O God, be merciful to me a sinner

 

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

We have in our gospel for today the parable about the proud Pharisee and the humble tax collector. The Pharisee was busy telling God how great he was! He's not greedy, dishonest, adulterous, plus he fasts twice a week. How nice! He's saying to God, "Look at how great I am!"  But there's one thing he is that he fails to recognize: He's judgmental. He reads off all the things he does for God and then goes on to say that he's happy he's not like that tax collector. 

The tax collector, on the other hand, realizes his sinfulness and pleads, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18:13). He's not concerned about the Pharisee or anyone else in the temple near him. He's more concerned with asking God to have mercy on him and to help him develop a closer relationship with His Creator. He knows his shortcomings and is turning to God for help.

How many of us go before God, whether at church or in private prayer, and tell Him about all the great things that we have done? We have to remember that God knows us better than we know ourselves. During Lent we are called to fast and pray and try to review how we are living our lives according to God's will. But we are not to brag about it. It's about being humble before God.  It's all about how we are to become better Christians. During Lent (and always) we are not to worry about how other people may or may not be falling short in their relationship with God. 

Between now and Easter Sunday let us reflect upon what our Lord is telling us: "... everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone

 

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

In our gospel for today we hear the familiar parable about the landowner of a vineyard who leases it out to tenants to give to the owner produce at vintage time.

The owner of the vineyard is clearly God. The vineyard is the house of Israel, where God’s people are to be found. The tenants of the vineyard are the people of God. The servants that were sent and eventually beat and killed represent the prophets of old. Finally, the owner sends his son who is seized and killed. This son represents Jesus. As we see develop in the gospels, Jesus knew that he will eventually be killed by the scribes and Pharisees. They felt threatened by Jesus because of Him pointing out their sinfulness. Further, they were rejecting his authority as Son of God and Messiah.

Looking forward, we can now see the new vineyard as His Church. Jesus is calling each one of us to accept His message of love and salvation and is calling each one of us to bring this good news of salvation to other people in our lives.  This is how we can help develop a vintage that is acceptable to Jesus Christ. First our own acceptance of Him as Lord and Savior and then helping others to know that Jesus is indeed their Lord and Savior, as well.

In the conclusion of today’s gospel, we hear Jesus say to the scribes that the kingdom will be “…given to a people that will produce its fruit.” We produce good fruit by how we live out our call as Christians. First, by accepting that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose on Easter Sunday Morning, and by living out a life of loving God and our neighbor. Further, being human, we will at times fall short of this call of love. It is during these times that we should turn back to God in the sacrament of confession to show Jesus true love and repentance.

It is challenging and demanding to be a follower of Jesus Christ but let us pray to the Lord for the strength to do what He is asking of us: to accept Him as Savior and to bring this good news of salvation to those who are in most need of hearing it.

“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

 

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

In the gospel for this Second Sunday of Lent we hear of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Luke, chapter 9. I can only imagine the surprise and fear on Peter, John and James when Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus. During this vision, we hear that Jesus “spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” Everything that Moses and Elijah did in their lives pointed towards the coming of Jesus into the world for our salvation. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that happened in the Old Testament. Further, the Transfiguration is a glimpse of the future glory of the Resurrected Jesus on Easter Sunday morning. Finally, during this vision, we hear from God the Father: “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” It’s a call to follow Jesus and to grow in our vocation as Christians. We are called to have Jesus in the center of all who we are.

The way we fulfill God’s command of listening to Jesus is by the regular attendance at Sunday and daily Mass, by regular reading of scripture and by praying regularly throughout the day. In this way we will know and acknowledge that Jesus is present to us in our daily lives, and we’ll be able grow spiritually closer to Him in all we do.

Pope St. John Paul II, in reflecting on the Transfiguration, says that it is “a call to embrace the transformative power of faith and to follow Christ's example of self-giving love, even in the face of hardship and suffering.”

So, let us embrace Jesus as our Savior and prepare during this time of Lent for the suffering and death of Jesus on Good Friday and His Glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning.

I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you

 

The scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Saturday of the First Week of Lent | USCCB

In our gospel for today the Lord is asking us to do something that seems to go against our human nature: to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute you. This is very challenging for us to do. It's easy to love those we are naturally attracted to and have things in common with. But love those who wish us harm and want to hurt us? Really? But that is what the Lord is calling us to do. If we are to be truly his followers, we have to follow the way of love towards ALL people, and especially towards those that we find easy to hate and despise. 

In the political climate over the last several years it seems that "hate" is the "in-thing", and name calling is acceptable. Whether it's towards the current occupant of the White House or the previous one, it's become acceptable to hate and name call rather than to try to show love and respect while respectfully disagreeing with their policies. We are called to pray for our leaders, whether we like them or not.

Unfortunately, also, this hatred has spread to family and friends who may not share the same points of view. I find it very sad that, as Christians, we can't show the love that Christ is calling to have towards those we disagree with. We attack and name call rather than pray for each other.

Prayer is a powerful thing to do for those we may hate or despise. If we find it hard to pray for them using our own words, we can use the words that Jesus used from the cross: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Let us during this Lent follow the command of Love that Jesus is calling us to have for one another. And let us pray for those who we may feel a natural hatred for. All people, no matter how we may feel towards them, are made in the image of God and deserve our love and prayers. 

VII Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

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) 

Article for the blog of Dcn. Thomas Tortorella by Fr. Arthur F. Rojas on the readings of the VII Sunday in Ordinary Time (c) All Rights Reserved personally by Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, February 22, 2025 (c)

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

We, your clerics, strive to preach the message of Our Lord Jesus Christ to you and as many people as we can reach.  The Greek word for message is "euanggelion" or "Gospel" in English.  A more literal translation of "euanggelion" may be found in English in the word "evangelical."  Thus, may my preaching today be "evangelical" first and foremost.  It strikes me not as coincidence but as Divine Providence that earlier on Saturday, February 22nd, our Church observed the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle, which among other things reminds us of the teaching aspect of Holy Orders, of the Pope as Bishop of Rome, and of the Church in general.

The message linking the first reading with the Gospel reading of today is one that needs repeating in today's culture of rampant entitlement and egotism, namely that just because you can do something or have the ability to have something done, does not mean that you should do it or have it done.  Out of fear for his throne, which had been given by God, and his envy of David, King Saul sought to kill David and thus frustrate God's plan to have David succeed Saul to the throne of Israel due to Saul's own sins and his infidelity to God.  But one night David was in a position to take King Saul's life.  David refrains because he remembered that while God may have plans for him, Saul was still anointed divinely.  It was not David's place to deal with Saul in that way.  Instead, David ironically demonstrates even more power over Saul by his solution as he respected Saul's anointed state.  Thus, David exercised a legitimate right of self-defense without offending God.  More importantly for David and for us, David shows that the ends do not justify the means!

The Gospel proclaimed to us in Luke 6 provides a radical extension of Psalm 103, our responsorial psalm, and a profound challenge to us to imitate God's kindness and mercy.  As St. Paul would teach us in Romans 15, the Gentiles - that is, the peoples of the Earth apart from the Jews - would glorify God for His mercy.  If we want to receive mercy from God, then He may expect that mercy to change who we are and how we live as individuals and as communities.  As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the second reading (1 Cor 15:45-49), to live not only for the Earth while on Earth but also to strive for Heaven, which is eternal union with God.  Holiness may call for radical change from us and further to live in contradiction of the ways people around us think and believe.  Again, the ends, even if good or even noble, do not justify any means to achieve them.  As Christians, let us use virtuous means to achieve virtuous ends, or at least morally neutral means to reach those ends.  How many trials and tribulations did St. Paul face for preaching and teaching what his audience needed to hear and not always what they wanted to hear?

Although numbers of attendance, collections, sacramental statistics, and at times, even ratings, do have their importance, neither we, your clerics, nor you, the Catholic faithful, communicate the message of Christ firstly for approval but for the conversion and sanctification of those who listen or read what we try to convey.  Along with instruction and exhortation, however, Psalm 103 reminds us that there are times to convey comfort and consolation.  Nonetheless, all aspects of the teaching, sanctifying, and governing by the Church, her clerics, her faithful, and instrumentalities such as New York Catholic Radio firstly should be oriented to matching the earthly image we bear as human beings to the heavenly image we put on in Christ not only sacramentally but as a way of life.  May that be reflected not only in our goals and plans of action as individuals and families but also in our communities and the decisions that are made on the issues and challenges of today.  

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

 

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

Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not an easy way of life. Jesus is calling us to place Him and His teachings at the center of who we are. Following Jesus means that we will face hardships and difficulties in our lives since other people in our lives may not fully understand why we are attempting to live out a Christian life.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He taught His followers that the commandments are summed up in this way: love God with your whole mind, heart and soul and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. And how do we carry this command of love of God and love of neighbor out in our day-to-day life?

In the gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 25, where Jesus teaches on the final Judgement, he gives a list of what’s to be expected of those who claim to be his followers. “I was hungry, and you gave me food.” “I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink.” “I was naked, and you gave me clothing.” “I was in prison and you visited me.” In all these examples of helping other people, our Lord is teaching us that what we do for others, we are doing for him. Seeing Jesus in other people is not always easy. Human nature being what it is, it’s sometimes hard to deal with people we don’t like. But by doing these good deeds to other people is where we carry our cross. Doing good to people, especially when it’s not convenient or easy, can be difficult. But that’s where we deny ourselves and pick up our cross: by seeing Christ in everyone that we meet, and in this way, we are loving God with our whole being.

Pope Francis is quoted as saying, “Works of love directed to one's neighbor are the most perfect external manifestation of the interior grace of the Spirit….” Let us pick up our crosses daily by loving God and loving our neighbors.

He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop | USCCB

We hear in today's gospel about Jesus healing the deaf man with a speech impediment. I find it interesting that Jesus took this man away from the crowd to be alone with him. Jesus could have very easily just said the words of healing and the man would have been healed. Why did Jesus feel a need to take this man away from the crowd, and further, why did he feel a need to touch his ears and tongue to give the man healing? Jesus could have just said be healed and the man would have been healed.

I think that it's possible that Jesus saw in this man a need for the personal touch. It's possible, because of the man's disabilities, that he felt distant from people. People probably kept their distance from him for whatever reason. So, Jesus sensed the need for physical contact that this man may have never really had. This was part of the healing. Not only was he being healed of his deafness and speech impediment, but he was feeling the love and warmth of human contact. In addition to the healing, he was being made to feel important. 

Jesus reaches out to each one of us in our own unique way. We are all different and are in need of different healings that can only come from Jesus. Whether it's physical healing, like this man, or emotional healing that is unique to each one of us. All we have to do is to turn to Jesus and seek His help and healing. We can do this in various ways: though the reading and meditating on scripture, through quiet time alone in prayer with Jesus, by going to Him in the Sacrament of Confession, or by reaching out to Him in Holy Communion. It is during these times with Jesus that he will grant us the healing we need. It may not be as dramatic as the man in today's gospel, but we will be healed according to our need. 

As you approach Jesus in prayer, ask Him to grant you the healing and peace that you need. 

Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.

 

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

In our gospel for today we hear of the excitement the apostles had in all that they were doing in their ministry for the Lord. They came to Jesus and reported everything they did. Jesus, seeing not only the good they were doing, but also saw the need for them to step back from their ministry to others and to minister to themselves, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." (Mark 6:31)

Our Lord was worried that they may "burn out" with all they were doing. He also knew the importance of taking time to be alone with God in prayer and meditation. This is good advice for all of us, whether we're in active ministry (whether clergy or lay ministry) or just ministering to our family in the day-to-day concerns with caring for those we love. Often, it's hard to get away for any extended time, for instance a weekend retreat. But if we plan out our days to incorporate a little time to be in that "deserted place" with God in order to pray and meditate on scripture, or to just be alone with God, to share with him all your cares and concerns, he will refresh your soul to be able to continue your service to Him and to those you love. 

Make time each day to be with God and start each time with Him with the words from Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want."

The Kingdom of God

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of the Kingdom of God being compared to that of a seed being spread on the land and how it grows from day to day to full maturity. As we read this gospel, we can reflect on our own lives and see how the Word of God, like a seed, has touched each one of us and has helped us grow ever closer to the Lord. I know for my own life, my relationship with God has grown over the years and is now different and deeper than it was years ago.

The seed of faith in each one of us started with our baptism. For most of us, we were baptized as children. Our parents had faith in God and their faith was so important to them that they wanted to share that faith in God with us through our own baptism. That was when the seed of faith was planted in each one of us. Further, we had a simple faith in God based on what we learned through our religious education growing up. The seed faith was planted by our parents bringing us for baptism, and then it grew thanks to the priests and nuns that we knew growing up teaching us our faith in Jesus Christ. The faith was simple then. But as we grow older, our faith, like plants in a garden, grows ever stronger as we develop a better understanding of our relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s how the Kingdom of God grows in each one of us. It is through reading and understand our faith through scripture and by understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ as taught by the Catholic Church that we grow in faith.

As we continue to grow and mature in our faith, we are, like a gardener, are called to water our faith with the regular attendance at Mass. Further, we are called to the regular use of confession for the times we fall short of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Then, like the mustard seed mentioned by the Lord, our faith will grow from being small to the largest of all plants.

Do whatever he tells you

 

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

On this Second Sunday in Ordinary time, we hear in the gospel about the Wedding Feast at Cana. This couple must have been really special people to have such important guests as our Lord, our Lady, and the Lord’s Disciples present.

As the gospel unfolds, the dialogue between our Lady and the Lord catches my interest. Mary tells Jesus about the shortage of wine. Jesus responds in, what I consider, a harsh way: “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Our Lady doesn’t let that tone stop her and tells the waiters, “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus, being obedient to his mother, performs his first miracle. Jesus saves the day, and the couple not only has wine: they have probably the best wine ever!

There’s a couple of things to meditate on in this reading. First, we see our Lord being obedient to his loving mother. Her concern becomes his concern. The couple turns to her with their problem, and she in turn turns to Jesus to help solve the problem. We can learn from this as well. When we have our own problems, we can take them to Mary, who will in turn take them to Jesus to respond in a way that’s best for us.

The second part of my reflection is what our Lady says to the waiters: “Do whatever he tells you.” This instruction to the waiters is something that we, too, can learn from. Mary is telling each of us in our day-to-day living out of our faith in Jesus Christ: “Do whatever he tells you.” We do what Jesus tells us by following the commandments of God as understood by the Catholic Church. The commandments are very simple. As Jesus points out in scripture: we are to love God with our whole mind, heart and soul, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Further, we are to follow the precepts and teachings of His Holy Catholic Church by regular attendance at mass and the frequent use of confession.

In doing so, we are doing what the Lord is telling us, and we are growing ever closer to Him and to his mother.

Jesus saw their faith

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of the paralytic being healed and how his friends didn’t let the crowd stop them from bringing him to the Lord to be healed. I can only imagine the amused look on the Lord’s face seeing this paralytic being lowered in front of him to be healed. These friends would do anything to help their friend in need and they knew of the healing power of Jesus.

Jesus also used this as a teaching moment for those around him. He could have just raised his and healed the paralytic. Instead, he says, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:15) The scribes right away accuse the Lord of blasphemy. After all, who can forgive sins except for God. The Lord Jesus Christ, being true God and true man, has that power to forgive sins. The scribes and those around Jesus only saw Jesus, the man. They were unable to know yet that Jesus was also true God. And this is one of the many healings that started to get Jesus in trouble with the Jewish leaders. They viewed him as only a man. They were too blind to believe that Jesus was Messiah and God.

We, like the friends of this paralytic, can also turn to Jesus for our own healing and the healing of those we hold dear. We have many issues and concerns in our lives that we need to bring to Jesus for help and healing. Further, there are those friends and family members that we are concerned about that need physical or spiritual healing. We can bring these concerns to the Lord in prayer. In effect, we are placing our concerns and the concerns of our family and friends at the feet of Jesus for healing.

With each day, as we approach the Lord in prayer, let us pray for ourselves, for our own physical and spiritual healing, and for those in our family that may be suffering from illness or are spiritually away from God for whatever reason. Let us ask the Lord for the gift of healing for all our concerns.  The Lord will work his healing in ways that will be best for all those we are praying for. Then we too can say, as the people in today’s Gospel said, “We have never seen anything like this.” (Mark 2:12)

Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean

 

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

In our gospel we hear of the healing of the man with leprosy. He heard of the healing power of Jesus and was desperate to be healed of this dreadful disease. In the time of the Lord lepers were segregated from society because of their illness. To protect the health and wellbeing of everyone, lepers had to live outside of society in leper colonies. And if they entered an inhabited area, they would have to announce “unclean” to those they were approaching so that those they came close to would not contract this horrible disease. And since they were considered unclean, anyone they touched, according to Jewish law and understanding, became unclean themselves.

So, it took a lot of courage for this leper to come close to Jesus to beg for this healing. Approaching Jesus with the faith that Jesus can cure him, he begged Jesus to make him clean. Then Jesus, touching the leper, cleansed him of leprosy. I’m sure those that saw Jesus touching this leper were shocked that Jesus would touch someone unclean. This is why the Lord instructed the leper to “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” (Luke 5:14)

This leper not only received the gift of physical healing from Jesus, but also the gift of forgiveness of sins. Jesus healed him not only physically, but spiritually. We can learn from this healing story about our own lives. We are all sinful people in need of the forgiveness and healing from Jesus. We need to recognize our own sinfulness and turn to Jesus and pray, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” The best way to do this is through the sacrament of confession. It is through this sacrament that Jesus will reach out to us, through the priest, and heal us of our sinfulness.

We all need Christ to cleanse us and to forgive us and to restore us. In the Scriptures for today, leprosy is a picture of the uncleanness of sin. And God alone has the power to cleanse us from sin.

So, let us turn to Jesus through the Sacrament of Confession and say, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Christmas Weekday | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of the forerunner of Jesus Christ: John the Baptist. He was the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. All throughout John’s life, John was aware of who Jesus was.

Looking back at Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, John’s mother, in Luke, chapter 1, verse 44, we hear Elizabeth say to Mary, “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.” So, even in the womb of Elizabeth, John was able to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior.

As Catholics, we hear these words of John at every Holy Mass. As the priest holds up the consecrated Host he says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.” We see in the consecrated hosts the same Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that John saw more than 2,000 years ago. And then we reply, like the centurion in Matthew, chapter8, verse 8, by saying, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to enter under my roof. But only say the word and I shall be healed,” Do we truly leap for joy, like John in Elizabeth’s womb, when we see Jesus being held before us by the priest? After all, we are seeing Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity, being held before us.

Further, as Christians, we are called to imitate John the Baptist by first recognizing Jesus when we see Him before us at Mass, and then we are called to share this good news of Jesus Christ with everyone in our lives, family and friends. Everyone who sees us should know that we are followers of Jesus Christ by how we live our lives. By sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others in our lives, we are being like John the Baptist. We are saying to them, Behold the Lamb of God.

St. Theresa of Calcutta once said, “Deepen your prayer life and you will grow in holiness and obtain many graces for the souls entrusted to your care.” Let us continue to do as Mother Theresa says, and we will then be able to lead others into relationship with Jesus Christ.

Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.