21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) We are already one month into the year of 2026. Time will not wait for anyone. Therefore, let us make the best use of every minute the Lord gives us. I would like to highlight the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple which is celebrated on February 2nd every year. According to the law of Moses, every first born male child was to be presented to the Lord in the temple. (Exodus 13) Again according to the law of Moses, a woman was considered ceremonially unclean for forty days following childbirth. (Leviticus 12). Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, even though sinless, pure and unstained by original sin, offered a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons for her purification as prescribed by the law. The presentation of the Lord in the temple was in all aspects a respect for the Mosaic law. Digging deeper, the presentation of the Lord in the temple was, in fact, the return of the glory of the Lord to the temple. In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 10, the prophet Ezekiel saw the vision of the glory of the Lord departing from the Jerusalem temple because of the sins and the wickedness of the people of Israel. God was so angry with the people that He left the temple. This meant that all those years, before the arrival of the Savior, the temple priests were offering empty sacrifices in the temple. As the sinless Virgin Mary was carrying the child Jesus, the Son of God, in her arms, climbing the steps of the temple assisted by St. Joseph, the Heaven opened and all the nine choirs of Angels sang hymns of praise and worship and bowed down in Adoration to welcome the Lord back to the temple. It must have been an awesome moment, although it was hidden from the eyes of the people. How Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, to bring the Son of God into world and become the means of returning the Glory of the Lord to the Jerusalem temple! I would ask all parents to consecrate your children to the Lord, regardless of the child’s age so that they remain in God’s graces at all times. There is the tradition of Priests and Nuns belonging to Religious Orders renewing their Vows on this Feast Day. In addition, there is a tradition of blessing of candles during the Mass, which is why the Mass is sometimes referred to as the “Candlemas.” We too can renew our commitment to the Lord for ourselves and our children on this special occasion. This weekend we have placed the Catholic Ministry Appeal envelopes in the pews. Next weekend I will speak about the Catholic Ministry Appeal at all Masses and commission all the ministries, committees and councils in the parish. Standing next to me in the picture is Frank Gude, the oldest member of our Parish, who celebrated his birthday on January 26th. Congratulations on a life in which you have served the Lord and our Parish. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary time of the year. The Lord began his preaching by inviting everyone to repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repentance comes from the Greek word ‘ Metanoia’ which refers to a profound change of heart and mind, one’s behavior and one’s way of life. It is a conversion towards loving God above all and to love others as God would want us to love them. In today’s gospel Jesus calls the first disciples to follow Him: Peter, his brother Andrew, James and his brother John. All four of them were fishermen. As the days passed, he chose the rest of the twelve disciples. Their role was to assist the Lord in the establishment of the Kingdom of heaven. Indeed they had done their part. Today we are entrusted with the task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world. In order to continue the good works of the Kingdom of heaven in our diocese, we are invited by our Bishop the Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes to take part in the Catholic Ministry Appeal. Through this Program, our diocese helps the poor find shelter and affordable housing through Catholic Charities, offers the needed care to pregnant mothers to protect and nourish their babies in their wombs, helps the poor students in our catholic schools towards their education, assists the teens and young Adults attend the Good Samaritan Projects to build up their character, supports seminarians in their training to becoming future priests and many other charitable activities. Our goal this year is $ 56,314.00. With the participation of all the families, we will reach our goal and help continue the good works of the kingdom of God in our five county wide diocese and beyond. I ask all the families of our parish to prayerfully consider pledging to this appeal of our Bishop. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God’ in the Gospel of John. In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed in the temple as an atonement for the sins of the people. The blood of a lamb was sprinkled upon people as a way of easing away their sins and offenses. But the truth is that the blood of a lamb has no power to forgive the sins of people. It is only the blood of the Son of God that has the power to wash away the sins and offenses of the people. That is the truth which John the Baptist proclaimed when he addressed Jesus as ‘ the lamb of God’. John was given the privilege of seeing the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus in the form of a dove. That was the confirmation to him that Jesus was the Son of God. This week, January 18-25, is known as the week of prayer for Christian Unity which was initiated by the Graymoor Franciscans in 1905. This is an Ecumenical observance that lasts eight days where the Catholic Church is joined by other, Protestant denominations to pray for Christian unity. We refer to the Church as the Body of Christ which has been broken into various pieces. We hope and pray that soon there will be ‘one flock and one shepherd’ (John 10:16). January 22nd is the day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn children. We continue to pray with the hope that the hearts and minds of parents will be strengthened to ensure that every unborn child is protected in the womb of his or her mother. The birth of a child brings so much joy to the entire family. As all human life is the gift of God, we are called to preserve, promote and protect it from the moment of conception to natural death. May God bless and protect all the families and their children. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Even though Jesus did not need to be baptized because He is God, He allowed John the Baptist to baptize Him out of respect for the tradition. Soon after Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God came upon Him in the form of a dove. A voice came from the heavens, proclaiming: “ This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. This is the affirmation from God yahweh that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Jesus was baptized as an Adult at the age 30 as the beginning of his public ministry. In the early years of the Church only the Adults were baptized in the Church. Due to the black plague which killed 20 million people most of whom were children in Europe in 1300 AD, the Church started baptizing babies so that they would have the grace of Baptism. According to the teaching of the Church, Baptism is the sacrament by which the original sin we were born with is forgiven. What is original sin? It is the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, as a result of their disobedience to God as mentioned in the book of Genesis, chapter 3. Once our original sin is forgiven, God adopts us as His children and we become members of the Church. The grace of Baptism is that it leaves an indelible mark on our souls, reminding us that God claimed us for Himself and that we belong to God for ever. Since most of us were baptized as infants, the date of our Baptism remains in the Parish records. Somehow there has been no tradition to celebrate the Anniversary of our Baptism while we celebrate our birthdays every year. The day of our Baptism is important as the life of grace starts that day. That’s why it is worth finding out the date of our baptism from our Parish records and celebrate it with gratitude to God by attending the holy Mass. I know the date of my Baptism. Do you know the day you were baptized ? With the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christmas season comes to an end. On January 12th, the Ordinary Time of the year begins in the liturgical calendar. The Ordinary Time is the longest period during which we reflect upon the public ministry of Jesus, His teachings, miracles and His call to conversion. It is already ten days into the new year 2026. Let us live each day of the year for God’s glory, remembering our baptismal vows of renouncing sin and the glamour of evil, professing our faith in the triune God and following the teachings of the Church. Let our faith be seen in good works on a daily basis. Here the inspiring words of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta are worth noting: “Let us do ordinary things in an extraordinary way”. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord which is also known as the Feast of the Magi, and the Feast of the Three Kings. Whatever name it is referred to, the central theme of the Feast is that God sent His Son into the world for all people. Jesus came to bring salvation not only to Jewish people, but also to people of all nations, ethnicities, races, colors and creeds. This is the meaning of the Feast of the Revelation of the Lord to the gentile world. Let us not keep Him just to ourselves, but proclaim Him to the whole world. Like last year, we are going to host a Eucharistic Procession on Sunday, January 4, 2026 after the 10:30 am Mass in our walking path. There will be four stops during the procession for Benediction: At the first stop, a blessing will be imparted to Sacred Heart Parish, East Pasco- Hernando Deanery, and the city of Dade City. At the second stop, a blessing will be given to the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the Universal Church. At the third stop, the State of Florida will be blessed. At the fourth stop, the United States of America will receive the blessing. After returning to the Church, the whole world will be blessed by the Eucharistic Lord. I would like to thank the Eucharistic Procession Ministry for purchasing a new canopy for the parish. I am grateful to the Women’s Club for arranging refreshments after this holy procession. I invite you all to join the procession in praise of our Lord and in honor of the gift the Lord gave us in His Son. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on the Sunday after Christmas. This feast highlights the truth that the Son of God chose to be born into a human family and grew up in the town of Nazareth. The Gospels tell us that Jesus, as a boy, was obedient to his mother Mary and his foster father Joseph. This is an invitation to all the children to always listen to your parents. When we think of the Holy Family, there is a misconception that Mary and Joseph did not have any worries or problems and that they had everything given to them. The Holy Family had their share of the troubles of life from the time of the birth of the Savior until his saving death on the cross. What we can learn from the Holy Family is that Mary and Joseph trusted in the Lord at all times. They experienced moments of fear when King Herod was trying to find the baby Jesus so that he could kill Him. They had to flee to Egypt to protect their child. Overall, it was the Lord who was protecting them all throughout their lives. We all know that families are not perfect. We all face the struggles and challenges of life on a regular basis. Parents and grandparents worry about their children and grandchildren. That is why we need to imitate the Holy Family and trust in the Lord. I pray that all the parents take responsibility for their children and teach them the ways of love, peace, sharing, forgiving and being thoughtful with each other. The twofold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor is taught in the family. In order to welcome the new year of 2026 and to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we will have a Vigil Mass at 4 pm on December 31, 2025 and a 9 am Mass on January 1, 2026. With the start of the new year, I encourage all of us to make some New Years resolutions to live by. Happy New Year! God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24) As we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are coming close to the Birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on December 25th. This is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. Isaiah 7:14 speaks of the sign from God that the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel. The Archangel Gabriel confirmed this message to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Annunciation by telling her that she would conceive the Son of God and carry Him in her womb by the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Archangel Gabriel also revealed the same message to Joseph in a dream about the Birth of the Savior. As the Gospel of Mathew, Chapter 1:24: “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home”. There was only one reason for the Incarnation to take place. That reason is found in John 3: 16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” This gift to us of our Savior by God, our Father, was the first and most important Christmas gift. We will celebrate Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 4 pm on December 24th and will celebrate Midnight Mass on December 25th, and Mass at 10 am on Christmas Day. I pray for God’s abundant Blessings upon you as you gather with family and friends to celebrate the joy of the Birth of the Savior. As you exchange gifts, remember that we are all gifts to each other. Above all, Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift God has given to us. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as ‘GAUDETE SUNDAY’. It is based on the verse from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, Chapter 4:4-5 where it says: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.” What does ‘Joy’ actually mean? Is it a feeling of satisfaction or having fun all the time or having no worries, or problems? Joy actually means to be conscious of God’s presence which is within us and surrounds us at all time. This conscious awareness of God’s presence is the strength which helps us survive the trials and tribulations of life. That is why Nehemiah in the Old Testament told the people of Israel after they returned from Babylonian exile to rejoice because God was with them. It is worth quoting that sentence from Nehemiah 8:10: “This day is holy to our Lord —— for the Joy of the Lord is your strength.” God did not abandon His people during their exile in Babylon. The reason for their captivity was because they abandoned the Covenant their forefathers, Abraham, Moses, Isaac and Jacob, had made with the God of Israel. The New and Eternal Covenant which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made with the entire humanity is the Holy Eucharist where we eat His body and drink His blood. What a heavenly gift!!! By being faithful to this New and Eternal Covenant, let us be joyful and grateful that the Lord is always with us. He will never abandon us! With that joy, we celebrate His birthday and wait for His second and glorious coming. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24) On this Second Sunday of Advent, the Church is asking us to prepare the way of the Lord by listening to St. John the Baptist who called himself a “…voice crying out in the wilderness.” This is an invitation to all of us to renew our lives by regularly attending mass, receiving the sacrament of Confession, and growing deeper in loving God and our neighbor. December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a Holy Day of Obligation which means that it is to be observed like a Sunday. We have three Masses that day as follows: 8 am, noon, 6 pm . On May 17, 1846, the U.S. Bishops consecrated the United States of America to the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. What is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception? First, a dogma is a teaching or doctrine of Faith which has been defined by the Church’s Magisterium and proclaimed by the Pope as the official teaching of the Church as “…infallible and divinely revealed truth.” The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was proclaimed a dogma of our Faith by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, ex cathedra: (meaning with full authority of the office of the Pope, implying infallibility) “We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which asserts that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, was preserved free from every stain of original sin is doctrine revealed by God and, for this reason, must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful.” This dogma is the reason that Mary is so important to the Church and to us, its members, as she is not only free from sin but she is also the Mother of Christ. By virtue of her position as mother of our Savior, she is our mother as well. How fortunate we are to have Mary to care for us and for the Church, just as she cared for Christ when He was on this earth. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine