Word from the Pastor

Message from Fr. Davis

December 21, 2025

As the Christmas season dawns, I am pleased to welcome you to the Church of Saint Gregory the Great, one of the flagship parishes of the Archdiocese of Miami. To the extended families, tourists, and visitors who join us at this special time of the year, we offer a most heart-felt and cordial welcome in the name of the Christ-child.

We hope that your experience of the anniversary of the Christmas miracle in our midst will inspire warmth in your souls and a renewed lived-faith that keeps you close to our Blessed Lord and His Church the entire year.

Today’s liturgical environment with its lights, fragrance, and color, the sacred music, our Nativity scene, the selections from Holy Scripture and, above all, our solemn Eucharistic liturgy are true gifts to help us enter into the peace and joy that are at the core of this great solemnity of God’s love. The Scripture readings that we will reflect upon these days will remind us of the extent of God’s love for each one of us in Jesus, the Promised One. As you know, it is a story unlike any other. It unfolded in time for the salvation of the entire world. Throughout the centuries, there were prophets who called the attention of God’s people to the ways of the Almighty.

The prophets likewise foretold of the definitive moment of God’s action in history, when He would enter human time and space. The hearts of many were filled with anticipation, as they longed to see what no other person had ever seen. Later, heralded by angelic greetings to Mary and Joseph, God’s plan unfolded in earnest in the fullness of time, through the manifestation of Divine Love in the flesh. Yes, in the life of a little child, in the manger at Bethlehem.

Consider closely how far God was willing to go to make of his people a family in Christ. Born in a humble stable, in innocence, in vulnerability and trust, God believed in the potential of the crowning jewel of His creation, i.e., human beings, and wanted to lead them in a personal way to believe in Him, to hope in Him and place their lives under His providential care. Simple humble shepherds, spoken to by angels, responded and were present at that first Christmas.

With celestial care, guided by a star, He captured the spiritual attention of the royal elite, illustrated by distant kings, who likewise came to be present at this momentous event, as nature stood in awe. Surely both shepherds and kings represent the full range of God’s graciousness that all people, whether simple, regal or everyone in between, might find the road to holiness, and the ultimate meaning of life in Christ. Today, we too, are called to worship the Christ child by following His light, living in His love, and rejoicing in the miracle.

The posture of ready acceptance, willing cooperation, faith-filled hope, and adoration, shown to us by the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are invitations for us to likewise be open to the love of God, and the miracles that He can do in us. Placing ourselves in Nazareth with Mary, hearing with her the words of the Angel Gabriel, accompanying her on the arduous journey to Bethelem, as Joseph sought lodging for them, when the time for her delivery drew near. Placing ourselves with the Holy couple in the manger as she gave birth to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The holy awe being captured by angelic hosts singing, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”

What other expression could encapsulate the feeling, emotions and wonder of this sacred event of events in the history of the world? There in Bethlehem, Mary showed the faith of a waiting world. The Blessed Mother bore the Christ child in her womb and later held Him in her arms with love beyond all telling. Can we see in her response to the coming of Christ a model for our own reception of Christ in our lives?

May our souls become contemporary Bethlehems, allowing Christ to be born there, bringing warmth and renewed lived-faith. Oh come let us adore Him! Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, pray for us!

Father Michael Davis

Meditación del Padre Davis

21 de Diciembre de 2025

A medida que emerge la temporada navideña, me complace darles la bienvenida a la Iglesia de San Gregorio Magno, una de las una de las parroquias emblemáticas de la Arquidiócesis de Miami. A las familias extendidas, a los turistas y a los visitantes que se unen a nosotros en esta época especial del año, les ofrecemos la más sincera y cordial bienvenida en nombre del Niño Jesús.

Esperamos que su experiencia del aniversario del milagro de Navidad entre nosotros inspire calidez en sus almas y una fe viva y renovada que los mantenga cerca de nuestro Bendito Señor y de Su Iglesia durante todo el año.

El ambiente litúrgico actual con sus luces, fragancias y colores, la música sagrada, nuestra escena de la Natividad, las selecciones de las Sagradas Escrituras y, sobre todo, nuestra liturgia eucarística solemne son verdaderos regalos que nos ayudan a entrar en la paz y la alegría que están en el núcleo de esta gran solemnidad del amor de Dios. Las lecturas de las Escrituras que reflexionaremos en estos días nos recordarán el alcance del amor de Dios por cada uno de nosotros en Jesús, el Prometido. Como saben, es una historia diferente a cualquier otra. Se desarrolló a tiempo para la salvación del mundo entero. A lo largo de los siglos, hubo profetas que llamaron la atención del pueblo de Dios a los caminos del Todopoderoso.

Los profetas también predijeron el momento definitivo de la acción de Dios en la historia, cuando El entraría en el tiempo y en el espacio humano. Los corazones de muchos estaban llenos de anticipación, ya que anhelaban ver lo que ninguna otra persona había visto. Más tarde, anunciado por los saludos angelicales a María y José, el plan de Dios se desarrolló en serio en la plenitud de los tiempos, a traves de la manifestación del Amor Divino en la carne. Si, en la vida de un niño pequeño, en el pesebre de Belén.

Consideremos qué tan lejos estuvo dispuesto a ir Dios para hacer de su pueblo una familia en Cristo. Nacido en un establo humilde, en la inocencia, en la vulnerabilidad y la confianza, Dios creía en el potencial de la joya de la corona de su creación, es decir, los seres humanos; y quería guiarlos de una manera personal para que creyeran en él, para que esperaran en él y que colocaran sus vidas bajo su cuidado providencial. Pastores simples y humildes, a quienes los ángeles les hablaron, respondieron y estuvieron presentes en esa primera Navidad.

Con un cuidado celestial, guiado por una estrella, capturó la atención espiritual de la elite real, ilustrada por reyes lejanos, que también llegaron a estar presentes en este evento trascendental, mientras la naturaleza se quedaba asombrada. Seguramente tanto los pastores como los reyes representan toda la gama de la gracia de Dios de que todas las personas, ya sean simples, regias o todos los que están en medio, podrían encontrar el camino a la santidad y el significado último de la vida en Cristo. Hoy, nosotros también estamos llamados a adorar al Niño Jesús al seguir Su luz, viviendo en Su amor y regocijándonos en el milagro.

La postura de pronta aceptación, cooperación voluntaria, esperanza llena de fe y adoración, que nos muestra el ejemplo de la Santísima Virgen María, son invitaciones para que nosotros también estemos abiertos al amor de Dios y a los milagros que Él puede hacer en nosotros. Ubicándonos en Nazaret con María, escuchando con ella las palabras del Ángel Gabriel, acompañándola en el arduo viaje a Belén, mientras José buscaba alojamiento para ellos, cuando se acercaba el momento de su entrega. Colocándonos con la pareja de los Santos en el pesebre mientras ella daba a luz al Rey de reyes y al Señor de señores. El asombro santo fue capturado por las cortes angélicas que cantaban "Gloria in Excelsis Deo".

¿Qué otra expresión podría encapsular los sentimientos, las emociones y las maravillas de este acontecimiento sagrado entre los acontecimientos en la historia del mundo? Allí en Belén, María mostró la fe de un mundo en espera. La Santísima Madre llevó al Niño Jesús en su vientre y luego lo abrazó con un amor más allá de todo lo que se pudiera decir. ¿Podemos ver en su respuesta a la venida de Cristo un modelo para nuestra propia recepción de Cristo en nuestras vidas?

Que nuestras almas se conviertan en Belén contemporáneos, permitiendo que Cristo nazca allí, trayendo calor y una fe vivida renovada. ¡Oh, vamos, adorémoslo! María, Madre del Redentor, ¡ruega por nosotros!

Padre Davis

Message from Fr. John

December 28, 2025

This week we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We celebrate that Jesus, born at Christmas, was not born in isolation. He was born into a family, the family of Joseph and Mary. Likewise, each of us, whether we are born into our natural families or adopted families, are not born only as individuals, but we are born into a relationship with others.

This interconnectedness and relationship with others is a fundamental aspect of being human. We learn how to love God and others first through our relationship with our family, those who are closest to us. While no family is perfect and many experience the reality of broken family relationships, through the intercession of the Holy Family, may we strive to allow the love of Christ to transform our hearts and our own family relationships.

Like all families, the Holy Family was not without its own challenges and difficulties. We hear in the Gospel of the visitation of the angel to Joseph in a dream. The angel of the Lord told Joseph, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13) This announcement came to Joseph immediately after Jesus’ birth in a stable when there was no room for them in the Inn.

You can imagine Joseph in the midst of his struggle, as a father, to provide for his family. After struggling to find a suitable place for Jesus to be born and finding only a stable, Joseph now needed to take his young infant and wife to Egypt and provide for them there. This was no easy task and not one for the faint hearted. Traveling during the time of Christ was not easy.

The Holy Family didn’t know what to expect upon arrival in a foreign land like Egypt, but relied only on God’s providence. Obedient to the message from the Lord and trusting in God, St. Joseph traveled with his family to Egypt and stayed there until the death of Herod. Through the Gospel this week, we learn much from the way St. Joseph responded to that message from the Lord and the way in which we are called to do the same.

Like St. Joseph, we are called to not shy away when the moment comes to address and face a particular issue or challenge. We are called not to be fearful but to act in faith and trust that God has a plan for our lives and for our families.

St. Joseph’s flight to Egypt, and his struggle to find work in a foreign land are similar to the way countless families and especially many immigrant families struggle. May we learn that even though the Holy Family was not spared the distress and trial of having to flee their homeland and suffer in a foreign land, God never abandoned them. So too, we learn from the Holy Family that even in the midst of life's challenges and difficulties, Christ never abandons us and He is with us. We ought never take our eyes off of Christ.

It is no doubt that it was Jesus’ presence with Mary and Joseph that gave them the strength and resilience to fulfill God’s plan for them. We receive that same resilience and courage when we receive Jesus through the Holy Eucharist and through the words of Absolution by the priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This Christmas Season and throughout the rest of this year, how are we striving to place Jesus at the center of our home lives and our family lives? Do we have an image of the Nativity of Jesus or another image of Him or His Mother in a prominent place in our homes? Have we dedicated our families to Him and His Blessed Mother?

When we make it a priority to attend Mass on Sunday, to pray together as a family, and to place the Lord at the center of our family lives, Jesus will be truly present to us. We will receive the same grace and courage that Joseph and Mary received, and we will not waver from the path and the plan the Lord has for us and for our loved ones.