Sunday, December 31, 2023

Happy New Year 202

 A Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray I am able to keep this blog up to date now that we are entering into the New Year! I would like to comment more than I ever have, and not just post my homilies - which are very important - but I think it is equally important for me to share some thoughts and reactions about whats going on in the Church and in the world! 

Blessings to all - and let us make '24 a Marian Year, a Joseph Year and a Jesus Year - all wrapped up into one! 

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Nov 12, 2023 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 12, 2020

I –Wisdom is found by those who seek her.

R –My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

II – God, through Jesus, will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

A – Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

G –Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!

+ Our central thought today comes from the responsorial refrain: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. There is a deep sense of longing and yearning in each and every human soul for God. There is an incompleteness that can only be completed by God. There is restlessness that can only be satisfied by God. This is so because God has made the human soul in this way, and for a reason: he loves us intensely and he wants to spend forever with us, but he respects our freedom too much to force us to want to be with him, however, he did at least tip the scales by putting in us this elemental desire to unite with the one Being from whom we came, who alone can be our fulfillment!

The knowledge of this mystery comes from a tremendous gift that God gives to “any who seek her.” Wisdom, Divine Light, is given to those who truly seek her – the Book of Wisdom tells us today. “She is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate – she meets them with all solicitude.” This is amazing! This is a reality for those who “thirst for God.”

Of course, the second reading today tells us of the transition that must be made by all of us to attain our goal – the passageway of death! Death comes to us all; but for those of us who live in hope both in life and in death, we know that what happened to Jesus will also happen to us: our hope tells us that just as he died and rose to newness of life, by his unparalleled gift, the same will happen to us!

Therefore, our gospel passage tells us to be watching and waiting, our lamps filled with the oil of our good works and our fervent prayers for the fulfillment of salvationour eyes focused on Jesus Christ, and him Crucifiedand we shall be savedat whatever day or hour the bridegroom comes. We are all invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb, he is the Bridegroom of the Church – may our longing and yearning and restlessness lead us always to the Person who is the fulfillment of it all: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the King – who is so looking forward to spending eternal life with us!

Stay awake and be ready!

For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

 

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Aug 6 - The Transfiguration of the Lord

 + Since historically this event took place about a week before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, it was thought of mostly in terms of a Lenten placement. Jesus would soon be going to the Cross – which was his one chief goal and mission in life – he looked forward to it, for it would be for us and for our salvation! Jesus found JOY in the reconciliation that would take place for all of us, as barbaric and gruesome as it would be! He knew it was VICTORY through SUFFERING (and in this case DEATH!)

 

But before he would do that, he thought it necessary to do three things: 1) to reinforce his teaching about who he really was, the transcendent Word from Heaven who condescended to come down and be a creature like us in all things but sin: 2) to reveal his true identity, and to bolster the faith of those who would be leaders of his new Church that would be launched later on, especially because they would be among the first to lay down their lives for Jesus and his new found church, just as Jesus did for them; and lastly 3) to give all members of his Church from then on the blessed and amazing assurance that His glory would also be ours, his resurrection would be ours, his radiant glorified body would be ours one day in the Kingdom. Now that is something to look forward to!  

 

This is also the second time that God the Father is actually heard using human words: from a cloud, during those moments when Jesus revealed his radiant glory in the presence of Peter, James and John, and also Moses and Elijah, the Father proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased! Listen to him!”

 O yes, we must listen to everything Jesus says in his words and actions! For he is the One True Way, the Truth and Life for which we all yearn! Then our words and actions must resemble his more and more every day, because by our Communion with him, he actually becomes part of us, and our physical bodies, as well as our spiritual souls.

 

This feast was celebrated for almost the entire first thousand years in the Eastern Church; it was not until much later, almost the middle of the next millennia that the feast was made part of the General Roman Calendar, by Pope Callistus III in 1457. And now, though it is celebrated in August, it is always the right time to reflect on “the splendor of Mount Tabor” – for it reveals God our Lord, and our future!

 

The Lord is King, the Most High over all the earth!

Happy New Year 202

  A Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray I am able to keep this blog up to date now that we are entering into the New Year! I would li...