“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

In our gospel for today, our Lord is asking us to place all our lives into His loving hands. He’s there for us in all our cares and concerns to bring us comfort and peace. He’s there for us when things are going well and he’s there for us when things seem to be out of control in our lives. We just need to trust that He’s present to us in all our needs.

Jesus is asking us to have faith in God the Father and in Him no matter what the circumstances may be in our lives. Our lives at times can be very challenging. But trust in God’s presence in every situation in our lives is what we are called to do as Christians.

As we journey through our lives we need to know and trust that Christ is with us no matter what. The Lord is promising us that at the end of our lives He will have a special place for us. The Lord promises that where He is, we also may be. This is a promise we can trust.

When Jesus says, “Where I am going you know the way,” Thomas, always ready with his questions, asks, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Thanks to Doubting Thomas, we hear Jesus tell us, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

These words are most comforting for us as followers of Jesus Christ. There are many ways to live out our lives in this crazy world. But we, as Catholic Christians, know that the only true way to live is by following Jesus Christ: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As we live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ, let us always be prayerful people with Christ as the center of who we are and to remain faithful followers of Him who died on Good Friday and rose for us on Easter Sunday. Then when our time on earth is finished, Jesus will lead us to the place prepared for us in heaven. As we live out each day of our lives, let us pray, “Jesus, I trust in you.”

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

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

In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear of Saul continuing his attacks on the followers of Jesus Christ. Saul was a very devoted Jew and thought that he was doing the Will of God by persecuting the followers of the Lord and putting them to death. He thought that they were heretics and, in his zeal for the love of God and of God’s law, he pursued the early Christians to put a stop to their following, what he thought, was a false messiah.

Then something wonderful happens: Saul encounters the risen Lord with a bright light and the words, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Jesus was intervening in Saul’s quest to stop his followers. Further, Jesus had other plans for Saul. Jesus had chosen Saul to be his voice to the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Saul would go from being a persecutor of those followers of Jesus Christ to being one of the greatest preachers of this new way of life in relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Saul would go on to be known as Paul and is a great example of how we are to live our own lives. Once Paul came to know that Jesus Christ was Messiah, he proudly went throughout the world bringing the good news of salvation to all people that he met. He traveled far and wide to teach that Jesus Christ was Lord and Savior and that there is no salvation outside of knowing the Lord.

In our reading for today from Acts we hear that Saul, “began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” We, too, are called in our Christian vocation to proclaim this Good News that Jesus Christ is the Son of God to all those in our lives. We can do so by talking about our faith and letting people know of the love Jesus has for each one of them. Further, we are called to show love and respect for everyone as people made in the image of God. Jesus in the Gospels calls us to love God with our whole mind, heart, and soul, and to love others as we love ourselves. This is how we, like Paul, are to preach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! Alleluia!

 

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) 

Scripture readings for this blog can be found at Third Sunday of Easter | USCCB

Submission to Blog of Dcn. Thomas Tortorella for III Sunday of Easter By Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved Personally by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, April 10, 2024 © Alleluia! 

Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! Alleluia! 

The gleeful message of Eastertide of the resurrection of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ in body and soul amplifies and does not muffle the Lord’s call to conversion, repentance, and sanctification to the world, as demonstrated by the readings of today in the Ordinary Form. The first and second readings quote Ss. Peter and John directly as their message is conveyed not only to their direct addressees but via the power of the Mass today to you and me. This message is meant to reach us and go through us to the society in which we live. In Luke 24, the source of our Gospel reading today, Our Lord appears in His glorified body to the early Church to reiterate that the message – the complete message of His resurrection as the vindication of Christ’s authority to call mankind to conversion, repentance, and sanctification – to “be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Lk 24:47. Moreover, since we Catholics hold that the Sacred Scriptures proclaimed or chanted at Mass are directed to us over time and space as well as to their original audience, therefore not only the Apostles and first disciples but you and I are called to be “witnesses of these things.” Lk 24:48. This month, we anticipate the joy of accompanying a number of our beloved children in their First Holy Communion at a number of Sunday or Vigil Masses. For these children to reflect the light and love of God for them and through them to the world (“Lord, let Your face shine on us.” – Ps 4), they need and deserve not only the prayerfully and practically lived faith of our parents and families but also of the larger parish household of God within our churches and as we encounter each other in the town of Esopus and vicinity. The lively eyes of our dear First Holy Communicants will record whether or not the adults in their lives take seriously the greatness of their first encounter with the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, regardless whether we are in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion ourselves. If it is not possible at present for a parishioner to receive Holy Communion worthily, please know that with fidelity to the teachings of the Church, as your pastor and spiritual father I am ready and willing to help you to do so pursuant to the readings of today from Sacred Scripture. The call to bring others to Christ, starting with ourselves, is not limited to the sacraments nor to the walls of our churches and homes, as fundamental as these measures and places are to the Christian life. As persons and as peoples, we disciples of Christ are called to move society in the direction of Gospel values, whether or not these values are now popular. Proof abounds that many forces are pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable and normal in society (sociologically known as the “Overton Window”) in directions hostile to God and our very humanity. Instead of fatalism or “going along with the flow,” however, which changes us for the worse instead of the better, may the prayers and example of Ss. Peter, John, and the early Christians as well as the precious faith of our First Holy Communicants strengthen our resolve to demonstrate the courage of our convictions as Catholics, which arise from the Risen Christ’s call to you and me to “be witnesses of these things.” Lk 24:48.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.

 

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 the III Sunday of Easter

by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved Personally by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, April 3, 2024 ©

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

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.

What a contrast from the humble, penitential attitude of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and its associated Novena which concludes today (Divine Mercy Sunday) to the arrogant, blasphemous decree from the White House attempting to push aside the importance of Easter Sunday a week ago by inserting on the same day “Transgender Visibility Day,” a celebration of a certified mental disorder (cf. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association) as an event effectively equal in importance. Maybe not, however, because I understand that at the Easter egg hunt at the official residence of the President of the United States, religiously themed Easter eggs were forbidden. Truly our country has become a post-Christian country when the President of the United States, one who is said to be Catholic, changes the ongoing practice since 1878 at the White House firstly to imply an equivalence between the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, the Truth incarnate, with a great lie about human nature, and then to banish any sign of Christianity on the Easter eggs. Thus, Christianity is to be made invisible so that a big lie about the image and nature of mankind, to cite a technique used by a totalitarian party in western Europe in the 20th century, may become more visible and acceptable to society. As attributed to the pagan Tacitus, a Roman historian and politician of the first century A.D., “If you know who controls, you see who you may not criticize.”

In light of this outrage, the recent description of the same President by Wilton Cardinal Gregory of Washington, D.C. as a “cafeteria Catholic” who shies away from challenging aspects of our faith fits well with the end of the second reading of today. “The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:1-6. Moreover, the recent observations of Gerhard Cardinal Muller may lead us to recall the line in the first reading, “With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,” Acts 4:33a. Just as important, however, is that ordinary Catholics in every state of life give witness – even in something simple as a greeting as Byzantine Catholics do in Easter – to Whom gives meaning to Easter Sunday and the Easter season and to the hope for us and all mankind from the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ in body and soul. With prayer, such as the Chaplet and Novena of Divine Mercy, with our lived faith at home and every sphere of life, our defense of the true, the good, and the beautiful, with sacrifice, and with acts of charity (which include the correction of each other and the high and mighty), you and I may help each other and others “come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in His name.” Jn 20:31 (the end of today’s Gospel).

Alleluia! Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! Alleluia!

The disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB. 

In our gospel for today, we see another revelation of the risen Jesus appearing to the disciples. After a week of seeing their Lord brutally killed on Good Friday, and then not being able to find Him in the tomb on Easter Sunday morning, they weren’t sure what to make of things in their lives. So, they were attempting to try to get back to what they considered “normal.”

Peter invites the others to do what they have done for years before meeting Jesus: they went fishing. Something they considered to be normal activity and hopefully something that would help them to get back to the way things were before the disappointment and disaster of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Then Jesus appears on the shore, and still no one recognizes Him for who He was until He tells them to cast the net over the right side and they make a large catch of fish. John, the disciple Jesus loved, realizes it is the risen Lord, and Peter, in his anxiousness, swims to shore to see Jesus just so he can get there before anyone else. The sorrow from the previous week is turned into joy as Peter and the others encounter the risen Jesus on the shore doing something very ordinary: Jesus was preparing breakfast for them!!

We can learn from this encounter with the Risen Lord. The apostles were attempting to do what they were accustomed to do without realizing that Jesus was there, present to them. In our day-to-day activity, when things seem ordinary or we seem to not feel the Lord’s presence to us in these ordinary circumstances of our lives, the Risen Lord is truly present to us. He is there waiting for us to pray to him and to be grateful that he died and rose for us on Good Friday and Easter Sunday morning.

As we go through our days beyond church and prayer, let us be grateful for the Lord’s presence to us in good times and bad times. Jesus is present to us ready to always feed us spiritually. All we have to say, when we realize He is present, is, “It is the Lord!”

Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Tuesday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB.

In our gospel for today, we see Mary, full of grief, weeping before the tomb of the Lord. She first encounters the angels who ask why she is weeping. She tells them of her concern that she's unable to find the body of the Lord. Then something wonderful happens: she encounters the Risen Lord. At first, she doesn't recognize Jesus. Then he calls her by name: "Mary!" She then recognized the Lord. She's overwhelmed with joy and Jesus asks her to share the good news of his resurrection with the disciples.

 We all have that encounter with the Lord during our times of prayer, but most importantly when we attend Mass. We encounter Jesus each time the priest holds up the Host and says, "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world." It's at this point of Mass that Jesus is calling each one of us by our names, inviting us to go forward to Holy Communion. Then we encounter Jesus in a most profound way by receiving Him in Holy Communion. As Mary embraced Jesus when she encountered him at the tomb, we are embracing Him in a very special way when the priest or deacon raises the host to us and says, "The Body of Christ!"  As we consume Christ in Holy Communion, we are embracing him in a very intimate way. He enters into us in a very special way since we're receiving Him Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

At the end of Mass, after the dismissal, we, too, are called to bring Christ to those others in our lives. We are to tell everyone we meet, "I have seen the Lord." We, like Mary, are to bring the good news of Christ's resurrection to all those we meet. The good news of the Resurrection of the Lord is meant for everyone. So, be not afraid to proclaim to anyone, "I have seen the Lord!"

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.

 

 

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 16^th 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 19^th. This is one of two feasts for St. Joseph. The other is on May 1^st 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.

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.

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.

“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).

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.

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.

He has done all things well

 

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

In our gospel for today, our Lord performs another healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment. Our Lord, with all the power of God, could have just spoken the words of healing to restore this man to health. Instead, Jesus felt a need to bring the man alone and to reach out to the parts of him that needed healing: his mouth and his ears. It was a very intimate time between this man and the Lord.

After the healing, Jesus had ordered the man, and everyone present, not to tell of the healing. I often wondered why the Lord didn’t want it to be known of this and other healings that he performed. After all, how can people contain such joy these healings brought. In today’s gospel, we hear, “But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.” (Mark 7:36) This was such good news; how can they be expected not to share it with others about the healing power of Jesus.  The reason could well have had to do with the political situation in Jesus' day. The Messiah expected by the Jews was a political/military as well as religious figure, so Jesus was probably unwilling to use such a title, at least without some qualifications, to avoid provoking the Roman authorities.  

In our relationship with Jesus, we too can also approach Him in the same intimate way this man received his Healing.  We can approach Jesus in various ways. We can approach Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, through confession, or in time alone in prayer with Jesus at home. These can be times when we can approach him for the help and healing we need in our lives.

Further, as followers of Jesus, we are called to share the good news of Jesus’ love for us with others in our lives. Telling others of the good news of Jesus, like those in today’s gospel, is what we are called to do as Christians.

Let us ask God to strengthen us, to give us the courage to keep acting in the hope that we may give witness by how I live.

Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed

 

On Sunday, February 4th, I had the pleasure of doing a Holy Hour at the Carmelite Monastery Flemington, NJ

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of all the wonderful things the Lord was doing for everyone. He healed Peter’s Mother-in-law; then would go on to heal many other people. It must have been an exhausting and busy day for the Lord. He was fulfilling his ministry to the people that were in most need of the healing and love that of God has for them. We hear that the whole town was at the door asking the Lord for help.

Our Lord, though fully divine, was also fully human, and this must have worn him out greatly. As important as it was to fulfill His call in bringing the love of God to those in need, he also saw the need to step away and be alone with His Heavenly Father. Our Lord is giving us an example on how we are to live out our life in service to the God.

For myself, as a deacon, I can fill up my days in doing ministry, from serving at Mass to visiting the homebound or nursing home to whatever else may need to be done in service to the church. These are all important to my life in my calling as a deacon. But it won’t mean anything if I don’t make the time to be alone with God to be able to sit and listen to what God is saying to me in my life as a deacon, and, more importantly, as a man of faith.

This passage of our Lord going off to a deserted place is equally important to life here at Carmel. You can be busy doing the many things that need to be done in your duties and responsibilities here at the Monastery. But if you don’t make time to be alone with the Lord and to have him as the center of who you are, then everything else you do here at Carmel is meaningless. Making time to be alone with God is vital to your call here at Carmel.

St. Theresa of Avila is quoted as saying, “Prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Let’s make the time to be alone with Him who loves us and to enjoy that intimate time of sharing with the Lord.

The Conversion of St. Paul

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle | USCCB

Today we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul from persecutor of the Church to belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It was a very dramatic conversion. There was the bright light, and then Paul, falling to the ground and is blinded, then hears, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Then, when he asks, "Who are you, sir?" The Lord replies, "I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting." (Acts 22:7-8) Paul is then led to Damascus and, after speaking with Annanias, is baptized. He dramatically went from persecutor of Christians to being one of the greatest defenders of the faith.

If we look more deeply into this story of St. Paul's conversion, we will see there's more to it than just the conversion of St. Paul. There's also Annanias. Earlier in Acts 9:13, when the Lord instructs Ananias to go to St. Paul and to baptize him, Ananias is afraid. “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem." Ananias is rightly scared, but I also imagined that he may have been thinking, "Lord, I'm not going to him!!! He's killing us who believe in you and doesn't deserve your mercy and forgiveness." In a sense, Ananias has a conversion! He came to believe that Jesus has come for all people, even those people that we feel don't deserve it. God, as we see in Paul and Ananias, is able to bring salvation and conversion to all people. God is able to work through even those people that we, as God fearing people, may believe don't deserve God's mercy. 

As we meditate on the conversion of St. Paul, let us also pray for those people we know that may be away from God. People that we may think don't deserve God's love and forgiveness. Pray that they, like Paul, may come to know the love and salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us also pray for ourselves to convert from being judgmental of those who may not believe as we do to understanding that God's salvation is for EVERYONE!

ST. FRANCIS - PRO-LIFE and PRO CREATION

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 & 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.

As we commemorate Sanctity of Life month, the annual MARCH FOR LIFE and DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE UNBORN on January 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand and that, thank the LORD, was FINALLY overturned by the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, using what we know about St. Francis and his total embrace of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, Divine Revelation and the teaching of the Catholic Church,  let us use our spiritual creative imagination to consider how St. Francis would respond to the issues of abortion and the sanctity of all human life.

St. Francis was not a politician, and I think his experience with the military and government would not cause him to be inclined to run for political office or become a card-carrying member of any political party (options not available to him in his day but available in our present age) or to rely on government as the ultimate authority or key provider of resources. But St. Francis would be TOTALLY PRO-LIFE AND PRO CREATION. St. Francis looked to GOD as Creator and Author of Life and our Heavenly Father, and, therefore, every aspect of GOD'S Creation as his (and our) brothers and sisters. Thus, every unborn baby, as well as every elderly person and every animal are our brothers and sisters. St. Francis would be totally sad and appalled at the fact that unborn babies are being slaughtered in their mothers' wombs at ANY stage of pregnancy and especially even 

throughout pregnancy, as he would be at the abuse of elderly people, people with disabilities, sick people, and the abuse of animals.

What would St. Francis do in response, and how would he model what we should do as Secular Franciscans?

First of all PRAY: pleading for the lives of the unborn, for the women in crisis pregnancies, and for the conversion of all hearts from the culture of death to the GOSPEL OF LIFE! 

Second, without seeking any power or advantage for himself, St. Francis would seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and meet with people of various parties to appeal for the lives of the unborn and their mothers as he appealed to the Sultan and negotiate (without moral compromise) the way he negotiated with the wolf and the residents of Gubbio.

Third, St. Francis and St. Clare would find ways to provide a safe haven and provide for the physical/health, material, psychological, social and spiritual needs of women in crisis pregnancies, their babies--before, during and after birth--and their families, and even help them seek reconciliation with GOD and their families. I can imagine the Poor Clares and women in the Third Order getting actively involved in this ministry, using their own resources and begging alms to provide a model for wonderful organizations like GOOD COUNSEL HOMES and THE BRIDGE TO LIFE today.

Finally, St. Francis would preach--by both example and words--about the love of GOD for every one of His creatures, especially the most vulnerable, and about how every life is valuable, precious, sacred, and worthy of protection and loving care, from conception through natural death, because they (we) are created by GOD.

Repent, and believe in the gospel

 

The Scripture readings for this meditation can be found at Third Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

Following is the reflection I wrote for my Lay Carmelite Chapter for the January 21st, 2024 meeting:

The gospel reading for today, the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time is from the Gospel of St. Mark and is the familiar call of Jesus to his followers. Jesus is calling all to “repent, and believe in the gospel,” then goes on to call Siman and Andrew, and Zebedee’s sons, James, and John. They leave all they knew behind them to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus had such an impact on them, that they felt the need to drop everything to follow Jesus. They left not only their way of lives behind them, but they repented and accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We, as Lay Carmelites, are called to follow Jesus Christ as these men did. Maybe not as dramatically as they did by leaving behind everything and everyone we know, but by turning towards Jesus Christ through our call to be Lay Carmelites. We are to be examples to all those in our lives that we are indeed followers of Jesus Christ and are calling everyone in our lives to repent and believe in the gospel. It is through how we live out our lives as Lay Carmelites that we can lead others to Jesus Christ. It is by our outward way of living as Christians and as Lay Carmelites that will attract people to Jesus Christ.

We can use Our Lady at the Wedding at Cana as an example for those in our lives when they inquire about our faith, we should say to them about Jesus Christ, “Do as he tells you.”

 

He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

 

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

In our continuation of the gospel of St. Mark, we hear of the 12 men the Lord chose to be His apostles. 12 regular men with no formal education to go and help him bring his Gospel to the world. These men, with no experience in public speaking or even spiritual training to deal with the effects of casting out demons, were chosen to bring His message to the world.

From the point of view of the world, people may have thought that these choices of Jesus were probably not the best. Peter was very outspoken and often spoke before thinking. James and John, also known as Sons of Thunder, had aspirations of greatness and were anxious to be sitting at the right and left of Jesus when He came in glory. Then there was Judas who betrayed the Lord. All these disciples were week men that the Lord entrusted His message to.

Through it all, the Lord used these men as the foundation of what will become His church. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that these men, once Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, would lead his church forward. The Holy Spirit guided them in finding a replacement for Judas, the betrayer, and the Holy Spirit continued to be with them every step of the way after Pentecost. It is through these men that Jesus chose to bring his message of salvation to the world, even to the point, in many cases, in facing persecution and death. It is through the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles were successful in bringing this message of the Lord’s Salvation to the whole world.

The Holy Spirit continues to guide the Lord’s church in those that have followed since the Apostles, working through every Pope since Peter and every bishop since the Apostles. We, in the Catholic Church, can claim that we believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Church has survived over 2,000 years because of the Holy Spirit working through all the popes and bishops since the time the Lord chose these apostles.

Further, he’s calling each one of us, like the apostles, to go and preach the good news of salvation to all we meet in our lives by simply living out lives in obedience to God’s commandments as understood in the Catholic Church. We may not be called to be in the pulpit preaching the gospel, but we are called to preach the gospel in how we live. As St. Francis is credited as saying, “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words.”

Behold the Lamb of God

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found in at Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

This is a reflection I submitted for the Holy Name Society for today's readings. 

In our gospel reading for this 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time we hear John the Baptist pointing towards Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Familiar words that we, as Catholics, hear at every Mass: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.” John’s ministry was to help people turn away from sin through baptism, and then, when Jesus came, to point his followers towards Jesus. John’s whole ministry was to bring people into relationship with God, and to receive salvation through Jesus Christ.

Once John pointed his followers towards Jesus, they followed him and asked, “Where are you staying?” Jesus responds with the familiar words, “Come and see!”

These two phrases, “Behold the Lamb of God” and “Come and see” speak to us as Holy Name men in a very profound way. First, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to bring other people to know Jesus Christ by pointing them towards Him, and say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” People in our lives should see in us devoted Catholic Men and should be curious as to why we live out our lives according to the commandments of God, as taught by the Catholic Church. If they are curious as to why we do what we do, by living out our lives in a devoted and Christ-filled way, we are pointing towards Christ, and in effect, are saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.”

If their curiosity continues and they want to know even more about our faith, invite them to Mass and to the Holy Name meetings, and say to them: “Come and See.” By bringing them to mass and to the monthly Holy Name meetings, they will encounter the Messiah, the Christ. This will help them on their journey in relationship with Christ. Further, you’ll be answering the call as Christians in bringing others to know Christ by your actions and your invitation.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!