Pain and suffering

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church.

When you go through suffering, as Job did, or when we see loved ones and friends suffer, we often do not understand what God's will and plan is and why He would permit us to endure such things in our lives.  We forget that God's thoughts are not our thoughts nor his ways our ways which are much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Oftentimes, when we see someone suffering through illnesses, difficulties, or even death, we desire to console them or their loved ones by trying to assure them that there is good that can come out of this, they just need to trust in God's plan. However, that is probably the last thing that they might want to hear at the moment because the pain is so intense. In those moments, I often sit with them and pray with them (or pray for them in silence).

Yet, this is what God tells Job in today's first reading. While Job may only see and experience the here and now, God knows all and sees all. And, in humility, Job responds with faith and trust in God, saying: "Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more."

Therefore, in times of suffering and pain, may we never reject God but have faith in His goodness, hope in His promise, and know that He loves us and is there with us always, through the good and, especially in difficult and challenging times.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus said to them,

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst

had been done in Tyre and Sidon,

they would long ago have repented,

sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon

at the judgment than for you.

And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven?

You will go down to the netherworld.'

Whoever listens to you listens to me.

Whoever rejects you rejects me.

And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

All Holy Angels of God, pray for us!

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels. #Michaelmas

I participated in a Consecration to the Holy Angels a couple of years ago and, since then, I found myself thanking my guardian angel a lot more than I did before. There have been a few times when I know my guardian angel was watching over me and protecting me. I also recently completed the Saint Michael Lent and, today, celebrated Michaelmas with Mass this morning and, well, let's see if I can find some duck or goose meat to eat today.

In our Catholic tradition, we are assigned a guardian angel who is there to guide us on our pilgrim journey on earth just as Saint Raphael walked with Tobias (Book of Tobit). Our guardian angel protects us and strengthen us in times when we face sin and temptations just as Saint Michael drove out the Devil and his fallen angels from heaven, as we read in today's first reading. Our guardian angel can help us understand the word of God in Scriptures as Saint Gabriel deliver God's message to Zechariah, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph.

Below are prayers to the angels from EWTN:

GUARDIAN ANGEL PRAYER

Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom His love commits me here; Ever this day (or night) be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

LITANY TO THE GUARDIAN ANGEL (For private recitation)

Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.

Holy Angel, my prince, pray for us. Holy Angel, my monitor, Holy Angel, my counselor, Holy Angel, my defender, Holy Angel, my steward, Holy Angel, my friend, Holy Angel, my negotiator, Holy Angel, my intercessor, Holy Angel, my patron, Holy Angel, my director, Holy Angel, my ruler, Holy Angel, my protector, Holy Angel, my comforter, Holy Angel, my brother, Holy Angel, my teacher, Holy Angel, my shepherd, Holy Angel, my witness, Holy Angel, my helper, Holy Angel, my watcher, Holy Angel, my conductor, Holy Angel, my preserver, Holy Angel, my instructor, Holy Angel, my enlightener,

Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

Pray for us, O holy Angel Guardian.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray---Almighty, everlasting God, who in the counsel of Your ineffable goodness have appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul; grant, that I may so love and honor him whom You have so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Your grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic host, the glory of Your countenance in the heavenly country. Who live and reign, world without end. Amen.

PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL

Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

“Here is a true child of Israel.

There is no duplicity in him.”

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Nathanael answered him,

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Do you believe

because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this.”

And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will see heaven opened

and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

For the love of God

Sisters and brothers in Christ, Jesus' words in today's Gospel may sound harsh because the commandments tell us to love our father and mother and our neighbors, particularly our families. How are we to reconcile this for ourselves and follow Christ?

Well, I think this verse from Saint Paul's letter to the Philippians (today's Gospel Acclamation) can help us. Saint Paul wrote: "I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him." You see, love for various things in our lives - jobs, material goods, etc. - does not rise to the level of our love for our families. Jesus challenges us a step further.

Love for family is extremely important; Jesus was born into a family with Mother Mary and foster-father Joseph. Yet, love for family does not rise to the level of our love for God because He is our Father in heaven, our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Sanctifier. The greatest Commandment says it all: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

Therefore, when we rightly order our lives with love of God as our priority, everything else in our lives fall into place. At its core, this is what it means to take up our cross and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding

on their journey, someone said to him,

"I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus answered him,

"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,

but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."

And to another he said, "Follow me."

But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."

But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.

But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."

And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,

but first let me say farewell to my family at home."

Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow

and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

God's promise to us

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in our anger and frustration, we tend to say hurtful things. One of the most hurtful things a parent and tell a child is "I wish you had never been born." One of the most hurtful things we can say to God is, "I wish I were never born." 

When things in our lives are not going the way we hope, in our moment of despair, we think like poor Job thinks in today's first reading, saying: "Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, 'The child is a boy!' Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?"

Jesus rebukes us, as he rebuked the disciples in today's Gospel, and reminds us of what we have forgotten in those moments of despair - God's promise to us:

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me—oracle of the LORD—and I will change your lot. . ." (Jeremiah 29:11-114).

Faith gives us hope because we know that we are loved by our Father in heaven. Let us never forget that God created us; we have a purpose. We are the apple of His eyes, each and every one of us, so we turn to Him and know that He will never let us down.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

Deacon Phúc's homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C - 9/25/2022)

The deacons preached this weekend. Below is my homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C - 9/25/2022), preached at the 10:00 Mass:

Good morning. Earlier this week, I had to fill out a form that H.E.B. requires us to complete before they come next month and administer the flu shots at the office. It was a standard form, no big deal, until I got to the blank for age. As I wrote my age in the blank, this wave of emotions came over me and, I kid you not, I thought to myself: “Am I really 42 going on 43?” It dawned on that I am around the age my dad when he packed up our belongings and the five of us (including our pet goldfish) crammed into the family car - a 1989 Chevrolet Celebrity - and made the 3 day drive from Wallingford, CT to move to Houston, TX in the summer of 1990. As I stared at my age on the form, I thought, what would 42-year-old me tell 30-year-old me or even 20-year-old me? Then these words came to me - learn Vietnamese. The words convicted me because I cannot write or read in Vietnamese. I speak enough Vietnamese to stay out of trouble or get into trouble. At that moment, I realized that I share the same regret that my mom has because, growing up, she did not encourage me to learn Vietnamese and I had no desire to learn Vietnamese.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, we all have those “knowing-what-I-know-now-I-would-have” moments in our lives. Moments when we, like the rich man in today’s Gospel, long for the chance to “warn” our past self to change things or do things differently to avoid certain “pitfalls” in our lives. However, since time-travel is not possible yet, we can find comfort in this prayer by Saint Augustine to “trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” My wife and I work with couples who are discerning to get married in the Catholic Church, and this is what we encourage them to discern together. We talk with them about how things were in their families of origin, in areas such as money, roles and responsibilities, and faith and spirituality, and I share with every couple this bit of advice. I tell them that regardless of how things were in their family of origin, they cannot change what happened in the past; however, with the grace of God, the two of them have the opportunity in the present moment to make their marriage and family life how they desire it to be in the future. It always gives me such great joy when couples tell me that they are committed to going to Mass together as a family on Sundays despite their families of origin attending Mass only on Christmas or Easter growing up or not at all.

The way I see it, as long as God wakes us up each morning, we have another blessed opportunity to start anew, striving to cross over the “chasm” that separates us from who we are here to who God created and called us to be here. In that “chasm” is everything that we have done or that we have failed to do that separates us from God, and the only path across the "chasm" is through the Cross of the “King of kings and the Lord of lords.” Let us not squander our opportunities like the rich man did but live our lives as people of God, people who embrace our Christian identity and, as Saint Paul wrote to Timothy in today’s second reading, “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” Let us “compete well for the faith” by persevering in keeping the commandments to love God and love our neighbors because we know by faith that this is how we “lay hold of eternal life, to which [we] are called when [we] made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses” at our Baptism, when we were clothed with the white garment of our Christian dignity and promised to keep it without “stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

My sisters and brothers in Christ, Jesus sends us forth on a mission and calls us to be true and faithful Christians who not only carry our Cross and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but also help our fellow sojourners - the “Lazarus” of this world - carry their Cross. This means that we cannot and should never be content with merely being “cultural” Catholics because, according to a recent Pew Research Center study, “Christians are expected to lose their majority status by 2070, “ or as early as 2045, depending on the scenarios or models that the researchers run. We cannot be "cultural" Catholics who, if the Prophet Amos were here today in Austin, Texas (or the “ATX”), I would imagine that he might have this to say to us: “Woe to the complacent in Austin! Lying upon their beds in luxury condos, stretching comfortably with the latest technology and entertainment at their fingertips, eating Perry’s pork chops and drinking lattes and cocktails. Yet they are not made ill by their absence in the pews on Sundays.” God calls us to be more than lukewarm Catholics who have grown complacent and are content with mediocrity when it comes to living our Catholic faith and the mission of the Church in the society in which we live.

Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn put it so beautifully when he wrote: “We have come into this world by God’s grace; by that same grace we have received baptism, entrance into the Church and the honor of being called Christians.” And here is the hinge: “Yet what good will it do us if we are Christians in name alone and not in fact? We would have come into this world for nothing, we would have entered the Church for nothing, and we would have betrayed even God and his grace.” Let us not betray God and his grace by being “cultural” Christians who are content with lukewarmness and mediocrity in the practice of our faith. Instead, let us be like these women of the Catholic Daughters of America, who are on fire for their faith and love of God and neighbor. Woe to us if the world does know we are Christians by our love - by our words and deeds. So let us go forth and be authentic believers and faithful followers of Jesus Christ, glorifying the Lord by our lives.

Who is Jesus to us?

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in yesterday's Gospel, Herod kept trying to see Jesus but he could not. No one in his circle was able to tell him who Jesus was either because their hearts were not open to receiving Christ.

In contrast, when he said to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” The difference here is Peter encountered Jesus. Jesus invited them to come and follow him and he will make Peter fisher of men. Peter followed and, over time, developed a personal relationship with Jesus. As a result, he came to know and believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God.

Who is Jesus to us? Who do we say Jesus is to us when others ask us? Our answers will depend on our personal encounter and relationship with Christ through prayers and the Sacraments, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharist. If we cannot answer that Jesus is our Lord and our God, our Savior and Redeemer, then perhaps we need to spend more time with Him.

Like spouses who love each other and yearn for each other's presence when they are not together, our relationship with Jesus should be like that and much more. This is one of the reasons why I ask all couples going through CTBO Marriage Class to do a Guided Meditation and, if possible, before the Blessed Sacrament. This way, they come to know who this third person in their marriage is that they have entered into a covenant with.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Trying to see Jesus

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel we read how Herod "kept trying to see [Jesus]". Herod and others could not see Jesus for who he is. They think Christ is John the Baptist raised from the dead Elijah or one of the ancient prophets.

We oftentimes times see Jesus for who we want him to be for us rather than who he is - the Son of God, the Word made Flesh and dwelt among us, fully divine and fully human, Real Presence in the Eucharist. These can be stumbling for us if we do not encounter Jesus, enter into a personal relationship with him, and continue to be formed in our Catholic faith.

Faith is a lifelong journey and if we do not do these things, we might not see Jesus no matter how hard we keep trying. Worst, without a relationship with Jesus and a formed faith, we might see Christ for who he is not rather than who he truly is, as the Lord tells us in today's Gospel Acclamation: "I am the way and the truth and the life."

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,

and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,

“John has been raised from the dead”;

others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;

still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”

But Herod said, “John I beheaded.

Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”

And he kept trying to see him.

Sinners in need of a Savior

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today (9/21) is the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls Matthew. . . [Jesus] said to [Matthew], "'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him." At the end of the Gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. . . I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

As I reflected on the Gospel, I thought to myself, for the sick to need a physician they need to come to terms with the fact that they are sick and in need of a physician. Many (myself included) fear going to the doctor because we do not want to hear how bad our health is or what we need to do to be healthier.

It is the same with sinners. We often times do not want to think of ourselves as sinners. And we do not want to do what it takes to repent and believe in God. We convince ourselves that we are good people. However, we can be good people and be a sinner if we live a lifestyle that is contrary to Church teachings. We can be good people and be a sinner if we, of our own freewill, choose not to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligations.

Saint Matthew answered Jesus' call and followed him because Saint Matthew knew he was a sinner in need of Christ's love and mercy. Unless we know, and come to terms with the fact, that we are sinners in need of a Savior, then most likely we will not answer Jesus' call and follow him. Let us humble ourselves as Saint Matthew did and repent and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Divine Physician of our soul and spirit.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

As Jesus passed by,

he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.

He said to him, “Follow me.”

And he got up and followed him.

While he was at table in his house,

many tax collectors and sinners came

and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,

“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

He heard this and said,

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

Go and learn the meaning of the words,

    I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Hear and act on the word of God

Sisters and brothers in Christ, after Mass on Sunday, several parishioners came to me asking for prayers for family members who have turned their backs on God and their Catholic faith because of the people that they surround themselves with.

After I prayed for them, I was reminded of the Israelites who allowed themselves to be led astray by the gods and idols of the nations that surrounded them, conquered them, or exiled them. We oftentimes allow ourselves to the sum of our experiences and those around us rather than the love of our Father in heaven.

I believe this is Jesus' message in today's (9/20) Gospel. Relationships with families and friends are important, but our relationship with God is most important of all. Thus, those who lead us on the path towards (and not away from) the Cross of Christ are our brothers and sisters in Christ. And these relationships are important as well.

I know this from experience because one of the people that formed my faith and put me on the path that led to Jesus was Lillian Butler (RIP 2008) many years ago. It is as Jesus said, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

. . .

Gospel of the Day

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers 
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Why not now?

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today's (9/19) proverb, from the first reading, deserve prayerful discernment: "Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once."

In other words, do not leave until tomorrow what we can do today. Let us be merciful to others as God is merciful to us. Let us forgive others as God forgives us. Let us love others, particularly our families, as God loves us and calls us to our neighbors. While we have a tendency to say - "I'll do it later" - the proverb reminds us not to wait for a later that might not be there.

Moreover, when we say "Yes" to something, we say "No" to something else. Let our "yes" be for things of God and our "no" be for things not of God. This is how we shine the light of Christ in the world, because, as Jesus tells us in today's Gospel: "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light."

Therefore, let us shine for the light of Christ in the world not only through our words but by our actions. Let us not wait until later, but now.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus said to the crowd:
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away."

Tilling our hearts

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today's Gospel is the familiar parable of the sower of seeds. The seed is the word of God. Some seeds fall on the path but then are plucked away. Some seeds fall on rocky ground but do not take root. Some seeds fall in thorn bushes and are choked. Thanks be to God, some seeds fall in rich soil and bear fruit.

While the scenarios in this parable are often seen as four distinct situations, oftentimes, when it comes to faith, it is culminative and occurs over the life of an individual. Faith formation, unlike education which can continue well into adulthood, ends in the teen years unless one discerns the priesthood or religious life or one pursues studies in theology. Therefore, it is so important for parents to help their children prepare their hearts to receive the word because they have such a short period of time to do so, and they are competing with many other things for the children's attention.

Unless a person's heart is prepared to receive the word of God, then after Confirmation, or sometimes even before that, "the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe." In many cases, "they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation." This happens a lot with young adults in college. Then, what remains of word the God is "choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,  and they fail to produce mature fruit," when they enter the workforce.

As one can see, it is a domino effect when a person's heart is not prepared to receive the word of God, and it starts with parents as the primary formators of their children’s faith in the domestic church. Parents should be joyful when sharing their Catholic faith, especially when it comes to attending Mass as a family and praying together. They should allow their children to question their beliefs and not be afraid to work together with their children to find the answers. Faith formation is a lifelong journey, never stop learning.

These are ways parents can cultivate rich soil in their children’s hearts so they can be the ones who, "when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

. .. 

Gospel of the Day

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. 
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable. 
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, 
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”

Wrestle but remain faithful

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs, who help guide the Church during time of persecution and those who "had denied their faith during the time of persecution."

One of the roles of bishops is to guide the flock on the path to salvation and, sometimes, that means correcting false and erroneous teachings. We see this in today's first reading when Saint Paul at the correct the Corinthians who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, saying: "If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is nor resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. . . we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ."

The question is, how receptive are the flock to correction from their shepherds who tries to keep their flock in communion with the Church and in union with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Are we malleable, like clay in a potter's hand? Are we docile to the Holy Spirit? Or are we stiff-necked peoples whose heart are hardened against God and the teachings of the Church? We see examples of those throughout Church history - those who remain in communion with the Church and then there are schisms, etc.

I tell many young adults/couples who struggle with their Catholic faith that it is okay for them to doubt and question. I encourage them to wrestle with it but continue to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and continue to attend Mass and pray. God does not and will never abandon us, let us not abandon Him and his Church, because Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the path to salvation and eternal life.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.

Behold, your mother

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. 🙏🕊❤️

In our Blessed Mother's sorrows, especially when she stood beside the foot of the Cross and watched her Son - whom she carried in her womb, nursed as a baby, kissed his "owies", and loved so much - died on the Cross, she trusted in God's will and divine providence completely as when she gave Him her Fiat, her yes. Through it all, her love for God and for neighbor never wavered, as difficult as it must have been for her and her family.

For me personally, I am a "momma's boy" and I turn to my Mother Mary in my time of need and she has always interceded for me, wrapped me in her loving mantle, helped me to feel safe and protected, and guided me with a mother's love through the obstacles of daily life. I am so grateful that, while he was on the Cross, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave his Mother to us - “Behold, your mother.”

Finally, I love this part from today's Sequence - Sabat Mater:

"O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live."

Through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, may we unite our sufferings with her Son's Passion and Death so that we may merit his glorious Resurrection.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

By your Cross you have redeemed the world

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today (9/14) is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

As they raised Jesus up on the Cross, our Lord lifted all our wounds, pains, burdens, weaknesses, and doubts onto himself and said to his Father in heaven (and ours): "Forgive them for they know not what they do." The Redeemer came into the world for all of us. . . "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." He thirsts for us because he desires for us to be with him always, in this pilgrim life on earth but, most of all, in eternal life in heaven.

The path to salvation is through the Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is through the Cross that we are healed and made whole again. It is through the Cross that we come to know what authentic love is, that unconditional, sacrificial love that will the good of another even if it means death - as Saint Paul wrote, life is Christ and death is gain. And as we gaze upon the Crucified One, we learn to love others as God loves us and sent his Son to die for our sins. The path of the Cross is a challenging and difficult one but the alternate path is death.

Jesus tells us this Truth: ". . .the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." God gives us freewill to choose to take up our cross and follow Christ, or not. It is our choice. Let us always remember where the alternate path leads - death. . .

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him. 

Do not weep

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's (9/13) Gospel, when he brings the man back to life, Jesus shows us that he has the power to heal us and make us whole again. And while many of us desire physical healing from ailments and illnesses, I believe that God uses those times to help us heal spiritually as well, to grow deeper in our relationship with him.

When we are spiritually dead, when we no longer believe in God or pray, when we no longer ponder the transcendent and eternal life, we separate ourselves from God. As a result, we lose a sense of who we are and our purpose. We lose hope. The Good News is Jesus comes to us each and every day to save us from this spiritual death if we would only allow him to do so, if only we open our hearts and hear Jesus tell us, "Do not weep." Our Lord and our God is moved with pity for us.

Moreover, when we unite our physical suffering with Christ suffering on the Cross, we receive an outpouring of grace not only to help us in our physical suffering but also to help us and others heal spiritually through prayer, just as Jesus did when interceded to his Father in heaven, saying: "Father, forgive them. . ."

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
"Do not weep."
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!"
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
"A great prophet has arisen in our midst,"
and "God has visited his people."
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I have heard many people say at all religions are the same but, when I hear this from Catholics, I know in my heart that they do not appreciate the true beauty of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We only need to listen to Saint Paul's words to the Corinthians, which echoes the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the Last Supper.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

In these words of Consecration, the bread and wine, made by human hands, becomes the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Only in the Catholic Mass is Jesus present with us, what we call the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

When Catholics truly know this and feel this in our hearts, then we would appreciate the Mass and know what it means to be Catholic. We attend Mass not to listen to good hymns or homilies but to give God praise and thanksgiving. God, in His infinite love and mercy, nourishes us with His words and, most of all, His Body and Blood. When we truly allow the Mass to permeate us - mind, body, soul, and spirit - we would know how unworthy we are to be called to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. For indeed, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be heal."

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
"He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
"Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

Lost sheep

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in todays Gospel (the shorter version), we read how the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to go after the 1 lost sheep and how the woman who has 10 coins and loses 1 coin searches everywhere for her lost coin. Afterwards, they rejoice for they have found what was lost! Indeed, we rejoice as the angels do for one sinner who repents and returns to God.

For me, I include in the category of the lost sheep "cultural" Catholics who "identify" as Catholic on paper but attend Mass occasionally or when time permits. These are the lukewarm Catholics who are okay with mediocrity when it comes to living out their faith and do not actively participate in the mission of the Church that Jesus gave them at their Baptism.

I see a lot of these "cultural" Catholics among the couples that come to us for CTBO Marriage Class. I affirm their desire to get their careers on track and to enjoy life while they are young, have money, and can travel. However, I also pray for them and, every chance I get, I encourage them to go (return) to Mass and to do so regularly and to pray for each other and with each other.

Who are the lost sheep in your family? How are you being Jesus for them? How are you going after them and bringing them back into God's sheepfold? Have you extended an invitation to them to join you for Mass? Invited them to attend the various events at the parish or participate in the activities and ministries available? Most of all, are you leading others to Jesus by the example of your own life, in service of God and his Church? This is a mission that Jesus has given to all of us and he gave us this example in today's Gospel parables.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

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 to them he addressed this parable.
“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.”

Avoid idolatry

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's (9/10) first reading, Saint Paul tells us: "avoid idolatry." Idolatry is putting something else, even someone else above the one, true God. That is the First Commandment that God gives us. If we do not follow the commandments faithfully, then we can certainly imagine Jesus asking us: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?"

Jesus tells us that his yoke (his laws, his commandments) are easy and his burden light. However, the yoke of sin and temptation and the chains of addiction that enslave us are far harder and more burdensome to bear. Therefore, let us build our lives on the solid rock foundation of the laws and commandments of God and live a life of virtue rather than on the shifting sands of sin that washes away by the torrent of this passing world.

May the Gospel Acclamation remind us to choose the yoke of Christ at all times because "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him."

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Pray for the Church in Nicaragua

Theresa and I attended the Vigilia de Oracion Por Nicaragua tonight in unity with the persecuted Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Fr. Rito presided and read from the Gospel of Luke on the Beatitudes. He shared that the Catholic faith is deeply rooted in Nicaragua and the people have a strong Marian devotion.

Jesus weeps for the Church in Nicaragua and for her clergy, religious, and seminarians and for all persecuted Christians in the world. Let us pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ because our hope is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Que Viva!

Practice what you preach

Sisters and brothers in Christ, this verse in today's (9/9) first reading helps us to understand Jesus' parable in the Gospel: "I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." Here, Saint Paul is essentially telling us to "practice what we preach."

Jesus teaches us the same in his parable, saying: "Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye." In other words, if we do not live by the words that we preach to others, then we should be disqualified because, before we can correct another out of love, we first have to look at ourselves in the mirror and make sure we are not living a life goes against what we preach.

Another way to look at this is, I notice with my nieces and nephews that they do what I do and, if I tell them to do something, but I do not do it myself, they are quick to call me out on it. Kids are smart and very observant. Therefore, if I do not want them to use bad words, then I should not use bad words myself, especially around them.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

Happy Birthday, Mother Mary!

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Just as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, at the Annunciation (Luke 1:30), the angel said to Saint Joseph: ". . .do not be afraid. . ." These words of the angel got me thinking of young parents expecting their first child and parents expecting another child. I reflect on their courageous "yes" even in times of uncertainty and challenge. Just as Mary and Joseph gave God their "yes" and trusted in His plan for them, knowing in their hearts that "God is with them". For indeed, "God is with us" - Emmanuel.

In Mother Mary, we see these words of Saint Paul lived out in her own life and in who she is: ". . . those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified. . ." God chose Mary to be the Mother of God and our Mother. He protected Mary from the stain of original sin and poured His grace into her. On the Cross, Christ gave his Mother to us to be our Mother. And when Mary's time on earth ended, He crowned her Queen of heaven and earth.

Through Mary and with her help, we find our way to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because, in her humility, her "soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and her spirit rejoice in God my Savior". Mary points us to her Son and tells, "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). Therefore, as Fr. Charlie said in his homily, the greatest birthday gift that we can give Mother Mary is to know her Son, to have a personal encounter with Jesus and love him as Mary loves him.

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of Justice, Christ our God. Happy Birthday, Mother Mary!

. . .

Gospel of the Day

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
    Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
        and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”

Blood of Martyrs

Sisters and brothers in Christ, throughout the history of the Catholic Church, “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church” (Tertullian). Many have died for their faith, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Their courage in the face of persecution inspires millions to follow God, to stand up and defend the Church and the faith. As Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens."

Like the holy men and women of God, saints and martyrs of Christ, we stand up for our beliefs in the face of persecution with faith, hope, and love because God is with us to strengthen us and give us courage. For as our Jesus Christ our Lord tells us in today's Gospel (in his Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes). . .

"Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven."

The clergy in Nicaragua is being persecuted by the government, put under house arrest and falsely imprisonment. Let us unite with them and with all persecuted sisters and brothers in Christ - at home and aboard - and pray that they "rejoice in hope, be patient under trial, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

Please see below and join us. Christ's Church is built on a rock foundation, it shall not fall, it will not fall, so let's put on the armour of God and go to battle in this spiritual warfare. Vivat Jesus!  Viva Cristo Rey! 🙏🕊❤️

. . .

Fr. Rito will be offering a prayer vigil in the church to pray for imprisoned clergy in Nicaragua on Sept. 9th from 7 PM-12 AM.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.  
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false 
prophets in this way.”

Prayerful Discernment

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel (9/6), Jesus gives us the model for discernment. "Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God." In other words, he disconnected from the world so as not to be distracted by the world and then prayed to God, all night.

Many of us spend sleepless nights, tossing and turning, as streams of thoughts and decisions race through our minds. Few of us ever stop to say a prayer, asking God into those areas of uncertainty and indecisiveness and ask Him for wisdom and clarity. For some of us, we think to ourselves, there is a simple solution, I just need to figure out what it is for myself. In the mean time, we lose sleep but, most of all, we lose peace.

After spending the night in prayer to his Father in heaven, Jesus was ready in the morning to make the most important decision - who would be his apostles, the people he would entrust to shepherd his flock. This is discernment because it is decision-making that includes prayer to God for his guidance. We can never go wrong with prayerful discernment and, best of all, we do not lose sleep nor peace because God is present with us.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus departed 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.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

First, last, only

(My wife and) I have been journeying with a few couples for marriage spiritual guidance, helping them navigate the joys and challenges of married life. As I was praying for these couples this morning, the Holy Spirit put this in my heart to share with them (and all married couples).

As clergy, priests and deacons have this beautiful prayer where we ask God to help us to participate in the holy sacrifice of the Mass as if it were our first Mass, our last Mass, and our only Mass. Adapting that prayer, I invite all married couples to live your covenantal, sacramental, and vocational marriage as if it were their first day today as husband and wife, their last day together as husband and wife, and their only day together as husband and wife. I encourage them to Invite God to be with them each and every moment of their married and family life together.

Stretch out your hand

Sisters and brothers in Christ, I want to share this commentary from Saint Ambrose on today's (9/5) Gospel when Jesus tell the man with the withered hand to “Stretch out your hand.” Saint Ambrose said:

"Then you heard the words of the Lord, saying, 'Stretch forth your hand.' That is the common and universal remedy. You who think that you have a healthy hand beware lest it is withered by greed or by sacrilege. Hold it out often. Hold it out to the poor person who begs you. Hold it out to help your neighbor, to give protection to a widow, to snatch from harm one whom you see subjected to unjust insult. Hold it out to God for your sins. The hand is stretched forth; then it is healed. . ."

This is what Jesus points out to the Pharisees, teaching them that God's intention for the Sabbath is "to do good" and "to save life" rather than "to do evil" or "to destroy life." Not only on the Sabbath by all the time, especially when we see injustice happening in our society. We do not let the problems of the world overwhelm us, rather - as Fr. Charlie said in his homily on Sunday - we do what we can in our community to help one person, because that is the person that God has led to us so we can show that person the love and mercy of God.

Finally, on this Labor Day, I want to share this statement from the U.S. Bishops:

“This Labor Day, let us reflect on how we can build a more just economy by promoting the welfare of working families through both charitable works and through advocacy for improved policies such as expanding the Child Tax Credit and passing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Advancing these two policies would have a profound impact on family stability, especially for families who are financially vulnerable,” said Archbishop Coakley.  

In considering the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, he continued, “This unique moment necessitates a society and an economy that supports marriages, families, and women; it demands that all of us reach across political aisles and work diligently to reframe social policies in ways that are pro-woman, pro-family, pro-worker and, thus, authentically pro-life.”

Here is a link to the full statement: https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/labor-day-2022-statement-focuses-promoting-welfare-working-families

. . .

Gospel of the Day

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

God above all else

Sisters and brothers in Christ, this Sunday's Gospel can be a "hard pill" to swallow when we hear Jesus say, "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Wait, what now? Surely the Fourth Commandment tells us to honor our father and mother, right? And we are called to love our neighbors, starting with our family, right?

The short answer is, the Great Commandment is to love the Lord our God with all your mind, heart, and soul, first and foremost. The first three commandments help us to order ourselves to the right worship of God because He must take priority in our lives. When we love God above all in our life, He helps us love others, especially our families, as He loves us - unconditionally and sacrificially - because God is love.

Reflecting on this from a different perspective, I am reminded of a homily that a priest gave at a wedding. He told the couple that when God grants them children, their children belong to God and they - as parents - are stewards of God's precious gifts to them - their children. In the same way, God makes children stewards of His greatest gift to them - their parents. Therefore, we are all stewards of each other (and of our common home), and it is all thanks to God's love and mercy for us.

Thus, we honor God when we put Him first in our life, even before our family no matter how much we love them, but especially before ourselves. The call of God to carry our cross and come after Him is a challenging call but to do otherwise would risk eternal life with our Father in heaven.

. . .

Gospel of the Day
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

Lord of the Sabbath

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church.

In the talk on "Stewardship" for CALLED TO BE ONE Marriage Class, we help couples understand that their time, talent, and treasure are all of them gifts from God. God sustains us in this world. God grants us different talents, not for our own selfish use, but for the common God. God gives us treasures or means to obtain those treasures to help our families and those in needs.

In those times that we forget that everything we have comes from our loving Father in heaven, let us be reminded of what Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians in today's first reading: "What do you possess that you have not received? But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?" Let us always remember this because it will help us to keep our pride and ego in check and strive to live life according to God's Great Commandments - to love God and to love our neighbors.

Most of all, when we remember that who we are and everything we have come from our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, then we cannot help of keep holy the sabbath, setting Sunday aside to give God praise and worth for His gifts of time, talent, and treasure to us.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

Motives of our hearts

Sisters and brothers in Christ, this verse from today's first reading struck me: ". . .he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts. . ." We have a hard time facing our true selves sometimes - bad habits, things that we have done that are shameful, and so on. Yet, God desires to go into those areas that are "hidden in darkness" and "bring to light" the motives of our hearts" so as to purify them so that all that we do are authentic and bring God glory.

Jesus desires to give us "fresh wineskin" so that His grace can fill our hearts without being tainted and hidden by things from our past - the "old wineskins". How can we overcome the fear of allowing God to enter into the hidden areas of our hearts? Here is a beautiful prayer to help us. It is the "Jesus Prayer":

Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
Have mercy on me,
A sinful one. Amen.

In one of the episodes of "The Bible in a Year", Fr. Mike Schmitz reflected on "good" shame and "bad" shame. "Bad" shame causes us to turn inward on ourselves, which leads us into even darker recesses of our hearts that is hidden from God's love and mercy. "Good" shame helps us to recognize our failings and it convicts us to strive to do better, strive for holiness, all by turning to God begging Him for an outpouring of grace to help us. God desires to shine his light in us, let us not get in the way of His light.

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Gospel of the Day

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,

“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,

and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;

but yours eat and drink.”

Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast

while the bridegroom is with them?

But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,

then they will fast in those days.”

And he also told them a parable.

“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.

Otherwise, he will tear the new

and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.

Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.

Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,

and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.

Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.

And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,

for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Spinning our wheels

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel, Jesus reveals to us that we can do all things in Him who gives us strength. We see this in Peter's response to Jesus, saying: "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."

How many times in our lives do we find ourselves "spinning our wheels", trying to figure out how best to do something, especially when it comes to major life decisions. Yet, when we invite God into those times of decision-making, not only do we arrive at a decision but we feel a peace that only comes when our will aligns with God's will for us.

I find this short prayer very helpful in those moments - "Lord Jesus, help me. I cannot do this on my own. I need you. Send your Spirit to guide me. Amen."

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Gospel of the Day

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.