Pastor's Corner - Feb 1, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peace and all good things to you! For these next three Sundays before Lent begins, we will be hearing at Mass from the Sermon on the Mount, which covers chapters five through seven of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Today the Sermon begins with the famous passage that we know as “the Beatitudes.” Jesus calls blessed those who manifest a series of qualities, most of which fly in the face of worldly, secular standards. The decision to embody these characteristics proclaims a kingdom which does not belong to this world, even though it is present when and to the degree that humanity responds to the grace of God.

The late Pope Benedict XVI pointed out that the qualities in these opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount are a portrait of Jesus himself. When Christians allow them to shine forth in their lives, they too begin to resemble the Beloved Son in thought, word, and deed.

As we leave Mass this weekend and begin our week’s work, may the Beatitudes serve as a kind of daily examen of our Christian lives and inspire us to be more fully the members of the Body of Christ that we are by baptism. St. Paul reminds us today that the depth of our Christian witness and relationship with God does not depend on noble birth or social status but on God’s having chosen us to live in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,



Fr. Brad