Reflections

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…

I don’t know who first uttered these words but they set forth a truly important bit of wisdom: If there is nothing above us we will be consumed by all that is around us. Our nation’s Founding Fathers recognized its truth when they wrote: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Our human dignity,…

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…

The great mystic and visionary, St. Catherine of Siena, “Sometimes saw the holy angels serving around the altar at which the Mass was celebrated, holding in their hands a golden veil, or in company with the saints, praising and blessing God. Sometimes she saw three Faces in one substance, or the altar and the priest wrapt in a flame of fire. At other times a great and marvelous splendour seemed to shine forth from the altar; or again, when the priest…

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…

In Matthew’s Gospel (7:7-8), Jesus reminds: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Years ago, when my wife was expecting our fourth child, she and I were active in our local crisis pregnancy center. The largest fundraiser conducted by the clinic was a…

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…

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him; and I will raise him on the last day. (John 6:44) Concerning salvation, we must never forget God’s absolute sovereignty. It is complete and foolish arrogance to attempt to circumvent it or to alter it. Our God is in heaven; whatever God wills is done. (Psalm 115:3) Clearly then, the first danger that we who are chosen must avoid is the presumption of trying to limit God’s…