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Discover Christ, Choose Christ and have Christ as destiny. This weekend’s readings invite us to reflect on the Kingdom of God and challenge us to go out of our way to enter it. The Kingdom is the place where God’s will is done. It is already present among us; in the sacrifice of the Mass, in a good deed done quietly for another, in service to the poor — and it is also in the future, when the just will enter into the eternal blessedness of God. Jesus compares the Kingdom to a

Every farmer knows that growth does not happen overnight. It takes regular sunshine, rain, pruning, and patience. So it is in the spiritual life. This weekend’s readings remind us that the world is a mixture of good and bad; wheat and weeds — but we should not be discouraged. Instead, we can trust that the Spirit of God is with us, guiding us, acting in us, and bringing us along, even when we may not recognize His action. God knew this before time began. He did not create tw

The readings of this weekend point to one thing: the Word of God. God’s Word is powerful. It is meant to bring life, to heal, and to bear fruit. As it reveals that the Word alone is not enough. It needs open hearts to receive it and grow. Jesus makes this clear in the Gospel through the Parable of the Sower. A sower goes out and scatters seed. The seed is always the same: the Word of God — God’s teaching, His revelation, His message of love to us. But the seed falls on four d

Life often teaches us that what first appears to be a disappointment can become God's appointment. With the eyes of faith we discover that God is always at work, even in our struggles. This is the heart of this weekend’s gospel. Jesus thanks His Father because the mystery of the kingdom is revealed not to the learned but the humble and childlike. Even in the face of rejection, Jesus remains united to His Father in loving trust by giving thanks. From that loving relationship

In this weekend's Gospel, Jesus does not sugar-coat the cost of discipleship. He tells His apostles what to expect: there are two possible responses to those who proclaim the Gospel. Some will reject and persecute them; others will welcome and support them. Without saying it directly, Jesus asks each of us: Which side are you on? Will you be among those who reject God's servants, or among those who receive them with generosity? His answer is clear: those who welcome them will

Dearest friends in Christ, today's readings bring us into the heart of what it means to be a disciple: to walk in truth even when the world is against you, to trust in grace that is greater than sin, and to remember that we are never alone because God sees and values us. Jeremiah speaks from a place many of us know: betrayal, mockery, and fear. “All my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine...“Denounce him!” He was persecuted for speaking God’s word. Yet in the sam

Our world is broken and it needs healing. We see it in the single parent working two jobs who gets asked, “What would you do to survive?” and have no good answer. Further it is seen in the evening news: wars that displace families, greed that empties communities, abuse of power that silences the weak. Similarly, we see it closer to home in loneliness, addiction, and the quiet poverty of people who smile on Sunday but weep on Monday. Brokenness means pain. It means helplessnes

St. John Chrysostom once said: “The Trinity is proof that the Church was founded by God. Why? It is because the core of our faith cannot be grasped by human reason alone. If the Church were founded by men and women, its central mystery would be understandable to them. But we cannot fully understand the Trinity because it breaks all our rules; - the rules of mathematics, grammar, and logic. So we simply say, ‘Yes, I believe,’ because God has revealed it to us.” Human language

Today the Church celebrates Corpus Christi. This one feast honors three realities: Christ’s Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and His Real Presence with us under the forms of bread and wine. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us the Eucharist as both a meal and a sacrifice. As a Sacrament, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of the Risen Jesus. We call this change “Transubstantiation”. The appearances remain, but the substance is now Christ Himself,

The Upper Room was locked. The disciples were afraid. Ten days after the Ascension, they were still huddled together, waiting. Then came “a noise like a strong driving wind,” and tongues of fire rested on each of them. The frightened men who fled at the Cross walked out and proclaimed Christ boldly to Jews from every nation. That is Pentecost. And it is not just history. It is the Church’s birthday, and it is your birthday too. That’s why it’s personal. The Spirit who came th

A story is told: After His Ascension, Jesus met the angels in heaven. They asked, “Who will continue your work on earth now?” Jesus replied, “I gathered a group of followers who believe in me. They will spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was surprised. “You mean Peter, who denied you? The other ones who ran away at the Cross? And what if they fail? What’s your Plan B?” Jesus said, “I have no other plan. It must work.”

Last weekend, Jesus spoke to His anxious disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust in me.” His ascension was near, and they feared what life would look like without Him. Jesus reassured them: I am the way, the truth, and the life. With Him, there is a path to follow, truth to embrace, and life to live. When we walk with Him, we are on the road to true and lasting happiness. This weekend, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, Jesus repeats that same promis

It was Pope St. John Paul II who on World Youth Day 1993 told the young people in Denver that: “Only in Christ can men and women find answers to the ultimate questions… Jesus Christ is the only Son from the Father…full of grace and truth.” He also said something I want you to hold onto this day: “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.” That’s who we are. But how do we

This weekend’s liturgy gathers us around one image: The Shepherd. In the Gospel, Jesus says, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice”(Jn 10:3-4). In Acts, Peter stands up on Pentecost and his voice, filled with the Spirit, pierces the crowd: “Repent and be baptized and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). And Peter reminds us in his letter that we “were straying l

Today’s Gospel begins by recalling the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and then moves to Jesus appearing to the Apostles to strengthen their faith. The Emmaus story presents two disciples leaving Jerusalem on Easter Sunday, discouraged and heartbroken over the crucifixion of Jesus. Although Jesus had predicted His Passion, Death, and Resurrection three times, they—like Thomas and many in the early Church—never imagined that He might truly rise from the dead. They left Jer

Last week, we unveiled the crucifix, celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. If Jesus has resurrected, why do we still leave Him hanging on the cross in our churches? Couldn't we have set the cross aside, at least for this Easter Octave? Again, why did Jesus choose to resurrect with the marks of His wounds still visible? Couldn't He, who has the power to subdue death, also heal Himself of the wounds of crucifixion? The simple truth is that the Crucifix still

An old woman was asked to lead in prayers on a good Friday and during the prayers, she began to cast aspersions upon Pilate and the Roman soldiers for their cruelty in killing Jesus her beloved Lord and savior after which she ended her prayers by saying, “may the soul of Jesus and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace” Today’s celebration of Easter is the reason the old woman’s prayer appears funny because our redeemer levity (Job 19:25

This weekend liturgies ushers us into the most solemn period in our Lenten season starting with Palm Sunday; the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on one hand and his passion on the other hand. To understand the deeper meaning of this liturgy we are encouraged to see it through the light of a bird needing two feathers in order to fly. The kingship of Jesus is marked with fanfare as he enters Jerusalem and also his passion, death and resurrection that pay the price for

This weekend readings present to us the rich contrast of apathy and compassion. Apathy is the state of emotional dullness or loss of enthusiasm. In this state one’s capacity to feeling, motivation or engagement to events of the world goes lukewarm. In normal life what use to matter for someone in the past, now is reduced to the back burner. In the spiritual realm it is the state in which one is unresponsive to God’s instructions and lacking willingness to act upon spiritual c

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