Sunday October 26, 2014 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Love Hurts

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 148

Reading 1 ex 22:20-26

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

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

Responsorial Psalm ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R/ (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives and blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading 2 1 thes 1:5c-10

Brothers and sisters:
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,
receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,
so that you became a model for all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth
not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,
but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God
and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,
Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Gospel mt 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

If you look up the word “Love” in the dictionary you will find this definition: “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person”.  However, to the Christian this definition is clearly inadequate; how can love be merely a feeling?!  For GOD is LOVE!  Sisters and brothers, can our God be reduced to a feeling?  Absolutely not!  Unfortunately, love is often reduced to mere emotions and feelings; for example have you ever heard someone say, “I love the Spurs!” or “I love barbacoa tacos!”?  Well if you have then you are not alone; in fact I say those expressions quite often to myself! But all jokes aside, what about when God says; “you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”? Brothers and sisters He is saying to LOVE with all the Faith, Mercy, Hope, and Charity within your very being!  In other words, Love to the point that it hurts!  True Love is not just about good feelings or feeling all warm and fuzzy inside; True Love is founded and shared in self-giving and sacrifice.  What is your definition of  Love? How are you fulfilling God’s law of Love? Join me in professing: “I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.”  Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever!

Si usted busca la palabra "amor" en el diccionario encontrará esta definición: "un sentimiento de afecto fuerte o constante hacia una persona". Sin embargo, para el Cristiano esta definición es claramente insuficiente; ¡¿cómo puede el amor ser reducido a un sentimiento?! ¡Porque Dios es Amor! Hermanas y hermanos, ¿puede nuestro Dios ser reducido a un sentimiento? ¡Por supuesto que NO! Desafortunadamente, el amor suele ser reducido a simple emociones y sentimientos. Por ejemplo, ¿alguna vez has oído a alguien decir: "¡Amo a los Spurs!" o "¡Amo a los tacos de barbacoa!"? Bueno, si ya escucharon esto, no está solo; de hecho yo digo esas expresiones a menudo a mí mismo. Pero bromas a un lado, ¿qué tal cuando Dios dice; "Amarás al Señor, tu Dios, con todo tu corazón, con toda tu alma, y con toda tu mente" y "amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo"? Hermanos y hermanas, Él nos está diciendo que debemos de amar con toda la Fe, Misericordia, Esperanza y Caridad dentro de nuestro propio ser. En otras palabras, ¡Amar hasta el punto que duela! El verdadero amor no son sólo buenos sentimientos. El Verdadero Amor se funda y se comparte en el darse de sí mismo y en el sacrificio. ¿Cuál es su definición de amor? ¿Cómo está cumpliendo con la ley del amor de Dios? Únase a mí al profesar: "Te amo, oh Señor, mi fuerza, oh Señor, mi roca, mi fortaleza, mi libertador." ¡Bendito sea el nombre del Señor, ahora y siempre!

Sunday Septemeber 28, 2014 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Love is an Action!

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 136

Reading 1 ez 18:25-28

Thus says the LORD: You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Responsorial Psalm ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R/ (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Reading 2  phil 2:1-5

Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others. Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.

Gospel mt 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

 

 

No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.  Nathaniel Hawthorne

Once on a very special night the Church was packed with faithful from all over the city, it was standing room only!  Almost all the pews were filled and the little space that was left was being reserved by those who had arrived early.  Upon noticing that there was a little space left in the first pew of the church a woman walked over to those seated and asked “Is anyone sitting here?” to which one of the persons seated answered, “I am saving these seats for someone.”  The woman responded “please may I just take one of the seats” to which the person seated responded “NO! Go find somewhere else to sit!”

My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is one thing to profess we are “Christian” and it is another thing to live it!  The way we treat one another and whether we strive to act as instruments of God’s Love gives witness to our faith.  It could be a simple gesture as giving up our seat so that another may sit that can be the catalyst of conversion that helps one of our brothers or sisters return to the Church!

What the person who told the woman to go didn’t realize; the woman wanted to sit at the front of the church because she was a cancer survivor and wanted to be near God’s Holy Altar during a healing Mass.

Brothers and sisters; if we do not love God and one another the way we should, let us make a conscious choice today to change our life and serve God and one another, let our YES to God not be simply in our words but our every action.  Blessings. Fr. Steven      

August 17, 2014 ~ 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel MT 15:21-28

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! 
My daughter is tormented by a demon.” 
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. 
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” 
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.” 
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.” 
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith! 
Let it be done for you as you wish.” 
And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

When I was close to graduating high school I remember making an appointment to see my guidance counselor to inquire about college; I entered her office and noticed all the degrees and awards hung up on her office walls, we both sat down and she opened my student record and looked at my transcript and pretty much told me that I should consider another path besides college.  My brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes in life the people that we turn to for help, become those who will discourage us the most.  However, there is one Person who will never let us down JESUS the CHRIST!  In today’s Gospel it may seem from a novice’s perspective that our Lord is rejecting the Canaanite woman, but in reality the Lord knows her heart and in fact awakening the faith that lies within.  Our Lord challenges her (and us) to never give up in our petitions to Him!  Even when we get discouraged and begin to doubt that our Lord hears our prayers, we must persevere in petition and prayer!   We must learn which battles in life are worth fighting and which are a waste of our spiritual energy.  Brothers and sisters, do you choose your battles wisely and persist in prayer?  What in your life is worth fighting for?  For the Canaanite women, it was for love of her daughter that her faith was increased.  Let us pray that we too may love one another to the point that we are willing to face all challenges in order to hear our Lord say, “Great is your Faith!”  Blessings Fr. Steven

Cuando estaba cerca de graduarme de la preparatoria recuerdo haber hecho una cita para ver a mi consejera para preguntar acerca de la universidad. Entré en su oficina y vi todos sus diplomas y premios colgados en las paredes de la oficina, los dos nos sentamos y ella abrió mi expediente académico y prácticamente me dijo que debería considerar otra ruta, en vez de la universidad. Mis hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, a veces en la vida, las personas a las que acudimos en busca de ayuda se convierten en los que más nos desalientan. Sin embargo, hay una Persona que nunca nos defrauda, JESUS ​​el CRISTO! En el Evangelio de hoy puede parecer, desde la perspectiva de un novato, que nuestro Señor está rechazando a la mujer Cananea, pero en realidad el Señor conoce su corazón y de hecho despierta la fe que se encuentra dentro. Nuestro Señor la desafía (y a nosotros) a nunca darse por vencida en sus peticiones a Él! Incluso cuando nos desanimamos y comenzamos a dudar de que el Señor escucha nuestras oraciones, debemos perseverar en la petición y en la oración! Debemos de aprender cuales son las batallas en la vida que valen la pena luchar y cuales son una pérdida de nuestra energía espiritual. Hermanos y hermanas, ¿eligen sus batallas sabiamente y perseveran en la oración? ¿Por cuales cosas en su vida vale luchar? Para la mujer Cananea, era por amor a su hija que su fe se incrementó. Oremos para que también nosotros nos amemos unos a otros hasta el punto de que estamos dispuestos a enfrentar todos los retos con el fin de escuchar a nuestro Señor decir: "¡Grande es tu fe!" Bendiciones. Fr. Steven       

July 20, 2014 » Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Wheat or Weeds

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 106

Reading 1 wis 12:13, 16-19

There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.

Responsorial Psalm ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

R/ (5a) Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R/ Lord, you are good and forgiving.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O LORD,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R/ Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.
R/ Lord, you are good and forgiving.

Reading 2 rom 8:26-27

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

Gospel  mt 13:24-30

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

 My brothers and sisters in Christ, from the beginning of creation our Heavenly Father willed that His adopted sons and daughters should live in peace and harmony free from all discord and strife.  In fact, He granted His children “paradise” on earth.  But because of the trappings and deceptions of the evil one; violence and cruelty, pain and suffering entered the world.  In today’s Gospel our Lord uses the image of a field of wheat in which weeds grow among the good grain. He explains that; “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.  The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.  The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.”  Clearly we can see from this image that those who choose anger, hate, and violence over happiness, love, and peace will not be among those called the “children of the kingdom”.  Sisters and brothers, many of us have lived and continue to live in neighborhoods where violence is not only an option but many times it is the first option.  However, choosing to live in this way will have a severe consequence and could mean the loss of our heavenly home.  Do you resort to violence as an option to solve conflict? Do you count yourself among those called the “children of the kingdom”?  Those in our community that choose violence are like weeds among the wheat.  Sisters and brothers, violence is not the solution, it is the problem!  Let us pray for an end to violence, and mercy for those trapped in the vicious cycles of poverty, addiction, and abuse.  Blessings. Fr. Steven

Sunday July 13, 2014 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jesus the Sower

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 103

Reading 1IS 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm PS 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

R/ (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R/ The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R/ The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R/ The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R/ The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Reading 2ROM 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Gospel MT 13:1-23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

“My word shall not return to me void.”

My brothers and sisters in Christ; when we allow the Word of God to take root in our heart it becomes more than speech; for the fruit of God’s Word is good works.

Recently in Falfurrias, Texas volunteer researchers uncovered mass graves in a cemetery that they believe contain the bodies of immigrants who died crossing into the U.S.  These people (including children) were discovered at Sacred Heart Burial Park and thus far the researchers have estimated that 200 people have been buried here in mass graves, and the number is still climbing.  In fact, statistics show that since 2011 more than 300 people have died crossing the Texas-Mexican border in this area (Brooks County).

Sisters and brothers; God's Word commands us to LOVE!  Yet how can such atrocities against God’s Divine Justice continue to occur?  How can we as a nation continue to allow our neighbors to be exploited and killed?

To do nothing when such atrocities against our neighbor occur is to let God’s Word fall on the path and be trampled underfoot by the evil one.  Rather we are called to nurture the seed of God’s Word, to allow it to take root and spread throughout our community through actions of Love, Mercy, and Justice.  This is not a matter of politics; it is a matter of Justice!  God’s Divine Justice!  Blessings. Fr. Steven

Sunday July 6, 2014 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ "Come to Me"

Gospel mt 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

 

 

Many years ago as a seminarian I was assigned to hospital ministry, visiting and praying for the sick and dying.  It was a very difficult ministry but one that I was willing to assist with, knowing that I would be an instrument of Christ’s healing for others.  I had a whole “routine” of what to say and how to present myself, even what to pray.  One day (when I didn’t want to go to my ministry, feeling exhausted from my seminary duties and studies) I entered the room of an elderly woman.  I looked at her chart to see what the woman’s name was and said “Good afternoon Ms. Johnson my name is Steven, I’m a volunteer with Chaplain Services.”  She stared blankly at me and did not respond.  I repeated my greeting, only to hear Ms. Johnson moan in response.  Her eyes began to roll to the back of her head and she moaned some more.  I did not know what to do; she was not responsive to my presence.  At that moment my “routine” was gone, I was unsure of how I could help with her pain, I somewhat panicked not ever having experienced a patient that could not respond to my inquiries.  And so in that moment of confusion and doubt in myself; I silenced myself, and said a prayer for Ms. Johnson and myself.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes we take the weight of the world upon ourselves.  We think that it will be through our own efforts that we will be successful, whether at work or at home.  However, when the burdens of work, family, friends, and all those things that cause us stress and anxiety become overwhelming, we must repeat these words of our Lord: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”  He is our Savior and Redeemer; He is our Hope and Courage.  Brothers and sisters, silence the doubt of your own limitations and weaknesses, come to the Lord!  We have no need to think that we can solve all the problems of the world by ourselves; but we do need to allow Him to guide us to where we need to be, and most importantly we need to be present for others that need our prayers!  “I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God” Blessings. Fr. Steven

Sunday June 22, 2014 - Corpus Christi

Want to know the secret of having a blessed day, every day?

Saint John Paul II says:
“The Eucharist is the secret of my day.  It gives strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world.”

How important is the Holy Eucharist in our spiritual life?

The Holy Eucharist is the “source” of our spiritual life!  When we receive the Holy Eucharist we share in the divine life and receive and abundance of God’s grace.
The Holy Eucharist is also the “summit” of our spiritual life because as we are transformed into the holy people of God, we are drawn to participate in the greatest Good of our Lord’s Body and Blood.

The Catechism says:
“The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’  ‘The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.’" CCC 1324

Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds conceal me. Do not permit me to be parted from you. From the evil foe protect me. At the hour of my death call me. And bid me come to you, to praise you with all your saints for ever and ever. Amen.

Alma de Cristo, santifícame. Cuerpo de Cristo, sálvame. Sangre de Cristo, embriágame. Agua del costado de Cristo, lávame. Pasión de Cristo, confórtame. Oh buen Jesús, óyeme. Dentro de tus llagas, escóndeme. No permitas que me separe de Ti. Del maligno enemigo, defiéndeme. En la hora de mi muerte, llámame. Y mándame ir a Ti, para que con Tus santos Te alabe por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

Sunday - June 1, 2014 - The Ascension of the Lord - Following Christ

Gospel mt 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

 

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord; this is the moment when our Lord returned to His heavenly throne seated at the right hand of the Father.  However, before our Lord departed from this world He left His disciples the Great Commission to go out into the world baptizing, proselytizing,  and proclaiming his word.  Today’s celebration may seem odd to some because they might think; “Why do you celebrate the moment that your God has left you?”  In other words some would believe that we, the followers of Christ, have been abandoned by our God.  But the faithful Christian knows that this could not be further from the truth.  There is a place in the holy land called the Dome of the Ascension, and it is in this place that ancient tradition teaches our Lord ascended into heaven.  In this chapel there is a stone which contains a footprint of our Lord; this footprint truly stirs in the hearts of the faithful, hope in following were He has gone.  Our Lord has not abandoned us but instead has shown us the way to our heavenly home.  Therefore, be inspired brothers and sisters and go out into the world leading your coworkers, friends, family, and even complete strangers to Him and His bride the Church in which the Holy Spirit abides.  For our Lord is truly with us always strengthening us by His Word and Sacraments; and giving us hope even in the midst of adversity and trials.  Have no fear; rid yourselves of doubt; and follow in the footsteps of our Risen Lord!  Blessings. Fr. Steven    

May 25, 2014 - Sixth Sunday of Easter - "The Spirit of Truth"

Gospel jn 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.”

Have you ever heard of a conspiracy theory?  For example, one conspiracy theory is that there are certain celebrities and world leaders that are part of a secret society determined on world domination.  According to this notion they want to establish a “New World Order” in which they will have power and authority over all people.  Well to that I say, nonsense!  Brothers and sisters do you not know that the “order” of Heaven and Earth has already been established by our heavenly Father and is being guided today by the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, the Paraclete; our mediator, intercessor, comforter, and consoler. It is God who will dwell within our hearts and guide our every word and deed if only we accept the Spirit of Truth.  And what is Truth? God is Truth! And what did God command of us? To Love without limits!  This is the new world order of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Our Lord in His great Mercy wants all His flock to experience the magnificent design of God; a harmony and peace that can only be established and maintained by LOVE!  Brothers and sisters do not fall for the trappings and lies of the enemy; do not be afraid of falsities and conspiracy theories; open your hearts this day and receive the Spirit of Truth and let yourself and the world be conquered by LOVE!  Blessings. Fr. Steven        

Sunday May 18, 2014 - Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Way, The Truth, The Life

Gospel jn 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, AI am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

Today’s Gospel from St. John, on this Fifth Sunday of Easter, is a passage that I often use at the funeral Masses for our dearly departed loved ones.  It is a passage that is meant to bring us comfort and consolation that our Lord’s promises will be fulfilled if only we follow Him (who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life) with obedient hearts.  You see belief in our Risen Lord is much more than words that proclaim our Faith; belief in our Lord is a way of life!  In our every action we profess our Faith in Him; who showed us the Way of the Cross, professed Truth without ambiguity in His every action and interaction, and promised eternal Life to those who remain in His love!  Sisters and brothers are your hearts troubled by the uncertainties of this fallen world?  Do you allow the stresses of work, family, or finances to steal your peace?  “Do not let your hearts be troubled” take up your cross with joy this day and follow the Way that He has shown us, place in your heart this day the Truth that God will not and does not abandon His flock, and set your mind, heart, and soul on the great promise of eternal Life that awaits those who obey His word and trust in Him!  Live out your faith today, live your faith intensely; don’t just talk about God, be an instrument of His love and mercy: forgive and be forgiven.  Blessings. Fr. Steven

May 4, 2014 - Third Sunday of Easter ~ The Road to Emmaus

Gospel lk 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

“Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.  He asked them, ‘What are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped, looking downcast.”

I once worked with someone that when I said, “goodbye, see you tomorrow”,  to them at the end of the work day they would respond “Si Dios quiere”; which translates “If God wants it”, in other words to say, “if it be God’s will that I am still alive tomorrow you will see me”.  Now normally this would be a very good understanding of giving complete control of our lives to God and that His will should be done in heaven and on earth.  But in this situation this person would not say it with confidence and trust in God, but with sadness and gloom in their voice.  It is as if this person were saying with downcast eyes “Woe is me, my life is such a struggle”.  My sisters and brothers in Christ, in today’s Gospel the two disciples are saddened to the point that their eyes are not fixed on the glory of Heaven but instead “downcast” and looking only at the ground beneath their feet.  When life is not what you expect, when there is tragedy and suffering do you look “downcast” or do you fix your gaze on our Risen Lord and His promise of eternal life?  Sisters and brothers we are called to place our Hope and Faith in our Lord who has conquered sin and death once and for all!  To walk with our feet on this earth but to fix our eyes on Heaven, our HOPE!  Have Faith; trust in our Lord, trust in His Word, trust in His Mercy!  Stop waiting to die and live each day as a gift from God!  Let our Risen Lord be the source of your Joy and your Peace, see His awesome power and love in the breaking of the bread; may God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!  See you soon, Si Dios Quiere!!  Blessings. Fr. Steven 

Sunday April 20, 2014 - Easter Sunday - CHRIST IS RISEN!

Gospel jn 20:1-9

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

Sisters and brothers in the Lord; CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN! Today we celebrate that glorious day when our Lord conquered sin and death once and for all!  Joy fills our hearts as we come to worship our Risen Lord!  On this Easter Sunday let nothing bring you down, let no sufferings or tragedies of this fallen world consume your heart; for today Jesus the Christ, the Just Judge, manifests the divine sovereignty that has authority over heaven and earth!  So often we can become so discouraged by the injustices of our world; the extreme poverty that sees children perishing from hunger and lack of basic health care, families torn apart by war and unjust immigration laws, and the so many divisions caused by socio-economic inequalities.  These problems in our world can at times give us a negative view of the world; but today is the reassurance we need!  CHRIST IS RISEN!  Though completely innocent (perfect in every way in fact); Jesus suffered, died, was buried and on the third day - conquered the grave once and for all!  This is the encouragement that sustains us, this is the strength we need as we are called to go out into the world and be instruments of His divine Love, Mercy, and Justice.  Sisters and brothers, we are a Resurrection People, strengthened by our Lord’s Victory and called to go out into the world and speak in the face of injustice and corruption.  Let today EASTER SUNDAY be the inspiration we need to renew our own hearts, our families and our world in ensuring Justice and Truth for all people, but most especially for the poor.  Happy Easter and may our awesome God fill your hearts with the JOY and GRACE of our Risen Lord!

“In the face of serious forms of social and economic injustice and political corruption affecting entire peoples and nations, there is a growing reaction of indignation on the part of very many people whose fundamental human rights have been trampled upon and held in contempt, as well as an ever more widespread and acute sense of the need for a radical personal and social renewal capable of ensuring justice, solidarity, honesty and openness.” No. 98  IOANNES PAULUS PP. II VERITATIS SPLENDOR    

April 13, 2014 Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

April 13, 2014

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

 

“The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.’”

“They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ But he said, ‘Why? What evil has he done?’ They only shouted the louder, ‘Let him be crucified!’”

Sisters and brothers today we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion in which our Lord made His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and was eventually led to Golgotha. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the people shouted “hosanna” which if translated literally is taken from the psalms and means “save us, we pray”.  However on the occasion of the Messiah’s entrance into the Holy City it was more of an acclamation of joy rather than the literal meaning.  The people rejoiced that Jesus the Christ had arrived to save His people! But how quickly their hearts changed!  For it would be shortly after His entrance into the Holy City that the people would turn on the Savior; not very long after His glorious entrance would the people shout “Let him be crucified!”  Sisters and brothers do we not do the same thing?  One of the criticisms of Catholics by others is that we mock the Sacrament of Confession thinking we can do whatever we want and act however we please as long as we go to Confession on Saturday.  Meaning, the running mockery of our faith by others is that Catholics go out on Friday night carousing and fornicating, go to Confession on Saturday, and receive Communion on Sunday and then repeat the whole process the next weekend.  It is as if we are saying to our Lord; “Yes, I believe in you and trust in you on Saturday and Sunday but on Friday I am going to turn my back on you and do my own thing!”  Is this not what the people of Jerusalem did?  Sisters and brothers when we enter into the confessional we are opening our hearts completely to our Lord’s healing touch.  A divine healing that has the power to transform our lives only if we let it! We should not think that we can keep committing the same sins over and over again and just go to confession to “wipe the slate clean” without truly putting in the effort to change our life.  When we leave the confessional we are tasked with striving to never commit the same sin/error again.  Please do not misunderstand me, more than likely there are certain temptations that each of us will struggle with throughout our whole life, but the point is that we must never stop putting in the effort to turn away from sin.  Beloved, as we enter Holy Week let our hearts, minds, and souls prepare the way for our Lord, let us truly strive for conversion; and may every knee bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!

Sunday April 6, 2014 5th Sunday of Lent - "Jesus wept."

Gospel jn 11:1-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany,
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil
and dried his feet with her hair;
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying,
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death,
but is for the glory of God,
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill,
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples,
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him,
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you,
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble,
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles,
because the light is not in him.”
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death,
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe.
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples,
“Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this,
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying,
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village,
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her,
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him,
she fell at his feet and said to him,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping,
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said,
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said,
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench;
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me;
but because of the crowd here I have said this,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands,
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

“When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’  When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Sir, come and see.’ And Jesus wept.”

Sisters and brothers; why was Jesus moved to tears?  Some have speculated that he was crying because He loved Lazarus, and like any of us who lose a loved one, was grieving over His friend’s death.  Others have speculated that it was a combination of His own grief for Lazarus and empathizing with the grief of Mary and Martha.  In other words He was moved to tears out of compassion for the pain Mary and Martha were experiencing.  However, I take a different approach to the tears of our Lord.  There is only one other explicit instance when our Lord is moved to tears in the Gospels and it occurs in the Gospel of St. Luke; the lament for Jerusalem, “As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it…”  This then gives us insight into the Heart of our Lord.  Jesus is not crying because of the grief that comes with death; He is crying over the pain He is experiencing due to the lack of the people’s FAITH in Him.  In both instances the people’s rejection of His grace is the offense against our Lord that moves him to tears.  You see, it is okay to morn and be sad over the death of a loved one, but it is wrong to despair because desperation means we have lost hope: our HOPE is in the Lord!  In the case of the people of Jerusalem our Lord wept because they outright rejected Him as the Messiah.  My brothers and sisters in Christ; do you believe that all things are possible for God?  Do you believe that Jesus the Christ has conquered sin and death once and for all?  Do you put your trust in God’s magnificent Grace that with His divine benevolence you can overcome the trappings of all sin?  Do you believe in the power of the Blood of the Lamb that was shed for us?  As we continue our Lenten journey let us cry out with all the faith in our soul: “I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”