Posts by Fr Dino Vanin

The readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are about freedom.  From the first reading (Neh 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10) we gather that, after returning from exile, for the first time, in a highly charged atmosphere of deep emotions, the Jews were free to celebrate God’s gift of the Torah (the Law). In the second reading (1 Cor 12:12-30), St. Paul tells us how Jesus freed us from sin through his blood on the cross, and how he has poured his Holy…

The importance of the Solemnity of the Epiphany is all in the contemplation of the mystery, hidden for millennia from past generations, and revealed in the fulness of time in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God in human flesh. It is the desire of God the Father to save every one of his children and, at the end, to welcome all of them into his heavenly home, to share in his endless joy. The fulfillment of this grandiose…

The intensity of the Christmas’ solemnity should not dwarf the significance of the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. And the reason is not an exaggeration but a simple reality check: our future as a Church and as a Nation hangs in the balance. The number of religious institutions that cling to this somber realization is dwindling. It consists of conservative Christian groups and the Catholic Church. That’s about it! For decades, we realized that there were covert efforts…

The most common word we hear during the Advent Season is “the coming of the Lord.” For example: And they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30) This phrase needs clarification. Since Jesus, the Son of Man, is God, we cannot speak of him as leaving point A (heaven) to get to point B (wherever we happen to be). As God, he is everywhere at the same time, in heaven, in the…

Let me paraphrase the gospel passage for the First Sunday of Advent: This world has ominous sings in the sun, the moon and the stars. There are many nations in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the elements. People are dying of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world. Our world is indeed crisscrossed by heart-wrenching tragedies, by devastating calamities, by deadly, age-long feuds, barbaric, unspeakable acts of violence, deep divisions and prolonged wars. There might even be signs indicating…

Jesus said to his disciples:“In those days after that tribulationthe sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light,and the stars will be falling from the sky,and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. “And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’with great power and glory,and then he will send out the angelsand gather his elect from the four winds,from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. “Learn…

Looking back at my priestly ministry spanning over more than 52 years, I lost count of the many people who came and keep coming to me with a very heavy heart. Invariably, they want me, as one of God’s ministers, to assure them that he has been monitoring all their sighs, accompanying them through their tragedies and collecting their tears in his divine bowl: My wanderings you have noted; are my tears not stored in your vial, recorded in your book? (Psalm…

Today’s reflection for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time is all about the law that must guide our every thought, choice, action and reaction. Today’s reflection is about the “rail” on which our life, in all its facets, is supposed to run. The expert of the law double-checked with Jesus about it by asking: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (cf. Mark 12:28-34) It is called “Shema” because its first word is “hear,” “shema” in Hebrew. It is like saying: “Forget…

This gospel passage (Mark 10:46-52) is the setting in which the promise made by God through the prophet Jeremiah (31:7-9) unfolds. Jericho is an oasis with an abundance of vegetation and water. In it, life goes on easy, without major challenges. However, Jesus is leaving Jericho with his disciples because his destination is Jerusalem. The way to Jerusalem is all uphill and steep and grueling. Furthermore, humanly speaking, Jesus’ decision makes no sense at all. It makes no sense also to…

This Sunday, we are asked to place in the special pink envelope the amount of dollars that our heart inspires us to donate to the work of the foreign missions. However, having said that, I feel compelled to talk to you about the more serious and more demanding contributions that all Catholics ought to give, around the clock, 24/7 to fulfill their missionary obligations. Whenever one in our family is seriously ill, or we find ourselves in a bind, financially,…

Our first reaction must be: “I do not want my face to fall like the face of the rich, young man. I do not want to walk away from Jesus. I do not want to be sad (cf. Mark 10:21-22). Now, to say the same thing in a positive form we would say: “I want to enter the Kingdom of God.” Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is…

Today we have a chance to reflect on the main reason why the Catholic Church feels so strongly about Christian marriage. The reason is that married Christian couples are called to be a most eloquent and visible reminder we have of the unfailing love of God for his people. The total, free, faithful and fruitful love of husband and wife is the sign picked by God himself in the Old Testament to show to the chosen people of Israel how…