Ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral

Ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral
June 19, 2010

Friday, March 22, 2024

You, a man, are making yourself God.

 


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

In our gospel today from St. John we continue to hear the friction between Jesus and the Jews. The Jews believed that Jesus was nothing more than a man and thought he was blaspheming when he attempted to teach that he was indeed God.

In our gospel from yesterday, we hear Jesus tell the Jews, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” (John 8:58) The Jews, who knew scripture well, recalled from Exodus, chapter 3:14, when God revealed himself to Moses and said, “I AM WHO AM.” The Jews questioning Jesus knew the context of the phrase “I AM” and immediately thought Jesus was committing blasphemy.

Even with all the miracles that Jesus performed, between feeding a multitude of people to healing the sick, they were unable to see beyond his physical appearance to have faith that he was indeed the Messiah.

All this was meant to happen so that Jesus would be turned over to the authorities and to be crucified on Good Friday and rise on Easter Sunday for the forgiveness of our sins.

In our own time, we have people who find it hard to believe that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. They have trouble believing that he rose on Easter Sunday. Many today feel he was only a prophet or just a holy man that upset those in authority and died as a result. They fail to know and to believe in his resurrection.

We are called to pray for those in our lives who may lack the faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By our constant prayer for those we love who lack faith in Jesus, the Lord can work in their hearts to perform that miracle of faith that they need to have in order to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

During this Holy week, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, pray for your loved ones for their conversion and for their intentions. Then when the time is right, God will answer your prayers on their behalf to bring them to faith in the Lord Jesus.

 

 

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

He did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

 


Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary | USCCB

Today we celebrate the solemnity of St. Joseph. It was in the 16th century that the church recognized devotion to him and considered him as “provider and protector” of the Holy Family. And it was in 1870 that Pope Pius IX declared his feast day to be on March 19th. This is one of two feasts for St. Joseph. The other is on May 1st where he is called St. Joseph the Worker.

In our gospel for today, we hear St. Joseph described as a “righteous man.” He was a devout Jew, always attempting to do what he felt God was calling him to do according to Jewish Law. Much to his surprise, he finds out that Mary, before they lived together, was with child. This, I’m sure, caused him great anxiety. He knew he wasn’t the father, but he also didn’t want Mary hurt in any way. So out of love for Mary he decided to divorce her quietly.

Joseph, always open to God’s Will in his life, then hears the message of God though the angel in his dream that it was through the power of the Holy Spirit that Mary has conceived the Lord in her womb. Joseph, obedient to God’s Will, takes Mary as his wife and cares for her and Jesus through those difficult early years of the Lord’s childhood.

We are called to imitate Joseph in our lives. We are to always be open to God’s will even when things seem difficult or hard to understand. Joseph, like Mary, said yes to being part of God’s plan of salvation. He was called to be provider and protector.

We, too, are called to being part of God’s plan of salvation by being followers of Jesus Christ. We ae called to not only praise and worship him in our prayers, but we are called to bring the love of Jesus to all we meet in our lives. We are to be open to God’s promptings through the reading of Scripture and through the frequent reception of Holy Communion at Mass and the frequent use of Confession in order to receive the forgiveness of God. It is then that we can be able to hear the voice of God in our lives, and to bring the Lord to those who we care for.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.

 



The following is the reflection I submitted for my Lay Carmelite Chapter's newsletter:

Coming up next week is Holy Week, the holiest week on the Church calendar. During the week we hear of the final week in the earthly ministry of the Life of Christ: The Last Supper on Holy Thursday; his Crucifixion on Good Friday and his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday Morning.

 On Palm Sunday we hear two gospels. In the first gospel for the procession as we enter the church, one option is to read from the Gospel of Mark with the Lord’s grand entrance into Jerusalem. We read, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10). The people were all ready to crown him king. They were hoping for a political leader to help the Jewish people overthrow the Roman Government. That wasn’t in the Lord’s plans at all.

The scribes and pharisees were anxious to get rid of Jesus because they viewed him as a threat to their authority. During this week we hear of Judas, who had become disillusioned with Jesus, betray the Lord for 30 silver pieces. Then on Holy Thursday night, following the Last Supper, Judas betrays Jesus with the betrayal kiss. Jesus is then condemned to death and turned over for crucifixion to the Romans on Good Friday.

After the horrible death of Jesus on the Cross, all the disciples are dispersed and thought their dreams for a Messiah has come to an end. Then gloriously, on Easter Sunday morning, our Lord rises from the dead. 

During this week I encourage you to take time to read the scripture readings for Mass in order to get a better understanding of who we are. Central to our Christian faith is the fact that Jesus not only suffered death on the Cross for our sins but rose again on Easter Sunday. The life, death and resurrection of the Lord gives meaning to our lives as Christians. We can be called an “Easter people” because of the glorious resurrection of the Lord.

During this week, as we meditate on the final hours of the Lord’s life, place all your cares and concerns at the foot of the Cross. Further, I encourage you to take time each day to read the scripture readings assigned for each day of Holy Week. Make it a quiet time in the presence of the Lord’s sufferings and his resurrection. By doing so you will be reminded that the Lord died and rose from the dead for each one of us. 

Happy Easter.

Friday, March 8, 2024

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And You shall love your neighbor as yourself

 


Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Third Week of Lent | USCCB 

Our gospel for today our Lord clearly lays out what it means to be in relationship with God. For most of us it may seem easy to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, but then Jesus adds: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Following this “golden rule” is not always easy once we leave our prayer time with God. We come to church with our list of concerns for ourselves and prayer requests for others. We study scripture daily by reading the daily scripture readings for Mass. God is indeed the focus of who we are when we come to church. These are all good things.

But the challenge is when we move beyond our prayer time and encounter people that may not be easy to get along with. Just going through our daily routine, we come across people that may get on our nerves by being rude towards us. Or we may have those family members that may press our buttons. Loving these people as we love ourselves is not an easy thing. But it’s what Jesus is calling us to do. Everyone we meet during the day, whether we like them or not, are made in the image of God, and that’s what the Lord is teaching us. We must see the image of God in all the people we meet and to love them as we love ourselves. We don’t have to “like” them, but we are called to love them.

The best way to respond to love of neighbor is to pray for all those in our lives, both those we find easy to love, and those who may get on our nerves. Pray for their intentions and pray that we may see the image of God in all those people we meet during the day.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

“God put Abraham to the test.”

 


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 II Sunday of Lent by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas (c) All rights reserved by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, February 21, 2024 (c)

 Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Second Sunday of Lent | USCCB

 “God put Abraham to the test.” Genesis 22:1. Thus begins the first reading today in the Ordinary Form.  If we are honest with ourselves and the sensibilities of contemporary society, the demand that God had made of Abraham to offer his sole heir, Isaac, in sacrifice to Him may seem harsh, cruel, and with no blasphemy meant or conveyed, even offensive to the point of questioning how God could be good in light of His order to the holy patriarch. However, consider the fact that our very existence, yours and mine, is due to at least God declining to intervene against it or even allowing us to live (God’s “permissive will”) in this time and wherever we find ourselves.  If God is truly Creator and the Supreme Being, apart from our sins, what and who do we have that we do not owe to Him, at least to His acquiescence?

Dear parents, if God gave your son(s) to you, then could not God ask for at least one of them – even your only one - to serve Him and His Holy Church as a priest, monk, friar, or religious brother? “But I want grandchildren, Father!”  (What does God want?  Does that matter?)  “The family name or lineage must continue!”  (What does God have in mind?)  “I want my son(s) to be ‘successful’.” (Is the priesthood or religious life for “failures”?)  “Who will take care of me when I get old or sick?”  (If you give who you value most to the Lord, do you think that He will forget you in your time of need?)  Evidently, I have heard these responses before.  Dear parents, if God gave your daughter(s) to you, then could not God ask for at least one of them – even your only one – to become a bride of Christ as a nun, religious sister, or consecrated virgin?  A few of the above responses arise plus “But she is pretty, Father.  What a waste to put her in the convent!”  (If you trust JESUS as your Savior, then why would you not trust Him with the heart, body, and soul of your daughter more than any other suitor?  If He finds your daughter lovely, how you can dispute His good taste?)   As St. Paul concludes today’s second reading in the Ordinary Form, “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?” Romans8:32.

In St. Mark’s account of the Transfiguration (Mk9:2-10), the Gospel today in the Ordinary Form), let us suppose that St. Peter meant well by placing Jesus on par with Moses, the liberator of Israel, and Elijah, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  But the Eternal Father spoke from Heaven, identifying Jesus and Him alone as His “beloved Son. Listen to Him!” Mark 9:7. These words from above should ground the attitudes of our parents, grandparents, and godparents to the availability and docility of our young people to seek, trust, and accept God’s plan for their lives on Earth and towards Heaven.

As someone who kept God waiting to heed His call to the sacred priesthood for years because I would not accept that what God wanted for me was and is better than what “I” want for me, even with noble aims, I was guilty of trying to neutralize the supremacy of God and His will by countering and distracting with other apparently good ideas.  But they were not His ends in His plan for the world and for my place in that plan.  Although as your pastor and spiritual father (and your brother in Christ and a fellow sinner),

I too have my challenges to follow God’s plan even today, nevertheless, may you and I exhort and support each other and especially our young people to “walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.” (cf. Psalm 116, our responsorial psalm of today).

Friday, February 23, 2024

Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment

 


Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the First Week of Lent | USCCB

As we journey through Lent the readings from the gospel are directing us to not only develop a closer relationship with God through prayer and fasting, but also to develop a good and loving relationship with those we encounter in our day-to-day existence.

Our Lord is telling us today that not only is wrong to physically kill anyone, but we are to refrain from being angry with those in our lives. Our Lord is placing anger towards those in our lives on the same level as killing them. Anger towards those in our lives for whatever reason is not pleasing to God.

To live out our lives as Catholic Christians, Jesus is reminding us that it’s more than regular attendance at Church and saying our prayers that count, but it’s also about forgiving everyone we may have issues with. We need to see God in each person, whether we like them or not.

As we hear in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, with the judgement of the nations, Jesus says, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40). In other words, if we are angry at someone, we are angry at the Lord.

The challenge for all of us is to be able to see our Lord in those people we meet each day. Eash person we meet is made in the image and likeness of God. Unfortunately, due to our human weakness, it’s not easy to see the image of God in other people.  The biggest challenge is close family relationships where there’s friction, either between spouses or between siblings. Our families know us very well and sometimes it seems easier to be angry at our relatives than it is to love them and forgive them. Since they know us so well, they know what buttons to press to make us angry at them. The important thing in family relations is not to hold grudges and to hold onto anger towards those that hurt us. We need to try to be reconciled with those in our family that we are separated from due to family disputes. We are called to approach everyone with love and forgiveness.

St. Theresa of Calcutta is quoted as saying, “People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.  If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.” In this way we can bring the love and forgiveness of God to   all those in our lives.

May we be as loving and forgiving of others as we expect God to be loving and forgiving of us.

Friday, February 16, 2024

Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?

 


Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday after Ash Wednesday | USCCB

During this season of Lent, from Ash Wednesday until Easter, we will be reflecting on our relationship with God through fasting and penance. Fasting is something we can use to take our mind off our own physical hungers and start focusing on our spiritual growth and union with God.

The two days that we as Catholics are called to fast are on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The church teaches that those between 18 years of age and 59 are to eat only one full meal during the day, and two smaller meals not equaling the main meal. Further we are to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. This discipline, if used with proper understanding, helps us to focus not so much on the needs of our bodies, but rather on our spiritual needs of getting closer to God.

I recently saw a reflection on other ways of “fasting”. This reflection called us to “fast” from gossiping about those in our lives that we may not like. It calls us to “fast” from passing judgement on people that may be different from us and who we feel are not living what we consider a good life. It goes on to call us to “fast” from hatred towards people that may be different from us by race or nationality.

Then it went on to encourage us to replace the things we’re fasting from with things that are positive and more in line with our Christian values: we are called to say only good things about the people that we may not like. Instead of being judgmental, we are called to be understanding of those people who may be struggling living a life that we would not approve of. We are called to love those people that are different from us by race and nationality, realizing that we are all made in the image of God.

With these thoughts in mind, during this Lent let us turn our focus on the two great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. And when we fall short of living out these commandments of love, let us turn to God in a spirit of true repentance by going to confession and asking God to forgive us for failing to see the love God has for all the people in our lives. By doing so, when Easter comes in 40 days, we can truly celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord with joy and happiness.