July 26, 2015 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Feed my Sheep!

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” But his servant objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” “For thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’”And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

R. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Reading 2 Eph 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Alleluia Lk 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst.
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew,  the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”  Now there was a great  deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.”

Sisters and brothers in the Lord did you know that the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has estimated that approximately 30 billion dollars a year could end world hunger.  This might seem like a lot of money (and truly it is) but consider this; military spending in the United States is projected to reach close to 600 billion in 2015!  And so the question we must ask ourselves individually and as a nation is; are we doing enough to help feed those that are most in need?  In today’s readings God simply does not magically make bread appear out of nowhere to feed the hungry, He uses mediators to be the instruments of His love.  In the first reading Elisha is used as God’s instrument to multiply the loaves for the hungry, and in the Gospel we see the Son of Man take the young boy’s loaves and feed thousands of people!  Sisters and brothers, are you a mediator and instrument of God’s abundant Love?  Do you give without expecting anything in return?  Do you try to not only satisfy the hunger of the body but also the hunger of the soul?  Do you invite others to the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist; do you allow yourself to become the hand of the Lord? Sisters and brothers, God wants to give to us, and to give to us in abundance, but we must be prepared to not only receive His Grace but to share it with others.  This day let us unite in praise and thanksgiving of our God who not only sustains our needs in this world, but also gives us the Bread of Life which unites us for all eternity!  Go out today and feed the hungry!  

“Enseguida tomó Jesús los panes, y después de dar gracias a Dios, se los fue repartiendo a los que se habían sentado a comer. Igualmente les fue dando de los pescados todo lo que quisieron.”

Hermanas y hermanos en el Señor, ¿sabía  que la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura ha estimado que aproximadamente 30 millones de dólares al año podría acabar con el hambre mundial? Esto puede parecer como un montón de dinero (y en verdad lo es) pero considere esto; ¡el presupuesto militar en los Estados Unidos se espera que alcance cerca de 600 mil millones en el 2015! Y así, la pregunta que debemos hacernos a nosotros mismos como individuos y como nación es ¿estamos haciendo lo suficiente para ayudar a alimentar a los que más lo necesitan? En las lecturas de hoy Dios simplemente no mágicamente hace que el pan aparezca mágicamente de la nada para alimentar a los hambrientos. Él usa mediadores para ser los instrumentos de su amor. En la primera lectura, Eliseo es utilizado como instrumento de Dios para multiplicar los panes para los hambrientos, y en el Evangelio vemos al Hijo del Hombre tomar panes del joven y alimentar a miles de personas. Hermanas y hermanos, ¿es usted un mediador e instrumento de abundante amor de Dios? ¿Da sin esperar nada a cambio? ¿Trata de no sólo satisfacer el hambre del cuerpo, sino también el hambre del alma? ¿Invita a otros al Pan de Vida, la Sagrada Eucaristía; se permite ser la mano del Señor? Hermanas y hermanos, Dios quiere dar a nosotros, y darnos en abundancia, pero debemos estar preparados no sólo para recibir su gracia sino para compartir con los demás. Este día vamos a unirnos en alabanza y acción de gracias de nuestro Dios, que no sólo sostiene nuestras necesidades en este mundo, sino que también nos da el pan de vida que nos une para toda la eternidad. ¡Vaya hoy y de les de comer a los que tienen hambre!

Apirl 19, 2015 - Third Sunday of Easter - Witness

Third Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 47

Reading 1 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19

Peter said to the people:
“The God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus,
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
Now I know, brothers,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9

R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,
for you alone, O LORD,
bring security to my dwelling.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 Jn 2:1-5a

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep
his commandments.
Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandments
are liars, and the truth is not in them.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.

Alleluia cf. Lk 24:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us;
make our hearts burn while you speak to us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 24:35-48

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”

 

 





If you look up the word “witness” in the dictionary among the definitions you will find: “testimony, one that gives evidence, one who has personal knowledge of something, public affirmation by word or example of usually religious faith or conviction”.  In today’s Gospel Jesus tells His disciples “You are witnesses of these things.”  Brothers and sisters; do you give “witness” to your faith?  Do you proclaim the Risen Christ in the way you live?  When you experience suffering and pain, do you still have hope?  As followers of Jesus we are called to be continually transformed by His divine grace; to allow the Father’s will to lead us with Easter Joy! We are witnesses. “Being a witness means that you are willing to certify with your own life what you say and especially what you do by virtue of your faith in Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I must be willing to place the witness of the risen Christ, of the infinite and fatherly love of God, of the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the hearts of men, above the interests of my own life.” If all of us truly give “witness” to our faith then little by little, heart by heart, we can change the world!  Do you want to be a witness of Christ? Do not wait to really be a witness of Christ. Begin today.

March 8, 2015 - 3rd Sunday of Lent - Lord you know all things, you know I love you.

Third Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 29

Reading 1 Ex 20:1-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments:
“I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.

“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”

Or Ex 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments:
“I, the LORD am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.

“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.

“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Reading 2 1 Cor 1:22-25

Brothers and sisters:
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Verse Before the Gospel Jn 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Gospel Jn 2:13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
many began to believe in his name
when they saw the signs he was doing.
But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all,
and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well.

 

 

 

 

“But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.”

Sisters and brothers have you ever said or heard someone say; “You don’t know what I’m going through” or “You don’t know what I’ve been through”?  Sometimes we will say these things trying to validate or excuse some self-indulgent/sinful action of our own doing.  For example, a person may resort to stealing something to eat and then profess; “You don’t know what I am going through, you have no idea how hard it’s been for me to try and provide for myself and my family!”  We will try to find some reason to validate a thought or action that is in direct contrast to God’s law of love.  However, the reality is there is ONE who knows and sees all things!  Our Lord can see into our hearts; He knows our pains, weaknesses, and fears.  In St. John’s telling of the cleansing of the temple the evangelist states that “Jesus would not trust himself to them”, meaning that Jesus chose not to allow some into His intimate circle of followers because He knew that they only believed in Him on a superficial/surface level.  Many were following the Lord because of the miracles He had performed, but did not truly give their whole hearts to Him.  In other words, as long as He could feed them and provide for them, they would follow Him.  Sisters and brothers, we are called to a faith that trusts not only in the material things that God can provide for us, but for Faith in His Grace which transforms our very soul.  God does know our struggles; He knows our fears and those things of this world that weigh us down.  Our loving God wants us to put our trust and confidence in Him to the point that we accept life’s hardships with a Faith that does not falter.  A Faith that understands that He has the words of everlasting life!  Sisters and brothers, let us not make excuses for sin, instead let us turn to the Lord and beg for His mercy and forgiveness, let us follow Him not for what He can give us in this world, but what He has promised in the next!  Blessings. Fr. Steven

 

March 1, 2015 - Second Sunday of Lent - Shelter me God

Second Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 26

Reading 1 Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he replied.
Then God said:
“Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you.”

When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered.
“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.

Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing—
all this because you obeyed my command.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

R. (116:9) I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
I believed, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

reading 2 Rom 8:31b-34

Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who 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?
Christ Jesus it is who died—or, rather, was raised—
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.

Verse Before the Gospel cf. Mt 17:5

From the shining cloud the Father's voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, listen to him.

Gospel Mk 9:2-10

Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.

 

 

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

Brothers and sisters, have you ever experienced a moment so wonderful that you just didn't want it to end?   St. Peter experienced this kind of wonderful joy at the Tranfiguration of our Lord.  In fact, St. Peter wants to build shelter so that they can all remain together.  However God's plan of salvation and redemption is not for these chosen disciples alone.  We are all called to share in our Lord's glorified body, we are all called to the fullness of truth in His law, the prophets, and the Holy Gospel.  But first, just like our Lord, we must take up the sufferings of our crosses and follow Him without reservation.  We must journey through the austere desert of Lent to reach the abundant banquet of Easter! Brothers and sisters we have been promised the shelter and safety of the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey.  Fear not, obey the commands of the Father, listen to the voice of the Son, and present yourself as a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.  For if God is for us, who can be against us!  Blessings.  Fr. Steven