I did not come to call the righteous but sinners

 

Scripture for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel for today we see the usual judgementalism of the Pharisees towards Jesus and those who Jesus was ministering to. Jesus’ mission was to come and help people return to relationship with God.

Tax collectors during the time of Jesus were considered outcasts by the Jewish people because they worked for the Roman government and were extorting money from the Jews in order to turn it over to the Romans, while keeping some of the money for themselves. As a result, they were considered the worsts of sinners for betraying God and the Jewish people in order to make a profit. Further, there were others who just simply turned away from their faith in God and were living lives not compatible with Jewish law.

To the Pharisees these people were beyond redemption and were already condemned by God. Jesus, knowing the hearts of all people, reached out to these tax collectors and sinners and showed them the love that God has for each one of them. All they needed to do was to turn back to God, repent for their sinfulness, and develop that loving relationship with God, who is all loving and forgiving.

Matthew is a prime example of someone turning his life over to God. Through Jesus Christ, he saw his sinfulness, repented, and would go on to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. We are to be like St. Matthew in helping others to come and know the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

In our day and age, Jesus is still calling people away from their sinful ways to turn back to Him and to seek forgiveness for their sins through his church. All of us are called to be Christ-like towards those who may be living a life not appropriate to the Christian way of life that we know and love. We are called to be welcoming to all people and invite them to share our faith in the loving God, as taught by Jesus Christ. We may see people whose lifestyles we may not approve of, but we need to look beyond their sinfulness and see people loved by God and made in His likeness. We are called to pray for them and make them welcome in our Christian community. As Jesus responds to the Pharisees, when they question about why he was with tax collectors and sinners, he says, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” (Matthew 9:12) Those who have left the church and relationship with God for any reason are being called by the Lord to return to a relationship with Him and to seek forgiveness.

So let us show the love of God to all people and make all welcomed into our church. Pray for them that they may turn away from sin and embrace a life in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 

 

While we were still sinners Christ died for us!

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus | USCCB

Today we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is usually commemorated on the Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost.

This beautiful devotion shows us the love that Christ has for all of us. In one of his writings, St. Bonaventure wrote, “…consider how great and worthy is he who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life…” and “It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christas he slept the sleep of death on the Cross.” Christ willingly went to the cross to die for our salvation.

In our gospel for today we hear Christ describe the Good Shepherd. Christ is that Good Shepherd looking far and wide for those who are away from God through sin. Once the sinner has returned to the loving embrace of Christ in His Church, our Lord is overjoyed, like the Good Shepherd that is described in the gospel.

As we pray today to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us reflect on the words of St. Paul in today’s second reading to the Romans, “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” God’s love for us is infinite, and He wants us to always to turn away from sin and to always turn towards Him out of love and devotion. Further, as we continue our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us pray for those in our family that may be away from the Church and any devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be through our prayers that our family and friends will come back into relationship with Jesus and find that peace that can only come from being in relationship with the Lord.

Finally, as we pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us remember what St. Teresa of Calcutta is quoted as saying: “Do not let the past disturb you. Leave everything in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and begin again with joy.” 

 

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Warmest greetings to our fathers, godfathers, grandfathers, and spiritual fathers on Father’s Day.

Today we have a recurring guest blogger:  Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, pastor of PRESENTATION OF THE B.V.M CHURCH, PORT EWEN AND SACRED HEART CHURCH, ESOPUS. For more information on this parish, check out their website at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary & Sacred Heart Churches - Port Ewen - Esopus, NY (presentationsacredheart.org) 

Submission to the blog of Dcn. Thomas Tortorella for Sunday of the Most Holy Trinity 2025 by Fr. Arthur F. Rojas and with permission to publish on the blog

© All Rights Reserved personally by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, June 10, 2025    

At times in our country, the local authorities have been referred to as the “town” or “city fathers” and the Framers of the United States Constitution as the “Founding Fathers” of our nation.  Yet most of our state legislators recently have served a Vampire State instead of our once-Empire State by passing the Medical Aid in Dying Bill over to Hon. Kathy Hochul, our governor, for her signature into law.  How many of our elderly, disabled, poor, lonely, or frail fathers (and mothers) have the majorities at Albany placed on the altars of “individual autonomy,” “choice,” and “death with dignity” as Canada and western Europe have shown that the “right” to die becomes inevitably the “duty” to die?  I am reminded of the end of the science-fiction movie Soylent Green as the protagonist played by Charlton Heston announces the terrible secret on his way arguably to euthanasia, “Soylent Green is people!”

Let us extol anew the prayerful fortitude and talent of St. Athanasius, St. Hilary of Poitiers, and other Catholic heroes in the first several centuries of the Church as they upheld the Nicene Creed and our profession of faith in the mystery of one God in three Divine Persons against powerful forces wanting to feed humanity lies about God instead of His Revelation.  Truly the prelates Ss. Athanasius and Hilary have been called fathers…an Eastern and a Western Father of the Church among others so honored with the title.    So may we committed Catholics and other New Yorkers of good will today attest to the intrinsic worth of human life from the womb to the tomb, in light of the recent travesty at Albany, and treat our elderly and our disabled not as burdens to our comfortable way of life or as mere liabilities to corporate bottom lines but as opportunities to be truly human, truly loving to each other as God expects of us.

Firstly, let us pray for the conversion of Governor Hochul, that she may veto the bill instead of becoming complicit in this sordid affair.  The votes are arguably in both chambers to sustain that move.  Then, call her office at 518/474-8390 to convey your insistence – firmly but respectfully – that she decide with a view to history and the hereafter and not just the elections in 2026.  Next, all Catholics should consider a Catholic-oriented Health Care Proxy to sign and distribute to their relatives and attorneys.  The website of the New York State Catholic Conference (nyscatholic.org) has a booklet offering Catholic guidance, including a draft Health Care Proxy, that is downloadable from the website in English and Spanish.  Moreover, Catholics in the healing arts and sciences should learn and insist on their conscience rights under applicable laws, policies, and union contracts to take no part in procedures arising from this bill or related decisions made by insurance companies.  Finally, Catholic investors and stockholders should sponsor resolutions at annual meetings and elect directors who will not cut costs or raise profits by eliminating people who suffer instead of treating suffering patients. 

You are the light of the world

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel for today, the Lord uses two metaphors to describe how we, as His followers, are to live out our lives. 

First, Jesus says we are to be the salt of the earth. The reason people use salt is to add flavor to the food they are preparing to eat. Without salt, the food will taste bland or flat. We, as followers, are called to be like "salt" to the world in which we live. We are to bring our love of the Lord to those we meet. In doing so we are making the world a better place. It takes away the blandness and flatness of the world and brings the love of Christ to all we meet. We are to live out our Christian lives so that it's evident that we are followers of Jesus Christ. By bringing the love of Christ to those we touch each day, we are helping those around us to know the love that Christ has for everyone. That's how we are to be the "salt of the earth."

This is tied into us being the "light of the world." When people see us and how we behave, can they see that we are Christians, followers of Christ? Our faith and how we live needs to be shining examples of the love that Christ has for everyone. By seeing us, people should be seeing the love that Christ has for everyone. Much like a light bulb emanates light for all to see, we are to be the light of Christ's love for everyone. 

This reminds me of the hymn from a number of years ago, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." By showing love to everyone, we will be like the salt bringing the "flavor" of Christ love to all we meet. 

As Saint Paul says in our first reading from the 2nd letter to the Corinthians, let us always say "yes" to bringing the love of Christ into this world to bring us greater peace and joy.

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter | USCCB

In our gospel for today, we continue with John, chapter 15. Central to the teachings of Jesus is that of love of God and love of one another. Today our Lord is very clear: love one another as I love you. He’s not suggesting we love each other, but rather he is commanding that we love one another. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you!” Our Lord is not playing around here.

Following this commandment of love of other people is difficult. We all have different personalities and attractions. Naturally, there will be those we meet in our day-to-day lives that we will find it hard to even like, no less to love. But to love is what we must do towards everyone we meet, whether it’s those family members that get on our nerves, or those people we meet during the day that press our buttons. We are to make an effort to love them as God loves them. We are to remember that God loves EVERYONE, even those people we don’t like. Whether we like it or not, those people that we may not like are made in the image of God and God loves them dearly.

Pope St. John Paul II is quoted as saying: “Open your minds and hearts to the beauty of all that God has made and to His special, personal love for each one of you.” And Archbishop Fulton Sheen says of love: “Love is not an emotion; it is an act of the will.”

So, as we go throughout our day, let us bring this love of God to all we meet. Let the love of God be evident in how we treat one another.

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter | USCCB

In our gospel for today's mass from John 15 we hear Jesus talk about the love of the Father and Jesus' love for us. He's asking us to remain in His love. This is the central teaching of our Lord: To love God with our whole mind, heart and soul and to love our neighbor as our selves. 

On the Carmelite calendar for today we celebrate the feast of Saint Joachina de Vedruna de Mas who understood this love that Jesus is talking about. She was born in Barcelona in 1783. She married and had 9 children. In 1816 she became a widow and felt a call to form the Congregation of Carmelite Sisters of Charity. 

In one of her writings she says, "If only we were all on fire with love for God! If we were, we should preach love, proclaim love, and yet more love, until we had set the whole world on fire. We must have great desires: then God will give us whatever is best for us." I'm sure during her lifetime she reflected on this gospel from John 15 and applied it to how she lived her life and how she developed her congregation. She knew that God is love and his love for us is all important as to how we live out our lives here on earth. 

In our daily lives we meet many people, whether in our families, or just going about our daily routine. It is in these daily encounters that we are to bring the love of God into the world to transform it into a place that is pleasing to God. 

She concludes in this writing on love, "Love, love, and yet more love-love that is never satisfied! The more we love God, the more we shall long to love him And when we have Jesus in our hearts, we shall have everything else in him and with him."

Let us, through the help of Saint Joachina, remember to love God always and to live out our lives with love towards everyone we meet. Saint Joachina, pray for us.

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

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter | USCCB

This gospel is often used at either wakes or funerals to give comfort to the family and friends of the dearly departed. I find these words most comforting. Our life can be full of troubles, whether it’s over the loss of a loved one, or just dealing with family problems that arise in our relationship with each other. Life is full of anxiety and problems. But in these words, Jesus is reminding us that we need to have faith in the Father and in Him, and they will be present to us in our cares and worries.  

Then the Lord goes on to promise a special dwelling place for each one of us. It’s comforting to know that the Lord is so concerned for us and loves us so much that he is preparing a special place for each one of us to go to be happy with him for all eternity.

It’s at this point that St. Thomas asks the question, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" (John 14:5) Thomas is always asking these great questions. And as a result, we learn who Jesus is. Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

In this gospel for today, it is reminding us to always keep focused on Jesus no matter what our problems happen to be. As we go throughout our day and face the different challenges, let us pray often the familiar words of St. Faustine, “Jesus I trust in thee.”