OH……….. FRANCESCO

May the Heart of Jesus Christ be our school!

2012-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

"If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament [the Eucharist], I am sure that the thought of Christ's love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude." - St. Angela of Foligno

Gospel text (Mk 8,14-21):
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?"
They answered him, "Twelve."
"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?"
They answered him, "Seven."
He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

“. . . are your hearts hardened?”

This question of Jesus to His disciples is ironically apt for Valentine’s Day. So, more surprising still, is the realization that the very notion of heart is itself biblical, quite independent of how it may be translated. The word “heart” occurs 550 times in the Old Testament, 128 of these in the Psalms alone. And it doesn’t stop with the Old Testament. Jesus used “heart”, as in today’s reading, over 50 times in the New Testament.

Think of just a few of the phrases using heart: we’re soft-hearted when we’re kind and compassionate, hard-hearted when we’re mean and uncaring. We’re faint-hearted or stout of heart; we get to the heart of the matter. When we’re disappointed, our hearts are broken; and when we’re happy, our hearts are bursting for joy. Where our treasure lies there will our hearts be also. God told Ezekiel that he would replace the stony hearts of his people with hearts of flesh. And Luke tells us that Simeon told Mary, at the presentation of the infant Jesus, that through her the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed. And after her two visits to Jerusalem with her Son, we read that Mary kept these things in her heart. How natural that seems!

Our Lord never misses an opportunity to teach and today being Valentine’s Day is no exception. So when considering a gift for the ones you love most, along with the standard box of chocolate hearts, “given in” to Jesus’ Sacred Heart. This is the best imaginable valentine gift of all, for it endlessly pours itself out in self-giving.

Hard as that may seem, our baptisms make it possible. Never forget, Jesus has given us a heart transplant – His own!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Wisdom is what's left after we've run out of personal opinions

2012-02-13T05:22:00.000-08:00

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” - Saint Augustine

James (1:1-11)
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Often in our lives we can feel as though God is burdening us with too much. We may feel overwhelmed or hampered by the load he has put on our back; a load we don't feel we deserve. We may even feel as though God is punishing us for something and his love for us as dwindled. This is not true.

The Letter to James can seem quite disjointed. Beginning with an exhortation regarding perseverance in faith, the text then gives instruction about praying for wisdom. The necessary connection emerges, however, when we recall that this “wisdom” is no ordinary wisdom, but wisdom “from above.”

As in the rest of the Scriptures, such wisdom relates to faith—it helps the believer “see” clearly the meaning of the events in his or her life, precisely because it sheds light on these events from the perspective of faith. We think of Paul’s writing in his first letter to the Corinthians in which he refers to “God’s wisdom, mysterious and hidden,” the wisdom of the Cross. What the ordinary eye sees as the death of one more unfortunate victim of Roman cruelty, the eyes of faith see as the plan of God for the salvation of the world.

Only the gift of that kind of wisdom allows the believer to persevere in the midst of trials which test faith.

Where have we recently experienced a trial or testing of faith?

Perhaps someone has experienced rejection from a friend, associate or family member because of a moral stance taken. Perhaps someone else struggles to find the nearness of God that seemed so reassuring just a short time ago. Our great temptation is to “figure out” these and similar situations. By contrast, James urges us: Pray for the gift of wisdom, for the light that comes from God, to see more clearly God’s presence and find the grace of perseverance in trial.

ADOPT A FAMILY PROJECT IN CALCUTTA

2012-02-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

One month ago I sent out a request soliciting funds to adopt families in Calcutta, India. To be frank with you, the response from the Oh….Francesco readers was overwhelming. For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God will surely bless you for your generosity!

Yesterday in consulting with the priest in India, Father Medi feels that if we help select families, due to the limited resources, we would have to exclude others. By doing this discord and jealousy would be created among the people he serves. So instead we have another idea. We are going to build a new church and community hall for everyone in the village. This sounds like an “impossible” task especially since I am not a “money guy”, never was. With that being said, I believe in God and in God all things are possible and because of that, this task will be accomplished. Our Blessed Mother will guide this work of love from start to finish. Believe it!!!

These days people always say they are looking for a charity that they know where the money they donate goes. Where there are no overhead costs, no big executive salaries, and no corporate non-sense to deal with. Well, here it is!

If you decide to participate in this work of love and send donations, you will be in direct contact with India yourself. I am enclosing Father Medi’s contact information. Please email him and ask any questions you may have. As for sending funds, they will go from your hand directly to his. Remember, US dollars go a long way in India. Currently, the conversion rate is around 50 to 1.

medisvdine@gmail.com

Pastor: Father Medard Tirkey
Catholic Church Prem Nagar
11/13 Puratan Sahir Lane
P.O: Santragachi, Howrah-711 104
India

My life’s experience has been very unique in that God has called me to walk among some of the world’s poorest people in many different places, both in the United States and around the world. I have seen extreme poverty first hand in India, Haiti, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa not to mention the Bronx and Newark, New Jersey. This exposure to Our Lord’s most neediest people has taught me many things. Most especially it has revealed to me a great responsibility that all people of faith and good will have, whether they realize it or not.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48)

God did not give us a “good life” here in the United States in order for us to horde it from others. He gave to some more, so those with means, can then help those without. This is a fundamental truth, which spans across all religions and beliefs!!

This my dear friends is how we all will be judged by God when we stand before him.

When I was hungry…Did you give me to eat?

When I was thirsty…Did you give me to drink?

When I was naked…Did you cloth me?

Scripture in the 25th chapter of Mathew (MT 25: 31-46) puts is very clearly how Our Lord will separate the “sheep from the goats.”

So I implore your generosity. Be apart of something bigger then yourself. If you can not donate money, just say a small prayer for this work of love in your own words.

Lastly, to conclude this appeal, remember the words of Mother Teresa when she was asked how she started her first center in Calcutta that served the dying who lay in the street. She went on to tell this reporter who asked her, “If I did not pick up the first man from the gutter myself, thousands upon thousands would not have been picked up afterwards by others.”

It all starts with a choice and a step……make the choice and take the step!

God Bless You!!!

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business

2012-02-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

“By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also”.

Gospel text (Mk 7,31-37):
Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man's ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
"Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")
And immediately the man's ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
"He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Is it possible to have faith if we are not actively living it?

A lot of commentary is devoted to why Jesus came. His basic message was to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself. He came to spread a gospel of love, not of hate. This message holds greater meaning for me when I consider what it was like to live in His place and time

Jesus dressed like a Jew, ate like a Jew, loved to eat and drink, and deeply lived out his Judaism. That he engaged in questions of how to follow the commandments showed he cared deeply about them. He said there will be a time when we will no longer ask ‘Who is my neighbor?’, but ‘Who acts as neighbor?’

Are we waiting to be served rather than serve?

Rabbi Hillel, one of Judaism’s greatest teachers once said, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. All the rest is commentary; go and learn”. Jesus takes this a little further. Levine sees Jesus as the hero of the masses, come to promote a more just society. His followers practiced daily prayer, shared goods in common, cared for widows and believed in trusting in God’s will. Of faith, hope and charity, they believed the greatest of these is charity.

St Josemaria Escriva offers us the secret to succeed in this practice of charity: «Do what you should and watch what you do». Is this how we behave?

Recognize yourself in he and she who are not like you and me

2012-02-09T05:55:00.001-08:00

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Gospel text (Mk 7,24-30):
Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, "Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs."
She replied and said to him,
"Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."
Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter."
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.

Today’s Gospel tells the story of the woman who seeks healing for her daughter, who had been entered by a demon, though she is not a Jew. Christ’s first response: “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied with a feisty, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” That mother was a pagan, but her pain and love for her child brought her to insistently beg, ignoring scorn, delays or indignities. And she gets what she is asking for, she «went home, and she found her child lying in bed and the demon gone» (Mk 7:30).

We can learn much from watching Jesus in action here. For one, He tests the woman by making her persevere in her request. Second, He does not discriminate. This woman was not a Jew and in Jesus’ time the Jewish people were not to associate with the non-Jewish population of Israel, never mind help them. But as we see in our story, Jesus ignores these cultural stigmas and helps the woman anyway.

Now how does this gospel reading apply to us today in 2012?

When we are faced with the “illegal” immigrant, the homeless person , or the politician from the Dark Side (whatever that side may be), how are we to respond as apostles of Christ? We are people who go by the name, Christian, who claim to want to spread the Good News, and who yearn for greater integrity in our lives?

Is this a risky endeavor? Perhaps. It may require that we have to give up long-held opinions or comfortable judgments.

Can we chance it? To paraphrase what Jesus Himself said in another part of the Gospel, “Come in; the water’s fine.”

The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints

2012-02-08T05:28:00.001-08:00

Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches. - Thomas Aquinas

Gospel text (Mk 7,14-23):
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
"Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile."

When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
"Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?"
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
"But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."

How often these days we hear people asserting that they are spiritual but not religious? This usually means the speaker has no formal institutional religious affiliation but is trying to live a good life by following personal conscience. The assertion also implies an indictment: the person has abandoned church-going because they allege their church was more concerned with externals of belonging to the institution than with conscientious moral living day to day.

Unfortunately this assertion is also common among Christians. These people imply that Christian religious affiliation itself is inherently superficial because it is preoccupied with fulfilling external religious obligations that relate to church belonging rather than with fostering the interior life of the person.This accusation related to Christianity is invalid.

Jesus’ message throughout the Gospel is primarily heart-centered, love-centered! Over and over again Jesus calls disciples to a quality of life that flows from love; on occasion he is even willing to break the law if it interferes with loving others. Witness this in his healings on the Sabbath. Witness this also also in his teaching that the whole law and the prophets are summed up in the two great commandments of loving God and loving our neighbor. Yes, witness this also in his condemnation of Pharisees whom he called “hypocrites.”

The dichotomy between being spiritual and being religious makes no sense for a Christian. We disciples of Jesus are both spiritual and religious. We are privileged to belong to a religious institution because it helps us be faithful to Jesus’ call to love God and neighbor with our entire heart, mind, soul and body — in short, to become the persons that God created us to be!

Listen and attend with the ear of your heart

2012-02-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Gospel text (Mk 7,1-13):
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
He went on to say,
"How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things."

Have you ever been in love with someone who couldn't care less about you? You try to be nice to them, and if they do notice you, it's only for the purpose of getting something from you. Jesus unconditionally loves all of humanity, and this is how He is too often treated in return. So many turn to Jesus to meet a need, but their hearts are far from Him (Mk 7:6).
The Lord truly desires to provide our needs (see Phil 4:19; Mt 6:30; 7:9-11). Yet, He desires to provide for us in the context of a mutually loving relationship, rather than being treated as little more than an ATM machine.

It's all in the heart.

Is your heart set upon meeting your needs or on meeting the Lord of your needs? Ask Jesus to "give you a new heart" (Ez 36:26), and let your heart dwell in the center of His heart.

People see God every day, they just don't recognize him

2012-02-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. ~St. Augustine
　
Gospel text (Mc 6,53-56):
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

When I first read today’s Gospel, this was the verse that grabbed my attention because of one word: “immediately.” People immediately recognized Jesus. There was no hesitation. But why? Jesus didn’t look any different. He was called a great teacher, and maybe even a wise prophet, but why did they immediately recognize him? I think it is because they were looking with the eyes of faith. The people heard stories of this man named Jesus, who cured lepers and gave sight to the blind. They believed he could cure their sick and because of their faith, many were cured.

So many times I miss seeing God because I focus on worldly things, or I have to search in order to find him in a certain situation. We probably all have those times when we feel as if God is hiding from us, but if we only open the eyes of our heart, we would see him at work in every aspect of our lives. God gives us the opportunity to see him in our lives multiple times each day. Some people call them coincidences, but I firmly believe that those times are the hand of God guiding us along the right path. It comes when a stranger smiles at us as we are walking along the street, or when someone holds the door open as we walk through.

There is a story of a man who was supposed to fly home to southern California from a business trip in Boston, but his alarm clock did not wake him up and, as a result, he missed the bus to the airport. He missed his ride on United Airlines flight 175 and was frustrated with himself for not getting up on time. Shortly thereafter, he watched in horror as United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center, for it was the morning of September 11, 2001.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the man’s alarm clock failed to awaken him, but I think that is how God works. God does not walk around, working incredible miracles that cause dozens to believe him. Instead, I think he works through the roundabout ways. He shows us his care when an anonymous person picks up our bill at the restaurant. He reveals his beauty and majesty when we pause for a moment and watch the sunrise early one morning. And whenever we behold an image of Christ hanging upon the cross, he whispers softly into our hearts. “I love you THIS much.”

God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.--Saint Augustine of Hippo

2012-02-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

As iron is fashioned by fire and on the anvil, so in the fire of suffering and under the weight of trials, our souls receive that form which our Lord desires them to have.--St. Madeline Sophie Barat

([74] Job 7:1-4, 6-7)
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?"
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.

Job, in our Reading today , has had a hard time of it. He is experiencing the crucible of fidelity. The Devil kind of makes a bet with God that if Job is squeezed enough he will cry out in some way of disbelief. The devil says that Job is a man of faith, because he has everything in hand and within his control. In Job’s reaction to his suffering, we hear a most natural response to the questions which suffering can create. Job asks the usual questions about the meaning of life. We hear two such questions and then his tormented musings about the meaning of his personal life and that of all humankind.

Job has been laid low by the hand of God. His family, his possessions and even his own physical well being have been removed. He is struggling to stay faithful. He is a most conventional or usual human being. These lines are his answers which are being wrenched from his mouth by the twistings of his body and soul. He has lost everything except some trust in the value of life, but very little at that. His “ouch” we all know in our own lives.

Most people can relate to Job, for they have endured tragedies, deaths in their families, sicknesses, pain, and sufferings. Even those who have so far had easier lives know that life can be, and almost inevitably will be, hard. We all have the question of Job: "Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?" We feel as if we "have been assigned months of misery" (Jb 7:3). Our days and nights drag on ever so slowly (Jb 7:4), while at the same time life passes all too quickly (Jb 7:6-7).

God's plan is not to spare us from difficult times; His plan is to be with us in our difficulties. God sent His only Son Jesus, Who is called "Emmanuel, a name which means 'God is with us' " (Mt 1:23). The true test of a Christian comes in the crosses of our lives. Our actions in times of distress tell God whether we want Jesus with us or whether we just want to be spared adversity.

If we know Jesus is with us, we can face adversity with hope and even joy. Job looked up to heaven in his misery and saw the Lord for himself (Jb 42:5). Knowing God was with him made all the difference for Job.

Know Jesus; know hope. No Jesus; no hope. "Fix your eyes on Jesus" (Heb 3:1), the only Hope you need.

Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire

2012-02-04T06:28:00.001-08:00

"I challenge you to make your life like a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk."

Gospel text (Mk 6: 30-34):
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

Today’s Gospel passage reminds us of our dependence on Jesus and the Word of God. For those of us who have chosen to try to follow the teaching of Jesus do so because we have found in him the shepherd. Therefore, the body of Christ, the Church, must be constantly teaching. When the Church was born at the first Christian Pentecost, she immediately devoted herself to the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42).

Teaching is essential to God's plan of salvation. Remember, he is our shepherd and we are his sheep, and as a good shepherd he does not abandon his flock.

There is no education like adversity

2012-02-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God wants for nothing. God alone is enough.-- St. Teresa of Jesus

Sirach 47: (2 - 11)
As the fat is selected from the peace offering, so David was selected from the sons of Israel. He played with lions as with young goats, and with bears as with lambs of the flock. In his youth did he not kill a giant, and take away reproach from the people, when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling and struck down the boasting of Goliath? For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High, and he gave him strength in his right hand to slay a man mighty in war, to exalt the power of his people. So they glorified him for his ten thousands, and praised him for the blessings of the Lord, when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him. For he wiped out his enemies on every side, and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines; he crushed their power even to this day. In all that he did he gave thanks to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory; he sang praise with all his heart, and he loved his Maker. He placed singers before the altar, to make sweet melody with their voices. He gave beauty to the feasts, and arranged their times throughout the year, while they praised God's holy name, and the sanctuary resounded from early morning. The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his power for ever; he gave him the covenant of kings and a throne of glory in Israel.

As well as the story of David and Goliath is known, few of us truly take the time to understand what these verses mean. As David faces off against the giant Goliath, he calls upon God for aid. If nothing else, something that we can take from this passage is that God is always there to support us, and all we need to do is ask for his aid.

I once heard someone say that God is strongest when you cannot feel him there. While this may seem a little contradictory, allow me to shed some light upon the statement. As we pull away from God, he has to try to get us back, and the more distant we become, the harder he has to pull to be noticed by our hearts. When we are lost, God is searching, trying to find his way to us, and he has to try harder and harder to get us back and wrap us again in his love. In short, God is always available for help, providing light in the dark, and strength to get through the day. Since we are approaching the Valentine season, why not give God a valentine, for all the love he has shown the world?

Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith

2012-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

True patience grows with the growth of love. We put up with our neighbors to the extent that we love them. If you love, you are patient. If you cease loving, you will cease being patient. The less we love, the less patience we show. - St. Gregory the Great : Pope and Doctor of the Church

(Lk 2:22-32)
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

"Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel."

Today the Church celebrates the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple at Jerusalem. In that same spirit, we present ourselves today to the Lord, especially in the Mass.

I recently saw an advertisement for a bride's camp. This was a service for brides who had only a few months left before their wedding day. The "camp" involved a feverish workout, nutrition, and beauty regimen designed to put the bride in the best possible shape for her wedding day. The idea is to make her "presentable" in the best possible way.

Our presentation of ourselves to God involves much more than the above example. Jesus says: "No one who comes [to Me] will I ever reject" (Jn 6:37). Jesus became like you so that you would always know in the depths of your heart that you can "approach God through Him" (Heb 7:25; Eph 2:18). Present yourself to Jesus today, just as you are. Receive His life-giving love.

Re-read the words of the gospel narrative as it concludes:
Stretching his arms Simeon takes the Infant from his Mother and praises God while saying: «Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation, which you display for all the people to see. Here is the light you will reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel» (Lk 2:29-32).

You are invited to do the same.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle - Saint Philo of Alexandria

2012-02-01T07:29:00.001-08:00

For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray - that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the eternal verdict. (1158)--St Faustina, an excerpt from her diary

(Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7)
R. (see 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done

Today’s psalm brings us hope: “For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him.” Tough times come and hope buoys us up when we trust our Heavenly Father, who is full of mercy. We can take comfort that if he welcomed back our prodigal brother, we can come back, too.

Thanks be to God!

"It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted."

2012-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

"Believe me... nobody can be truly happy in this world unless he is at peace with God." - St. John Bosco

(Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6)
R. (1a) Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.

January 31: The Feast of St. John Bosco
John Bosco was born in Turin, Italy, on August 16, 1815. His parents were poor farmers. When John was two, his father died. John's mother struggled to keep the family together. As soon as he was old enough, John, too, worked as hard as he could to help his mother. He was intelligent and full of life. John started to think about becoming a priest. He didn't say anything to his mother because he knew they couldn't afford the seminary education. Besides, his mother needed help at home. So John waited and prayed and hoped. Finally, a holy priest, St. Joseph Cafasso, became aware of John's desire to be a priest. Father Cafasso helped him enter the seminary. John had to work his way through school. He learned to do all kinds of trades. He was a carpenter, a shoemaker, a cook, a pastry maker and a farmer. He did many other jobs as well. He could never have guessed how much this practical experience would help others later. John became a priest in 1841. As a priest, Don Bosco, which means Father Bosco, began his great ministry. He gathered together homeless boys and taught them trades. This way they would not have to steal or get into trouble. By 1850, there were 150 boys living at his home for boys. Don Bosco's mother was the housekeeper. At first, people did not understand what Don Bosco was trying to do. They were afraid that the boys would never really turn out well. But Don Bosco proved that they would.

Every night he wanted his boys to say three Hail Mary's, so that the Blessed Mother would help them keep away from sin. He also recommended that they receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion often and with love. One of Don Bosco's boys became a saint, St. Dominic Savio.

Don Bosco started his own religious order of priests and brothers. They were called the Salesians, after St. Francis de Sales. An order of Salesian sisters was started, too, with the help of St. Mary Mazzarello. Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888. The entire city of Turin lined the streets to pay him tribute. His funeral became a joyous proclamation of thanksgiving to God for the life of this wonderful man. A young parish priest who had once met Don Bosco later became Pope Pius XI. He had the joy of declaring Don Bosco a saint in 1934.

Reflection: "Education is something from the heart, and God alone is its master; we cannot succeed in anything unless God gives us the key to the hearts of these children."—St. John Bosco

There is one and only one possible road to joy: selfless love

2012-01-30T05:10:00.001-08:00

“Almost every sinful action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive. It is a trait we hate in other people but justify in ourselves. ”

Gospel text (Mk 5,1-20):
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"
(He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")
He asked him, "What is your name?"
He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
"Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
"Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Have you ever thrown Jesus out of town?

After Jesus drove the unclean spirits out of the demoniac and into the swine, the townfolk begged Jesus to go away (Mk 5:17). The people preferred to live with a legion of demons rather than with the Lord. Hard to believe, but true. Unfortunately, we as a society as well as personally frequently repeat this scene in the present day.

We have many places, businesses, cities, nations, families, and even churches where Jesus has been told to go away. As requested, Jesus left. However, He also has left us behind.

Quite often we run the risk to cling to what we own and get infuriated when we lose whatever material possessions we may have. Thus, we have the farmer despairing when he loses his crop, even if fully insured or the stock market investor who angers if his shares go down. On the other hand, few are those who actually anguish when they see millions of human beings, many of which may live next to us, living in extreme poverty or dying of hunger.

Jesus always placed persons before anything else, even before the law and the powerful people of his time. Humanity refuses to learn the fact that selfishness never has brought any happiness to anyone. As the Brazilian Bishop Dom Helder Cámara would say: «Selfishness is the deepest root of all unhappiness. Your own and that of the whole world».

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence

2012-01-29T04:46:00.000-08:00

“Modern intelligence won't accept anything on authority. But it will accept anything without authority.” ― G.K. Chesterton,

Gospel text (Mk 1,21-28):
Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are?the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said,
"Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
"What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Today, Christ addresses us his resolute command, without question, with authority: «Be silent and come out of this man!» (Mk 1:25). He speaks to the evil spirits living within us that curtail the freedom God has given us and wants us to enjoy.

Perhaps you have noticed that silence is the first rule the founders of religious orders establish when they set up the rules for their community life: on a house where prayer is compulsory, silence and contemplation must reign. There is a Spanish adage that could more or less be translated as: «Virtue is silent; evil is noisy». This is why Christ commands that evil spirit to be silent, because its obligation is to surrender before Him, who is the Word, who «became flesh and made his dwelling among us» (Jn 1:14).

It is true, however, that the awe we feel before our Lord, may stimulate some mixed feelings of sufficiency leading us to think, as in his confessions St. Augustine says: «Give me chastity and continence, O Lord, but do not give it yet». Because the temptation is to leave our own conversion for later on, right now not coinciding perhaps with our own personal plans.

But the call to radically follow Jesus Christ is for right now and right here, so that His Kingdom may allow us in without difficulty. He is well aware of our tepidity, and He knows that we will not probably immediately follow his will for us to choose the Gospel, but we will rather struggle along, and just keep on living, without moving forward and without hurry.

But good and evil cannot coexist. A saintly life cannot allow sin. «No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon» (Mt 6:24), says Christ. Let us find shelter in the holy tree of the Cross and let its shadow project itself over our life, and let Him comfort us, help us understand the reason of our life and give us a life worthy of the name of sons of God.

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about

2012-01-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

"We can do no great things; only small things with great love." - St. Therese of Lisieux

Gospel text (Mk 4,26-34):
Jesus said to the crowds:
"This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come."

He said,
"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

As educated men and women, we all experienced the wonder of learning about the world around us. Knowledge is valued in and of itself. We can tell how a seed grows into a tree and why the galaxies are shaped the way they are. This information is undoubtedly good and leads us to important discoveries and insights, but sometimes I long for that child-like wonder that comes from not knowing anything. Walt Whitman puts it nicely:

When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts, the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the learned astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

During the winter, I love the look of freshly fallen snow, to just sit and enjoy the silence and serenity of it all. When I was a kid, snow days were spent outside until my fingers were numb (I always snuck a few mouthfuls of snow even though my mom told me not to).

Today let us be challenged to take some time to appreciate something very small and recognize God in that thing. Like the mustard seed, there is more to the little things in life than we can possibly imagine at first glance.

Light is good from whatever lamp it shines

2012-01-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” - St Francis of Assisi

Gospel text (Mk 4,21-25):
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."
He also told them, "Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

In this Gospel passage I am struck by the image of light. We all have a light within us and this light is a gift from God. Let me try to illustrate this point with an allegory.

Often you see the small and big wires, new and old, cheap and expensive, lined up. Unless and until the current passes through them there will be no light. The wire is you and me. The current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, and produce the Light of the World - Jesus; or refuse to be used and allow darkness to spread. Our Lady was the most wonderful wire. She allowed God to fill her to the brim, so by her surrender - 'Be it done to me according to thy word' - she became full of grace; and naturally the moment she was filled by this current, the grace of God, she went in haste to Elizabeth's house to connect the wire, John, to the current, Jesus.

Can you imagine someone placing a lit candle under the bed? Of course you can’t! Let us be challenged then to let our lights shine for all to see and help all those we encounter find their light.

Make your life a mission – not an intermission

2012-01-25T05:29:00.000-08:00

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Gospel text (Mk 16,15-18):
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So how are those New Year’s Resolutions coming? What’s that? You don’t eat healthier, weigh less, exercise more, and rise earlier to pray (or some variation of self-improvement)? Well, take heart. All conversions are not quick and complete the way that we think of St. Paul’s.

Paul lived at the time of Jesus but as far as we know they never met. Paul was first called Saul. As a young man, he was a very bright student of the Hebrew religion. When he grew older, he persecuted the early Christians.

In the Bible's Acts of the Apostles, we read about Saul's amazing conversion (chapters 9, 22, 26). What happened? One day, Paul was on his way to the city of Damascus to hunt down more Christians. Suddenly, a great light shone all around him. As he fell to the ground blind, he heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul answered, "Who are you, Sir?" And the voice said, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." Saul was shocked and confused. After a few seconds, he asked, "What do you want me to do?" Jesus told him to continue on to Damascus and there he would be told what to do.

Today the world knows Saul by his Roman name of Paul. He is called "the apostle." He traveled all over the world, preaching the Good News. He led countless people to Jesus. He worked and suffered. His enemies tried to kill him several times. Yet nothing could stop him. When he was old and tired, he was once again put in prison and sentenced to die. Still St. Paul was happy to suffer and even die for Christ.

I am grateful for Paul’s model of a 180 degree but unfortunately, that just doesn’t happen to be many people’s primary experience of how God works in their lives.
With that being said, read the wisdom of a wonderful Jesuit, who died in 1955, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability--and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually--let them grow,
Let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on, as though you could be today
what time will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
-Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. from The Making of the Mind

Let this year be a year of conversions. Have the courage

“My heart is restless, O God, until it rests in Thee” -Saint Augustine

2012-01-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will.--Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Gospel text (Mk 3,31-35):
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you."
But he said to them in reply,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?"
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother."

In today’s Gospel, on the feast of St. Francis de Sales, we see Jesus remind the people around him that they truly are his brothers, sisters, and mothers, if they are willing to follow the will of God. Although it seems like Jesus is speaking only to the people around him, it is so important for us to remember that Jesus is also speaking to us in this passage. If we listen to him and figure out what his plan is for us, then we also can be his brothers and sisters. To be able to do this, we have to learn how to look past our earthly commitments and focus on what God has in store for us. We need to remember that God is loving, caring, and infinitely merciful, and so he always has only our best interests in mind. All we have to do is look past our own earthly desires and instead listen to God’s wonderful plan for our lives. It is fitting that today is the feast of St. Francis de Sales, because he is a great example of how to do exactly that.

St. Francis de Sales was born in France in 1567 into a noble family. He was very privileged throughout his life and attended the best schools with the best teachers to get the best education. After many years of studying and living this affluent life, he felt a emptiness inside himself that seemed to never go away. After much despair and even physical afflictions, he decided to turn around and dedicate his life to God. He rediscovered that God is love, and so he knew that anything God had in store for him would be good. After living a very holy life, he died, was canonized as a saint 42 years later, and then declared a Doctor of the Church in 1877. St. Francis de Sales can serve as a great reminder to us about the importance of focusing on what is truly important in our lives. It would have been very easy for St. Francis to just think about succeeding monetarily or prestigiously in this life. However, he chose to dedicate his life to God and focus on the heavenly reward.

Let us pray today that, with the intercession of St. Francis de Sales, we may be able to center our lives on what is truly important. Let us remember that Christ wants us to be in communion with him, because we are his brothers, sisters, and mothers if we just follow the will of God.

Do you prefer that you be right or happy? - Learn to Forgive

2012-01-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

Everyone says that forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something
to forgive - C.S. Lewis

(Jon 3:1-5, 10)
The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD'S bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,
"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, "
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.

The bloody, brutal Ninevites repented but Jonah, who preached the
message of repentance to them, did not. Jonah initially fled from God's
call, refusing to forgive and preach to his enemies, the Ninevites.
After Jonah spent three days in a whale and was spit out on the shore,
he changed his mind but not his heart. He did preach the message of
repentance to the Ninevites, but his heart wasn't in it. In his heart,
Jonah didn't want the Ninevites to repent. He wanted them punished (Jon
4:1ff). The only reason Jonah did what God wanted was to avoid doing
any more time in a whale's belly.

Many Christians are like Jonah. Eventually, they do the right thing and
are even used by the Lord to lead people to Him. However, their hearts
aren't in it. They serve the Lord begrudgingly. Mass is their Sunday
obligation, not their Sunday privilege. They think they are doing God a
favor when they pray. They really don't care that much if unbelievers
are brought to belief but simply don't want to go to hell themselves.

Why did everyone listen to Jonah's message of repentance except Jonah?
Why are many Christians like Jonah? Jonah's problem and sin was
unforgiveness. He refused to forgive the hateful Ninevites. Many
Christians have more in common with Jonah than with Jesus. We must
forgive our enemies and those who have hurt us. Then we will have a
heart for evangelization and with it, Christ's peace.

The way of this world is, to praise dead saints, and persecute living ones

2012-01-21T05:11:00.000-08:00

"All past persecutors of the Church are now no more, but the Church still lives on. The same fate awaits modern persecutors; they, too, will pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ will always remain, for God has pledged His Word to protect Her and be with Her forever, until the end of time." - St. John Bosco

Gospel text (Mk 3,20-21):
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, "He is out of his mind."

Today, we see how Jesus' own relatives react «He is out of his mind» (Mk 3:21). Once again, the old proverb «only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor» (Mt 13:57), is seen to be true. Jesus was and is a sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34). As the Prophet, He did and said things which were challenging, confrontational, even shocking.

Why did the religious leaders make these contradictory charges? Were they concerned about Jesus' pastoral practice or His theology of demons? Or were they jealous?
Jealousy often masquerades as concern for others' physical, pastoral, or theological well-being. What's behind your criticism of the more popular members of your family, more prominent parishioners, or more successful co-workers? Are you truly concerned about others? Or are your motives selfishness and jealousy?

If we valiantly identify ourselves with Christ, our presence will not be neutral for those interacting with us for reasons of kinship, work, etc. What is more, for some, our presence will be a pain in the neck, because we shall be like a reminder for their conscience. We can be certain: «If they persecuted Me they will persecute you...» (Jn 15:20). With their mockery they will try to conceal their fears; with their disqualifications they will perform a poor defense of their “laziness”.

How many times we Catholics are being accused of “exaggerating”? We have to reply we are not. For it is impossible to exaggerate in matters of love. Instead, it is quite true we are “radical”, because love is just so “absorbent”: «it has to be either all or nothing»; «or love kills the I or the I kills love».

January 20 - The Feast Day of St. Sebastian

2012-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible. - Teresa of Avila

Gospel text (Mc 3,13-19):
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Sebastian became widely known from the early centuries of the Church. As a Roman captain, he became known for his goodness and bravery. During the persecution by Diocletian, Sebastian would not renounce his Christian faith. Archers shot arrows into his body and left him for dead. When a holy widow came to bury him, she was shocked to find him still alive. She took him to her home and nursed his wounds. When Sebastian was well enough, the widow tried to persuade him to escape the dangers of Rome. But Sebastian was a brave soldier. He would not run away. He even approached Diocletian and urged him to stop persecuting the Christians.
The emperor was shocked to see Sebastian alive. He refused to listen to what the soldier had to say. Diocletian ordered that Sebastian be immediately clubbed to death. He died in 288.

Reflection: How often do we act in fear instead of trusting Jesus? Again and again, Jesus invites us to come to him. His love casts out all our fear. All he asks is our trust in him.

Our hearts hold our treasure and our happiness

2012-01-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

"If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man. The miser would run no more after his treasures, or the ambitious after glory; each would shake off the dust of the earth, leave the world, and fly away towards heaven." - Saint John Marie Vianney

Gospel text (Mk 3,7-12):
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, "You are the Son of God."
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

In today's Gospel we see that «A large crowd from Galilee followed him» and also «a great number of people» coming from other places (cf. Mk 3:7-8) are surrounding the Lord. And He paid heed to all procuring, without exception, their good. We have to keep this in mind during the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Something about Jesus makes us feel like mobbing Him. "A great crowd followed Him from Galilee, and an equally great multitude came to Him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Transjordan, and the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon" (Mk 3:7-8). "In view of their numbers, He told His disciples to have a fishing boat ready for Him so that He could avoid the press of the crowd against Him. Because He had cured many, all who had afflictions kept pushing toward Him to touch Him" (Mk 3:9-10), and unclean spirits would "fling themselves down at His feet" (Mk 3:11).

St. Augustine said that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. When we become aware that Jesus is near us, we sense that we should run up to Him (see Mk 10:17) and hold on to Him for dear life (see Mt 28:9; Jn 20:17). We sense that He is not only our only Hope but Hope itself! Without Jesus Christ and the teachings he gave to us through his Church, the world is lost, a prisoner to sin and death.

Every human person (without exception) has an “emptiness“, which only Jesus can fill. There is a “Christ sized hole” in every human heart. The problem is, humanity tries to “fit” worldly things into that hole (money; prestige; power; drugs; alcohol; sex, etc) , which ultimately leave us empty and alone in the end. Life’s greatest secret is to discover this universal truth.

Therefore, throw yourself at the feet of Christ and hold on to Him forever.In doing so, we will find true peace and joy. I guess the question to reflect upon today is:

Why does humanity settle for second best?

As the arteries grow hard, the heart grows soft

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hardness of heart basically refers to the one barrier that separates us from God

Gospel text (Mk 3,1-6):
Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up here before us."
Then he said to the Pharisees,
"Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Today, Jesus tells us we must always do good: there is no such thing as a time to do good and a time to overlook our love for others. «Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another» (Jn 13:34). Jesus neither repeals nor criticizes Moses' Law, inasmuch as He is the first one to comply with its precepts and go to the synagogue on the Sabbath; what Jesus criticizes is the narrow minded version of the Law by its masters and the Pharisees, an interpretation leaving little room for mercy.

Upon reflecting deeply on today’s reading, the central question we must all ask ourselves is: Is any part of our life shriveled, withered, atrophied? Do we use the power given by our Baptism to evangelize, heal, free, and feed the broken, starving masses? Are we exercising our spiritual muscles, or are they atrophied because of non-use? Jesus wants to heal us ALL and we ALL have parts of our life that need healing. He wants every part of His body and of our bodies and spirits to work.

By faith, when Christ tells you daily to "stretch out your hand" (Mk 3:5). Will you?

If your whole life, including the shriveled parts of your life are in Jesus' hands. Then it will be said of us as it was said of the man in today’s gospel: "The man did so and his hand was perfectly restored" (Mk 3:5).

The Ten Commandments (not 10 Suggestions...)

2012-01-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

"Law is twofold -- natural and written. The natural law is in the heart, the written law on tables. All men are under the natural law." - St Ambrose

Gospel text (Mk 2,23-28):
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
"Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
He said to them,
"Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them,
"The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

Today, as yesterday, Jesus has to contend with the Pharisees, who are distorting Moses' Law, by highlighting the letter of the law while ignoring the actual spirit of the Law. To work, forgive, correct, attend Mass on Sundays, take care of sick people, abide by the commandments..., do we do it because we have to or because of our love for God?

Several times in the Gospels Jesus asks those who had spent years studying the Scriptures if they've never read a certain passage (see e.g. Mk 2:25; Mt 21:16, 42; 22:31). Jesus, of course, knew His hearers had indeed read those passages before. However, He also knew they had not grasped the full meaning of the passage, despite having possibly read it many times.

What about us? Like the Pharisees in today's passage, some of us have devoted years of our lives studying the Scriptures. Yet there are always deeper levels of meaning in the Word of God not yet open to us. Are we content with our current understanding of the Bible? Jesus longs to open our minds to the understanding of the Scriptures (see Lk 24:45), but we must desire understanding and wisdom. It's hard for Jesus to open if we don't bother to knock. Jesus says: "Knock, and it will be opened to you" (Mt 7:7).

Stay rooted in God's Word. Read and study it daily (Acts 17:11). Beg the Lord for an ever deeper desire to sit with Him and listen to His word (Lk 10:39). Whenever possible, read the daily Scriptures at Mass and at Eucharistic Adoration in the presence of Jesus, the Living Word (Heb 4:12), Who will unlock His word for you.

God knows that we are flawed, that we make mistakes, that we sometimes have unholy intentions — but Jesus waits there to save us nonetheless. Salvation lies there as a gift for us to accept. None of us is truly worthy (even the great king David was a deeply flawed human being, and many of the Psalms are surely anthems to his regrets for his sins), but Jesus waits for us patiently.

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending

2012-01-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."~Martin Luther King Jr

Gospel text (Mk 2,18-22):
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.
People came to Jesus and objected,
"Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them,
"Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak.
If he does, its fullness pulls away,
the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

Our lives are sometimes pictured as a fabric. This fabric consists of family, marriage, children, friends, work, finances, social life, habits, entertainment, service, etc. When we give our lives to Jesus and take our faith seriously, He sews into our lives "a patch of unshrunken cloth" (Mk 2:21). As this patch shrinks, it stretches all the other parts of the fabric of our lives.

The people in today's Gospel reading thought it was time to fast, although it was time to feast. They had the right idea but the wrong time. Fasting can be used as preparation; it strengthens prayer and contemplation. But that was not the message that Jesus focused on in today’s teaching. He reminds us all that they have to receive his message with a new spirit, one that breaks with conformity and the routines of jaded souls; Jesus proposes something entirely different, not another version of the Law, but a new life altogether.

If we decide to be clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27; Rm 13:14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10), we are then clothed with humility (1 Pt 5:5), power (Lk 24:49), mercy, kindness, meekness, and patience (Col 3:12). Let the patch of Jesus that covers one tear in your life become your entire life.

Men do not decide their future. They decide their habits and their habits decide their future

2012-01-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

Whatsoever one would understand what he hears must hasten to put into practice what he has heard. --Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Gospel text (Jn 1,35-42): As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus walked by, John looked at him and said, «There is the Lamb of God». On hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. He turned and saw them following, and He said to them, «What are you looking for?». They answered, «Rabbi (which means Master), where are you staying?». Jesus said, «Come and see». So they went and saw where he stayed and spent the rest of that day with him. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard what John had said and followed Jesus. Early the next morning he found his brother Simon and said to him, «We have found the Messiah» (which means the Christ), and he brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, «You are Simon, son of John, but you shall be called Cephas» (which means Rock).

We also are following Jesus, but… what do we want? what are we seeking? Christ then asks us: «Truly, what do you want?». O! if we would only be courageous enough to tell him: «I am seeking you, Jesus», most surely we would have already found him, «For the one who seeks, finds» (Mt 7:8). But if we are honest with ourselves, we will discover that we lack courage and always reply with words: «Where are you staying?». But Jesus does not simply put up with our answer; He knows all too well that we do not just need a lot of words, but a friend, The Friend is Him!

This is why He tells us: «Come and see», «come and you will see it».

We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new

2012-01-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

“God never alters the robe of righteousness to fit the man. Rather He
alters the man to fit the robe.”

Gospel text (Mk 2,13-17):
Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus heard this and said to them,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

“Follow me!” the Lord said to Levi the tax collector (Mt. 2: 13-17).
The call was specific, and Levi heard it clearly. He had just
experienced his vocation: to follow Christ. What sort of thing was this
call? All of us have a vocation. Each has his or her own. The widow.
The grandfather. The spouse, the mother and dad. And certainly, yes,
the religious and the priest. Each has its own grace. A vocation always
occurs in the particular circumstances of one’s life, regardless of
what those circumstances may be.

Levi, also called Matthew, was one of the apostles, an evangelist who
compiled the first book of the New Testament, a missionary, and a
martyr. Matthew was also a great sinner. Jesus implied that Matthew was
spiritually sick (Mk 2:17). Even after Jesus had transformed Matthew's
life, Matthew abandoned Jesus on the cross. But Matthew repented,
received the Holy Spirit at the first Christian Pentecost, and became a
great saint.

Each of us are called to greatness. We are called and privileged to do
our unique part in God's plan of salvation. But how do we respond to
our vocation? It will always at least involve being ready to speak out
of Faith on matters of right and wrong, matters of justice, matters of
forgiveness, truth, and God’s love. It will always involve reverencing
and helping the others God places into our lives – by caring for the
ones, for example, who are hurting and truly needy, or by speaking up
to those who are in a position to live in service of others. Finally,
we can test the authenticity of a vocation by prayer and serious
discernment. Take the time and create the circumstances to be attentive
to God’s presence, to enter into “silence” with Our Lord about the
direction of your future, to let the Holy Spirit work His wonders in
you personally for committing yourself in that direction, and to
welcome the graces He so much wants to give you to help you along the
way.

Nonetheless, like Matthew, we have sinned before and even after our
conversions. By our sins, we have done our part in contributing to
Jesus' sufferings on the cross (Catechism, 598). Yet the Lord is
calling us to repentance. He wants to give us a new Pentecost in which
He will restore us to greatness and lead us to even greater things

Like Matthew, let us rise from the ruins of sin to the glorious
greatness of the sons and daughters of God.

Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom

2012-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave - St. John Chrysostom

Gospel text (Mk 2,1-12):
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
-he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

Usually today's Gospel reading is entitled "The Paralyzed Man." It should be entitled "The Paralyzed Men." The man on the stretcher wasn't the only paralyzed person in the room. The scribes were spiritually paralyzed, a much more serious condition than physical paralysis. Because of it, the scribes wouldn't believe. They even refused to rejoice in the paralytic's healing. Furthermore, the scribes were so paralyzed they could not recognize their paralysis.

In contrast, those who carried the paralytic on a stretcher, broke up the roof, and lowered him down were certainly not paralyzed but truly free (Mk 2:4). They didn't let themselves be paralyzed by fear of failure, rejection, or ridicule. They acted in faith (Mk 2:5), even if they might be embarrassed.

One of the natural effects of sin is denial. We deny that our sins are serious, that we are guilty, and eventually even that there is any such thing as sin. But when we deny sin, we deny the need for Jesus. In effect, we deny Jesus' divinity, because the taking away of the sins of the world could have been done only by God Himself.

We can revive this miracle quite often through Confession. With the words of forgiveness said by a Catholic Priest («I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit») Jesus —discreetly— accords us once more the external guarantee of remission of our sins, a guarantee that is tantamount to the spectacular cure of the paralytic of Capernaum.

Only sinners need a Savior. Let us ask the Lord for the miracle of admitting our sins rather than denying them. Then we will be eternally grateful to Jesus, Savior, Lord, and God, Who alone frees us from our sins.

Pick up your mat and go home (Mk 2:5, 11).

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig"

2012-01-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

"When I stand before thee at the day's end,thou shalt see my scars and
know that I had my wounds and also my healing." - Rabindranath Tagore

Gospel text (Mk 1,40-45):
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

They sat smiling on their cots lining both sides of the large room,
their mangled hands folded and heads slightly bowing with the traditional “Namaste” greeting. The sordid Calcutta air was inescapable as I slowly followed the Missionary of Charity brother as he guided a group of us through Titagarh, Mother Teresa’s Leprosy Center. A great percentage of the patients were staring blankly off into space, their leprosy having robbed their vision, were simply joyful to hear
our voices greeting them. Of the many emotions my visit elicited, a desire to alleviate their suffering came through most clearly but in reality there was really not much I could offer except a simple smile.

The story of Jesus and the leper is a tender love story.

Modern and ancient leprosy have a common thread: dread, stigma,
alienation. People with AIDS carry a similar stigma. Mother Teresa
called AIDS "the leprosy of the west". Anyone with disabilities will
tell you they are ostracized, especially if that disability can be seen.

I try to envision what it must be like to be a leper, suffering
disfigurement, loss of feeling, being shunned, living on the fringe of
society. But I cannot. I am mercifully blessed with good health, and I
live in a time of understanding contagion and various other aspects of
previously untreatable disease. But I can imagine the desire to be made
clean. Who of us has not asked at one time or another for healing?

I am quite sure the news of Jesus’ compassion caused as big a stir as
the miracle itself. We have so many opportunities in this day and time
to be radical in our compassion.

Jesus came to preach and to heal. How am I called to do the same?

The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life

2012-01-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. -- Pope St. Gregory the Great

Gospel text (Mc 1,29-39): As soon as Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told Him about her. Jesus went to her and taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening at sundown, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the whole town was pressing around the door. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them speak, for they knew who he was.

Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely place where He prayed. Simon and the others went out, too, searching for him; and when they found him they said, «Everyone is looking for you». Then Jesus answered, «Let's go to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came». So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also cast out demons.

Today, we are clearly shown how Jesus split his working hours. On one hand He prayed and, on the other, He consecrated time to his mission of praying with words and deeds. Contemplation and Action. Prayer and Work. Being with God while amongst men.

We often say: —I have no time! We are so busy with our housework, our professional activity, the countless tasks in our agenda... So, quite often, we believe we should be relieved from our daily prayers. We do a lot of important things, but often run the risk of forgetting the absolutely necessary one: prayer. We have to establish a balance to be able to do the former without neglecting the latter.

Saint Francis brings up this point: «We must be faithful and devoted at work, without extinguishing the spirit of the holy prayer and devotion which the worldly things must be submitted to».

Maybe we should organize ourselves a little bit better. Certainly, what is important must be done. But what is necessary should be an absolute must.

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself

2012-01-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Gospel text (Mk 1,21-28):
Jesus and his disciples went into the town of Capernaum and began to teach in the synagogue during the Sabbath assemblies. The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers of the Law. It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue and he shouted, «What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: You are the Holy One of God». Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, «Be silent and come out of this man!». The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him.

All the people were astonished and they wondered, «What is this? With what authority he preaches! He even orders evil spirits and they obey Him!». And Jesus' fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee.

Saint Mark presents Jesus while teaching in the synagogue and, immediately, he comments: «The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers of the Law» (Mk 1:21).

So how does this apply to us?

Our ordinary lives are both a challenge and an opportunity to live zealously for Christ. He does not leave us orphan to his mission. He has given us a Church to constantly remind us that the supernatural should be part of our lives. Within the Church, he gives us the Sacraments, in particular the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to infuse us with the grace needed to live with zeal for him. He gives us his Word, to teach us his ways. He asks us to spend quality time with him in prayer, to commit every day to him.

Are we frequenting his grace in the Sacraments, in his Word, and in prayer? Are we frequenting the extraordinary? If not, how will our ordinary ways prepare us to courageously say yes to him? May this “Ordinary Time” find us redefining ordinary by the way we live for Christ extraordinarily.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was baptized?

2012-01-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

The Lord was Baptized, not to be cleansed Himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of Baptism.-St. Ambrose of Milan

(Is 42:1-4, 6-7)
Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness

And they “departed for their country by another way.”

2012-01-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.”- Pope Benedict XVI

(Gospel: Mt 2:1-12)
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

Today’s Gospel is unique to Matthew who presents Jesus as both the One Who is to come and the One who has come for all. The Magi represent the “beyond” or distant lands and peoples to whom the Christ will offer His universal wisdom. These “Wise Men” also represent the former ways of thinking, wondering, and philosophizing. They come in a sign of surrender to this new “epiphany” or display of this “One God” Who is for all and is now known as the God Who does the seeking and the finding.

We would like to think of God, arrive at our own logical, reasonable concept of God. We would love to say that we have found God. If we determine Who and What God is, then we would seem to control God. God would have to act accordingly. In prostrating themselves, the Magi admit their former human arrogance and surrender to the truth that until then, they had not been satisfied with the conclusions of their personal ponderings.

In their homeland, the Magi saw a great star at its rising. Greatly impressed, they set out on their journey to follow the star to greet the newborn King at Whom they believed the star pointed. After they had traveled for a time, they could no longer see the star. They were past the point of no return, and were not sure where God was now leading them. But the Magi did not give up on God's leading; they did not quit and return back home.

Have you ever started on a journey of faith in response to the clear prompting of God? You commit yourself to the journey, burn your bridges behind you (see 1 Kgs 19:19-21), and then it seems like God's divine guidance completely vanishes. This is a pattern that many have experienced in their lives of faith. This might be a test from God, "the Tester of our Hearts" (1 Thes 2:4).

If you're in this situation, the Magi are a model for you. Persevere in trust, as they did, and believe that God will guide you in the proper time. "Walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7). "Commit to the Lord your way; trust in Him, and He will act" (Ps 37:5).

Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature

2012-01-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

"In all the miracles of healing performed by Our Divine Savior, we must admire the remarkable goodness which caused Him to heal first the sickness of the soul, then that of the body. He teaches us the great lesson that we must first purify our consciences before turning to God for help in our earthly needs." St John Bosco

(Gospel: Jn 2:1-11)
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
"They have no wine."
And Jesus said to her,
"Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servers,
"Do whatever he tells you."
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
"Fill the jars with water."
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
"Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter."
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
(although the servers who had drawn the water knew),
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
"Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.

A wedding is a joyous occasion. Not only the bride and groom, but also their families and all the invited guests enjoy and celebrate a wedding. The celebration usually goes on for hours after the wedding ceremony. In some cultures the celebration lasts for some days.

It seems to me that there is non-verbal communication here between Mary and Jesus. In spite of what they say aloud, they agree that Jesus will help. Even though she does not say so aloud, Mary clearly wants Jesus to help. And in spite of his reply to Mary, Jesus does help and eliminates the problem. This is a fascinating glimpse of the relationship between mother and son.

Like the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, Jesus here works a miracle to remedy a temporary problem. The gospel of St. John lists this as the first miracle of Jesus. His public life here on earth is just beginning, and he is not yet attracting great crowds to hear his words and witness his miracles. It seems fitting then, that this miracle takes place in a setting where Jesus is with those who know and love him best. He is with his mother and with other friends from the years of his growing up. Amongst them he begins the work of preaching and teaching that he came to do. Amongst them his public life begins.

January 6: St. Andre Bassette - "May you be content knowing you are a child of God."

2012-01-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

“St. Andre Bessette believed not in himself but in the power of God’s love for him. In him we can see that God reveals his power shining through our human weakness.”

(Gospel Mk 1:7-11)
This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Reflection: “We might not be as smart, strong, or active as we would like to be. But that doesn't stop God from loving us and from using us to do wonderful things.”

Alfred Bessette was born on August 9, 1845, not far from Montreal, Canada. He was the eighth of twelve children. When Alfred was nine, his father, a wood cutter, died in an accident at work. Three years later, Alfred's mother died of tuberculosis, leaving the children orphans. They were split up and placed in different homes. Alfred went to live with his aunt and uncle.

Because his family had been so poor and he was often sick, Alfred had very little education. So for the next thirteen years he tried learning different trades like farming, shoemaking and baking. He even worked in a factory in Connecticut. But his health always failed him.

When Alfred was twenty-five, he joined the order of Holy Cross and chose the name Brother Andre. He spent the next forty years as a general maintenance man and messenger. The remaining years of his life were spent as the doorkeeper for the order's college. Here, Brother Andre's healing power became known. When people came to ask him for a cure, he would tell them to first thank God for their suffering because it was so valuable. Then he would pray with them. Most of them were cured. Brother Andre always refused credit for the healing. He insisted it had been the person's faith and the power of St. Joseph.

Brother Andre had a great love for the Eucharist and for St. Joseph. When he was young, he dreamt he saw a big church, but he couldn't tell where it was. Gradually, he came to realize that God wanted a church in honor of St. Joseph. That church was to be built on top of Mount Royale in Montreal, Canada. Prayer and the sacrifices of Brother Andre and many other people made the dream come true. The magnificent church honoring St. Joseph was built. It is a testimony to Brother Andre's tremendous faith. Pilgrims come to Mount Royale all year and from distant places. They want to honor St. Joseph. They want to show their trust in his loving care, as Brother Andre did.

Brother Andre died peacefully on January 6, 1937. Nearly a million people climbed Mount Royale to St. Joseph's Oratory for his funeral.

They came in spite of sleet and snow to say good-bye to their dear friend. He was proclaimed "blessed" on May 23, 1982, by Pope John Paul II and a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010.

The things that we love tell us what we are

2012-01-05T05:44:00.001-08:00

One must see God in everyone. - --St. Catherine Laboure

(1 John 3:11-21) Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning:
we should love one another,
unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One
and slaughtered his brother.
Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil,
and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God.

It is not enough to talk the talk; you must also walk the walk. Yes - that means you, everyone around the world who calls himself or herself a Christian. Our "love in action" defines who we are, not our words.

John points out the obvious connection between love and need. If we love someone, we will want to provide for that person's needs. Otherwise, our talk about love is mere lip service (Mt 15:8; Is 29:13) and not authentic (1 Jn 3:18).

So with that said, I will say no more……………………..St John said it all!

He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much

2012-01-04T06:16:00.003-08:00

“If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.” - St. Francis of Assisi

Gospel text (Jn 1,35-42):
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher),
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah," which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas," which is translated Peter.

“What are you looking for?” Jesus asks John’s disciples.

It is the beginning of a new year; we are making our New Year’s resolutions. Jesus asks us, “What are you looking for?” The Gospel invites us to reflect on the most important resolution we will make for 2012: How we want our relationship with Jesus to grow.

When we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that there are certain very personal and often complex areas of our lives that still await integration with following Jesus. We hesitate to bring these areas to Jesus because we are afraid that he will not fully understand our struggle.

I suspect that the author of the Letter to the Hebrews dealt with similar fears until he finally realized that Jesus did understand human weakness and complexity, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who is tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned.”

The deepest yearning of the human heart is the yearning to live in communion with God — yes, to live in communion even in the awkward and complex and often overlooked areas of our lives: careers, relationships, failures, unemployment, sexuality, loneliness, health, aging.
Jesus is inviting us -- as he invited his first disciples — to walk more closely with him in the complexity of our lives.

“Rabbi, where are you staying?” “Come and you will see.”

He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much

2012-01-04T06:16:00.001-08:00

It is only with the heart that you can see fully: what is essential is invisible to the eyes

2012-01-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

Faith is not an escape from life, but rather fully embracing life, seeing and knowing the perfection in things exactly as they are.

Gospel text (Jn 1,29-34):
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel."
John testified further, saying,
"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

Many people think Christmas is over. In fact, Christmas continues for nine more days and culminates in the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit rested upon Him (Jn 1:32). Then Jesus baptized us in that same Holy Spirit (Jn 1:33). The Church teaches us in her liturgy that the ultimate Christmas gift is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Through our Baptisms and Confirmations, we already have the Spirit living within us, but through sin and selfishness the Spirit may be quenched (1 Thes 5:19). The gift of Christmas Spirit is sent "to stir into flame the gift bestowed when" hands were laid on us (2 Tm 1:6).

The Christmas you've had so far is only a beginning, a stepping stone to full life in the Spirit. During these next ten days, repent (Acts 2:38), go to Confession, humble yourself (see Lk 1:38), and cry out: "Come, Holy Spirit!" (see Lk 11:13) You will have the best Christmas ever by receiving the Christmas Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, God Himself.

Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery

2012-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering. ~St. Augustine

(Gospel: Jn 1:19-28)
This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
"I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'Make straight the way of the Lord,'
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

We begin this new year with the question: "Who are you?" (Jn 1:19). This is a good question. How can we be what the Lord wants us to be this year unless we know who we are? However, the question of our identity is most difficult. One voice says we are God's children (see Mt 3:17; Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 3:2). We are called "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people He claims for His own" (1 Pt 2:9). But we don't feel like God's children or look very royal, priestly, or holy. Another voice says we are merely human, in fact, just sophisticated animals. If we accept this, we can "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" (see Wis 2:6ff; 1 Cor 15:32). Although this second voice puts us down and degrades us, we feel like believing it and leading a self-indulgent life.

To answer the question, "Who are you?", we must first answer these two questions: "Who are the voices in my life?" and "Who is the liar?" (1 Jn 2:22). The first voice is the united voice of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The second voice is the voice of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The second voice is the liar. The first voice is the Truth (Jn 14:6).

Know yourself. Know God.

"Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle."

2012-01-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

"So your strength is failing you? Why don't you tell your mother about it? . . . Mother! Call her with a loud voice. She is listening to you; she sees you in danger, perhaps, and she—your holy mother Mary—offers you, along with the grace of her son, the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace . . . and you will find yourself with added strength for the new battle."--St. Josemaria Escriva

(Numbers 6:22-27)
The LORD said to Moses:
"Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them."

On the first day of the New Year we celebrate the Feast of the Mother of God. This is no liturgical accident. She who beheld the face of the Savior invites us to hear the words of Jesus Christ, "Behold I make all things new!" She is the Mother of the New Creation because the One whom she held in her womb and birthed for the whole world is the only One who can make all things new!

Every New Year we read numerous articles about the efficacy of New Year's Resolutions. However, the fact remains, we all make them. The experience is nearly universal. The question is why? I suggest that they reveal something of our universal longing. So too do our calendars. Some Nations use different calendars, but the passing of one year to another is marked by a deliberate period of reflection over the past year and a pledge to begin anew, to change, in the year to come. This is because we all hunger to be made new!

We all want to change, to be better, to live our lives more fully and love one another more selflessly. As we end one year and look to a new one, we pause and take inventory. In a rare moment of near universal reflection and honest self assessment, we admit our failures. We pledge to learn from them and move toward a better future.

When I was a young man, I would write my New Years goal list before a period of protracted prayer. I use to make the list and then, in a fit of self generated enthusiasm, ask the Lord to bless it! I know better now. I need the light of the Holy Spirit to even comprehend what is needed if I ever hope to change. I pray first and then, my list has become so simple. Mary's Fiat has become my prayer, "be it done unto me according to your word."

Everyone wants to transform, but nobody wants to change

2011-12-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

“Unless you are prepared to give up something valuable you will never be able to truly change at all”

Gospel text (Jn 1,1-18):
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man's decision
but of God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying,
"This was he of whom I said,
'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'"
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father's side,
has revealed him.

Three hundred and sixty-five days this year, Jesus offered Himself to you in the Eucharist. The Word became flesh (Jn 1:14) and made Himself lovingly available in case you wanted Him. To you, who are "His own, He came" (Jn 1:11). Three hundred and sixty-five days this year, Jesus, "the Word" (Jn 1:1), made His holy word available to you. His love letters to you, the Bible, were constantly present to you in case you wanted to listen to Him. Three hundred and sixty-five days this year, Jesus made sure that your lungs kept breathing, your heart kept beating, your body kept functioning. Jesus was always thinking of you this year, staying faithfully with you (Mt 28:20), constantly loving you.

This year, 2011, has now come to "the final hour" (1 Jn 2:18). At the end of the year, Jesus, "the End" (Rv 22:13), stands waiting for you.

Feast of the Holy Family: Learning to Love, Pray and Live in the School of Nazareth

2011-12-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

"The Holy Family is an icon of the domestic Church, which is called to pray together. The family is the first school of prayer where, from their infancy, children learn to perceive God thanks to the teaching and example of their parents. An authentically Christian education cannot neglect the experience of prayer. If we do not learn to pray in the family, it will be difficult to fill this gap later. I would, then, like to invite people to rediscover the beauty of praying together as a family, following the school of the Holy Family of Nazareth". - Pope Benedict XVI

(Col 3:12-21)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Jesus spent 30 of his 33 earthly years in Nazareth. Some spiritual writers have called these the 'hidden years', because there is so little written about them in the Gospel narratives. However, they reveal the holiness of ordinary life and show us how it becomes extraordinary for those baptized into Christ. From antiquity the Christian family has rightly been called a domestic church. In our own Christian family we can learn the way of selfless love in the School of Nazareth.

The challenge lies in the choices we make, daily, hourly, and even moment-by-moment. Two trees still grow in the garden of domestic life. They invite the exercise of our freedom, which is the core of the Image of God within us. There is the tree in Eden where the first Eve said, "No I will not serve." Then, there is the Tree on Calvary where Mary, the "second Eve" stood with the beloved disciple John and, along with him, again proclaimed her "yes".

In this life of responding to the Lord's invitations we are gradually transformed into an image, a living icon, of Jesus Christ, as Pope Benedict XVI reminded the faithful. This way of holiness is not easy, as anyone who has lived the vocation can attest, but make no mistake; it is a very real path to holiness. It is also a wonderful one.

“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”

All knowledge is sterile which does not lead to action and end in charity

2011-12-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

“Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed the fig tree when he found no fruit but only leaves. It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.” - St Anthony of Padua

(1 John 2:3-11) Beloved:
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus
is to keep his commandments.
Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you
but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
And yet I do write a new commandment to you,
which holds true in him and among you,
for the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining.
Whoever says he is in the light,
yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

The purpose of the Christmas season is to grow greatly in love for Jesus. To grow in love requires God's grace, our willingness to accept His grace, and a process by which we are transformed and made more capable of loving. We go through this process of transformation by taking step after step in obedience. "By obedience to the truth" we purify ourselves "for a genuine love" (1 Pt 1:22). "The way we can be sure of our knowledge of Him is to keep His commandments" (1 Jn 2:3).

By obedience, Mary conceived Christ and loved Him more deeply than anyone has ever loved Him. By obedience, Joseph became the foster-father of Jesus and grew from love to love. By obedience, the shepherds and wise men saw the infant Jesus and began a new life of love forever. By obedience, Simeon "came to the temple" (Lk 2:27) where he met Jesus, the Light to the Gentiles, the Glory of Israel (Lk 2:32), and the God Who is Love (1 Jn 4:16).

In today’s reading, John is very specific about being and living who we say we are. It is our actions not just empty claims of knowing Jesus that will secure us a place in the light. The actions that he writes of are actions that are based on a sincere love of our sisters and brothers. That kind of love that motivates our actions comes from a recognition of the dignity bestowed by God on each and every human being. That kind of love motivates us to treat everyone with respect , to meet their needs, soothe their pain and sorrow, and provide a witness to the love that comes from our heavenly father.

It is a love that does not allow for discrimination between the beginning of life and the end of life, the person on death row and the saintly neighbor, the rich and the poor, the mentally ill and the physically ill, the homeless man begging at the interstate exit and those who are gainfully employed, etc. It is not always an easy love; we all have prejudices that we have to work at overcoming or at least moments when it is difficult to truly find God in another. Jesus is always there to help us in finding the dignity of others as long as we are open to him.

Sure, it may be easy to follow God’s commandments when everything is peachy and those around us are not annoying us; but when things get tough, how easy is it to actually love the complaining friend, the screaming child, and the angry boss?

It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey

2011-12-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible. – St Teresa of Avila.

Gospel text (Mt 2,13-18):
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"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."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

Today is the feast day of the Holy Innocents, the infants King Herod ordered slaughtered within two years following the appearance of the star to the Wise Men (Mt 2:16). The Church holds in the highest regard these innocent children, these martyrs. "They died not only for Christ, but in his stead" (St. Augustine, "Sermon 10 on holiness").

Although many people don't want to talk about sin, especially around Christmas time, we all believe in sin. We believe that Herod, Hitler, Stalin, and other villains in history chose to do things which are objectively wrong.

However, we would like to think that sin is rare, since many people maintain that most acts are not matters of objective right or wrong but only matters of subjective values. Nevertheless, sin is not rare, but universal. Everyone is a sinner, and many people sin frequently (see Rm 3:23).

St. Joseph offers us a very clear and responsive testimony to God's call. We can, thus, identify ourselves with him when we are to make decisions, from our own faith, in difficult moments of our life: «Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt» (Mt 2:14).

For every Herod, there is a Joseph. For every murderer, there is a disciple of Jesus, who will be told by the Lord how to save the lives of children. What is He telling you? You're not responsible to do everything, but you can do something. What is the Lord saying?

Can He talk to you? Are you open to surprises, sacrifices, corrections, or challenges? Are there things you refuse to hear, defenses you won't let down, sacrifices you won't make, and sin you won't admit? The first question is not: "What am I hearing?" but "What am I willing to hear?"

The Lord can save lives through you if you let Him talk to you.

"A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out. "

2011-12-27T06:40:00.000-08:00

For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. – St Teresa of Avila

Gospel text (Jn 20,2-8):
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.

John is traditionally identified with the Beloved Disciple (the other disciple whom Jesus loved - Jn: 20 - 4 ), on whose testimony today’s Gospel is based (Jn 21:24). John testified that he surely could not help but speak of what he had heard and seen (Acts 4:19-20). Everything within John found joy in sharing his experience of Jesus' love with others (1 Jn 1:3-4). On this third day of Christmas, Jesus gives us the opportunity to contemplate the life of St. John.

As I thought about this readings on the feast of St. John, a startling question hit me. What would it have been like to have Jesus for a best friend? A lot of people say this, especially if they are running for office but John really WAS Jesus’ best friend from what we can tell from the Scriptures.

Since Jesus was fully human, he must have needed the comfort and support of a friend he could trust and relax with just like the rest of us. Was that John’s role? Did John tease Jesus and make him laugh? Did he just listen when things were tense? Obviously they prayed together but did they relax over a glass or wine? I’m trying to envision Jesus and John as human pals instead of marble statues.

What kind of a guy was John that gave him a unique place among the Disciples? What qualities can we emulate to become friends of Jesus?

First and probably most important, there’s loyalty. When the others deserted Jesus on the cross, John was there, taking care of Mary. Jesus must have known that he could count on John under the worst of conditions. Like John, if we want to be friends of Jesus, we must be faithful and care for others. That kind of faithfulness can take courage such as John exhibited in refusing to desert Jesus when others did.

I’m also intrigued by how John handled the jealousy that the other apostles must have felt towards him because of his friendship with Jesus. These, after all, were men that fought for position at the Last Supper. We can be pretty sure that John never had to push for his position but he already had it. Did John just ignore any heat he took from the others or did they all just recognize his role? Was John one of those seemingly perfect people that others can’t really resent despite themselves?

We get a feel for John’s wish to share his friendship with Jesus in the first reading in which he invites us into fellowship with “the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” There was nothing selfish in this friendship – rather a desire to share it with generations to come. While we can’t hang out with Jesus as John did, we can emulate his qualities that will help us find friendship with Jesus.

When one is convinced that his cause is just, he will fear nothing."

2011-12-26T07:02:00.001-08:00

Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men come to be builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the harp. In the same way, by doing just acts we come to be just; by doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we become brave. - Aristotle

(Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59)
Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But he, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and he said,
"Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God."
But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,
and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

The story of St. Stephen in our reading today communicates a powerful and maybe uncomfortable message. Doing the right thing is hard. Sometimes it can be dangerous, and, as in the case of Stephen and other martyrs, doing the right thing and speaking with the spirit can be fatal. People do inconceivable things to each other in distant places and around the corner. Why do these things happen? Who lets that happen?

We see hateful things everyday. Perhaps we can’t do much about the world’s problems, but we can do something about our own lives. We have to stand up and do the right thing every day. When someone is being demeaned by another person, we can ask God, as Jesus says in the Gospel today at the Mass, to give us what to say, for the grace and wisdom to speak up and stop the tiny bits of hate, of people treating others as less than human. We treat people as less than human when we gossip, when we let an unkind remark go by, when we witness something cruel. While we may not be the ones doing the deed, our roles as silent bystanders help build up those little bits of hate.

We often let ourselves off the hook by thinking these small things don’t matter. I don’t want to make a scene, we say to ourselves. I worry what others might think, we say to ourselves. It’s time to change that message to ourselves. I will speak up because it’s the right thing to do. I will ask God for the grace and wisdom. As the psalm says, “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness.”

Saint Stephen was a martyr in life. Martyr means “testimony”. To put it in 21st century language, “He put his money where his mouth was”.

So too should today's Christians witnesses of Jesus Christ through eyes of faith, fearlessly proclaim him in plain language and courageous action.

He is a baby... but also, God All Mighty; He is God, but now, He is also one of us.

2011-12-25T06:27:00.001-08:00

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. “

(Gospel John 1:1-18):
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man's decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father's only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
"This was he of whom I said,
'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'"
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side,
has revealed him.

Christmas invites us to live a unity of life; to become comfortable "in our skin" by being fully human, enjoying life, living and loving as Jesus lives and loves; beginning now. Sometimes, Christians live lives that are perceived as anything but fully human. Who is drawn to a man or woman whom they feel will not have empathy for their own weakness? However, they were and they are, drawn to Jesus Christ. He wants to live in us and invites us to live in Him.

Christmas reminds us that in the "fullness of time" God came among us. Heaven touched earth and earth has been elevated through this encounter! The all- powerful God who made both heaven and earth became a vulnerable baby and chose to give Himself to His creation in order to create it anew.

Let us welcome Jesus, let us seek him: we shall find salvation, and the true solution to the problems of our world, only in Him; He only is giving us the ultimate meaning of life, of our pains and setbacks. This is why, today, I am proposing you: let us read the Gospel, and let us mull over it; let us try to truly live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, the Son of God that has come into us. Only then, we shall realize that, together, we could truly build a better world.

"It is easy to think Christmas, and it is easy to believe Christmas, but it is hard to act Christmas."

2011-12-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

"We are in Advent. We remember that a woman held in her arms a child, and that child was God. If we remember that, then we are givers of peace, we are lovers of the Beloved. We own him through love. And he owns us! the most extraordinary thing in the world is that God loves you and me!"-- Catherine de Hueck Doherty

(Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24)
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.

Almost everyone believes in preparing for Christmas. But are we preparing the way of the Lord (Lk 3:4) or the way of the world?

The Lord calls us to make gigantic changes in our ways. Priorities as big as mountains in our lives should be leveled. Our valleys, depressions, pits, and ruts are also to be leveled. As crooked as our hearts are (see Jer 17:9), Jesus wants them straightened. As rough as our edges are, they must be smoothed.

The Lord is not calling us to maintain, much less to promote, the status quo of a world trapped in sin. The Lord is calling us to a revolution where the high and mighty are deposed from their thrones and the lowly raised to high places (Lk 1:51-52). That's what He means by "preparing the way of the Lord." Are you prepared for Christmas by Christ's standards?

Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John, and Jesus all went through big changes near the time of Jesus' birth. Are you prepared to do the same? Will you receive the real Christmas? Will you receive Christ?

“There is something in humility which strangely exalts the heart.”

2011-12-22T06:54:00.001-08:00

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. --Saint Augustine

Gospel text (Lk 1,46-56): Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever."

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

In the days leading up to Christmas the Church gives us these passages from the sections of the Gospel surrounding the birth of Jesus. That is partly to prepare us for the feast we are about to celebrate, but partly also to instruct us, not so much about what happened, but about what it means. Today’s Gospel reading is a perfect example.

Luke casts Mary not just as the mother of Jesus, but as the first disciple and, indeed, the model for the discipleship of us all. At the annunciation she heard God’s word and accepted it, just as we do when we become a disciple. But there’s more to it than that. Mary acted on that word. It was not good news for her alone – she went to her cousin Elizabeth, not simply to help, but to spread the good news. For you and me that good news might have been “The most marvelous thing has happened! I am going to be the mother of the Messiah!” But Mary didn’t say that. As her Magnificat makes clear, this was not just about her. Instead, she interpreted to Elizabeth what the angel’s message meant. Her praise of God in the Magnificat makes clear what has happened. God has shown strength, exalting the lowly, filling the hungry. Note the interesting parallels with what her Son will say in Luke’s version of the beatitudes and woes (6:20–26) – the poor and the rich; the sad and the happy, the hungry and the sated, the derided and the praised. They’re all there in Mary’s song of praise, just as they would be some 30-odd years later in her Son’s first major speech.

As we meditate on these stories, it’s important to understand the underlying meaning. The whole Christmas story is, itself, a Gospel in miniature. Some hear God’s word and respond, others turn away and resist.

The challenge for me, this year, as always, and I hope for you as well, is figuring out how to interpret for others what we believe happens at Christmas, just as Mary interpreted for Elizabeth.

Christmas is not just for us . . .

Joy is very infectious; therefore, be always full of joy.

2011-12-21T05:56:00.001-08:00

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. – Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Gospel text (Lk 1,39-45):
Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

The words of Mary's cousin will travel through time: «Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!» (Lk 1:42).

The gospel reading today reminds us to be joyful. When was the last time you praised and thanked God in joy? I think we often find ourselves telling God our problems and asking him for things. There is nothing wrong with that. But I do think that exulting, being extremely joyful, to God is equally, if not more, important than asking God to help us with this or that. So, let’s try something new, let’s “Sing to him a new song” (Psalm 33:3).

Let's sit back, take a deep breath in and exhale out. Now think of someone you are blessed to have in your life. A friend, your spouse, a family member - someone who has made you smile, someone who has been there through the thick and thin. Think of the joy you feel when around him or her. Let us thank God in joy for having put these special people in our lives.

Let us take another deep breath in and exhale out. Right now, you are alive, fully and truly. We have each been given these beautiful lives to live. Let us thank God for the joy of this life, for it has allowed us to do so many things.

Joy is indivisible from faith. «But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?» (Lk 1:43). The joy of God and Mary has spread all over the world. To allow it within us, we need only to open ourselves through our faith to God's constant influence in our life, while walking our path with the Infant, with She who has believed, by holding St. Joseph's strong and enamored hand. Earthen paths, asphalt, cobblestones or muddy roads through, any Christian always carries upon him, two dimensions of faith: the union with God and the service to others.

Let us remember this Advent season that God has given us so many blessings and that we should sing out joyfully to him. As John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb at the mere presence of Jesus, let us leap for joy for the life we are given and the people God has blessed us with.

Merry, almost-Christmas.

"Have confidence. Return. Invoke our Lady and you'll be faithful."

2011-12-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

"Before, by yourself, you couldn't. Now, you've turned to our Lady, and with her, how easy!"--St. Josemaria Escriva

Gospel text (Lc 1, 26-38):
In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Why would the all-holy God become a human being? Why would the Creator become a creature? "How can this be?" (Lk 1:34) Jesus' Incarnation should blow our minds.

It is the story of how one of us said yes to being part of God’s plan. How many times does life not make sense? It couldn’t have made sense for Mary that day. But Mary showed us how to accept the Will of God, to take the unexplainable in stride, even if it will cost us dearly.

As we learn to expect from the Lord, the most important event in the history of mankind —the Creator and Lord of all things becoming man, just like us— takes place in a very simple way: a young woman in a small village in Galilea. No fireworks.

The way of going about it is simple; the event is magnificent as are the virtues of the Virgin Mary: filled with grace, the Lord is with her, humble, simple, available for God's will, generous. God has plans for her, as he has for you and for me, but He relies on our free and loving cooperation to carry them out. Mary is our example: «I am the hand¬maid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word» (Lk 1:38). It is not only a “yes” to the message of the Angel; it is turning herself into the hands of God the Father, to abandon herself to his intimate providence, to let God work through her now and in all the circumstances of Her life.

Of Mary's answer to God's will, as of ours,—Saint Josemaría Escriva— writes, «never forget it, a great deal depends on it».

We are preparing to celebrate Christmas. The best way to do so is to be with Mary, contemplating Her life and trying to imitate Her virtues in order to receive the Lord with the right heart: What does God expect from me, now, today, at work, with this person I deal with all the time, from my relation with Him?

A great deal depends on our response to the little things of every day!

Faith is like electricity. You can't see it, but you can see the light

2011-12-19T06:20:00.001-08:00

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." – St Augustine

(Gospel: Luke 1): But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God."

Why do I/we doubt?

Because there is just so much dark stuff out there. There is so much evidence of bad people doing bad things. There is such a tendency in our world to think of my needs first, and to ignore the great suffering and sorrow of others, and this attitude is becoming contagious.

Zechariah could speak again, when he acknowleged his belief in the promise. He confirmed the name given to the promised child, "his name is John." The name "John" means "God is gracious." When I/we can say "God is gracious," then I/we can speak again. The ability to speak, live, act, witness a hope in God's fidelity to us starts with our acknowledging that "God is gracious."

That's our Advent journey - to say in my heart and out loud: "I believe that you are and will be gracious, for I believe you love me and have come to set us free from the power of sin and death. The bigness of your promise is hidden in the mystery of the littleness of your coming."

In the Gospel, because Zechariah is hesitant to believe what the angel is saying, the angel makes him mute so that he may come to believe. May we learn to accept what God lays out in his will for us because otherwise, we begin to impede on the effectiveness of God’s will. When we accept and have faith in God’s will, we can appreciate our gifts.

It’s in our blind trust that love will find us

2011-11-30T05:26:00.001-08:00

"For me to believe is to fling myself into the darkness of the night, following a star I once saw though I do not know where it will take me... to believe is to trust God and place my hope in him."

Gospel text (Mt 4,18-22):
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

If someone that you have never met or even seen came up to you and told you to follow them, would you listen? Would you trust the stranger or would you simply ignore them and move on with your daily routine? Today’s popular Gospel reading from Matthew looks at the trusting relationship that Jesus has with his followers, his people who put all of their faith in the stranger, the unknown. Why is it that these fishermen decide to drop their nets and follow Jesus?

This Gospel revolves upon the value of trust. Trusting in someone can often be hard to do. For some, trusting comes easy. In today’s Gospel, Peter and Andrew, and then later James and John decide to immediately drop their nets and follow Jesus after he says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”. They trusted in him and had no second thoughts about following Jesus.

I would have a difficult time trusting someone that I have never met. Trusting in strangers is something that I continue to struggle with and believe I will always struggle with because I was brought up to not trust in people I don't know. However, the fishermen did not say ‘no’ or ‘I do not trust you’; rather, their actions reflected their trust in this man.

Trust. How do you trust the stranger? Are you able to put your faith in Jesus just as the fishermen did in today’s Gospel? Are you willing to drop your nets or whatever you are doing to follow and put your trust in Jesus?

Today, let us reflect on our trust in God, who loves us personally.

Miss no single opportunity in performing small acts – a simple smile given away can change everything!

2011-11-29T06:16:00.000-08:00

There was no need for me to grow bigger, on the contrary, I must be as small as ever, smaller than ever. – St. Therese of Lisieux

Gospel text (Lk 10,21-24):
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

«Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people» (Mt 11:25). Very rightly, this fragment of the Gospel has been called the “Magnificat of Jesus” by some authors, as the underlying idea is the same as in Mary's Canticle (cf. Lc 1:46-55).

Joy is an attitude which goes together with hope. It has to be difficult for a person who has no hope, to be happy. And, what is it that we Christians put our hope in? The coming of the Messiah and of his Kingdom, in which justice and peace will bloom; a new reality where «the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will lead them» (Is 11:6). The kingdom we are waiting for is making its way day by day, and we have to know how to discover its presence amongst us. For the world we live in, so lacking in peace and harmony, in justice and love, how necessary the hope of us Christians is! A hope that does not come from natural optimism nor false illusion, but from God himself.

However, Christian hope, which is light and heat for the world, will only be had by that ones who are simple and humble of heart, because God has hidden knowledge and the mystery of his kingdom's love from the wise and expert, that is to say, from the ones who are blinded by pride in their erudition.

A good way to prepare the paths of the Lord in this Advent would precisely be to grow in humility and in simplicity, to open our hearts to the gifts of God, to live with hope and become better witnesses of Jesus' kingdom every day by our very lives.

"The will of God — nothing less, nothing more, nothing else."

2011-11-28T06:21:00.000-08:00

I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same. - C.S. Lewis

(Isaiah 2:1-5)
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!

“Let us climb the Lord’s mountain” is what we strive to do each and every day of our lives. At the beginning of every day we make a choice to climb God’s mountain. Some days the mountain is Pike’s Peak while other days the mountain is more like a gently rolling slope.

The house of the Lord will be on the top of the mountain and all will stream toward it, from all directions, each on their own path. Who is in this human stream seeking the Lord? The rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, the sick and lame, the morally upright and the morally corrupt, the victims and the perpetrators – in short, all of us, all 7 billion of us now wandering around on this planet.

Are we close to changing swords into plowshares? Well, there was a recent report that we live in one of the least violent times of human history. How can that be? I think it was based on the number of people in conflicts as a percentage of the total population, so the growth in numbers actually has made all of us a little safer. We still train for war, and still spend a lot of our resources on it (especially the US). But we also have increased agricultural yields to un-dreamed of levels, we have eradicated many diseases, we have provided educational and cultural and societal opportunities around the world that could not have been anticipated a century ago.

So where is the Lord’s house? Is it on top of a mountain, or is it in each of us as we strive to move forward on the path that calls us to the Lord? Don’t we really build the house of the Lord one small act at a time by our reverence for each person, by our willingness to stop and help, by our civility, by our recognition that the Lord is in each of us, and therefore we all are in the house of the Lord in our every moment? And don’t we chip away at the house of the Lord when our anger, our frustration, our selfishness, our greed, causes us to think only of ourselves and not of the other 7 billion pilgrims on their path to the house of the Lord?

And so my prayer today is for the grace to recognize the needs of our fellow pilgrims and act toward them in a way that adds a small piece to the house of the Lord as we journey together.

First Sunday of Advent - Prepare the way!

2011-11-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

"Rejoice and be glad that so great and good a Lord, on coming into the Virgin's womb, willed to appear despised, needy, and poor in this world, so that men who were in dire poverty and suffering great need of heavenly food might be made rich in him." -- St. Clare of Assisi

Gospel text (Mk 13,33-37):
Jesus said to his disciples: «Be alert and watch, for you don't know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, for you don't know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If He comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all: watch».

The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is far off in the deeps of it somewhere a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You walk up the steps to the front door. The empty windows at either side of it tell you nothing, or almost nothing. For a second you catch a whiff of some fragrance that reminds you of a place you’ve never been and a time you have no words for. You are aware of the beating of your heart…The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens.

Advent is the name of that moment.

“The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it.”

2011-11-26T14:06:00.001-08:00

Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices.” - St Teresa of Avila

Gospel text (Lk 21,34-36):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."

One wonders why the dire warnings at this particular time. Shouldn’t the readings be more hopeful to prepare us for the beginning of Advent?

But, if we can get beyond these dire warnings, we see that there is hope. There is the promise that God will be a just judge. He will be there during the anxieties of our days and any sufferings that we encounter. He does not expect that we do it on our own; it is our faith and trust in God that saves us. He is honored by our trust not by our fear.

As we finish this church year, may we put the anxieties of our lives in the loving hands of Jesus so that we can focus on preparing for his coming and bask in the warmth of his love.

Forever is composed of “nows”

2011-11-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

"People were not created merely to live here on earth like animals that disappear after their death, but to live with God and in God, and to live not for a hundred or a thousand years, but to live eternally." -- Bishop Innocent of Alaska

Gospel text (Lk 21,29-33):
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
"Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away."

Imagine you thought today was Thanksgiving Day and you wondered where the turkey was. Did anyone ever call you at 3AM and ask if they woke you? These are situations where people have no sense of time.

This time warp is even worse in spiritual reality. Some people think they have years to go but really they have only minutes. Others expect our civilization and lifestyle to last forever, although history indicates just the opposite. Some think the "thousand year" millennium mentioned in Revelation hasn't started; others think it's about to end (Rv 20:3, 6). Some believe there's no chance of Jesus' final coming today; others say "soon and very soon." Jesus says: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. You observe them when they are budding, and know for yourselves that summer is near. Likewise when you see all the things happening of which I speak, know that the reign of God is near" (Lk 21:29-31).

What time is it? "Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2) "It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near" (Rm 13:11-12). "You are not in the dark, brothers, that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief" (1 Thes 5:4).

"Therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober!" (1 Thes 5:6) God is signaling for a time-out. Time will be out and eternity will be in.

Happy “Thanks”---“Giving”

2011-11-24T07:16:00.001-08:00

“Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.”

Gospel text (Lk 21,20-28):
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."

Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world?

It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God's goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.

Fall seven times, stand up eight!

2011-11-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Pray! Pray, but with faith – with living faith! Courage! Onward, ever onward!" - (The words of St John Bosco as he was dying)

Gospel text (Lk 21,12-19):
Jesus said to the crowd:
"They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

What is today’s Gospel calling us to do? It is an invitation to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who to this very day are facing persecution. Regrettably, some will face death. They are indeed the martyrs of this era. Their faith in Jesus provides an enormous witness value to all of us. The question is, of course, do we let it become a witness value for us?

Hence, we need to reflect about how willing we are to live our lives more fully as Christians. Certainly in the first world and in the developing nations there is such a growing secularism that forces so many Christians and other religious people to privatize their faith lives. That is, to make their faith more of a private matter in the home or at Church and to never let their beliefs lead them to act at work or in the larger community. That has led people, perhaps including you, to be so reluctant to address communal issues from a Christian perspective. For an example, do you have the courage to speak out against injustices and immoral actions? We are being called to be more assertive in living out our faith.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers to give us the wisdom to speak and to address our adversaries or those who may reject us due to our faith. We should be consoled by that promise! In fact, the real message is this: that God will always be there for us. Now on our part, we need to decide if we can place such trust in God where ever we are in the world!

Each one of us has experienced unspeakable moments’ of pain, betrayal and sadness in this life. Moments when it seems that all is lost. Jesus has promised not to leave us, not to forget us, not to turn away from us. He hasn’t left me out there to wade through the muck and mire of each painful moment by myself. On the contrary, he’s made a promise to be there.

While this promise doesn’t mean we won’t experience hardship and pain in this life (we will) what it does promise is something greater, something that supersedes the pain of this life and something that can never be taken away from us. Not only does Jesus promise to be with us always, providing us with wisdom and grace for every situation, he assures us that in the end no part of us will be destroyed but rather that our lives will be secured through our perseverance in this world.

Man is harder than rock and more fragile than an egg

2011-11-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

Only the man who has faith and is inspired by charity can rise above the miseries, the meannesses, and the malice of this world; instead, the man who lets himself be overcome by the spirit of illicit gain, of overweening hatred, and of impurity, is doomed to suffer, first here below, because he can never be entirely satisfied, and later in the other world. - Pope John XXIII, Daily Papal Messages

Gospel text (Lk 21,5-11):
While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here?
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
"I am he," and "The time has come."
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end."
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

It seems easy for us to believe that we have control over these things. We go on our merry way thinking that we will be here forever -- we accumulate possessions as though we are going to take them with us. I still occasionally see the bumper sticker that says, 'He who dies with the most toys wins.' What exactly does he win? Eternal life? Happiness? Our precious lives are short and we need to live them in Faith and to reject the pressures that amassing things is a way to win.

Today’s gospel addresses the fragility and finiteness of our earthly structures both literally and figuratively. We can build and build, making bigger and taller structures yet none will be permanent, and all will eventually fall. This finite nature is not limited to physical structures, nations, societies; political realms are all just as fragile. There is only one eternal aspect of life -- our Faith. Life on this earth will challenge us in a variety of ways and will pass, but it is our Faith that will sustain us and save us. Everything, except the love of God, is transient.

How can we live fearlessly, die fearlessly, and even face the end of the world fearlessly? We conquer fear by love. "Love has no room for fear" (1 Jn 4:18). "Perfect love" is not necessarily sinlessness but complete commitment. If we love the Lord with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength (Lk 10:27), we will be so filled with love that our love will crowd out all fears.

Lesson of the day: Give it up. We should not give up in our endeavors, but give our stresses up to the Lord. Pray. Trust. Ask for peace and guidance. If we always do this, then we should have nothing to fear.

"Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow."

2011-11-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

“The Christian faith is meant to be lived moment by moment. It isn't some broad, general outline--it's a long walk with a real Person. Details count: passing thoughts, small sacrifices, a few encouraging words, little acts of kindness, brief victories over nagging sins.”

Gospel text (Lk 21,1-4):
When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, "I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

Money is a power in our world that takes many forms. We meet budgets, send aid, search for jobs, collect dividends, and confront the growing gap between rich and poor. My credit score sits next to my bank account as a measure of my worth in the eyes of the world. Entering into my heart, I find expectations shaped by a capitalist world that I sometimes mistake for the only way the world could be. The financial crisis stirs up fear. What future will our children face? Our spirit shrinks with our retirement funds. Gravity gets the upper hand and grace retreats.

The widow was alone and vulnerable. She had very little to grasp. Yet she realizes how many blessings fill her life. Set free by gratitude, she digs into her meager rations to share her wealth with others. Her generosity was not designed to win favors from God or temple leaders. It was not simply adherence to the law. The widow knew a fullness missing from the grasping hands of those who never have enough. She knew abundance and her response was to share with others.

The widow's generosity is a good lesson for us, Christ's disciples. We can be extremely generous, as the wealthy people that were «putting their gifts into the treasure box» (Lk 21:1). But, none of this will be worth while if we only give “from our plenty”, without a loving or generous spirit, without offering ourselves along. St. Augustine says: «They looked at the great offerings from the wealthy and they praised them for that. And, even if they could see the widow later on, how many did notice those two coins...? She gave whatever she had, for she had God in her heart. But she had plenty, for she had God in her heart. It is better to have God in our soul than gold in the safe». Quite true!

Let us be generous with God and He will be much more so with us.

Remember the Small Things - There lies the key to heaven

2011-11-20T06:41:00.000-08:00

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. - Mother Teresa

(Matthew 25:31-46)
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

Reflection by Mother Teresa: Some of my sisters work in Australia. On a reservation, among the Aborigines, there was an elderly man. I can assure you that you have never seen a situation as difficult as that poor old man's. He was completely ignored by everyone. His home was disordered and dirty. I told him, "Please, let me clean your house, wash your clothes, and make your bed." He answered, "I'm okay like this. Let it be."

I said again, "You will be still better if you allow me to do it."
He finally agreed. So I was able to clean his house and wash his clothes. I discovered a beautiful lamp, covered with dust. Only God knows how many years had passed since he last lit it.

I said to him, "Don't you light your lamp? Don't you ever use it?"
He answered, "No. No one comes to see me. I have no need to light it. Who would I light it for?"

I asked, "Would you light it every night if the sisters came?"
He replied, "Of course."

From that day on the sisters committed themselves to visiting him every evening. We cleaned the lamp, and the sisters would light it every evening.

Two years passed. I had completely forgotten that man. He sent this message: "Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life continues to shine still."

I thought it was a very small thing. We often neglect small things.

"In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You."--Saint Augustine

2011-11-18T05:52:00.000-08:00

In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on account of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.--St. Thomas Aquinas

Gospel text (Lk 19,45-48):
Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
"It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves."
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

Physically, we need to wash and take a shower or a bath every day. Likewise, we need Jesus to cleanse the temple of our body each day (1 Cor 6:19).

As temples of God, we must remain fit and always become more holy. From time to time, we need to make changes in our lives – sometimes small, sometimes radical. It may be that all we need is the grace to be aware of the need for change, or we may need our tables overturned. We need not fear in either case, for Christ is committed to remain at our side to help us make whatever change of habit or heart that is needed.

It is well to remember that the effort itself is formative. That is what God is asking from us.

Our job will always be to keep our minds and hearts attentive to why God makes us a temple in the first place: to receive God’s love and to return it by sharing it with others: our families and close circles of friends, our collaborators at work, the needy on the street, in the hospitals, soup kitchens, classrooms, or at any cross-roads we come to. God made us because God loves us. With that love comes a call: to be holy, prayerful, and ready to love others, even to the point of sacrificing ourselves for their sake. This call enables God to reach out, through us, with love for them and to help them become Holy. This is how the Kingdom of God grows.

Let Jesus cleanse your temple each day, so He will not have to cleanse you when the garbage has piled up. Let Him take out the garbage today. Be clean and pure as He is (1 Jn 3:3).

If thou art willing to suffer no adversity, how wilt thou be the friend of Christ? --Thomas à Kempis

2011-11-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

“No one can sum up all God is able to accomplish through one solitary life, wholly yielded, adjusted, and obedient to Him”

Gospel text (LK 19,41-44):
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
"If this day you only knew what makes for peace?
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

The Gospel reading is brief; it follows Jesus’ entering Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. He's received the praise and recognition worthy of his Kingship. But, today he knows not all the people have heard his word, and instead he will be put to death in this great city. So he weeps when he sees Jerusalem because the people “did not recognize the time of your visitation.” He weeps because even though they have seen, they do not believe, and he says they do not know what makes for peace. A lesson for those of us who do believe in Him and have read His teachings but still do not choose to follow them.

The thought of Jesus weeping is very moving to me. I think about how little His coming means to people today.

However, we Christians cannot just be stuck with our mourning, nor can we be misfortune foretellers, but rather, men of hope. We know the end of the story, we know Christ has tumbled down the walls and broken the chains: the tears He is shedding in this Gospel anticipate the blood, which He has saved us with.

This is why, we must thank God and discover amid us He who visits and redeems. Even when Christ “seems” to be “hidden from your / (our) eyes.”

The way of the world is, to praise dead saints, and persecute living ones

2011-11-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

“If you succeed there is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone will succeed after.”

(2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31):
It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.

Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,
who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,
yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.
Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage,
she exhorted each of them
in the language of their ancestors with these words:
"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb;
it was not I who gave you the breath of life,
nor was it I who set in order
the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe
who shapes each man's beginning,
as he brings about the origin of everything,
he, in his mercy,
will give you back both breath and life,
because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law."

Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words,
thought he was being ridiculed.
As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him,
not with mere words, but with promises on oath,
to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs:
he would make him his Friend
and entrust him with high office.
When the youth paid no attention to him at all,
the king appealed to the mother,
urging her to advise her boy to save his life.
After he had urged her for a long time,
she went through the motions of persuading her son.
In derision of the cruel tyrant,
she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language:
"Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months,
nursed you for three years, brought you up,
educated and supported you to your present age.
I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth
and see all that is in them;
then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things;
and in the same way the human race came into existence.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them."

She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said:
"What are you waiting for?
I will not obey the king's command.
I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.
But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews,
will not escape the hands of God."

This week marks the 22nd anniversary of the execution of six Salvadoran Jesuits, their community worker, and her young daughter.

What does it mean to lay down my life; to disregard my own interests for the sake of God’s work through my being? The martyred Jesuits knew the dangers they faced due to the previous killings of Catholic priests in the country. But they continued to denounce war, poverty and violence as “social sin.” They knew the tragedies around them were unjust, immoral and impractical, but they went further and named systemic injustice as a violation of God’s will, as blasphemy and idolatry. Their deaths remain one of the greatest tragedies of Catholic priests in a lifetime, but every year we “represent” their memories and mission by joyfully walking towards Christ while the violent and unforgiving world attempts to harden our hearts. The Jesuit martyrs remind us that life is short. Their blood calls us to wake up, practice a mature Christianity, use our talents wisely, and spend our days working on behalf of the world’s poor. Their deaths warn us not to waste the precious time we have been given. They cry out: Seek God! Love one another! Serve the least, hunger and thirst for justice, and make peace while there is still time.

Finally, the Jesuit martyrs invite us to be people of true hope; the essence of our Christian identity. They avoided the cheap hope so common in our comfortable, apathetic culture. Instead, the martyrs point us to the hope of Jesus on the cross, the hope that comes close to despair, the hope that pursues justice and peace even though it seems so futile. The martyrs teach us to place our hope in God, and so to know that the outcome, the results of our work, are in God’s hands. As we learn this hard lesson, we find the strength to give our lives too for a new world without war, poverty, and everyday violence; whether or not we live to see the fruit of our work. We go forward in hope, even joy, when we represent and celebrate their lives this week because we know that their earthly words and actions have been given new breath and life by our Creator.

Climb a tree. See Jesus. Be a tree

2011-11-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion; it is like a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ. – Billy Graham

Gospel text (Lk 19,1-10):
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house."
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over."
And Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost."

The world is full of Zacchaeuses and like Zacchaeus, we need a “tree” to climb so we can see Jesus.

Zacchaeus was short. He seemed to be always standing on his tiptoes to look taller. He had taken the job of tax collector to make "big money," possibly to compensate for his small size. Zacchaeus was another Napoleon, a short man trying to make a big impression. But it didn't work. The more Zacchaeus tried to be big, the shorter he got — not physically but spiritually. He was short on justice, love, mercy, peace, happiness, and hope.

Finally, Zacchaeus tried one more time to be tall. He climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. Jesus looked up at the man who had climbed the ladder of success in business, and told him to "hurry down" (Lk 19:5) — not just down the tree but down the power tower of his life. Zacchaeus gave up a life of focusing on himself and comparing himself with others and chose a life of denying his very self and following Jesus (Lk 9:23). Then Zacchaeus no longer needed to be tall, for the life he lived was not his own but a life of faith in Jesus (Gal 2:20).

Like Zacchaeus, we are all “short”. We can spend our lives on tiptoe, up trees, and climbing ladders, or we can live for Jesus and others.

Christianity is the most radical decision possible for a human being. To follow the crucified Savior is to lose our lives (Lk 9:24) and be "delivered from the futile way of life" handed on to us by our materialistic culture (1 Pt 1:18). Let us be converted as Zacchaeus was converted. Let us be crucified with Christ (Gal 2:19).

Let us love as Jesus loves.

My blindness is my sight

2011-11-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

The more perfectly and purely we see, the more perfectly and purely we love – Blessed Angela of Foligno

Gospel text (Lk 18,35-43):
As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me!"
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Spiritual blindness may be more common in our Western culture than spiritual sight. So many have been blinded by secular humanism, "the god of the present age" (2 Cor 4:4). Quite often, our society, the culture of the “politically correct”, will try to shut us up: with the blind man in today’s gospel they were not able to. He did not shrink back. Despite «people (…) scolded him, ‘Be quiet!’, he cried out all the more, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’» (Lk 18:39). What a wonderful thing!

Today’s Gospel gives us another example of persistent cries from one who needs help. While others attempted to silence him, he persisted in crying out. Remarkably, Jesus does not ignore or marginalize him, but instead engages with him in a beautiful way. Jesus’ question is a powerful one: “What do you want me to do for you?” All of us could sit for a while with that question. We are often tempted to turn it around so that we get to ask the question. It is more comfortable that way, and of course it is good to want to do something for Him with our lives. But perhaps today it would be good to sit with the possibility that God is asking us that question. How will we answer?

Jesus healing the sight of the blind man – a well-known parable from Luke – is the problem most nations have with the homeless and the “untouchables”. Jesus served those in need, and lived with the impoverished, while we segregate them out of our society and into their own shelters and onto the street. We have let this happen right under our noses without a second glance, however it is also the responsibility of our society and of our hearts to see these problems and take steps in the right direction, standing up for what we believe.

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God

2011-11-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

(Mt 25:14-30): Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.

After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

When Jesus asks for an account of your service, you tell Him: "Lord, I've given everything I have to serve You for years. I've gone without sleep, had more children in obedience to You, completed spiritual projects no one but You cared about, been persecuted and ridiculed for You. I've fed Your sheep spiritually and physically for years (see Jn 21:15). It's all because I love You."

If we aren't good stewards and don't administer the mysteries the Lord has entrusted to us, Jesus said he would take away His graces from us and give them to others (see Mt 25:29). We see this happening as Christians in Europe and the USA lose their faith while new Christians in the third-world are showered with faith, joy, enthusiasm, power, boldness, healings, miracles, and religious vocations. When most first-world Christians failed in good stewardship, they lost their faith and God poured out His graces on others. However, if we repent, we will see God's graces return.

Rather than bury our talents in the ground, let’s consciously recognize the gifts God has given us and make a concerted effort to utilize them for God’s greater glory.

How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer. --St. Teresa of Avila

2011-11-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

“If we really understand the Eucharist, if we really centre our lives on Jesus' Body and Blood, if we nourish our lives with the Bread of the Eucharist, it will be easy for us to see Christ in that hungry one next door, the one lying in the gutter, the alcoholic man we shun, our husband or our wife, or our restless child. For in them, we will recognize the distressing disguises of the poor: Jesus in our midst.” - Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Lk 18,1-8):
Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, "There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
"Render a just decision for me against my adversary."
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
"While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.""
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

A necessity is something that we must have or do. Otherwise, we will suffer dire consequences. For example, food is a necessity. If we don't have it, we die. Jesus teaches that it is a necessity not only to pray but to pray always (Lk 18:1). Otherwise, we will suffer dire consequences.

How can we pray always? The Spirit "helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rm 8:26). The Spirit changes the necessity of praying always from an impossible burden to a privilege and a constant miracle. To pray always is to do God's will always because we are always aware of His presence. To pray always is to abide in love and abide in God (1 Jn 4:16). To pray always is to share in heaven.

Ask Jesus to teach you to pray always (see Lk 11:1). In answer to your prayer, God the Father through Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to help you pray always. You will enter into the mystery of Trinitarian love. Pray always.

"No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today." - Fra Giovanni

2011-11-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

We all long for heaven where God is, but we have it in our power to be in heaven with him right now--to be happy with him at this very moment. But being happy with him now means: loving as he loves, helping as he helps, giving as he gives, serving as he serves, rescuing as he rescues, being with him for all the twenty-four hours, touching him in his distressing disguise. -MOTHER TERESA

Gospel text (Lk 17,20-25):
Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, "Look, here it is," or, "There it is."
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."

Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
"Look, there he is," or "Look, here he is."
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."

Paraphrasing Charles Dickens, we can say, “these are the best of times, these are the worst of times.” To one day be living in a country apparently so secure, so wealthy, so advanced, so strong, so gifted, and so blessed, and the next day to be living in the same country now so threatened, so fearful, so sorrowful, and so struggling is a mystery and a challenge. Many are asking: How can this be? What happened? Where is our God who has been with us for so long? Where do we turn, who do we trust, and what do we do? What do we tell our children and our young adults?

As I reflected on today’s Gospel, this was the verse that really grabbed my attention. If someone told me that Heaven was all around me, I do not know what I would think. When we ponder the many problems in the world, from abortion and hunger to poverty and disease, we may ask ourselves how this could reflect Heaven, a place of perfection. But perhaps it is because we merely see with our eyes. God, however, does not see with eyes like us. He sees with the eyes of the heart. What would we see if we saw life through God’s eyes rather than through our own?

Most perfectly, however, the Kingdom of God is found in the Mass. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is present every day to us in the Eucharist, yet how many times do we actually take advantage of that wonderful opportunity? The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the pinnacle of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, for God himself is truly present to us. We cannot see the great gift of the Mass through human eyes. With the eyes of humanity, we merely see neighbors and friends eating bread and wine, but with the eyes of the heart, with the eyes of Faith, we see our brothers and sisters in Christ partaking in the feast of Heaven and earth, physically holding and becoming one with Christ Jesus. He is the greatest gift we could ever receive. Yet how many times are we bored with the Mass? How many times do we wish we were making better use of our time? The Kingdom of God is literally there with us, but we never seem to notice.

Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.--Saint Francis of Assisi

2011-11-09T05:39:00.001-08:00

God’s invitation to become saints is for all, not just a few. Sanctity therefore must be accessible to all. In what does it consist? In a lot of activity? No. In doing extraordinary things? No, this could not be for everybody and at all times. Therefore, sanctity consists in doing good, and in doing this good in whatever condition and place God has placed us. Nothing more, nothing outside of this.--Blessed Louis Tezza

(1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17);
Brothers and sisters:
You are God's building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God's temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

On a daily basis I don’t think about myself being the temple of God. It’s easy to associate God’s dwelling place as the church, but in fact, every single Christian is a temple of God. The Bible says that the temple of God is holy. If we are the temples and we are holy, why do we mindlessly do so many things to dishonor and displease God? The answer is simple. We are humans and we are naturally prone to mistakes and sin. God was gracious enough to send Jesus to save us from those sins. We can’t have the mindset that we can do whatever we want today because we will be forgiven tomorrow. Because we are the place where God dwells, we need to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to him.

God is with us always no matter what. Imagine yourself handcuffed to Jesus. He is with you and he’s not going anywhere. Now wouldn’t you be a little more cautious if you could see him standing next to you watching your every move every day? The fact of the matter is that it shouldn’t take an extreme like that to make us want to do things that are pleasing to God. As Christians it shouldn’t be a burden to do things, say things, or even think things that honor him. It should be our desire to honor God in all things.

Everyone struggles with this. When I’m struggling to make the right decisions or do the right thing, I ask myself what I would do if Jesus were standing right next to me. Next time we are struggling let us ask ourselves: Would I use that kind of language around Jesus? What if Jesus could hear what I’m thinking?' Whether we ask these questions or not, as Christians God resides within us and is with us every step of the way. Let us honor him not just by our words but by our life.

The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit

2011-11-08T05:50:00.001-08:00

Having chosen our course, without guile and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear and with manly hearts. - Abraham Lincoln

(Wisdom 2:23—3:9)
God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive. – Mother Teresa

2011-11-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” ~Thomas à Kempis

Gospel text (Lk 17,1-6): Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, "I am sorry,"
you should forgive him."

And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

While studying the readings for today at Mass, I noticed a common theme: God’s presence in our lives. Not just when we pray or go to church, but in the smallest, most seemingly insignificant of moments. Not just when we’re on our best behavior and doing everything as we ought, but when we disobey and ignore him.

I’m afraid we often see God as disconnected, separate from us in his Kingdom in the sky, if you will. Being reminded of his constant presence thus initially gave me pause; I did not like the idea that God was watching my every stumble and failure, knowing “when I sit and when I stand” and aware of every thought and word before it even enters my mind. To have all my shortcomings laid out, completely bare, before the one that I desire to please the most, sounds awful. I found myself wondering how I could hide, much like in Psalms 139:7, “Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee?” My options, it appears are limited, for “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.”

But the more I read, the more I found to comfort my agitation. God may be there to see every fault and mistake, but he is also steadfastly there to pick us up again and set us on the right path. In the Responsorial Psalm, the response says, “guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.” It is a plea for God’s assistance but also a guarantee that he will always be there to help. “If I take the wings of the dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast.” In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells us that as many times as another sins against us but then asks for forgiveness, we are to forgive him. This is an illustration of what God does for us; he is always there to guide and forgive us. All we have to do is ask in the Sacrament of Reconciliation!

And that is a comforting thought indeed.

He who doesn't fear death dies only once

2011-11-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. ~Mark Twain

Gospel text (Mt 25,1-13):
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Today people seek wisdom but in a different way and with different intentions. People desire power and money and one way to get there is through wisdom and knowledge. However it’s a different kind of wisdom, a worldly and self-centered wisdom rather than the divine clarity we hear about in the readings today at Mass. Our soul should be thirsting for God and his perfect truths as the response echoes today. God is the ultimate wisdom through whom we acquire any wisdom, through whom we are blessed with our minds to think with in the first place. One valuable lesson my father taught me is that we become what we think about. If we ponder God and his infinite wisdom we shall transcend our human nature and see clearly with the eyes of Christ.

This parable in the Gospel of Matthew today continues to reinforce this great wisdom we are all called to have. The distinguishing factor between the five virgins that are able to attend the wedding feast of the Lord and the five who are left behind is wisdom. The five that are wise enough to bring the extra oil along to wait for the bridegroom are prepared and waiting when he finally arrives. This may seem like an obvious foresight and a minor example of wisdom, but Jesus is pointing to so much more in this parable today. He is showing us that we must seek the wisdom of God in order to be prepared for his coming. Through our regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist God is able to pour his almighty wisdom into our hearts. He will reveal his truths to us as his wisdom “makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her...”

So today let us be found worthy and awake when the Lord comes. We know not the day or the hour; today God calls us to urgently seek him at all times.

Like a person still remaining poor, close to a great treasure — he need only stretch out his hand.

2011-11-05T09:55:00.001-07:00

"There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy." - anonymous

Gospel text (Lk 16,9-15):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon."

The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
"You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God."

Faithfulness to small things falls within our reach. Our days are usually formed by what we call as “very normal things”: the same job, the same people, some pious practices, our family... And it is in these ordinary realities where we must fulfill ourselves as persons and grow in holiness. «Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones» (Lk 16:10). We must do all things well, with upright intention and a sincere desire to please God, our Father; when we do if for love, it has a greater value and prepare us for the “true goods”. How well did St. Josemaria express it!: «Have you seen how that imposing building was built? One brick upon another. Thousands. But, one by one. And bags of cement, one by one. And blocks of stone, each of them insignificant compared with the massive whole. And beams of steel. And men working, the same hours, day after day... Have you seen how that imposing building was built?... By dint of little things!».

One of the challenging characteristics of our time is the desire to have it all. We can tend to want to be people of faith and, at the same time, to be part of the values of our culture. It is easy to not even recognize the desire to want to try to serve God and to also serve our earthly desires. Jesus tells us so clearly in the parable of the dishonest steward, which we had yesterday, and in these sayings which follow it, that we can't serve both. We can't have it both ways. There is an incompatibility between these two types of service. Serving God is irreconcilable with worldly wealth. We can't have two masters.

Today, each of us can ask ourselves if the Lord is the center of our lives. What possession, possessions, honors, status, future security, dream is standing in the way of my choice to completely live as he has taught us? What things, what ways of living, what dependencies, what desires have some mastery over my life? What freedom can I ask for today? Who around me is in greater need than I am? What changes do all of us need to make - what cultural change is necessary - for us all to make this world the place that Jesus desires for us, for everyone?

Who is rich? He that rejoices in his portion

2011-11-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

"Better to have fewer wants than greater riches to supply increasing wants." - Saint Augustine.

Gospel text (Lk 16,1-8):
Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
"What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward."
The steward said to himself, "What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes."
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said, "How much do you owe my master?"
He replied, "One hundred measures of olive oil."
He said to him, "Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty."
Then to another he said, "And you, how much do you owe?"
He replied, "One hundred measures of wheat."
He said to him, "Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty."
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light."

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward intrigues me. As I reflected on it today, I wondered what it has to say to us in our times. We are frustrated by story after story of dishonest money managers in the banking and investment systems of our economy. What does Jesus have to say about this? Is he saying that a shrewd money manager is a good example for us to follow even it means being dishonest and putting our self interests before those of others? No, according to the bible commentaries I read, Jesus used an example of a dishonest person to make a point about our stewardship of God’s gifts to us. While the dishonest steward sought to ingratiate himself to the debtors to serve his own interests, he cheated the master. In this story, God is the master and it’s not money that is the problem here, it is the way we use money to gain influence and power that God doesn’t like. We can use money righteously or unjustly and God wants us to know the difference.

When I read this passage, I am reminded of the important distinction I must make in my own life: am I child of this world, or am I child of the light? The children of this world watch out for their gains here on earth, while the children of the light keep their gaze fixed on their heavenly reward. The dishonest steward, as a child of the world, knew that he was going to lose his current job because of his mistreatment of his master’s property. He was “not strong enough to dig and…ashamed to beg” (Lk. 16:3) and so he took the necessary steps to ensure that he would be able to live the life he wanted.

The dishonest steward took steps to secure a good place in the world. However, as we know, the world and all its riches will pass away. God, on the other hand, calls us to secure a good place for ourselves not in this world, but in eternity. Each day is a new opportunity to share Christ’s love with others. In sharing our gifts, we help ensure that we, along with our family, friends, and coworkers can all make heavenly gains, and truly be the children of the light we are called to be.

This whole system of stewardship to God is very different from the shrewdness of this world. There are those who place all of their confidence in the system of this world. They trust it because they can make it work for them. Christians need to put their trust in God and gain wisdom and confidence from doing God’s will through generosity. And we need to trust that this does work for us through God’s grace. I am the first to say that it is difficult. But unfortunately, when we give into fear and hold back from helping others because the economy threatens us, we are being dishonest to God.

So I am praying that I will gain the kind of wisdom that will give me the confidence to be more generous.

The things that we love tell us what we are. --Saint Thomas Aquinas

2011-11-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. -- Pope St. Gregory the Great

Gospel text (Lk 15,1-10):
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
"Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep."
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

"Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
"Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost."
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents."

Why were the tax collectors and the sinners so attracted to Jesus? Isn’t it strange that the so called ¨bad¨ were so attracted to the good? What was he saying that was so inviting to this demographic? What is it about this message of Christ’s that is so intriguing to stormy hearts?

One thing, I’m sure, was his story of the lost sheep in today’s Gospel. The clear message in the story was not: if you mess up I will leave you and never come back, but the exact opposite: if you make a mistake or fall behind, I will stop and search for you at potentially a great personal cost. We all have ways in which we’re just a little bit lost, but Jesus will leave the other 99 in an instant to search for each of us.

I think the attraction of Jesus´ message was the beauty of his love and calling of each person. Each soul yearns for this love, but sometimes we just don’t know how to find it. We try all of the wrong things, all of the sins, but we really are searching for Christ’s love. However, we learn today that if we ask him, Christ will come find us like his lost sheep.

Let us further add that the lesson Jesus gives to the Pharisees is also an example for all of us; we cannot throw sinners away from us. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved» (Jn 3:17). While the Pharisees believed they were so righteous and felt they needed no doctor, it is actually for them —the evangelist says— that Jesus proposes the parables we read today.

Eternal rest, grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them

2011-11-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

Purgatory shows God’s great mercy and washes away the defects of those who long to become one with Him. - Saint Josemaria Escriva

(John 6:37-40): Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated: "In a word, you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). We must be "perfect in holiness...irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes 5:23). The Lord commands us: "Become holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, after the likeness of the Holy One Who called you" (1 Pt 1:15). Without perfect holiness, we cannot "see the Lord" and be with Him forever in heaven (Heb 12:14).

After we have been baptized and have given our lives to Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and God, we begin walking "the road to holiness" (2 Pt 2:21). This is a long road, and sometimes we do not fully accept God's grace to become perfectly holy. If we die without complete holiness, the Lord will have mercy on us whom He has saved. He will give us time after death to complete our purification and growth in holiness. Although it is much better to do our purgatory of reparation, purification, and transformation before our deaths, the Lord gives hope and mercy to those not completely sanctified before death.

This feast day (All Souls Day) is one of the most loving celebrations in all the Church's liturgy. It is the day that we especially remember all the faithful departed-those who have passed from this life into the next. We don't know how long a particular individual who dies spends in purgatory. However, we do know that purgatory is real.

Purgatory shows that the Lord insists on our holiness, graces us to become holy, has mercy on us, and gives us hope.

Today we stop to remember all who have died. We especially pray for those who were related to us. We pray for those who taught us good things. We pray for those who made sacrifices for us. We pray for those who prayed for us while they were on this earth. We pray for the most forgotten souls. We pray for those who had great responsibilities while they were on earth.

We think of those holy souls in purgatory and we realize that they are saved. Now they wait, being purified, until the moment when they can be with God, face to face. We can pray for the souls in purgatory and hasten their journey to God.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

“The saints are the sinners who keep on going”

2011-11-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

"People who are born even-tempered, placid and untroubled -- secure from violent passions or temptations to evil -- those who have never needed to struggle all night with the Angel to emerge lame but victorious at dawn, never become great saints."

Gospel text (Mt 5,1-12a):
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

Some of the most important questions in life are: "Will I go to heaven, and see Jesus face to face?" (see 1 Jn 3:2) "Will I be at the everlasting family reunion in heaven?" "How do I become holy and go to heaven with all the holy ones?"

The Church teaches that we become holy by living the Beatitudes. This comes as quite a shock because it is humanly impossible to live the Beatitudes. However, the Holy Spirit will show us how to do the impossible. The Holy Spirit has taught us through Pope John Paul II that to live the Beatitudes we must make a sincere reappraisal of our lifestyle with a view to living more austerely and in solidarity with the poor of the world (Mission of the Redeemer, 59-60). Pope John Paul II taught: "In a word, we can say that the cultural change which we are calling for demands from everyone the courage to adopt a new lifestyle, consisting in making practical choices — at the personal, social, and international level" (The Gospel of Life, 98).

The Pope also taught and prophesied in the Holy Spirit that we can begin to reappraise our lifestyle and adopt a new one by praying and fasting (The Gospel of Life, 100). Through the Pope, the Holy Spirit has given us a detailed process by which we can accept God's grace to live the Beatitudes, grow in holiness, and become the saints God created us to be.

Yet, the call to become saints is not limited to the extraordinary individuals cannonized by the Catholic Church . You and I are called to be saints; we, too, are saints in the making. The secret of our movement toward that goal is the secret of the saints—union with Jesus. To what degree can I say everything about me and my life is for him, with him and from him? We ask the intercession of the saints today to give us the desire to live and walk more and more each day in union with Jesus, the Lamb of God.

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” ~ Mother Teresa

2011-10-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

“Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.” ~ Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Lk 14,12-14):
On a Sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

How many begging, crippled, lame, or blind people have you had over for supper lately?

Why does Jesus want us to eat with the poor and handicapped? It is not because they are so needy but because they are not able to repay us (Lk 14:14). The Lord calls us to look for situations in which we won't, or better yet, can't be repaid. As far as the Lord is concerned, thankless jobs are the best because we won't be repaid. Moreover, secret or obscure works are ideal, for no one but your Father knows about them (Mt 6:3-4, 6, 18). Thus, no one but your Father is in a position to repay you. Although we must often go public for Jesus to be His witnesses, there is a danger in this because we might be appreciated and rewarded. We must try as best we can to hide our life "with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). This guards against the temptation to live and work for payment rather than for pure love. Therefore, look around for situations that don't pay.

Let us beg from the Mother of God enough generosity so that we can elude any temptation of selfishness.

Preach what you practice

2011-10-30T04:46:00.001-07:00

The most persuasive gospel passage is the exemplary life

Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

The religious scholars and Pharisees in today’s readings are competent teachers in God's Law. For the most part, we won't go wrong in following their teachings. Yet, we are told to be careful about mirroring their actions. Although the Pharisees and religious scholars can talk a good line, they don't live out their words. They do not absorb the teachings of Moses into their hearts and reflect it through their behavior. Morosely, the Pharisees and religious scholars are not the only ones to fall short of reflecting God’s love to others. I know this because I am one who has fallen short.

Too often we put ourselves, or get put by others, onto a pedestal like the Pharisees because we can talk a good talk. We then can forget that we all have our shortcomings. Or at least we want to forget, so we don’t have to acknowledge to others we are not as good of a teacher as we come across to be. We must remember we all have a single Teacher, and we ALL are the classmates, continually learning and making mistakes.

"The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." -Matthew 23:11-12

We all want to stand out; to know that we are different. But let us all step down from our pedestal and learn to become a servant. God is constantly asking us, "What is more important, your pride or your relationship with me?" If we are willing to put our pride aside, our hearts will finally be filled with God’s grace and love. Only then can that love be reflected out onto others by our behavior.

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”--Saint Augustine

2011-10-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. - Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Lk 14,1.7-11):
On a Sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
"Give your place to this man,"
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
"My friend, move up to a higher position."
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Today, did you notice the beginning of this Gospel? «They [the Pharisees] were carefully watching him». Jesus also watched and «noticed how they tried to take the places of honor» (Lk 14:1). But... what a different way to watch!

Jesus says with words whatever He is, whatever He has in his heart: He is not looking to be honored but to honor; He does not think of his honor, but of his Father's glorification. He does not think of himself but of the other. Jesus' whole life is a revelation of who God is: “God is love”.

This is why, in Jesus, it becomes a reality —more than in anybody else— his teaching: «Rather, He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance (…) Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name» (Phil 2:7.9).

Jesus is Master in deeds and words. We, Christians, want to be his disciples. We can only assume the Master's behavior if we have inside our heart what He had, if we have his Spirit, his Spirit of love. Let us work to completely open ourselves to his Spirit and to let him get hold of us and be entirely possessed by him.

And, let us do this, without thinking of being “enhanced”, without thinking of us, but only of him. «Should there be no heaven, I would love you; should there be no hell, I would be afraid of you; just as I love you I should love you» (Author unknown). Being only carried by love.

It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life. --Saint John Chrysostom

2011-10-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

My little children, your hearts, are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the souls and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.--Saint John Vianney

(Luke 6:12-16)
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Today, we may contemplate a full day in the life of Jesus. A life with two clear sides: prayer and action

You may ask yourself a question. Did Jesus need these lengthy hours of lonely prayer, when everybody else was asleep?

Once we have well established our prayer life , it only remains for us to imitate Christ in our action. In today's gospel, we can see him “organizing the Church”, that is, choosing those who were to be his future evangelists, the followers of his mission on earth: «When day came, He called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom He called apostles» (Lk 6:13). We find him, later on, healing all types of sicknesses. «Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all» (Lk 6:19), the Evangelist says. So that our identification with him may be complete, we only need to digest the fact that this “power” to heal everybody may also come forth from us. But here is the key, the source of that “power” is not ourselves but Jesus. John the Baptist put it best, “I must decrease and he must increase” (Jn 3:30). This will only be possible if we remain in him, by developing a daily prayer life and participating in the Sacraments of the Church frequently (both the Eucharist & Confession). Then little by little, our lives will mirror more and more the life of our Lord. Scripture tells us, “for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Do you truly believe that?

I feel Mother Teresa captured this idea well when she said:

"Each of us is merely a small instrument. When you look at the inner workings of electrical things, often you see small and big wires, new and old, cheap and expensive lined up. Until the current passes through them there will be no light. That wire is you and me. The current is God.

"We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, produce the light of the world. Or we can refuse to be used and allow darkness to spread."

"Divine Providence, in its own good time, will defend the innocent." – St John Bosco

2011-10-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

“Let us not forget: we are a pilgrim church, subject to misunderstanding, to persecution, but a church that walks serene, because it bears the force of love.” - Archbishop Oscar A. Romero - martyr

(Romans 8:31-39)
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:

For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

St. Paul asks: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?" (Rm 8:35) This was no mere rhetorical question for Paul. He had experienced firsthand all of these dangers and more (see 2 Cor 11:23ff). He knew for "certain" that nothing could separate him from the love of God (Rm 8:38, 39). This certain knowledge of God's personal love for him gave Paul the courage to be more than a conqueror (Rm 8:37). No threat could deter Paul from carrying out his mission.

Just like Jesus, our lives as Catholics are not easy. While we are not living in a time or place where people may not want us physically dead, there is much adversity in our lives and cultures that makes being a Catholic difficult. Even in my experience, going to Catholic schools my whole life and coming from a predominately Catholic area, I have met many challenges to my faith. People who question, people who judge, people who see scandals, or mistakes, or simply don’t understand the fundamental tenants of my faith have all posed challenges.

We must never forget that we were baptized into Jesus, and like Paul, we have a mission from God. Pray to know God's love for you (Eph 3:18-19). This is where it all begins, a rock solid understanding that Jesus loves you, like no one ever has or ever will. Then "do not be afraid" (Mt 10:31). No threat can deter you from carrying out your God-given mission.

The goal is to live the mission, for people to see Jesus and to see what it means to be Catholic through me; through all of us.

“I believe in the surprises of the Holy Spirit.”

2011-10-27T05:48:00.001-07:00

“A man may read the figures on the dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the sun is shining on it; so we may read the Bible over, but we cannot learn until the Spirit of God shines upon us and into our hearts.”

(Romans 8:26-30)
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God's will.

We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.

Think about a time when you were going to do something wrong. Remember that feeling in your gut that you shouldn’t do it? How about the time when you felt drawn to pray or go to church for no explicable reason? Some call this feeling conscience. Christians call it the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit tends to be the underappreciated person of the Trinity. When we are in trouble or filled with joy, we rarely call upon the Spirit. Yet, the Spirit is indispensible. As St. Paul tells us, the Spirit is the one who helps us, because we do not know how to pray without the Spirit. It is the Spirit who moves our hearts to God and enables us to pray.

Everyone likes to say, “With God all things are possible.” And this is very true. But, we must also remember, “Without the Spirit, nothing is possible.”

“I believe in the surprises of the Holy Spirit.”

2011-10-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

When the world says, "Give up," - Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

2011-10-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

“God wishes us not to rest upon anything but His infinite goodness; do not let us expect anything, hope anything, or desire anything but from Him, and let us put our trust and confidence in Him alone.” -Saint Charles Borromeo

(Romans 8:18-25)
Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the first fruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.
For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

Hope is a difficult concept. As Paul mentioned in Romans 8:24, “For who hopes for what one sees?” The idea of trusting something we cannot see is not a natural human characteristic. As humans we are accustomed to only trust those things that we can see and touch. This makes faith in Christ difficult because we cannot see him. However, if we nurture our faith in Christ it is able to grow and produce incredible fruit. The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but when it is planted and nurtured it can grow to become a large bush.

A lengthy waiting period can either make or break our hope. We can react by growing bitter and losing hope. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prv 13:12). For example, a man had been sick for thirty-eight years (Jn 5:5ff). Although he daily placed himself in a position of hope by the side of the healing waters, he had lost hope and didn't expect to be healed. When Jesus came to him, he had excuses instead of expectations (Jn 5:7). He built his life around going through the motions of hope, but he was a man "without hope" (Eph 2:12).

Alternatively, we can use a long and difficult waiting period to increase in hope and get better instead of bitter. "Affliction makes for endurance, and endurance for tested virtue, and tested virtue for hope" (Rm 5:3-4). Instead of breaking our hope, the difficulty and the long period of time without seeing makes for a hope full of patient endurance (Rm 8:24-25). Simeon (Lk 2:25ff) and Anna (Lk 2:36ff) used a long period of waiting to grow better, not bitter. Instead of going through the motions of hope, they devoted their hearts to God and became full of hope.

For what have you been hoping and praying a long time? Are you going through the motions of praying for these intentions without having any real hope of the Lord answering your prayers? Like the growth of a mustard seed, sometimes in God's kingdom things take a long time. Ask God for an increase of hope. With Simeon and Anna, say: "this hope will not leave us disappointed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us" (Rm 5:5).

Each day brings a miracle of its own

2011-10-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” – CS Lewis

Gospel text (Lk 13,10-17):
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
"There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day."
The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the Sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day
from this bondage?"
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

We always have an excuse for not being healed. In our gospel passage, the chief of the synagogue said it was the wrong day for Jesus to release the stooped woman from her shackles (Lk 13:14, 16). If we are honest with ourselves, there's always something standing in the way of our being healed. Receiving God's healing means obeying "Doctor's orders" (Dr. Jesus), although we can think of a hundred excuses why not to obey. God's healing is for you, for now, and for here.

In Luke 13, we are provided with a very clear example of what it looks like when someone allows the work done by God in their life to define them. Having been crippled for 18 years, a woman is healed and set free by Jesus. Luke tells us “she at once stood up straight and glorified God.” Did it say she contemplated if she were truly healed, or just partially healed? Nope. Did it suggest that she continued to resume the gait of one crippled by disease simply because that was what she was accustomed to? No, of course not! She didn’t spend any time contemplating if she were healed or if she wasn’t, or if she should perhaps still move about her world as if she were still crippled just because she used to be (it would be absurd if she had, right?). Rather, she immediately stood up, and glorified the Lord, rejoicing in her new-found state of being. She embraced her new identity that she had been graced with, let go of her past, and walked into her future praising God for setting her free.

May we be more like the woman in Luke chapter 13. May we let go of our failures…sins…insecurities…fears. Not limit ourselves to the crippling definitions that they have over our lives, but rather embrace our new found identity in the Lord. May we allow him to define us, allow him to claim us as his children, as his beloved. May we go forth glorifying and sharing the great work that has been done in our lives, focusing our eyes upward and outward instead of inward and down.

“The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.”

2011-10-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

“Live simply so others may simply live.” - Mother Teresa

Exodus 22:20-26
Thus says the LORD:
"You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry.
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,
you shall not act like an extortioner toward him
by demanding interest from him.
If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge,
you shall return it to him before sunset;
for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.
What else has he to sleep in?
If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."

The reading today seems to be stating a version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would like done unto you.” This passage calls us to recognize the common ground we all share instead of our differences.

Mother Theresa Story:
A successful businessman traveled to India to spend a month working in one of Mother Teresa's shelters. He longed to meet the tiny nun, but Mother Teresa was traveling, and it wasn't until the day before his departure that he received an audience. When he was finally in her presence, much to his surprise, he burst into tears. All the times when he'd been self-centered, busy or focused on his own gain flashed before his eyes, and he felt an enormous sadness that he had missed so many opportunities in his life to give of himself and his resources. Without a word, Mother Teresa walked over to where he was seated, put her hands on his shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes. "Don't you know," she said, "that God knows you are doing the best that you can."

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” - Mother Teresa

'I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.' - Nelson Mandela

2011-10-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave - St. John Chrysostom

Romans 7:18-25
Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. What a universal theme this is. I know we all fight with this every day.

We're constantly tempted to focus on our limitations. Jesus gave us a new nature so we can instead focus on His omnipotence. Are you broke? Say not: "I'm so broke." Instead, say: "Jesus, You're my Wealth" (see Phil 3:8). Are you fearful? Say not: "I'm so afraid." Instead, say: "Jesus, You're my Helper. I will not be afraid" (see Heb 13:6). Are you overwhelmed? Say not: "I'm so swamped." Instead, say: "Jesus, You are Peace beyond all understanding. I know You'll work all things to the good" (see Phil 4:7; Eph 2:14; Rm 8:28). Are you in pain? Say not: "I can't bear this suffering." Instead, say: "Jesus, You suffered in agony for me. I trust Your love will carry me through this cross."

Let Jesus remove any vocabulary of limitation and give you free speech. Let Him fill your throat with the high praises of God (Ps 149:6) and the gift of tongues to praise Him "very well indeed" (1 Cor 14:17). May He give you "a well-trained tongue" (Is 50:4).

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”-St. Catherine of Siena

2011-10-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

....We must carry Jesus in our hearts to wherever He wants to go, and there are many places to which He may never go unless we take Him to them. None of us knows when the loveliest hour of our life is striking. It may be when we take Christ for the first time to that grey office in the city where we work, to the wretched lodging of that poor man who is an outcast, to the nursery of that pampered child, to that battleship, airfield, or camp... - Caryll Houselander: Lay Catholic writer and mystic

Luke 12:49-50:
Jesus said to his disciples, «I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled; but I have a baptism to undergo and what anguish I feel until it is over!

The symbol of fire has become a representation of who all Catholics are called to be. It’s this idea of being enflamed with passion and life: being enflamed with God. If I am to call myself a believer in God and follower of Jesus, then I cannot just go through the motions; rather I must consciously choose my actions and words to reflect God’s will and Jesus’ life. This idea of being on fire, of actively acting out our faith, is the way in which Jesus and so many others have lived, and what I think he is calling us to do here. Jesus did not just sit in the temple and preach to a specific few. Rather, he was out with the people, eating with them, talking with them, living with them. He took an active role in society and shared his faith by living it. Similarly, John the Baptist was on fire – preaching the coming of the Son of God even when met with hostility. Dorothy Day was on fire when she established the Catholic Worker Program. The six Jesuit martyrs and the four church women martyrs were on fire as they worked in and with the people of El Salvador.

When St. Ignatius said “Go forth and set the world on fire”, he was calling us to do the same as Jesus has said here – to let ourselves be engulfed in the fire and spirit of God and to share it with others. Jesus came at the time he did because that’s when he was most needed – when things needed to be shaken up and lives refocused. We must continue to set on fire ourselves and share this passion, this light through our actions. We must stay focused in the will of God so that our lives radiate his love.

Have great aspirations! Train your goals onward and upward! Seek your personal perfection, that of your family, that of your work, that of your deeds, that of the assignments you receive. The saints have always aspired to the highest goals. They have not been afraid to face efforts and stress. They have moved. Carry on, move, too! Remember St. Augustine's words: «If you say enough, you are lost. Go further, keep going. Don't stay in the same place, don't go back, don't go off the road. Who does not move forward, stops; who keeps thinking of the starting point, goes backwards; he who reneges goes off the road. It is better to limp along that way than to stride along some other route». And he adds: «If want to be what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have stopped. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing». Are you advancing or have you stopped?

Implore the help of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Hope!

Those who have been given much, much will be expected

2011-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

Do not forget that there are many children, many women, many men in this world who do not have what you have, and make sure that you love them, too, until it hurts. – Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Gospel text (Lk 12:39-48): Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

Then Peter said,
"Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"
And the Lord replied,
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
"My master is delayed in coming,"
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant's master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master's will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

Jesus has come that we might have abundant life, life to the full (Jn 10:10). He plans to fill our cup to overflowing (Ps 23:5) and lavish the Holy Spirit upon us without measure (Jn 3:34; Ti 3:6), just as He changed water into a huge amount of wine (Jn 2:6ff). God will open the floodgates of heaven to bless us with a superabundance if we obey Him in generous trust (see Mal 3:10).

In view of God's abundance, why do so many people demand just a little from God when He wants to bless them with so much? The secular culture gives lip-service to unlimited freedom, but it truly is a culture of limits: limited love, life, relationships, and responsibility. The culture wants married couples to have their two children, but no more. It wants God's protection and financial blessings, but not His intimacy and definitely not His lordship.

The only things that seem unlimited in the secular culture are sin and arrogant speech. Most of all, the secular culture wants to limit the unlimited Almighty God. It doesn't want Him to be God. It tries to eliminate Him from the bedroom, schools, courts, halls of government, financial institutions, the entertainment industry, etc. The secular culture finds Jesus "too much" (Mk 6:3).

Are you a child of the secular culture or a child of the Living God? Are you limiting God in any way and thereby stifling the Holy Spirit? (1 Thes 5:19) Repent of a lack of trust in God and His plan for abundant life. Love God and love His abundance.

Stay watchful. Keep seeking. Always remember. Be faithful. Don’t drift. Each day matters. Live in expectation. God is coming – count on it!

One living sermon is worth 100 explanations

2011-10-18T05:50:00.001-07:00

The Christian ideal has not been found tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried. -- GK Chesterton

Gospel text (Lk 10,1-9):
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, "Peace to this household."
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

In sending out the 72, Jesus also is relying on a few good people. I think He also is trying to instill an attitude, a culture, in how these disciples should interact with the people they encounter. When he sends them as they are, without a money bag, or sack or sandals, I think He tells us that the outer layers of who we seem to be is not as important as who we are at our core, our commitment, our attitude of peacefulness. We all have baggage we could (and do) carry with us, but Jesus says try to leave all that aside. Just go. Just do. Just stay focused. Don’t stop to socialize, just do what you are sent to do. Don’t waste time on those who reject you, focus on those who are receptive to you. Be zealous. Be driven.

As it is the middle of October and fall is upon us here with the leaves changing colors, let us remember God’s call for us to spread his Word because “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2). There are countless opportunities to change the world, may we make a small yet powerful contribution to God’s immeasurable harvest by helping to spread the news of the Kingdom of God.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give

2011-10-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.” – Mother Teresa

Gospel text (Lk 12,13-21):
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
He replied to him,
"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"
Then he said to the crowd,
"Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one's life does not consist of possessions."

Then he told them a parable.
"There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, "What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?"
And he said, "This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!""
But God said to him,
"You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?"
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God."

Reflection on sharing by Mother Teresa:

Not so long ago a very wealthy Hindu lady came to see me. She sat down and told me, "I would like to share in your work." In India, more and more people like her are offering to help. I said, "That is fine." The poor woman had a weakness that she confessed to me. "I love elegant saris," she said. Indeed, she had on a very expensive sari that probably cost around eight hundred rupees. Mine cost only eight rupees. Hers cost one hundred times more.

Then I asked the Virgin Mary to help me give an adequate answer to her question of how she could share in our work. It occurred to me to say to her, "I would start with the saris. The next time you go to buy one, instead of paying eight hundred rupees, buy one that costs five hundred. Then with the extra three hundred rupees, buy saris for the poor." The good woman now wears 100-rupee saris, and that is because I have asked her not to buy cheaper ones. She has confessed to me that this has changed her life. She now knows what it means to share. That woman assures me that she has received more than what she has given.

"Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is. " – Gandhi

2011-10-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

“Tolerance that only accepts God as a private opinion, but denies Him the public knowledge (...) is not tolerance, but hypocrisy” - Pope Benedict XVI

Gospel text (Mt 22,15-21):The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."

Many Catholics feel that Church should not get “mixed up in political life”, but mind only its salvific mission and faith. But this interpretation is totally false, because dealing with God’s matters does not mean to mind only the cult of the Church, but to be also concerned about men, who are God's children, and about man's justice. Pretending the Church does not move from the sacristy, while being deaf, blind and mute before the moral and human problems and abuses of our time, amounts to stealing from God what belongs to God.

In St. John's Gospel, Jesus tells Pilatus: «You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above» (Jn 19:10). Jesus does not want to appear as a political agitator. He simply wants to put things right. As baptized Catholics, so should we.

The Consequences of Silence in The Public Square

2011-10-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking of Christ. - St. Ambrose

Gospel text (Lk 12,8-12):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.

"Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."

The Compendium Of The Social Doctrine Of The Church (CSDC) explains that the Church "seeks to proclaim the Gospel," making it "present in the complex network of social relations," thus "enriching and permeating society itself with the Gospel" (62).

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to speaking the truth in public is fear. For instance, it is not uncommon to find people at social gatherings who are engaged in debate over the economy or the need to provide affordable housing for the poor. While it is true that these are important subjects, if one tactfully and with humility points out that these issues pale in comparison to the evils of abortion or the damage wrought on children, marriage and society by contraceptives, one will suddenly find himself feeling as if he just uttered an incomprehensible punch line in a stale joke.

Although the truth is often unpopular, those who promote it with love can be consoled in the knowledge that they are indeed serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical letter Caritas In Veritate, reminds the faithful of the nature of charity: "Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. . . . To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity. Charity, in fact, rejoices in the truth" (1).

It is time to learn our Faith, live it and speak it in our daily lives without compromise. Only then will we begin to turn back the unrelenting tide of relativism which continues to erode the shores of America.