His face was like that of an angel

Scripture readings for the Monday of the Third Week of Easter can be found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041618.cfm

In today's first reading at Mass, we continue to hear from the Acts of the Apostles and are up to the part where St. Stephen, the first Martyr and one of the first deacons, is brought before the authorities and accused him of blasphemy due to St. Stephen preaching about Jesus Christ. St. Stephen remained steadfast and true to his calling in preaching about Jesus and the fact that Jesus died for all of us. Due to the jealously of those in authority, he was falsely accused of blasphemy. But Stephen had the courage to remain true to his vocation as a follower of Jesus Christ. He was willing to bear false accusations against him for the name of Jesus, even if it meant death. Stephen was so sure of himself and of the Message of Jesus Christ, that all who saw him saw his face like that of an angel.

Stephen knew the words of Jesus, who said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one He sent." (June 6:29) Jesus is the one sent by God for our salvation. We are called, like St. Stephen, to share the Good News that Jesus came to earth for our salvation, and died for our sins. There may be those in our lives, whether at work or in our family, that may not want to hear this news, and as a result gives us a hard time because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We may not face death like St. Stephen, but we are called to remain true to our faith in Jesus Christ, and be willing not to compromise or change from this faith in Him just because of any problems or difficulties we may face as a result of our faith. Life may get tough at times, but we are to remain strong in our faith in Jesus Christ and the love and salvation he has brought into our lives.

Doubting Thomas

Scripture readings for the Second Sunday of Easter can be found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040818.cfm

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” John 20:28-29

Every year the gospel assigned for the Second Sunday of Easter is the account of St. Thomas, also known as “Doubting Thomas”: not believing the other apostles when they tell him of the risen Lord. Can we really blame Thomas for not believing that Jesus rose from the dead? He knew that Jesus was nailed to the cross and died that horrible death at the hands of the Roman soldiers. He probably thought, “How can this be? No one can survive such a horrible death!” “Show me the nail marks in his hands!! Let me feel the wound in his side!” Is he any different than any of us in such a situation?

Then he has an encounter with Jesus, who lovingly says to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” (John 20:27) I can only imagine the look of amazement on Thomas’ face and the joy he felt when he said, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

Then Jesus takes it further. Jesus says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29) Jesus is calling you and me blessed! We do not have the fortune of placing our hands or fingers into the Risen Lord’s hands or side. But we are blessed because we have the gift of faith that Jesus rose victoriously from the dead. Further, every time we attend mass, we are able to reach out and touch our Lord in Holy Communion. We encounter Jesus at every Holy Mass we attend. And thanks to Thomas, Jesus says we are blessed.

Happy Easter! ¡Felices Pascuas! Wesołego Alleluja! Gezuar Pashket! Paschae felix!

Truly this man was the Son of God!

Scripture readings for Palm Sunday can be found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032518.cfm

This week our spiritual activities during Lent comes to a climax. In the gospel of St. Mark that will be read today at Mass we hear of the suffering and death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A death that has changed the course of history.

In our first reading from Isaiah, we hear Isaiah prophesizing about Jesus when he says, "The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them." Isaiah 50:4 People were attracted to Jesus. People who were thought to be sinners and outcasts felt attracted to Jesus and all He was telling them about the love God had for them. People that Jesus wanted to bring back into relationship with God. As a result, the Scribes and Pharisees were jealous of the attention Jesus was getting. He was "rocking the boat"! They had Him Crucified because Jesus was considered a threat to their way of life.

Jesus changed the lives of many people while he was walking the earth. He was leading people back to God and to God's love and mercy. Even at His death on the Cross, the centurion said, "Truly this was the Son of God." (Mark 15:39) The centurion saw Jesus for who He was: The Son of God.

During this Holy Week, let's gaze on the crucifix, as the centurion did, and praise Jesus for who is: the Son of God. Ask Jesus to come into your life, with all your cares and concerns and ask Jesus to change your life for the better. The better way is the love and peace that can come only from faith in Jesus. Will the problems go away? No. But with Jesus we can deal with our problems in a way that is beneficial to us and pleasing to Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son!!

Scripture readings can be found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031118-year-b.cfm

God's offer of salvation is a gift that sinful humanity does not deserve and has not, in any way, earned. But this gift does require a response and a commitment to turn away from darkness and live in the light of Christ.

How are we to turn away from the sinfulness of our lives to live in that light that comes from God? There are so many ways we can turn to God and live in the light.

First, our Lord is calling us to turn to God and to believe in the one He sent: Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came into this world "so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:15) Our first calling as Christians is to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and this will lead us to eternal life.

But it doesn't stop there. Believing alone in Jesus Christ, without action, will get us nowhere. Jesus tells us that the there's no place in the kingdom for those who do wicked things. Rather we are called to live the truth, "so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." (John 3:21) Jesus Christ is calling us to love God and to love our neighbor. We are to manifest the love of God in this world by sincerely living out our Christian vocation by living pure and loving lives, loving God, and loving those in our lives, even when those in our lives are sometimes not very loveable.

The Obedience of Christ

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“Jesus humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.  Because of this, God greatly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11

It’s been a few weeks already since Ash Wednesday and we are in the middle of the Holy Season of Lent. Lent will come to a climax during Holy Week, starting on Palm Sunday on March 25^th. This journey of forty days leading up to the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ has hopefully made us more aware of our need and dependence on the love and forgiveness of God.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians we learn that Jesus was humble and obedient to the Will of God, even to the point of death on the Cross. Doing the Will of His heavenly Father was central to all that Jesus was about. He was obedient to God in order to bring mankind into relationship and forgiveness with God.

We are all called, like Jesus, to be humble and obedient to the Will of God. Through the example of Jesus we are called to have love of God and of neighbor. Even during His suffering on the Cross, He was loving and forgiving to those who condemned Him to death. There may be times in our sufferings during our lifetime that we, like Jesus, may say, “MyGod, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34), but like Jesus, we know that God is always present in our sufferings and will help us in all our needs. In just a few days after Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead, defeating death, and bringing us salvation and forgiveness with God our Father.

As we conclude our Lent, let us turn to God to seek His love and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession, and to love and respect those that God has place in our life. Then we can say with the apostle Paul, that “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:11)

Be reconciled to God

“We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

On February 14^th, the Church enters into the Holy Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Lent is our 40 day journey, preparing ourselves for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the greatest of all feasts, The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Easter). It is during this time of prayer and fasting that we are called to come closer to the God who loves us, and redeemed us through the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We are to be reconciled to God!

As you approach the priest or deacon for your ashes, you will hear one of two phrases, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” We are being reminded of our complete dependence on God, and that He should be the center of our lives.

In the first reading for mass on Ash Wednesday from the prophet Joel, we hear, “...return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God...” (Joel 2:12-13) Joel is reminding us that God is deserving of our love and devotion. God is calling us into a loving relationship.

In our gospel reading for Ash Wednesday, Jesus is reminding us to not “perform our righteous deeds in order that other people may see them...” (Matthew 6:1). Jesus goes on to indicate that in all we do, whether it’s righteous deeds, fasting, or praying, do it for the right reason: to enter into a deeper relationship with God. We are not doing these things for the approval of others, but rather out of love for God.

As we journey through Lent, I would like to suggest that you read scripture more often. If possible, take time out of the day to read the scripture readings that are assigned for daily mass. The magazine, The Magnificat, is a good tool to use for the reading of he Daily Mass Readings. Further, if you are able, try to attend weekday mass in addition to Sunday Mass. This way you will have more opportunity to receive our Lord in Holy Communion.

Finally, during Lent, make time to go to confession. It is through this Sacrament that we are reconciled to God and to those in our lives that we may feel separated from.

Have a good and prayerful Lent.

The Right to Life

"God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

It was on January 22, 1973 that the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States. In those 45 years since the legalization of this horrific law, countless numbers of innocent children have been killed. Children created in God's image, snuffed out and treated less than human. How can we justify allowing the taking of innocent and defenseless life?

There are those that feel that those in the pro-life movement are pro-life up to and until the child is born, then the mother is on her own. Part of being truly pro-life is to be available to the mothers and their children once the child is born. If the mother is unable or unwilling to keep the baby for whatever the reason, we need to step up to the plate to help find a loving home for that child. Further, we are to give love and support to the mother as well. Mothers with unexpected pregnancies often feel rejected by society and guilty for even considering abortion. We need to show these women love and respect. We are to help them through their need and the need of the child.

One way to do this is to support the Sister of Life, a religious order founded by John Cardinal O'Connor. This order was founded "for the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life." To find out more about who they are and what they do, go to their website http://www.sistersoflife.org/ At this website you will find ways you can support the important work the sisters do in order to preserve and respect the dignity of all life.

Tomorrow I join the thousands of others going to Washington, D.C. to the March for Life. I pray that society will have a conversion and realize that every life matters, from the first moment of conception to the last breath. We are all made in the image of God. Let's treat these children in the womb as images of God, and pray that abortion will soon come to an end.