The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021926.cfm Father Matthew Tomeny, MIC invites us to contemplate today’s Gospel in light of the witness of St. Thomas More and St. Anthony the Great. Jesus warns, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16:24; NABRE). In the same breath He calls us to “pick up our cross daily and follow Me” (Lk 9:23; NABRE).

Fr. Mark Baron reflects on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a mystery that the Church invites us to contemplate as a window into God’s infinite love. The Sacred Heart is not merely a symbolic image but the very real human heart of Christ, which beats with divine love for every soul. In His Incarnation, Jesus took on a true human heart, and in doing so He reveals that God is not distant, but near — a God who suffers with us, who loves us personally, and who offers His very self for our salvation.

Fr. Mark reminds us that Advent is not Christmas—it is a penitential season meant to awaken our souls, sharpen our spiritual vision, and prepare us to stand before the Lord. Across the 24 Churches that make up the Catholic Church, Advent (or its equivalent) is lived with deep seriousness: 40-day fasts, vegan disciplines, weeks of total abstinence, and long seasons of preparation. Their witness challenges us in the Roman Rite to rediscover what this season truly is: a call to repentance, renewal, and readiness.