The Rev. Javier A. Bautista shares a homily for the Great Vigil of Easter (Matthew 28:1-10).

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista discusses John 11:1-45 and the raising of Lazarus: “Healing may not happen in the way that you expect it. It may be that your grief feels too great, the pain too strong, and yet God is not a God who avoids this pain but joins us within it.”

The Rev. Javier A. Bautista reflects on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9: “In the face of division, God can bring a reconciling world. In the face of fear, God can bring love. In the face of despair, God always brings a ray of hope.”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista contemplates Matthew 4:12-23: “Today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse into the call of the first disciples in a movement that would soon take the world by storm…”

On Christmas Eve, the Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista considers the shepherds in Luke 2:1-14: “One night, a long time ago, a group of shepherds was huddled together for warmth as they were watching their sheep, and an angel shows up… The shepherds were surprised they had been visited by an angel, but they were also surprised for another reason. They had traveled far and wide. Yet in all that time and experience in the world, they had never ever been invited to the birthday party of a prince.”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista reflects on Isaiah 35:1-10: “Translation is not an easy task. It’s difficult enough to do between two spoken languages; you can grab the nuance of things if you are familiar enough with the culture and the context. But it’s another altogether when it comes to languages spoken long ago….”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista considers what we can learn from the prophet Isaiah during uncertain times (Isaiah 65:17-25): “Our history is also long and complex, and we too may be facing a sense of uncertainty and insecurity.”

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista discusses Joel 2:23-32: “I’ve been thinking about water lately. Human beings, of course, are full of it. Its strength relies so heavily on its weakness. It is weak enough to roll off our hands, yet strong enough that it can creep through crevices of rock and stone and break them apart.”

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Earlier this week I bought plane tickets to go visit my parents in Portland Oregon. I am excited to see my family here soon. One of the things I miss about my parents’ home is a minor, insignificant thing … the smell of fresh-brewed coffee….

Rev. Javier A. Bautista discusses Luke 16:1-13: “When I think of the wonder of the world God created in abundance, and I compare it to the world I encounter in the gospel today, a world of seeming scarcity, of being wily with resources, I’m taken aback a little bit. There’s a marked contrast between the faithful stewards of creation, the intended purpose for humankind, and the dishonest manager we meet in our story today.”