to your old self, and you emerge as a new you, with a new identity as a child of God and with a share of God’s supernatural life (Gal.3:26-29).

As Jesus says, you are ‘born again’ (Jn.3:3-5). And as a newly-adopted child of God, you also gain a new Father, a new brother (Jesus) a new mother (Mary), and you become a member of the Body of Christ, the Church (1Cor.12:27).

Indeed, you become a sister or brother to everyone else in God’s universal family (Eph.4:25), and you are called to use your gifts and talents to help build this community of love.

The American theologian Peter Kreeft says that our transformation in Baptism is like Pinocchio changing from a wooden puppet to a living thing, or like the frog turning into a prince when he is kissed.

But Pinocchio’s story is probably more accurate, he says, because once the frog is kissed, he is no longer a frog. But when Pinocchio comes to life, he is still wooden-headed; he’s unreliable, he makes bad choices and he learns to lie, so that his nose gets longer with every lie.

That describes us well, Kreeft says, because although Baptism washes us clean of sin and fills us with the Holy Spirit’s graces, we still tend to lapse back into the old ways of sin. [ii]

Why do we do that? One reason is because we misunderstand Baptism. Many of us treat it as a one-off inoculation, as though there’s nothing left to do.

It’s true that in Baptism we are reborn in the image of Christ, and therefore in God’s eyes we are made perfect. But when we succumb to sin, we squander that perfection.

Pope Francis says that Baptism is not a magical formula. Rather, it’s a gift of the Holy Spirit which helps us ‘fight against the spirit of evil’ and make this a better world.

However, as with any seed full of life, it can only take root and bear fruit when it’s planted in a terrain that’s actively fed by faith. [iii]

In other words, Baptism is only the start of the journey. The invisible seeds of grace that the Holy Spirit gives us need to be nourished and nurtured before they can bloom.

And how might we do that? By following Jesus closely, and by regularly participating in the sacraments (1Pet.1:13-16).

Today, St Genesius of Rome is the patron saint of actors, comedians and the performing arts.

He teaches us that something very special happens in Baptism, and that there’s always hope for a fresh start, no matter how far away God may seem.


[i] Arthur Tonne, Talks on the Sacraments, Didde Printing Co, Emporia, KS, 1947:28.

[ii] Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul – Year C, Word on Fire, Park Ridge IL, 2021:156-157.

[iii] https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-baptism-1-full-text/

Year C – The Epiphany of the Lord

Our Guiding Star

(Is.60:1-6; Eph.3:2-3, 5-6; Mt.2:1-12)

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, and the end of the 12 days of Christmas.

In Greek, ‘epiphaneia’ means ‘appearance’ or ‘revelation’, so on the Epiphany we remember the moment when the Wise Men of the East discovered the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. 

Christmas and the Epiphany are like bookends at either end of the 12 days of Christmas.  Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, when he’s revealed to Israel as a little boy. And at the Epiphany, he’s revealed to all the world as a divine king. So, together, Christmas and the Epiphany reveal to us the fullness of Jesus’ humanity and divinity.

Now, some people wonder why the Wise Men chose to follow a star. Today it seems like a strange thing to do, but in ancient times people were fascinated by the sky. Indeed, the Magi are believed to have been priestly scholars and astronomers who interpreted the dreams of kings and nobles and who studied the movement of the stars.

In those days, changes in the celestial sky were thought to be a sign of major events, such as the birth or death of a king, and the appearance of a bright new star would have been exciting.

The Magi would have been introduced to the Hebrew Bible by the Jews exiled in Babylon, and they’d have known Balaam’s messianic prophecy that ‘a star shall come forth from Jacob’ (Num.24:17).   

Today, travellers use all sorts of sophisticated technology like GPS to work out where they are and where they’re going. But in ancient times, people navigated differently. The Vikings used to interpret the behaviour of birds. Eskimos studied the snow. Polynesians watched the waves and the Greeks read the clouds and smelt the air. 

And many cultures, including the Phoenicians, Babylonians and Indigenous Australians used to carefully study the movement of the sun and the stars to work out where they were going. [i]

The Polynesians did, too. You can see this in Disney’s movie Moana. Polynesian sailors found their direction by memorising where the stars rose and set, and by using their hands to make calculations. [ii]

Today, the question is: do we know where we are and where we’re going?

When the Wise Men of the East followed the Star of Bethlehem, they travelled about 1,000 kilometres and eventually found Jesus, the ‘bright morning star’ (Rev.22:16). They took a risk. They stepped outside their everyday lives, and were rewarded by discovering the source of all wisdom and joy. 

Which star will you be following this year?

Many people today love following movie stars, pop stars and sports stars, while others chase the stars of fame, fortune and fun. The problem, however, is that these things are hollow. They might seem attractive, but ultimately they only lead to disappointment.

This year, why not do something more meaningful?

Pope Benedict XVI used to describe the Epiphany as a ‘feast of light,’ because it reveals Christ as the Light of the World. Indeed, all our readings today reveal how Jesus shines a bright light into the darkness.

In our first reading, Isaiah has a vision of Jerusalem as a holy city where God’s light will shine, bringing peace and love and hope to all.

In our second reading, St Paul tells the Ephesians that God’s peace and love and hope are available to everyone, regardless of who they are and where they come from.

And in today’s Gospel, Matthew reinforces this message.

The Magi weren’t Jewish; they were complete strangers to Israel, yet they still followed the signs to Jesus. Like the shepherds, they show us that Jesus belongs to everyone, and not just a select few.

Pope Francis once said that the journey of the Magi symbolises the destiny of every person. Our life is a journey, he said, illuminated by the lights which brighten our way, to find the fullness of truth and love which we recognize in Jesus, the Light of the World.

And to the novelist Joseph Conrad, epiphany is ‘one of those rare moments of awakening’ in which ‘everything [occurs] in a flash’. It’s a moment when a light shines in the darkness, when everything becomes clear and we discover something new.

This year, let’s resolve to follow Jesus, to really get to know him, and let his light shine into our hearts.


[i] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/secrets-of-ancient-navigators/

[ii] https://theconversation.com/amp/how-far-theyll-go-moana-shows-the-power-of-polynesian-celestial-navigation-72375