10/3/2014 – Friday of 26th week in Ordinary Time – Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5, Luke 10:13-16

       During the first readings in the two-year cycle that we use for daily mass, we hear from a lot of different sources, both from the Old Testament and from different books of the New Testament.  This week, we have been hearing from the book of Job.  Job is often seen as a model of patience, obedience, and faith, and although he embraces these qualities, Job’s situation is a bit more complicated than the way we label him.  What is interesting is that a lot of the book of Job is a conversation that Job has with God – a very honest conversation.  In our reading today, God actually engages Job in conversation about the nature of the world, asking Job some very pointed questions.  This conversation comes about because Job has told his friend that what has happened to him has its source in God and not in nature.  At the end of this exchange, Job tells God that he has been frivolous in what he has been saying and will not speak this way again.  And it is interesting, because this somewhat ties into our Gospel, today, about how we can reject the Gospel in our lives in not only reject he who proclaims it, but in rejecting Christ himself.  I think it is good to bring our honest thoughts with God, to wrestle with his word and what it means to us.  That’s what Job did.  And at times he had some very difficult questions.  At times he had doubts and was not very patient.  Being a disciple of Christ is not easy.  Above all, it demands honest and loyalty and obedience.

9/30/2014 - St Jerome - Priest and Doctor of the Church -

      Back in 2005, I was a seminarian at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, a wonderful learning community that trained me so well for the priesthood.  It was the beginning of my second year of studies.  I had done so well to keep up an exercise routine in the midst of my studies, activities, and a campus job, when I badly sprained my ankle while out jogging the morning of our first day of classes.  This happened in mid-August, and until September 30, I had to hobble around campus on crutches.  Not fun at all.  I remember the feast day of St Jerome because it was on this date, September 30, that I will finally able to discard the crutches and walk without their assistance. 

       Jerome lived in the late 4^th and early 5^th century.  He was known as one of the greatest Scripture scholars in the early Church. In fact, St Augustine, one of our Church’s greatest theologians, once said: “What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known.” Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, which was the common language of his day.  That version of the Bible, the Vulgate, is still held in high esteem up until today.  As a seminarian, I felt Jerome’s presence and inspiration with me as I completed my studies in Scripture and Theology.  Jerome also had a very fiery, combative personality, and often found it very hard to be patient with others, especially in light of his intelligence and knowledge.  Jerome perhaps is a good patron for all of us who have problems with patience and tolerance in our modern, technologically advanced world.  Jerome is the patron saints of librarians, students, archeologists, and translators.
        May we offer up our worries and preoccupations to St Jerome today, giving thanks for his contributions to the Early Church and to the development of the faith that we practice today. 

10/2/2014 – Thursday of 26th week in ordinary time – Guardian Angels – Matthew 18:1-5, 10

       We often want to be the best and the greatest we can be, don’t we?  But when the disciples approach Jesus with this attitude, that they want to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, he brings a child in their midst, and tells them that they have to become like this child in order to enter into God’s kingdom.  

         Sometime children believe in things that some adults have a hard time believing.  As we know, we in the Catholic Church believe in angels. And angels are just not for children to believe in. We see angels as spiritual being who were created by God.  Our English word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelos”, which means “messenger”.  God sends out his angels to carry special messages for him. Just this past Monday, we celebrated the feast of the Archangels – Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel.  Today, we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels.  We see the role of the guardian angel as to guide us to good thoughts, in good works, and in good words, to keep us from succumbing to sins and to evil. Since the 17th century, the Church has celebrated a feast honoring the Guardian Angels in October.  We talk about how our American society is becoming more secular, but I was looking at an article from Time Magazine that quoted statistics from a study on religious belief in American conducted by Baylor University, which stated that 55% of those surveyed agreed with the statement that “I was protected from harm by a guardian angel.”  Those conducting the survey were surprised at the response, especially in light of all our technology and scientific knowledge. 
         I love the prayer to the Guardian Angels.  It is a favorite prayer of many Catholic children, and many Catholic adults remember this prayer from their childhood: Angel of God, My Guardian Dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard and rule and guide. Amen. 
         In our prayers, we communicate with God.  We develop and grow in our faith through our prayers.  May the angels and the saints hear our prayers and pray for us as members of God’s kingdom. 

9/29/2014 – Monday - Archangels – Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel – Rev 12:7-12, Ps 137; John 1:47-51

       Today, we celebrate the feast day of the three archangels – Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael.  We’ve been celebrating the feast day of these three archangels together since 1970, when their feast days were combined together in the revised Roman calendar after the Second Vatican Council. 

       Our reading from the book of Revelation today depicts the Archangel Michael defeating Satan and the powers of evil. With the defeat of Satan, salvation and power have come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed – Jesus the Christ.  Michael and the other angels are messengers of God’s loving and merciful relationship with us.  They are bearers of Good News to Us and they help us conquer evil and sin in our lives. We respond to this message of Good News by reach back to God in faith and trust and surrender. Yes, indeed, sometimes our lives may seem like we are in the middle of a war that is fought by the angels who are on the side of God as they battle the demons and the evil spirits who seem intent on getting us.  Michael is seen as the Archangel leading us in battle against those evil forces, so he is the patron saint of police officers, soldiers, paratroopers, and fighter pilots. 

       Once a second grader in our first communion class asked me about angels and archangels and the difference between them – quite an intelligent question.  Pope Gregory the Great clarified that the word “angel” denoted a function rather than a nature.   He asserted that the holy spirits of heaven have always been spirits, but they are called angels when they serve the function as messengers of God, when they deliver a message for him.   Angels are those who deliver message of lesser importance, while Archangels are those spirits who proclaim messages of supreme importance, such as when the Archangel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin Mary, to tell her that she was with child, that she would deliver the Son of God.

       The belief in angels has gone beyond Christianity, as it is popular in our secular world today to believe in angels, to have a belief in the divine messages that they deliver to us.  May we give thanks for the angels and archangels today.  In our preface before starting the Eucharistic prayer in the mass, we proclaim that we join the angels and archangels in their song of praise to the Lord.  May we truly feel the praise that we proclaim to the Lord in connection with these heavenly spirits. 

9/28/2014– la homilía del Domingo XXVI del tiempo ordinario – Mateo 21, 28-32; Ezequiel 18, 25-28; Filipenses 2,1-11.

     ¿Como podemos tener una conversión en nuestro corazón?  Las lecturas de hoy hablan sobre este tema.   El profeta Ezequías habla sobre la responsabilidad personal que necesitamos tener en nuestra vida de fe, una responsabilidad de convertir nuestras almas a Dios.  Recibimos el don de salvación de nuestro Salvador.  Según Ezequías, nuestras obras y nuestro camino de fe tienen consecuencias, especialmente si no nos arrepentimos de nuestros pecados y nuestras debilidades. 

     En el Evangelio de hoy, tenemos un lección sobre nuestra responsabilidad en la manera que vivimos.  No es suficiente para seguir nuestro Señor y sus mandamientos sólo con nuestras palabras y nuestros pensamientos.  Es necesario que nuestras obras y nuestra acciones acompañen nuestras palabras. Sin cambios en nuestra vida, no es una verdadera conversión.  Por esta razón, según el Evangelio de San Mateo, los publicanos y las prostitutas precederán a los maestros de la ley en el Reino de Dios.  Las prostitutas y los publicanos dijeron “no” en sus palabras y en sus vidas a la voluntad de Dios antes de su conversión, pero después, en el gran cambio en su vida de fe, ellos están siguiendo nuestro Señor en su plenitud.  Los maestros de la ley dicen que están siguiendo el camino de fe, pero no se dan cuenta de la necesidad de convertirse y de hacer penitencia por sus pecados.  Con sus palabras, ellos dicen “sí” a Dios, pero en sus obras y sus acciones y en sus corazones, ellos dicen “no.” 

      Nuestra segunda lectura de la carta de San Pablo a los filipenses nos da un modelo para seguir.  Cristo es nuestro modelo como un siervo en su humildad y en su camino a la cruz.  Cristo es nuestro modelo en su humanidad y su divinidad, y en la manera que cumplió con sinceridad la voluntad de su Padre. Es verdad, a veces nuestro camino no es fácil.  Pero, poco a poco, con cada paso, podemos avanzar en nuestro camino de fe.

        Tenemos la llamada de practicar nuestra fe en el espíritu del Evangelio, no en una manera estéril, rígida o implacable.  El espíritu de Jesús nos llama para encarnar su espíritu de amor y compasión, de cariño y de perdón, de llegar a los oprimidos, los marginados y los que están solos.  Creo que la razón Papa Francisco está amado por tanta gente es que él tiene el espíritu de Cristo en sus palabras y sus obras.  En un Tweet, el Papa Francis dijo: El verdadero poder es el servicio.  Yo como el Papa debe servir a todas las personas, especialmente los pobres, los débiles, y los vulnerables.

      El espíritu de las lecturas de hoy me llamó la atención en un cuento que alguien me contó recientemente.  Un hombre me explicó que manejaba a casa de la costa de Mississippi cuando se daba cuenta de que quedaba poca gasolina en su carro.  Él oraba tan fuerte que se encontraría con una gasolinera en alguna parte, pero estaba el momento de atardecer.  La gasolina en su carro terminó.  El estaba en una parte aislada de la carretera  desconocida por él.  En el transcurso de una media hora, comenzó a oscurecer, y ninguno de los carros se paró para ayudarle.  Cuando el hombre no tenía esperanza, una vieja camioneta pasó por él, y entonces lo vio otra vez unos diez minutos más tarde que vino por el otro lado. Una joven madre y su pequeño hijo estaban en el carro. Ella le preguntó qué necesitaba, y luego le dijo que iba a volver con un poco de gasolina para él. Ella dijo que le tomaría más de media hora, ya que no había gasolineras muy cerca.  Ella regresó con la gasolina y dijo que el hombre no necesita pagarle el dinero.  Ella le dijo que necesitaba saber por qué se regresó.  Ella dijo que ella y su hijo estaban en una prisa por regresar, que llegarían tarde para su compromiso. La madre explicó que después llegaron alrededor de un minuto en el camino después de pasar junto al hombre, el niño le preguntó a la madre por qué no se pararon a ayudarle. Le dijo a su hijo que llegarían tarde y no tenían tiempo. El niño respondió: Pero mamá, me parece que el hombre necesita ayuda. Jesús se habría parado para ayudarle. Así que eso es lo que hicieron la madre y su hijo. Ella se dio la vuelta inmediatamente y le ayudó. Y no quería recibir nada de este hombre a cambio.  Tal vez no necesitamos preguntar por qué la vida no parece justo o por qué las cosas malas suceden. Tal vez tenemos que concentrarnos para vivir el espíritu de Cristo en el mundo.

Signs of recovery from the tornado - St James Catholic Church - Tupelo, Mississippi - From April 29th to the road to recovery

Mission Appeal - Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church - Moorestown, New Jersey

Hispanic Youth Encounter - Using the Treasures God Give Us - St James Catholic Church - Tupelo Mississippi

Photos from parish mission with Father Burke Masters - St James Catholic Church - Tupelo, MS

9/28/2014 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary time – Ezekiel 18:25-28, Matthew 21:28-32

       I am going to be honest.  Starting with last week, and for four weeks in a row, we have a series of parables from the middle of the Gospel of Matthew for the readings for our Sunday masses.  And these are difficult readings. Very difficult.  They are not comforting.  Their messages are not clear and direct.  Their meanings are not easy to figure out. But that is the way it is with God’s word sometimes.  We are meant to wrestle with it, to struggle with it, and try to figure out how it is speaking to us today.  

        Before we tackle today’s Gospel, let us start with the prophet Ezekiel: Most people say that life’s not fair, that God’s not fair.  We hear that from the mouth of almost every child at one time or another, don’t we?  We can probably remember saying that as children.  And we probably think that a lot of times as adults as well.  We probably see situations around us that we don’t think are fair.  Even Pope Francis has said that inequality and a lack of fairness are at the root of a lot that is unjust and wrong in our world today.  We have been hearing a lot about the ebola outbreak that has killed a lot of people in several poor countries in West Africa – Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.   In fact, it was the country of Guinea where I served as a Peace Corps volunteer.  I remember when I arrived in Conakry – the capital of Guinea – with the other new Peace Corps volunteers.  There was utter silence in the van that drove us into the city from the airport.  We were so stunned at the utter poverty we saw around us.  I remember returning to southern California to my family’s home after leaving the Peace Corps.  It was a shock to see so much wealth and so many material things compared to how the people lived in Africa.  When we see the poverty and despair and inequalities in the world, we might cry out: Isn’t justice your task, O Lord?  Why do many who commit evil thrive in the world?  Why do so many of the good people suffer?

      Jesus answers these questions we have by looking at it from a practical aspect.  How are we living the Gospel in our lives?   How are we committing ourselves to God’s kingdom if we are truly disciples of Christ?   We can never be complacent in our relationship with God, can we?  The chief priests, the elders, the scribes and the Pharisees: they all felt snug and secure in their lives of faith, didn’t they?  They pointed their finger at the sins that others made.  Yet, perhaps they did not look at the ways they needed to grow in their own lives of faith. We can easily go astray and fall away from the commitment we make to Christ.   Christ always offers us his love and his grace, he always offers us opportunities to renew and recommit our faith, but perhaps we are not even aware of the ways that we can reject and spurn what have with him. Whenever we lapse into sin, there are always ways we can repent and turn back to the Lord.

      We are called to practice our faith, but to do so in the spirit of the Gospel, not in a sterile, rigid, merciless manner.   The spirit of Jesus that we are called to embody is a spirit of love and compassion, of caring and forgiveness, of reaching out to the oppressed, the outcast, and the lonely.  I think the reason Pope Francis is loved by so many is that they see the spirit of Jesus alive in him.  In a recent Tweet, Pope Francis said: True power is service.  (I as) the Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, (and) the vulnerable.

      The spirit of today’s readings struck me in a story someone recently told me.   A man told me that he was driving back home from the coast when he realized that he was getting low on gas.  He prayed as hard as he could that he would encounter a gas station somewhere, but as the sun was just setting, he realized that he had barely any gas left, and he pulled over at stop next to a wooded area.  He was out in an area that he did not know very well.  In the course of a half hour, it started to get dark, and none of the cars he motioned to for help would pull over.   One old station wagon, passed by him, and then he saw it again about ten minutes later coming from the opposite direction.  A young mother and her young son were in the car.  She asked him what he needed, and then told him she would come back with some gas for him.  She said it would take over a half hour, since there were no gas stations close by. When she returned with the gas, she would not hear of him paying her for it, even though it did not look like she had much money herself.  She told him that he needed to hear why she stopped.  She said that she and her son were in a hurry to get somewhere, that they were late for an engagement, which is why they sped by him the first time.  The mother explained that after they got about a minute down the road after passing the man, the little boy asked the mother why she did not stop to help him.  She told her son that they were late and did not have time.  The boy responded: But Mama, that man looked like he needed help.  Jesus would have stopped to help him.  So that is what the mom and her son did.  She turned around immediately and helped him.  And didn't ask for anything in return.  Perhaps we don’t need to ask why life doesn’t seem fair or why bad things happen.  Perhaps we need to concentrate on being the spirit of Christ in the world. 

9/24/2014 – Wednesday of 25th week in Ordinary Time – Proverbs 30:5-9

     Today, we hear a reading from the book of Proverbs in our first reading. 

Proverbs is a book of sayings and Hebrew poems that are perhaps not easy for us to read or understand, especially from our modern Western point of view. One of the things our reading says today is that we are to take refuge in the word of God, that God’s word is to be a security for us, that his word is show us what true goodness and truth lie.  But, it is difficult to understand the word of God sometimes, isn’t it?  And there is a danger in us wanting to manipulate and interpret God’s word to say what we want it to say.   To distort God’s word for our convenience

       Father Burke Masters, in our parish mission a couple of weeks ago, spoke about leccio divina, which is Latin for “Divine Reading”.  In leccio divina, we read the Scripture reading several times, we see what words and phrases stick out to us, we hear God’s word speak to us in the reality of our lives, reflecting on it in its many facets.  Father Burke also recommended that we read the Scripture readings from the mass before we attend it, so that when we are there, we are already familiar with the reading and we can have them further penetrate our hearts.

         There are so many other messages calling out to us in the world today.  How is God’s word our strength and our foundation?

Bendición - Domingo Catequético

 Dios Padre,

Tú eres la fuente de toda sabiduría y conocimiento en nuestra vida.

Tú enviaste a tu Hijo, Jesucristo, a vivir entre nosotros y para proclamar su mensaje de fe, esperanza y amor a todas las naciones.

En tu bondad - bendiga a nuestros hermanos que se han ofrecido como maestros y lideres en la fe y en las clases de la doctrina religiosa para tu Iglesia.

Fortalezca estos maestros con sus dones, para que puedan enseñar con la palabra y con el ejemplo la verdad que viene de ti.

Te lo pedimos por Cristo nuestro Señor. Amén.