Reflections of a beloved son

“They came and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us!   We are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?’”   Matthew 8:25-26   Memorial of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church   Who do we turn to in times of trouble? Do we turn inward and drive ourselves into corners? When hardships and difficulties come our way, what do we do? Do we turn to drugs or alcohol? Who do we call out to? When the Apostles were at sea with the Lord, a storm came about and it frightened them. The winds were blowing and the seas were roaring, and yet the Lord was peacefully resting. The Apostles had thought that the Lord had forgotten them and no longer cared for them, but He was right there with them. Would He – could He watch them drown and die? Their faith was weak and allowed the storm on the sea as well as the storms in their hearts to take over, putting them into a state of panic.   When the circumstances of our lives grow s...

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter said in reply, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” Matthew 16:15-16 Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles One’s identity is crucial. It sort of dictates what we do, how we act, and what we believe. So when Jesus asks His disciples who the people say that He is, He further asks, “ But who do YOU say that I am? ”  Jesus wanted to know who they, His followers, know Him to be. Peter said that He is “ the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” By making that confession, Peter was saying that He knows Jesus and He believes in Him and in the One who sent Him. From knowing Jesus’ identity, Peter came to know His own. Jesus asks you today, “Who do you say that I am?  Who am I to you?” How you answer this question will determine your own identity. The answer here is not that He is the Son of God or the Second Person of the Trinity – both of which are correct, but rather who is Jesus to you?  Do yo...

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Matthew 10:40 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time What does it mean to be hospitable or to be a good host? Am I kind to people because they have been kind to me or because I know they will be kind back? Am I generous with someone because I know they have the capability and means to pay me back? A true spirit of giving and hospitality is one that consists of no other intent than to give. Meaning if I am doing something for an ulterior motive then I am doing it for the wrong reason. I can think of so many times when I do something, yes at face value I am doing it simply because I know it’s the right thing to do, but deep down I hope for something in return.   If we are really to do something for someone then we really should not expect or even want anything in return. It is easier to be generous and kind to someone we know or like, but it’s not as easy when it comes to someone we do...

“‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.’ He said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’”   Matthew 8:6-7 Sometimes people ask me “Does prayer work?” I always say “Yes, it does.” Prayer matters. Prayer is our relationship with God and anything and everything we say to Him and bring to Him matters. We often hear people say “pray for me” or “pray for me mother” or something similar. There’s something inside our hearts that know that it means something when we ask others to pray for us.   In essence we are really asking to be a part of a relationship, a loving relationship together with God. The Roman centurion went to Jesus when his servant was dying. Though he was not a professed believer he believed in the healing power of Christ. How did he know? He must have asked around and heard people talking about Jesus. But it was time for him to find out for himself. When he brought his plea and request before the Lord, Jesus simply said “I will go and he...

What are some of the wounds that hurt you badly and that affect you greatly? What are some things you are holding on to that brings you pain? A strained relationship? Unforgivness? Resentment? Betrayal? Whatever it is, Jesus is looking intently into your eyes now. Lay all those hurts before Him. Tell Him that you do want to be made clean, that you do not want these things to hold you down and keep you from living fully any longer. Say it, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean. I know you did not will it for me to be hurt for you only will my good. Whatever it is that is causing me pain, teach me Lord to find meaning in it and teach me to unite it with You on the Cross. I ask you to heal me and to make me clean. I know this does not mean you will take away the pain, but that you will bring healing to those hurting parts of my life.” Now, Jesus stretches His hands out towards you, touches you, embraces you, and stands up with you, “I will do it. Be made clean.” Click here to listen ...

We are told that if we deny Him, Jesus will deny us, but He will remain faithful even as we become unfaithful. Jesus challenges us today to not just hear His words, but to actually do something about them! Don’t just simply hear His words, but listen to them. And to listen to them from our hearts so that our hearts may be moved to action. Faith alone is not enough. We can’t just say we believe and think everything will be fine and that our spot is reserved in heaven just like that. Works are needed. Not extraordinary work, not anything outside our means, but works that we are able to do. God always gives us all the help and graces we need to do those works. Faith enables us to ask God for that help. So, faith is needed, but it is not sufficient. Faith accompanied by good works with God’s grace is doing the will of the Father. Let’s get to work! Click here to listen to today's daily reflection.

Like Jesus, St. John the Baptist was a miracle baby. He was born to an old couple and to a mother who was barren. John had been called by name. When the Angel appeared to Zechariah to tell him his wife Elizabeth will bear a son, he also told him the name the child shall be called. After his birth, the people asked Elizabeth and Zechariah what the name of the child should be. They said, “John is his name.” John had an important mission. He was to be the forerunner of Christ, to tell people to prepare their hearts for Christ, and to baptize the people for the forgiveness of sins. You too are called by name. We too have a mission. God calls us by name. God calls you by name. God calls out to you, in the deepest recesses of your hearts. He calls for you. Even before you were born, God has called you. John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb when Jesus in Mary’s womb came to visit. Each one of us is special to God and each one of us has a special call and mission. Your life is meaningful...

Nothing worth doing is easy. Success comes from failure. We learn how to get back up by first falling. “Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered.” There are many paths that we can take. Some paths seem easier and lead to temporary joys and pleasures. Some seem more difficult but lead to more lasting joy. On the path of truth and life there will be lies and deaths. These lies will make us doubt our choices and beliefs. These deaths will make us question the meaning of life. The gate and road that leads to life is narrow and constricted not because God does not want people to enter but because the world has made it so. It is hard to enter and difficult to travel on because we have become attached to this world. We have told ourselves that we belong to this world, but we do not. This world is passing, but we were made for eternity. When we cling to what we are not, it will only lead to sorrow, and this sorrow will bring us to despair and hopelessness, and ultimately ...

We sometimes take so much interest in fixing other people’s problems and even in trying to solve the world’s problems. However, the truth to the matter is that we cannot change anyone except ourselves. We may want so much for someone to change their wayward ways, but we can’t change it for them. I think we can see this most clearly with parents and their children who may have gone down a not so good path or siblings who can see the same. Even though we cannot change for them, what we can do is be that role model for them. To do this we must take a good look at ourselves.   We can’t see clearly when there’s a splinter in our eyes. But the harder part is that sometimes we can’t even see the splinters. Do we know they are there but choose to ignore them? Do we simply keep putting eye drops in to ease the pain, but not really doing anything about them? It’s time to remove those splinters. We can’t remove them alone. Even if we try to use the mirror it will be difficult. That’s is w...

What comes to your mind when you hear “living freely?” Living freely does not mean living without pain or suffering, but it does mean embracing them. We may have a tendency to want to hide those pains and sufferings because we are taught that we ought to be ashamed of them and that any appearance of pain is a sure sign of weakness. Hiding your pain and suffering is weakness. Embracing them and owning them is strength and freedom. Jesus did not hide His pain. He cried. He wept. He grimaced. Jesus embraced His suffering because He knew somehow that the Father was going to bring about great good from it. So, how can we label as shameful or an embarrassment something through which God can bring great good?   We must not fear our weaknesses or our past. God knows them well and He will use them for good. The best example a father can give to his children is to show them that a real man loves and allows himself to be loved, and by doing so experiences pain and is not afraid to show it...

When Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple, they asked Him why He had run off and did what He had done. Jesus was seemingly puzzled and asked why they were worried and explained that of course He’d be in His Father’s house. We are told that Jesus followed His parents back home and was obedient to them, while Mary pondered and kept all that had happened in her heart.   Mary must have been afraid, hoping nothing bad had happened to Jesus, and when she found Him, He seemed indifferent. How hurt Mary’s heart must have been, but she kept it in her heart. Perhaps she did not understand then, but she soon came to see that whatever Her Son ended up doing would be the Father’s will. In Jesus’ mind, the Father’s will always came first, and Mary understood that because she too said “yes” years ago. There will be times in our lives when we get upset or angry or frustrated because of what someone may say or do. Sometimes those whom we love will do things that will cause us pain. Yet, ou...

We are chosen! The Lord tells us that we are sacred to Him and that we are peculiarly or particularly His own. God has set His heart on the Israelites and sets His heart on us today.  Today in the Church we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On the Cross Jesus’ side and heart was pierced for love of us. Out of his pierced side and heart flowed water and blood, the waters of baptism, and the blood that nourishes and sustains us, giving birth to the Church. With His pierced and sacred heart, Jesus understands the depth of human pain and suffering. And He draws all people, those who were chosen by the Lord, to Himself, to rest in the embrace of His Sacred Heart. We have been chosen because the Lord has set His heart on us, and it is because He loved us that He sent His Son, whose heart was pierced and from that heart came indescribable healing.  In His heart is unfathomable love, boundless mercy, infinite compassion, and unimaginable peace. The pierced became the sacred. The wo...

What strikes terror or fear in your heart? What weakness of yours paralyzes you and keeps from trying? What causes you shame and keeps you down?   What troubling event in your past haunts you and keeps you from living? We all have these things that make us question ourselves – am I worthy of this?   Do I deserve to be happy? I’m a bad person. What do they possibly see in me?   What God sees when He looks at you is His beloved child. Aren’t you tired of living in fear?   Aren’t you tired of settling because somehow you don’t feel worthy of something better? Aren’t you tired of feeling undeserving of love and happiness?   It is time to rise up. Jesus died and was buried in the tomb. He descended into hell and then rose up out of the tomb on the third day. It is time for you to rise out from the tombs of your fears and shame. There will be people who will doubt you, curse you, and reject you, but that is no reason to stay down. Jesus came to free you from all t...

In today’s world we always have the temptation to want to be seen and known. And sometimes we even portray someone we are not. Sometimes we do things or say things just to get noticed or to be praised, even when it’s not something that comes from our hearts. All this we do because we want to be heard and to be loved. Sometimes we get misunderstood, and I think that’s one of the most distressing experiences because you mean well but it’s being taken as something else.   It’s a most horrible feeling. Even when those around us may misunderstand us, God does not. He knows our intentions. God sees all that we do and all our efforts, even when others can’t see them or refuse to see them, God sees them. God sees what other cannot see – God sees what is hidden, God looks into the depths of our hearts and then looks at us with the eyes of love, telling us, “I know. It’s okay, I know. I see you. I am here with you. I love you.” At the end of the day, we do what we do because we hope to s...

We are asked to be perfect.   What does that mean? Perhaps when we hear it, we think of acing everything.   Perfect attendance.   100’s.   No mistakes. No faults, no weaknesses.   But how?   We are human. How can Jesus ask that of us? In the Greek, the word translated into “perfect” actually comes from the word meaning “end.”   Not the end of something, but the end for which we were created.   And we were created for love and joy.   So perhaps Jesus was not saying that we MUST be perfect and make no mistakes, but rather we must always remember that we were loved into existence and that love and God is our end, that which our lives are directed. We are sinners and we are human – we will make mistakes but that doesn’t make God love us any less. God is our end. May we live our lives knowing this truth – the truth that our end is joy and peace and love, life with the Father, and when we live striving for that we will have reached our end. ...

Our natural human instinct tells us to respond in an equal or greater manner when something is done to us. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” It only makes sense, right?   We can’t let people walk all over us and we need to let them know that. That’s our human instincts. But we have been touched by the divine and Jesus came so that we may share in His divinity. And because of that, how we respond ought to be different. Jesus offered a drastically different approach to retaliation. Instead of slapping someone back we are asked to turn the other cheek. Rather than just doing the bare minimum we are asked to go the extra mile.   And when someone asks something of us, we are asked to not turn our backs on them, even if they had not been kind to us. This goes against our instincts. This only makes sense if and when we realize that Jesus was trying to tell the people that “it’s never about you.” Life is not about “you.” Our lives are to be lived for others. When we come to ...

Our world today has seemingly adopted a culture of death. This culture of death is disguised as the freedom to choose and the freedom to live life as one sees best and ultimately as happiness. But as its name implies, this culture ultimately leads to death. Pursuing life in a selfish and self-centered manner will lead not only to unhappiness but also death. What is life without love?  What is life when other people are not around you? That is no life. That is death. Life only makes sense with love. And love, true love, is laying down one’s life for another. True love is selfless and others-centered, but we can only come to realize this when we see and know how much we have been loved and continue to be loved. God loved us so much that He became man for us, and not only that, He came to us in a manner that aims to sustain us not just for a moment but for eternity. God became man because He wanted us to know that we were made for life and for love. The only way to live and to love is...

In one of his sermons, St. Anthony of Padua said, “ Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed the fig tree when he found no fruit but only leaves.”   We can say many things, but when it comes to living them out, I think many of us fall short – at least I know I do.   Jesus told His disciples to let their “yes” mean “yes” and their “no” mean “no.” Hypocrisy was big then, and it is big now. We can’t say one thing and do another, or better yet, do nothing at all! We see so many people say this is wrong and that is bad but when it comes time to act or show active support, they suddenly become small and fade into the background. Are we like that? Are we “full of words but empty of actions?” God loves us, and even though He had no need to show it, He did.   He sent His only Son.   Jesus died on the Cross.   As it is said in the...

As humans we have a longing for intimacy and for relationship. We are wired for love because that is from and out of which we are created. Whether on the surface or deep down we have a desire to be with people. In my experience, sometimes being in a place at night with no one around, especially in new and unfamiliar places it can be daunting and sometimes there is fear. But once there is another person there, this fear usually goes away. Have you ever experienced that before? This deep longing for relationship comes from an even deeper desire – the one relationship from which all others become possible, our relationship with God. Sometimes we may feel far and distant from God or that we do not know how to “get in touch” with God. So, we try to look for Him in things and other people. But, first we ought to go to the place were God speaks to us – in the stillness of our heart. The Prophets tell us that God was not in the earthquake or fire, but rather God was in the “tiny, whispering so...

It is so important to encourage one another, especially during these times. What does encourage really mean? To make and to put in courage – not by force but by witness and example. When people come together great things happen. Jesus told the disciples “ where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them .”  Wow. Just by being together, praying, calling on the name of Jesus, He’s there. The power of coming together. In coming together, we must encourage one another, especially during these times. We must stand united against falsehood and lies. We must proclaim boldly the message of love and truth. This we can only do in the name of Jesus, and we must do this together. Oftentimes we do not need to say much. Simply standing together and being together can be the loudest message we can give. We are called to encourage one another by our presence to one another and by our example and witness to the faith. St. Barnabas saw the change in St. Paul and invited hi...

How do you pray?  When I begin to pray, I usually start with “Hey Jesus. How are you?” Then I thank Him and ask Him for the graces and things I need. However, sometimes my prayer can seem to formal. When facing the followers of a foreign god, Elijah wanted to show them that there is only One God, and so he asked them to ask their god to send down fire for the offering. No matter how much they called and asked, no fire came. And so Elijah turned to heaven and asked the Lord to send down fire so that those present would come to know and believe in the One True God. Elijah prayed and said “Answer me, Lord!”  And guess what?  God sent down fire. Oftentimes we are too “gentle” and “safe” in our prayer.  Like Elijah we ought to be bold in our prayer!  God is all-powerful and all-good! There is NOTHING that He cannot do. Don’t withhold anything from God. He wants to hear it. There is nothing He can’t handle. He wants to hear from you. He created you. He loves you and H...

When we close our hearts, we are not only closing ourselves off from giving love but also closing ourselves off from receiving love. Our society has twisted our perceptions and confused our judgments. What is true and good our minds have now processed and determined as insufficient and boring. Our minds have taken falsehood for truth and our hearts have been set on things that will not last. We have allowed our hearts to close and harden.     Our hearts were made for love – true love, love that last and that endures hardships and suffering, love that is eternal.   Since what we truly desire then is eternal, it can only come from something eternal, and we know that only God is eternal. So, what we really desire only God can give to us. Jesus told His disciples, “ Not as the world gives do I give. ” The love and peace that God gives to us is lasting. The world cannot give this kind of love and peace to us.   The Psalmist asks us today, “ How long will your heart...

It is the clean of heart that will see God.  What does that mean?  Have you ever felt so disgusted by someone or something because of what they may have done or said that you couldn’t bear to look at them? I know I have.  Those are the moments when I have failed to see God.   You see, seeing God and Christ in others has nothing to do with what they do or say, even if it is the most horrendous or disgusting thing. They and we will have to face the appropriate consequences for our actions and words, but if we have failed to see Christ in the other, it is our problem.  “ Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.”  I have failed to see God in the other because of my tainted heart – my pride, my ego, my jealousy, my envy, my attachment to the world. All people are made in the image and likeness of God, and so no matter what someone may say or do, they remain a child of God, they remain a beloved son or daughter of the Father. Jesus came for the sin...

As Catholic Christians we believe in the Trinity, that is that there are Three Divine Persons in One God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are of the same substance, and each is not a part of a whole. There are one but distinct. Drawing from St. Augustine, they are a community of love where the Father is the lover, the Son is the beloved, and the Holy Spirit is the love that exist within that community. The Trinity exists as a relationship. Our God is a relational God, and God wants a relationship with us. The Father calls out to us and sent us His Son, Jesus who came to give us life and to bring us to the Father, who sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always, reminding us of how much we are loved. The Trinity is a mystery, which means we may never really fully understand it, but we don’t need to. We only need to believe. Our faith and belief is our response to the call of the Father. This call of the Father is an invitation to be in relationship with Him and the Son and the Holy Spiri...

We are all on a journey, and we must encourage and support one another. There will be times when we may doubt and question and sometimes, we may even give up and walk the other way. Sometimes guilt and shame will lead us to despair and desperation. Sometimes we may feel that God has abandoned us. Then let us remember the time when Jesus was in the garden praying to His Father asking for the cup to pass him by or when He asked why His God had forsaken Him. Jesus knows our sufferings, pains, worries, and anger because He was fully man like you and me. But He also knows of the joy, peace, hope, and love that none of those things can take away.  The joy and peace that comes from God will enable us to endure those sufferings and times of desperation in our lives. The eternal will always triumph over the temporal. We must stick together and remember that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Even when the world tells us there is an easier way, a truer truth, or a better li...

In one of his letters, St. Boniface writes, “ In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course .” At the time of St. Boniface, the missionaries in Germany had a difficult time evangelizing because the pagans were worshipping an oak tree. When St. Boniface arrived, he saw that the tree was in the way, so he cut it down. He got rid of the obstacle that prevented the people from getting closer to God and knowing the Truth. We are told in the Psalms that those who love the law of God will have no stumbling blocks but will rather have great peace. But some may say, well that’s not true. Some devout Christians have difficult lives. True but difficulties are not necessarily stumbling blocks. If we come to see our difficulties as crosses and means of deepening our faith and growing closer to God, then there are no stumbling blocks but only a faith ...

It is not in God’s nature to be unfaithful. To be faithful seemingly then is part of God’s very nature. Our nature does not change with the world around us. Our nature dictates who we are and what we are made of and made for: love. Being unfaithful is not compatible with love, and since God is love, God cannot but be faithful, even when we are not and when we choose to reject Him. Even if we choose to leave Him, He remains faithful and is always waiting for us to come home. He is the Father who never ceases to look for us, and when we do return, He embraces us, welcomes us, and looks tenderly upon us. Let us always remember that who we are does not come from what others may say or believe about us. Our identity and our nature are unchanging because it is rooted in God, who is eternal! Our dignity does not come from man, but from God. Others may talk bad about us and reject us, but the truth that we are loved doesn’t change one bit. Though God may always remain faithful, we may not....

Power. Love. Self-control. These were the three things St. Paul reminded of Timothy. “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” Power does not mean dominating the weak or less fortunate, but rather recognizing our weaknesses and letting go of our pride and putting on humility. Love does not mean seeking out pleasure, but rather laying down our lives for others. Power and love are wonderful things, but the world has distorted it. All things that are good are used for the good of others. Power and love are used for the good of others. May we ask the Lord to remove our selfish ambitions and grant us the grace to live selfless lives, bearing witness to the Gospel.

Our country is in turmoil. What started as peaceful protests turned into riots and looting and violence. People took advantage of something good and used it for their own selfish desires. Setting cars on fires, breaking the glass windows of shops, crawling and climbing into the open areas of boarded up glass panels – what is this? This is not human. Where is human dignity? We as a people are better than that.   We need to be.   We have to be. As the family of George Floyd said, he would not have wanted this for he was a peaceful person.   Those who set fire, loot, and cause violence are desecrating the name and person of George Floyd. This is not the legacy he deserves. Shame on them. How dare they take advantage of a human life like that?   Fire and flames will come, but not the fires set by people trying to make a “statement” – that is never right or justified. May we allow the fire and flames burning within our hearts purify all of our selfish ambitions and ev...

Before Jesus died, He entrusted Mary into John’s care.  At the same time, Jesus was entrusting John and the entire Church to Mary. One of the very last things Jesus did before He breathed His last was to make sure Mary had someone to look after her and that the Apostles had someone to look after them. Even at the Cross, in His pain and agony He thought about others. As Son he made sure His mother will be taken care of, and as Teacher he made sure His disciples and followers will have a familiar face to remind them of His love. Today, we honor Mary as Mother of the Church. How blessed are we that we have a Mother who intercedes for us and brings all our needs to Her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ! When you feel all alone and that no one cares, remember and know that Mary does. She is your Mother. Jesus entrusted you under her care. Knowing how the world is having lived in it, Jesus knew we could not be left to our own devices. We needed someone to lead us, guide us, encourage us, care...