Posted 02/14/2024
Today is Ash Wednesday- a time for reflection and introspection. It is a day to take a step back from our busy lives and ponder on the meaning of our existence. As we receive ashes on our foreheads, we are reminded of our mortality and the shortness of our time on earth.
It is a call to repentance and a reminder of our need for God's mercy and forgiveness. It's a call to let go of the things that distract us from what is truly important and to focus on our relationship with God and with others.
Ash Wednesday is a meaningful day that invites us to pause, reflect, and renew our commitment to live a life of faith and service.This day marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a time to turn away from sin, practice self-denial, and deepen our relationship with God. It is a time to reflect on our lives, examine our consciences, and strive to live a more meaningful and purposeful existence.
Posted 08/19/2023
This Sunday's readings speak of the universality of God’s salvation as against the notion that salvation was offered and exclusive to the Jews. God set the Israelites as His chosen race; he, however, included all nations in His plan for salvation.
In the first reading, God discloses that, in His eyes, there is no distinction among human beings based on race, caste, or color.
In the second reading, Paul explains that the Jews were the chosen people; however, many did not accept Jesus as the promised Messiah; as a result, God turned to the Gentiles and showed them mercy in Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel Episode, Jesus displays that salvation was meant for the Gentiles and Jews by healing the daughter of a Gentile woman.
Consequently, Jesus shows us that God’s mercy and love are available to all who call out to Him in Faith.
The scripture encourages us to pray with trustful confidence like the Gentile woman.
We need to pull down our walls of separation and share in the universality of God’s love and grace with all we meet.
Posted 07/08/2023
Brethren, amid the challenges and hardships that we face today, the readings for this Sunday bring us hope and the need to rely on God’s providence.
Jesus, in the gospel episode, invites each one of us to come and have solace in Him. He acknowledges the burdens we carry and the struggles we face, and He offers to share our yoke to lighten our load.
Jesus assures us that the demands of God are not beyond our strength. He invites us to turn to Him, to place our trust in Him, and to seek His help when we find ourselves at the crossroads.
Turning to Jesus in our times of need requires humility, faith, and a willingness to let go of our self-reliance. It means acknowledging that we cannot cross life’s challenges alone and that we need the help of Jesus.It is a task that entails surrendering our problems and allowing Jesus to guide us toward righteousness, justice, and peace.
Posted 06/11/ 2023
Brethren, today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In this Feast, we profess our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. We also proclaim that the same Jesus lives within each of us baptized into His Body, the Church.
In the Holy Eucharist, we receive Jesus, and He takes up residence within each of us. The Eucharist communicates God’s love to us beyond telling. It nourishes us with God’s free love for hungry and thirsty hearts. Jesus satisfies each one who receives him in the Eucharist, and he comes to meet with us, and we encounter his divine grace.
In today’s Gospel, John reports Jesus’ words, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6,55). In the Eucharist, Jesus meets with us; He offers us Himself not for temporary nourishment but a nourishment that gives eternal life.
Jesus invites us today and always to allow ourselves to be nourished by that divine life we celebrate and receive in the Eucharist and that we, in turn, carry Jesus’ presence in the world.
Posted 06/04/2023
Friends in Christ, last Sunday, we celebrated the sending of the Spirit, which sealed God’s new covenant and made a new creation. In this new creation, we live in the family of God, who has revealed himself as a Trinity of love. We share in His divine nature through His body and blood (2 Peter 1:4). This is the meaning of the three feasts that cap the Easter season - Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi. These feasts are ultimate reminders of how deeply God loves us and how He chose us to be His children from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). Thus, they invite us to live aware of the presence of the Triune God in and around us.
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the fundamental doctrine of Christianity and the greatest mystery of our Faith, namely, that three Persons share the exact Divine nature in One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have Father, the Creator, Son, the Redeemer, and Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. Each Person is God, yet there is still only one God. This doctrine underlies all Christian feasts and prayers.
God’s trinitarian nature is beyond our complete understanding; it invites us to come nearer until we see God face-to-face in eternal life. With the Trinitarian God as the foundation of the Christian community and communion, it is our model for families and faith communities. We are created in love to be a community of loving persons, just like the Trinity. From the day of our Baptism, we belonged to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Posted 05/25/2023
Brethren, this Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost commemorates the day on which Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit. It was a moment when God broke into humanity to fulfill Jesus's promise to His disciples.
This Spirit’s coming brings about significant changes in the lives of those early “inspired” Jews. The ability to speak and understand different languages is only the first. They believe the gospel, teach what they believe, and practice what they teach.
Jesus is still breathing his Spirit upon us today. He continually urges us to the same Mission. The Spirit pushes and raises, moves and leads, and calls us in the day, night, and depths of our souls. The Holy Spirit calls us to solidarity with Jesus Christ in the Church to actual witnessing and discipleship.
You and I are inducted through baptism into that Day of Pentecost, which never ends, for Pentecost is the name of this one Christian generation.
Posted 05/21/2023
These weekend readings describe the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven following his promise of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, commanding them to make disciples of all the nation.
In the event of Jesus’ resurrection, we know what life will be like in Heaven. The hope of partaking in that glory is the driving force of our lives and our mission.
Following Jesus’ command before his ascension, we have a teaching mission: We are to be witnesses of the gospel. He already gave us the message of Faith, Hope, Love, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation. We have the same mission towards those around us and the world. The Holy Spirit provides us with all we need for this mission. Look for opportunities this season to share about Jesus with people in your spheres of influence and ask the Spirit to lead you in those moments.
Posted 05/21/2023
Mother’s Day is here; another excellent opportunity to honor the beautiful vocation of motherhood and the gift of human life.
This day invites us to appreciate the wonderful gift of life from all mothers and, thus, pray for all women to whom God has entrusted life.
Mother’s Day in May. May is also a month traditionally dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus.
Thus, it is an added advantage to pray for all mothers and commend them to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
We especially remember all mothers experiencing challenging pregnancies and pray they find encouragement and support in choosing life for their children.
May God bless all mothers in our faith community now and always. Amen!