Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph | USCCB

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and we hear in today’s gospel of the strength and love Joseph had for Mary and for Jesus. Further we hear of the obedience Joseph had in doing the Holy Will of God. Throughout the New Testament we do not hear Joseph utter one word, but instead, we see how, after receiving a message from God in a dream, he would just get up and do what was asked of him by God. He is what I would call the Strong and Silent type, or a “Man of Action.” He received instructions from God, but he never questioned the reason why God would ask him to do such difficult things. He just gets up and does as the Lord tells him to do in his dreams.

Further, the feast of the Holy Family encourages us to imagine the setting in which Jesus spent His childhood. Once the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, Jesus would grow and learn how to pray and how to worship God. The Gospels tell us of only one episode from those early years of Jesus, when, at the age of twelve, he remained behind in Jerusalem, after the family finished celebrating the Feast of Passover. When they realized he was missing, they backtracked to Jerusalem, and spent three days in search of him. Eventually Mary and Joseph found him in the synagogue with the teachers of the law. Once the anxious parents found him, all Jesus would say was, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” He then returned home, and scripture tells us that he “was obedient to them. (Luke 2:51)

All throughout his young life, before embarking on his ministry, he was at home, being obedient to Mary and Joseph, learning how to be a carpenter, and was studying scripture to be ready to complete his call to bring salvation to the world. The Holy Family is an example of what it means to be a God centered family. They prayed weekly in the synagogue, and they worked in order to support themselves financially.

Let us live out our lives like the Holy Family: loving each one in our family as God loves them; praying always, remembering that God is always present to us, and to work towards making a society a better place to live with God as our loving Father.

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) | USCCB

Merry Christmas! On this most joyful day we reflect on the gospel from St. Luke. Mary gives birth to the Lord, and then the choir of angels appear to the shepherds to announce the good news that the Lord has been born. They were at first struck with great fear, but once the angels announced the good news of the birth of Jesus to them, the fear left them, and they went to see the newborn savior. "For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord."(Luke 2:10)

I can imagine their looks of fear changing to looks of joy once they came upon the newborn Savior. The Shepherds would go in search of the savior and their lives were never the same after that. Each year as we celebrate the Birth of our Savior, we are reminded that we, too, are to search for the Lord. Not in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus is waiting there in our hearts in order for us to turn our lives over to Him and to gain eternal happiness. We are to be God centered by turning to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

During this Christmas time as we celebrate the Birth of the Lord, let us remember that it's not about exchanging gifts and parties, but rather exchanging love and forgiveness towards all in our lives. We are to give the gift of love to all in our lives. The best gift we can give to others is to bring Christ into their lives.

In St. Paul's letter to Titus we read, "who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, 

eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:14). Let us be eager to do what is good by bringing the love of God to all we meet throughout the New Year. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

“John is his name”

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of the nativity of John the Baptist, the pre-curser to the Lord. We hear of the people surrounding John and his parents with the question, “What, then, will this child be?” Further, the gospel concludes with “For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

John had a prominent role in our salvation history. He was always the one that recognized that Jesus was Lord and Savior. During Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth, we hear of John moving with joy in Elizabeth’s womb once Mary, now carrying Jesus in her womb, approached Elizabeth. On the banks of the Jordan, when John sees Jesus’ approach, he says the words that we hear at every mass as the priest holds up the consecrated Host, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”

John’s whole life and ministry was that of humble service to God and pointing out that Jesus is the savior of the world. Further, John was always willing to speak the truth in how people should live out their lives according to the commandments of God. He was even willing to die for the truth when he spoke to Herod against the sin of adultery that Herod was committing with his brother’s wife. As a result, Herod had John beheaded.

We are all called to live out our lives as Christians in the same way that John lived out his life: always pointing towards the truth and that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. As Catholic Christians we are called to live out the Commandments of God and the precepts of the Church in a way that is reflective of our faith in Jesus Christ.  We are to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation, and we are called to make regular use of the Sacrament of Confession in order to be cleansed of any sinfulness we may have on our souls. By living out our lives in this way, in true obedience to Jesus Christ, we will be pointing others towards Him and be an example of what it means to be a Child of God. It will not always be easy, but it’s what we are called to do.

During this Christmas season and throughout the New Year, let us always be willing to point others to Jesus by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”

Will You Live for Him?

Gaudete Sunday

 

Today we have a recurring guest blogger:  Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, administrator 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 Gaudete Sunday

by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved © Dec. 8, 2022

“And blessed is the one who takes no offense at Me.” (Matthew 11:6, from the Gospel reading in the Ordinary Form). Reiterating what was published at our website (www.presentationsacredheart.org) and by our press release, I thank Almighty God, then Our Lady of the Hudson, and then the primary cooperation of the Knights of Columbus (Council #275, Kingston) and the help of our Women’s Society and generous volunteers from our parish and elsewhere for the splendid St. Nicholas celebration on the night of December 7th at St. Leo’s Hall. Almost 100 people, including R.C.I.C./Religious Education students and staff, other local children and families and local Knights of Columbus, enjoyed a prayerful and joyful celebration of the REAL Santa Claus: St. Nicholas of Myra. We aimed to form the imagination of our children and youths towards a Christian sense of who and what to celebrate, when we celebrate, and how we celebrate. A Blessed Advent to you as we all prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas!

“Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” – James 5:10 (from the second reading in the Ordinary Form). As the House of Representatives at Washington, D.C. passed on Dec. 8th the so-called Respect for Marriage Act (R.M.A.), from an article in Business Insider I learned that in the debate preceding the vote, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (Missouri) shed tears as she urged her colleagues to reject the proposal to further entrench “same-sex unions” as a legal equivalent to marriage in our country. Now, Mrs. Hartzler is an evangelical Christian and not a Catholic. However, I suspect that as an evangelical Christian, she reads the 66 books in her Bible (ours has 73). I dare surmise that the Congresswoman knew what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah when those cities exalted lewdness (read Genesis 19). As she warned about the R.M.A.’s further danger to the religious freedom of groups and individuals who do not go along with the ongoing legal and cultural perversion of marriage, notwithstanding its doubtful provisions regarding religious liberty, perhaps an angel’s words to Lot at Sodom, “…the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord…” (Gen 19:13) might have moved Rep. Hartzler to tears for our country as we turn further away from God and His ways. The passage of this bill on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception galls me too, especially when thinking of any Catholic representative who voted for R.M.A. and then presented himself or herself for Holy Communion at Mass today. To know that a Catholic president of the United States is eager to sign this bill into Federal law and public policy! Truly, “Lord, come and save us” (cf. Ps 146, from today’s Responsorial Psalm). May we persevere in prayer and our choices to live and share the truth of God’s plan for man and woman of life and love as well as to support each other to steadfast fidelity to Christ at a time when it would be much easier to go with the foul flow. For Christ comes not only at Christmas but also at the end of our lives and at the end of time itself. How are we preparing?

SILENT NIGHT

 

We have a guest blogger today. Arlene B. Muller (Arlene Clare Muller, OFS) is a lector and EM at St. Pancras Church in Glendale, NY, a singer in the choir at St. Margaret's Church in Middle Village, NY, a professed Secular Franciscan & newly elected Formation Director at St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity in Elmhurst, NY & an itinerant speech/language therapist who works with preschool children with delayed language development. In addition to her ministries & work she seeks to promote the GOSPEL & the GOSPEL OF LIFE, especially in writing & frequently on FACEBOOK.

This morning as I was listening to SILENT NIGHT on the radio I thought of the paradoxical contrast between the external circumstances of "no room in the inn" & a cave or stable, a manger with straw surrounded by animals that would seem like the exact opposite of what Mary & Joseph would have wanted as the place for the Son of GOD to be born vs the overwhelming LIGHT, LOVE & PEACE that entered when JESUS CHRIST was born.

Despite the seeming total contradiction of the physical appearances, Mary & Joseph's hearts were ready to receive the coming of the Son of GOD into the world. Their hearts were FULL OF LOVE & the LOVE they had for GOD, the LOVE OF GOD that extended out from their hearts was sufficient, and GOD INCARNATE, WHO IS LOVE INCARNATE was BORN, FILLING WHAT ORDINARILY WOULD SEEM LIKE A PHYSICALLY UNLIKELY ENVIRONMENT WITH LIGHT, LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, HOPE, PEACE & JOY!

As the LORD told Samuel, human beings look at the outward appearances, but GOD looks upon the heart.  In our human thinking, the INCARNATE SON OF GOD deserved to be born in some immaculate ivory palace, but He chose to be born in a cave.

For GOD a CAVE WITH LOVE is EQUIVALENT to a PALACE & a PALACE WITHOUT LOVE IS EQUIVALENT TO A CAVE!

Most of the time anticipating what needs to be done for CHRISTMAS seems so stressful & overwhelming, but most of the time, when CHRISTMAS actually comes, there is somehow a sense that we can settle down & everything is OK, or as Julian of Norwich would say "ALL IS WELL." In fact, the word "NOEL" associated with CHRISTMAS means "NOW ALL IS WELL". We can experience the acceptance & peace because the LOVE OF GOD transcends outward circumstances and our LOVING GOD is EMMANUEL: GOD IS WITH US.

As we go about doing whatever we have to do to get ready for CHRISTMAS, let us take a deep breath & keep remembering the words from Sacred Scripture: "LET EVERYTHNG YOU DO BE DONE IN LOVE". In the end it is the LOVE FOR GOD & the LOVE FROM GOD poured out into our hearts that extends outward that matters most & is what we celebrate at CHRISTMAS.

Let it be done for you according to your faith

 

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

In our gospel for today from Matthew we hear of one of the many healings that Jesus performs. The two blind men, in all humility, approach Jesus and say, “Son of David, have pity on us!” They weren’t demanding to be healed, but rather approached Jesus to help them in their suffering. They probably didn’t expect anything to really be done, but with all they have heard about Jesus, they had the faith that he would be able to do something for them.

Jesus goes on to ask them if they believe he could do this for them. Their response was, “Yes, Lord.” Then, touching their eyes, and with the words, “Let it be done for you according to your faith” they were healed. They did indeed have faith for this to happen to them.

The sense of touch is important, so Jesus touched their eyes and healed them. Jesus, being God, could have simply given the command to be healed, and it would have happened. But Jesus felt it important enough to touch them in order to give them the healing they requested.

Central in this passage is two things: the faith of the two blind men, and the fact that Jesus touched them to grant them healing. We can turn to Jesus in the same way each time we approach the altar to receive Holy Communion. There are many concerns on our minds that we may need help with from the Lord Jesus. When we approach Jesus during Holy Communion with these concerns, Jesus is asking us, like he asked the blind men, “Do you believe I can do this?” Our response should always be, “Yes, Lord!” Then, when we receive our Lord in Holy Communion, he will be touching us with His healing power in the same way he touched the blind men 2,000 years ago. We just need to have faith that Jesus will respond to our prayers in a way that is most beneficial to us and for those we are praying for.

Let us always bring our cares and concerns to Jesus and place them into His loving hands. He will always respond with love, care and concern for us and for all who we pray for.

Son of David, have pity on us! Amen

Feast of St. Andrew

We have a guest blogger today. Arlene B. Muller (Arlene Clare Muller, OFS) is a lector and EM at St. Pancras Church in Glendale, NY, a singer in the choir at St. Margaret's Church in Middle Village, NY, a professed Secular Franciscan & newly elected Formation Director at St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity in Elmhurst, NY & an itinerant speech/language therapist who works with preschool children with delayed language development. In addition to her ministries & work she seeks to promote the GOSPEL & the GOSPEL OF LIFE, especially in writing & frequently on FACEBOOK.

Scripture readings for today can be found at Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle | USCCB

Today is the Feast Day of St. Andrew, the apostle, the brother of St. Peter.

According to St. John's Gospel, St. Andrew was a seeker & a disciple of St. John the Baptist & when St. John the Baptist pointed out JESUS he immediately went to JESUS & spent time with Him, & then Andrew told his brother Simon (who became St. Peter) about JESUS, & the rest is history.

According to St. John, Andrew was one of the first two followers of JESUS, but it was Simon Peter, his impetuous, "foot in mouth" brother whom Our LORD called to be the leader. Although St. Andrew played an important role in Our LORD'S miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes by telling Our LORD about the boy who had 5 loaves & 2 fish, most of the time Andrew tended to be more in the background & rank fourth in prominence among the apostle, since whenever the LORD chose to spend time with His closest apostles He picked "Peter, James & John", as in the time JESUS raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, as in the time of Our LORD's Transfiguration, and in the Garden of Gethsemane!

I wonder if it ever bothered St. Andrew to "play second fiddle" to his brother Simon Peter. I feel sure that Andrew was glad to share the good news of finding the Messiah & to bring his brother & other people to JESUS.  He definitely had the heart of an evangelist right away and His devotion to Our LORD was fervent & sincere. But I wonder if at times when Simon Peter was being picked ahead of him, St. Andrew ever thought or even said aloud "But I found JESUS first!" and/or even thought at times when his blustery brother "blew it" by speaking first & thinking later, or by falling asleep when Our LORD needed him to watch & pray with Him, or when Simon Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, or when Simon Peter denied the LORD "Why did JESUS  pick Peter ahead of me, when I could have done a better job!" It is possible that this could have been Andrew's "two cents" when the apostles argued among themselves about who would be the greatest.

Whether playing "second fiddle" to Simon Peter & seemingly in rank of the apostles ever bothered St. Andrew we might never know unless one day we get to have a conversation with him in heaven! Imagining myself in St. Andrew's sandals I am pretty sure that these thoughts and feelings would definitely have entered my mind & heart.

I think generally St. Andrew had a generous & humble heart (probably at least more humble than that of his more prominent brother, at least for a time) & while spending time with JESUS he came to know that beyond "rank" JESUS loved him just as much & loved him uniquely & had a very definite and special place for Andrew in His heart, in His ministry & in His Church.

Andrew was full of apostolic zeal & received the Holy Spirit & wound up spreading the good news & dying as a martyr in a cross shaped like an X, considering himself unworthy of a cross in the same shape as His Master.

St. Andrew loved Our LORD & filled the role that Our LORD gave him with obedience, devotion & humility, both when he was in the forefront & when he was in the background, and in this he is a wonderful role model for us all & a great apostle and saint.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

As we come to the end of the liturgical year of the church, with the First Sunday of Advent this Sunday and Christmas just four weeks away, the church gives us readings that focus on the end times or the final judgement. As Christians, we are called to live out our lives in the expectation of eventually meeting our Savior, whether at the end of our lives, or the end of the world. That is to be the focus of our lives: the eventual judgement day that each one of us will face.

Living out our lives here in this world means to be open constantly to the words that Jesus tells us in holy scripture. His Words will never pass away. All throughout his ministry Jesus taught us of the love God has for each one of us, and that we are to respond to that love with love of God and love of our neighbor.

In our first reading from Revelation, we hear of the Devil (also known as Satan) leading all nations away from the love of God and his commandments. The last thing the Evil One wants is for us to be obedient to God’s commandments of love and service to His people. The Evil One can be very tempting in how he can lead us away from God. He is THE great deceiver! But we have tools, given to us by Jesus Christ, to help us to remain faithful to God and His commandments. These are the Holy Sacraments. Each Sacrament gives us the grace necessary to grow ever closer to God. In Baptism, we receive the grace to be children of God, and all our sins are wiped away the moment we are baptized. Then, as we grow in our faith, we have Confession to help us during the times when we fall short in our relationship with God. Then we have the Eucharist, which nourishes us and gives us spiritual strength to continue our journey towards heaven.

During this time of Advent, as we prepare for the gift of the Birth of Jesus at Christmas, let us take time from our busy schedules to do the following: take time to read daily the scripture from each of the weekday masses and quietly meditate on what God is trying to tell us; take time out to go to confession, realizing that we are in need of God’s love and healing, and receive Holy Communion as often as possible. Then we will be ready by Christmas to celebrate the birth of the Lord into our lives. Let us always remain focused on God and His love for us.

 

To Whom Do We Owe Our Allegiance?

Christ the King Sunday by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved © Nov. 18, 2022

Today we have a recurring guest blogger:  Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, administrator 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) 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe | USCCB

VIVA CRISTO REY (Spanish for “Long live Christ the King!”). For the first time in my life as a priest, I will celebrate the feast of Christ the King Sunday on two distinct days of the same liturgical year: today at Masses in the Ordinary Form as the last Sunday of the liturgical year and already on October 30th, the last Sunday of October, in the Extraordinary Form. The two distinct points in time indicate different emphases of the 1962 Missale Romanum (for Mass in the Extraordinary Form) and the Roman Missals used after the Second Vatican Council (“Vatican II”) to offer Mass in the Ordinary Form. In 1925, Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday in October as a response by the Church to the atheistic and barbaric Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917 in Russia. After the general turmoil and hideous violence of the preceding 125 years (including against the Catholic Church), Pope Pius XI wished to reiterate the lordship of Christ over all spheres of human life, including the pretensions of Caesar over marriage and family life, the education of children and youth, and public religious adherence. The Pope also scheduled the feast just before November, the month already dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory, to remind us of divine lordship over life and death, also against the pretensions of certain governments, politicians, ideologues, and philosophers. For more information, please read Quas Primas, the encyclical of Pope Pius XI (www.vatican.va, Vatican web page). With the changes opened by Vatican II to the celebration of Holy Mass, the administration of the sacraments, and the liturgical year, the Church shifted the date of Christ the King Sunday in the Ordinary Form to the last Sunday of the liturgical year. This change was meant to emphasize the eschatological nature of the kingship of Christ, that is, to focus on the last days and the Kingdom of God, whose fullness we await at the end of time, when Christ returns to “judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end,” per the Nicene Creed that we recite or sing at Mass on Sundays, solemnities, and Holy Days of Obligation. The readings and prayers of Mass today in the Ordinary Form also point us to a different model of leadership exhibited by Christ the King, a contrast to what passes for leadership today, even if cloaked by labels such as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or “democracy.” As Catholic Americans, let us consider Christ the King Sunday amidst recent events. Firstly, the defacement on Nov. 14 of the pro-life billboard southbound on Broadway at Ulster Park shows us that the abortion-on-demand mentality is very much a rebellion against the lordship of Christ over life and death, especially from the moment of conception. As reported by the Daily Freeman on Nov. 18 and demonstrated by the speedy replacement of the prolife poster on the billboard, the Ulster Deanery Respect Life Committee (www.ulsterdeaneryrespectlife.org) remains steadfast to Christ the King and His Gospel of Life. May there be enough resources for the Committee to erect more billboards or similar advertisements throughout Ulster County! Next, the advancement of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” in Washington, D.C. serves a new genre of error regarding God’s plan for life and love by obliging the Federal Government statutorily to treat “same-sex unions” at par with true marriages of one man and one woman at one time. When I think of how the U.S.A. soccer team lately changed the colors of its emblem to a perverted “pride” pattern instead of red, white, and blue and how in June the American embassy to the Holy See flew a flag with similar meaning and colors, I ask: how dare we hold ourselves as “one nation under God,” per the Pledge of Allegiance? How are you and I as Catholic Americans represented by that flag or that emblem? We are neither included nor are we represented, unless we too are in rebellion against Christ the King. To be sure, as patriotic Americans, we love our country. But as Christians, we love and serve God firstly and above all, per the First Commandment. VIVA CRISTO REY.

XXXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we have a recurring guest blogger:  Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, administrator 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) 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

XXXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved © Nov. 11, 2022

Although I rarely refer to Protestant theologians in my homilies or in my writings, considering the readings today in the Ordinary Form, I must rate as wise the advice from Karl Barth, the Swiss Calvinist theologian, to young theologians in 1963, “to take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both.” (Barth in Retirement, May 31, 1963, Time magazine, www.content.time.com, accessed November 11, 2022) In response to comments or questions to why I refer frequently to current events in my homilies and writings, this advice from Dr. Barth coheres in principle with the exhortations of Old Testament prophets, the evaluation of Our Lord Jesus of events of His time and as to the future (read anew today’s Gospel in Lk 21:5-19), the application of St. Paul and other writers of certain letters in the New Testament, and statements from Popes and local bishops on facing the challenges and exploiting the opportunities over 2,000 years as committed Christians towards personal holiness, the evangelization and care of our neighbor, and the defense of Gospel values. Indeed, the Second Vatican Council exhorts all the Christian faithful, not clerics only, to read “the signs of the times,” per one of its 16 documents, namely Gaudium et Spes, which provided a framework to the Church’s response to problems affecting the modern world. (Gaudium et Spes, article 4, a.k.a. the Pastoral Constitution of the Church, Second Vatican Council, 1965, www.vatican.va)

In other words, the true relevance of the Gospel and Catholic principles is neither derived from nor demonstrated by following the Zeitgeist, which is a term imported from German for the spirit of the age. The enduring value of what God has revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition is demonstrated through prayer, study, and lived example founded on over 2,000 years of what we have prayed and believed to help men and women to apply God’s teachings, plans, and design of creation to become holy themselves today where we are, to help others to choose, love, and serve what is good, true, and beautiful today where they are, and to pass on these values and the examples of those who have lived these values heroically (“saints”) to our children and youth to become holy wherever they will go in the future. At least from time to time, and I propose – more frequently - in these challenging days, the words and deeds of your clerics and others who cooperate in Christian formation (parents, godparents, elders, catechists, etc.) must speak to these times and their challenges and opportunities for us as committed Christians, to our beloved children and youth, and to all people of good will. That will make our Catholic faith very much tied to everyday reality as well as towards eternity because our faithful application of Gospel values to the challenges and opportunities of today will require you and me to change how we live, to change how we make or rate our choices and options, and how to provide the light and love of truth to those around us. Perhaps following the Holy Spirit instead of the spirit of the age may make our Catholic identity too relevant for our comfort or to those around us. However, the conclusion of today’s Gospel (Lk 21:20) gives us Christ’s response for your sake and mine, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives,” as regarding salvation and eternal life.

If we read today’s news in light of the Good News and if we live on Earth conscious that how we live (or how we fail to live) our Christianity in daily life is showing God whether or not we really want to be with Him forever (reread Mal 3:19-20a, our first reading), then at the end of time (your time and mine, also known as “death”, and of all time, also known as the Second Coming of Christ), then may we follow and foster good example (2 Thess 3:7-12 from the second reading) to prepare for Christ’s appointment with us and our loved ones and to prepare the world for the coming one day of the full Kingdom of God.

Let us love one another

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop | USCCB

In the first reading from the 2^nd Letter of John we hear John remind us of the commandment of love. He says, “I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but one that we had from the beginning: let us love one another.”

This commandment of love is all throughout the teachings of Jesus Christ. In one instance, in Luke chapter 10, we hear Jesus tell us: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Love of God, and love of neighbor are the two things that are tied together and what the Lord is commanding us to do. We are to always love the Lord God with our whole mind & hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, in today’s reading from 2^nd John, we hear John remind his readers and those around him that to be a true follower of Jesus Christ we must love everyone we encounter. This is challenging, but it’s what’s expected of us as followers of Jesus Christ. Is it easy? No! Is it what we’re called to do? Yes.

In our daily encounters with people in our lives, they will most certainly test our patience and love for them. With the nature of who we are as humans, we may find it easy to avoid or dislike certain people in our lives that get on our nerves. We are to respond with the love that John is talking about: “Let us love one another!” This doesn’t mean that we must have constant contact with those we can’t get along with. Sometimes it’s best to keep our distance from those that are difficult to love and get along with. But we must also pray for them and their intentions to the Lord God.

Let us each day we live try to live out that act of love that John is reminding us that Jesus wants us to have for everyone.  We can do this by always praying for those in our lives, both those we can love easily, but also for those that are difficult to love. Include them in your daily prayers, whether in church or in your private prayers. Pray for all those in your life that you may love them as the Lord wants you to love them. “Let us love one another.”

XXXII Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

XXXII Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved © Nov. 4, 2022

Today we have a recurring guest blogger:  Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, administrator 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) 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In the Ordinary Form of the Mass today, the proclaimed Word of God exhorts us as Christians and then as Americans to live here on Earth, here at New York in particular, with an eye to eternity. However, for which eternity are we aiming by the course of our daily lives in matters great and small?

To what end did the brave seven Hebrew brothers and their mother resist the demands of the pagan king to violate God’s law in a gross manner, even to the point of torture and death? The first reading today (2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14) tells us why: the resurrection of the just by Almighty God. When you prepare for Heaven as your first priority during your life on Earth, you are willing to make sacrifices so as not to lose Heaven by orienting ourselves to Hell by prizing comfort over conviction and courage, especially regarding faith and morals. This prayerful courage is required not only of Catholics in China, Nicaragua, across the Middle East, Nigeria, certain parts of India, but also Catholics in “developed countries” such as America amidst the chill of our freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly in America thanks to “cancel culture,” gender theory, Critical Race Theory, and other pressures from private and public sectors. I think of Jack Phillips, the Christian baker in Colorado who has been harassed repeatedly by lawsuits and administrative pressure for refusing to prepare cakes to celebrate caricatures of God’s plan for life and love between one man and one woman at one time or that mock God’s design of humankind as male or female. I think of Catholics in the medical and educational professions whose conscience rights are under siege in America right now regarding practices that kill preborn children, that violate God’s plan for life and love, or that mutilate adults and even children in body, mind, heart, and soul. I think of committed Catholics and other people of good will through the ages and presently who have resisted policies and practices which, under the guises of national unity, social progress, public safety/health, justice, or tolerance, have exalted grave sin and error over God’s call to all mankind, especially to us as disciples of Christ, to live and to share The Gospel of Life and The Splendor of Truth, to recall the English titles of two encyclicals by St. John Paul II. More examples abound.

With Election Day coming on Tuesday, November 8th, may we Catholic Americans prepare to exercise our right to vote for various offices and ballot questions. Please reread the second reading for today (2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5). It is timely for these days. As disciples of Christ the King, we proclaim God as the Supreme Being, Whose teachings and commandments deserve our lived fealty in every sphere of life, whether in the boardroom, the laboratory, the classroom, the bedroom, and the voting booth. Thus, the God-given dignity of the human person from the moment of conception until natural death must guide not only how we treat each other and our neighbors in commerce, the arts, sports, etc. but also how and why we select those whom shall serve in public office and through them, their appointees. Although there are serious concerns over the economy, crime, immigration, the educational system, and our freedoms of speech, religion, and petition for the redress of grievances, etc., our leading teachers of the True Faith – that is, the bishops – remind us that among all issues of life and social justice, that abortion-on-demand is the pre-eminent issue for us to consider as we evaluate prayerfully and thoughtfully the candidates and the parties before us on the ballot. Before the eyes of Heaven as well as of Earth, may our votes as Catholic Americans affirm the splendor of truth and the Gospel of life!

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await our savior, Jesus Christ

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop | USCCB

In our first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Paul is explaining how we are to live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. He tells his followers to be “imitators of me” and to act “according to the model you have in us.” The early followers saw the example of how Paul, once he came to Christ, lived out his life as a disciple of Jesus Christ, even to the point of not fearing death. What was central to Paul was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all those who he encountered, whether Jew or Gentile.

He points out that those who turn from Christ and being His follower will end in destruction. They chose to live a selfish life, just worrying about their own needs instead of living a Christ centered life.

Looking at both Philippians and the gospel of Luke we should ask ourselves what is most important to us? What motivates us to live out our lives? Is it our own needs, only worrying about our day-to-day existence? Or are we motivated in our actions to live out a life in love of God and our neighbors.

In the gospel we hear of the dishonest steward who only worried about his own gain and not doing the right thing for his master. Once his dishonesty was discovered he was terrified of losing his job. He was only interested in protecting his own self-interest.

Our Lord concludes this parable with, “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” We are children of light, followers of Jesus Christ. We are called to be God centered in all our dealings with other people. Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven, and that means that as we live out our day-to-day life here on earth, we are to not only love God with our whole mind, heart and soul, but we are to love and respect all those people God has placed in our lives.

When we examine our actions and attitudes, what do we find at the heart of them? Earthly prudence inspired by fear or divine wisdom grounded in the Gospel?

Let us in all our actions in this world not be like the dishonest steward, but rather that of “children of light”, keeping God always in the center of all we do. Then we will certainly have our citizenship in heaven.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles | USCCB

Jesus called his disciples to himself, and from those he chose Twelve, whom he named Apostles

 

Today we commemorate two of the Apostles of Jesus Christ: Simon and Jude. Jude is so named by Luke and Acts. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. He is not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels, except of course where all the apostles are mentioned. Scholars hold that he is not the author of the Letter of Jude. Actually, Jude had the same name as Judas Iscariot. Evidently because of the disgrace of that name, it was shortened to “Jude” in English.

Simon is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles. On two of them he is called “the Zealot.” The Zealots were a Jewish sect that represented an extreme of Jewish nationalism. 

We, like the Simon, Jude, and the other Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, are called to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all those we encounter. We’re not called to travel to various places, like the apostles, to go and preach. Further, we’re more than likely are not called to be martyred for our Faith in Jesus Christ as all the apostles were, with the exception of John, the beloved disciple. But we’re called to be visible witnesses to the those in our family and friends that we’re followers of Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in the first reading today, tells us that we are “fellow citizens and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the capstone.” We are to bring Christ to those in our lives who may not know the love of Christ and the salvation He brings to everyone.

Nothing is known of Simon and Jude beyond what we read in the gospels. But we can be certain that they fulfilled their call to bring Christ to the world beyond Jerusalem and eventually were martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us, like Simon, Jude, and the other apostles, have the courage to share our faith in Christ Jesus, even when it seems to be not welcomed by those we encounter. And let us turn to St. Jude, patron of the impossible, to pray for those who may reject faith in Jesus Christ so that they, too, will come to faith in the love and salvation that the Lord has for them.

 

'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'

 

The scripture for today's reflection can be found at Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

There's an old country song that came out a number of years ago that goes, "It's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way." I imagine that the Pharisee in today's gospel would be able to relate to that sentiment. There he is bragging to God about all the good things he's done. He's proud that he's not like everyone else, but rather fasts twice a week and pay tithes on his whole income. He's saying to God, "Look at how great I am!" And he goes on further, "I'm glad I'm not like that guy over there. HE'S A GREAT SINNER!! I'm glad I'm not like him. See, God, how GREAT I am!" He fails to see his own dependance of God.

Meanwhile, the tax collector realizes his dependance on God and how imperfect he is: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." The tax collector realizes his need to depend on God for forgiveness. He recognizes his shortcomings and sinfulness and sees the need to turn away from sin and to turn to God to seek forgiveness.

Further, things that the Pharisee is bragging about: the fasting and tithing, are all good things to do, if done in the right spirit. They need to be done out of love of God and in gratitude for all the blessings and good things that come from God. Instead, the Pharisee was taking attention away from God, and was showing a lack of humility.  He was proud, boastful and judgmental of other people and how he felt they fell short in their relationship with God. The Pharisee lacked the love and compassion towards the tax collector that God expects us all to have towards everyone.

In our relationship with God, let us remember that we are all sinful people, all falling short of what we should be in the eyes of God. Let us continue to develop that relationship with God through the regular use of prayer and reflection on scripture, frequent reception of the Eucharist, and the regular use of the sacrament of confession. We are to realize our need of God's love and forgiveness in our lives.

Finally, let us not judge other people in our lives. Everyone is on a journey towards God, and we are all in different places during that journey. We are to pray for others, and possibly help them in this road to God, even if it's only through prayer for them. But we are not to judge them in their relationship with God. It is only God that can judge where a person is at in their relationship with Him.

Let us sometime today take time to re-read this gospel, reflect on what the Lord Jesus is trying to teach us in our journey towards better relationship with God. And let us, with the tax collector, say, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner. 

I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received…

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our first reading, we continue to listen to St. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. Earlier in the week we heard St. Paul tell the Ephesians, from chapter 2, that we have been brought to life in Christ, and that by grace we have been saved. This grace from God is a gift for us to grow ever closer to Jesus Christ. We are not to boast in our own works, but in the salvation that we have received from Christ.

Then on Wednesday, Paul goes on to tell us that God’s grace was given to us for our benefit. Further, Paul teaches us that this grace is not only for the Jewish people, but ALL people, including the Gentiles. Everyone, Jews and Gentiles, are co-airs to God’s grace. We are all chosen by God to live in relationship with Him and to gain salvation. Then yesterday, in chapter 3 from Ephesians, we hear of the love of Christ that surpasses all understanding.

Today Paul is reminding us that we are called to always live in a way that’s pleasing to God. With humility and gentleness, with patience, and bearing with one another through love. This exemplifies the teachings of the Lord that we are to love not only God with our whole minds and hearts, but we are to love one another as we love God and ourselves. This is the challenge of being a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy to love other people that may be difficult to get along with. But that is what the Lord is calling us to do. We are not to be a Christian in name only, but in action.

In a familiar hymn that all should know, it says, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Can people recognize that we are Christians by how we love and respect those around us? As challenging as it may be, we are called to bear with one another through love. We are to show the love and respect towards those in our lives that we would show to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray for the gift of patience and gentleness that Paul talks about in today’s letter to the Ephesians that we may not only love God who we can’t see, but to also love and respect those people in our lives that we can see. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In this gospel from Luke 17 we hear of the 10 lepers being healed. They begged the Lord for healing, and it was granted to them according to their request. Jesus told them to show themselves to the high priests. On their way, they were healed. Then one, a Samaritan, returned glorifying God in a loud voice and fell at the feet of Jesus. 

I often wondered why Jesus questioned why the others did not return to Him. Jesus did tell them to go to the high priests to show and prove that they were healed. They were obedient to Him and His command. I know for myself, if Jesus told me to do something, I would do it. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus saw in their hearts that, though they were grateful for the healing, they didn't really have that faith that would save them for eternal life. They may have gone back to their usual lives and did not give God a second thought. 

The one who returned to Him was a Samaritan. The Samaritans were very much looked down upon by the Jewish people of the time. There was a great deal of hatred and animosity between the two groups. And here he is, this Samaritan, returning to Jesus, praising God, and being truly grateful for the gift of healing. Jesus tells him that "... your faith has saved you."

As wonderful as the healing from leprosy was, what was more important to Jesus was faith in Him and in God the Father. Faith in God and developing that relationship with a loving, healing God, is what Jesus was emphasizing. Further, Jesus was using a foreigner, someone the Jews really disliked, as an example of how to have faith and trust in God. This must have really gotten on the nerves of the Jews around Him. 

You may recall this is not the first time he praised a Samaritan. There's the story of the Good Samaritan that showed how we are to not only love God with our whole minds and hearts, but how we are to treat others, especially when they are in need. We are to be neighbor to all people, even to those that we may not feel comfortable being around.

What we're learning here from the Lord is of the importance of Faith in God and relationship with God. And this faith and relationship with God is open to all people, not just to a select few. 

Let us turn to the Lord, and, with the 10 Lepers, say, "Jesus, Master! Have mercy on us!" Then let us have the faith that Jesus will not only heal us of whatever is afflicting us (physically or emotionally) but that we will also have the faith necessary to gain eternal salvation.

THE GOSPEL & THE GOSPEL OF LIFE

 

We have a guest blogger today: Arlene Muller. Arlene is a lector and EM at St. Pancras Church in Glendale, I sing in the choir at St. Margaret's Church in Middle Village, I am the newly elected Formation Director of St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity in Elmhurst, and I am a part time itinerant speech/language therapist working with preschool children with delayed language development. I enjoy singing & writing & promoting our faith & the pro-life cause on FACEBOOK.

In striving to live the Gospel, to turn our lives and our society (especially our country) from the culture of death to the Gospel of life, and to make abortion not merely illegal but UNTHINKABLE, we require the necessary tools in the acronym P.L.E.A.: P = PRAYER, L = LEGAL/LEGISLATION/POLITICAL, E = EVANGELIZATION & EDUCATION, & 

A = ADVOCACY.

In my previous articles we covered the topics of Prayer, Legal/Legislation/Political & Evangelization & Education. The final and extremely essential--even crucial--tool is ADVOCACY. Besides prayer, which is necessary to undergird all our efforts, and by which we acknowledge our dependence upon GOD to guide, direct, and give success to our efforts, and trust that with Him all things are possible, it is extremely important that we advocate for the women in crisis pregnancies and their babies so that they will receive all the help, support and resources they need to choose life for their babies, to have healthy and safe pregnancies, labor and delivery, and to care for their babies after they are born. For this we need to support and promote the many faith-based pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations, especially those who continue to provide help for as long as needed by the mother and her family.

It would be extremely cruel and heartless if all we did was to preach against abortion and legislate against it without giving desperate women viable alternatives to abortion and surrounding them with compassionate care. Thank the LORD that many Catholics and other Christians have "stepped up to the plate" from the earliest days that abortion became legal. I remember as an 8th grader in 1967 when NY passed a very liberal abortion law, a Catholic organization called BIRTHRIGHT was there to help women in crisis pregnancies to choose life for their babies.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has "lamented" that pregnancy resource centers outnumber abortion clinics by a ratio of 3:1. That is NOT a reason to lament, but a reason to thank GOD that there are more people who are working to save the lives of babies and their mothers than people who are working to kill babies! Because these organizations give women in crisis pregnancies a way to save their babies and have the support and resources at their disposal and don't force anyone to stay or to do anything, people who attack pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations should no longer hide behind the euphemistic label "pro-choice" but call themselves "pro-abortion", because the only "choice" these attackers honor & want to allow us abortion!

It is VITAL that as Christians, as Catholics & as Secular Franciscans living the GOSPEL of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST and the GOSPEL OF LIFE we do all that we can to make people aware of the available help for women in crisis pregnancies and to pray for, promote (in person, via social media, etc.), and support by financial and other means of support (e.g., donating material goods, volunteering) these wonderful faith-based pro-life organizations.

One wonderful pro-life organization located here in Queens, NYC is THE BRIDGE TO LIFE. One of the members of our Secular Franciscan fraternity, Cathy W., has been a dedicated volunteer at THE BRIDGE TO LIFE for the past 19 years, and I believe one or more of our other fraternity members has volunteered there as well. THE BRIDGE TO LIFE is a place where women in crisis pregnancies can go not only during their pregnancy but after the child has been born and receive not only counseling but plenty of material resources as well. The available resources include not only baby clothes, layettes, and other supplies (e.g., infant seats, car seats), but also maternity clothes, toddler clothes, children's clothes, non-maternity women's clothes, bedding--all either new or gently used. Cathy and other volunteers meticulously inspect every single donated item to ensure that it is in perfect condition (no stains, no pulls, no holes and not torn in any way). When I moved into my current apartment and when I had to clean out my Mom's house in 2019/2020, I was able to donate MANY bags of my clothing, Mom's clothing, sheets, comforters, baby clothes, shoes and even jewelry. I continue to donate clothing from time to time.

To learn more about THE BRIDGE TO LIFE you can visit their website, www.thebridgetolife.org. I am very happy that our fraternity has agreed to become a regular monthly donor to THE BRIDGE TO LIFE from our common fund.

Another wonderful pro-life organization helping women in crisis pregnancies is GOOD COUNSEL HOMES, founded by Christopher Bell. The late Father Benedict Joseph Groeschel, renown spiritual author and founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was their first spiritual director. GOOD COUNSEL HOMES first opened its doors at a New Jersey location on Sunday, March 10, 1985, the same evening when I was prayed over for Baptism in the Holy Spirit at my Catholic Charismatic prayer group, so I feel a special spiritual bond with this organization, and I am blessed to be able to give them a recurring automatic monthly donation on my credit card.

GOOD COUNSEL HOMES provides group homes at several locations in the NY/NJ area where women in crisis pregnancies can stay and even bring any other children they already have. GOOD COUNSEL HOMES provides a wonderful loving home--shelter, food, clothing, spirituality, counseling, child care, educational opportunities and job training--not only during pregnancy, labor and delivery, but for as long as needed after the birth of the baby, until the mother can fully support herself and her children in a suitable apartment on her own. They also follow up with the mothers and children and give birthday parties.

To learn more about GOOD COUNSEL HOMES you can visit their website, www.goodcounselhomes.org.

The Sisters of Life, an order of consecrated religious sisters founded by the late John Cardinal O'Connor in the Archdiocese of NY, offers a variety of services and loving and compassionate care.

Women in crisis pregnancies don't need abortion--a seeming "quick fix" that not only kills innocent and helpless human lives, but also devastates the lives of women as well, often resulting in PTSD, depression, addictions, abusive relationships and even suicide. Women in crisis pregnancies need compassionate care, unconditional love, hope, affirmation, encouragement, spiritual guidance, support, and plenty of material resources and opportunities to live with a promising future of hope, love, provision, growth, security, and stability for themselves and their children. This is the type of advocacy that faith based pro-life organizations provide.

Now that our almost 50 years of prayer has been answered, and the heinous Roe v Wade decision has FINALLY been overturned to allow the states to restrict abortion, our pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations are needed more than ever and their employers, employees and volunteers are eager to meet the challenge and welcome, love and serve more expectant mothers and their babies. So our faith based pro-life organizations will need our prayers, referrals, publicity, promotion, and financial and material support more than ever.

As Christians, Catholics and Secular Franciscans committed to the GOSPEL of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST and the GOSPEL of LIFE we need to do whatever we can to support, promote and publicize these wonderful organizations as they advocate for women in crisis pregnancies and their children, both before and as long as needed after birth.