Reflections of a beloved son

“Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:6 Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus There is nothing that God cannot do. He is the Master Artist, the Potter, Our Creator and Maker. We need to want to be clay. We need to want to be shaped. The Potter has a plan for His work.  God has a plan for us. A plan only for good. Do we believe it? Do we believe Him? When life takes us to places we’d rather not go, will we trust that we are in God’s hands?  We will trust that God remains with us? Do we believe that those difficult moments of our lives will somehow make us stronger? God will give meaning to those struggles and challenges, those pains and sufferings. God will turn those struggles and challenges into means by which we may receive great grace. But we must be willing to let Him shape us. We are God’s masterpieces, each perfect and unique, each special and

“She said to him,   ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.’” John 11:27 Memorial of St. Martha When Jesus finally got to the village where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived, there was a cloud of grief and mourning for Lazarus had died just a few days earlier. Martha was probably feeling a multitude of emotions – relief and joy in seeing Jesus, disappointment that Jesus did not come sooner, sadness over the lost of her brother. Despite her sorrow, she went out to greet Jesus and she said to Him that if He had been here sooner, Lazarus would not have died but also that she knows whatever He asks God He will grant unto Him. Jesus then assured her that Lazarus will rise again. Martha understood and believed that her brother indeed will rise again on the Last Day. Little did she know what was going to happen. Instead of telling Jesus off and giving Him grief about what kind of friend He was for not being there soon

“Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look?” Jeremiah 14:22b When things are going smoothly, where do we look to? When things are growing increasingly difficult, who do we turn to? When times of trouble come and hardships arise, who do we ask for help and guidance?  Do we face them or do we hide from them? Do we ignore them and find a distraction? Do we turn to people or do we turn to drugs or alcohol or some other quick fix and temporary comfort? None of those things will bring us the peace and solution we so desperately want and need. We ought to look to the Lord, to God, to Our Father. In our time of desperate need, we must turn and look to God for He alone can give us what we need – not escape from our pain, but – to walk through those dark valleys, to weather those violent storms, and to climb up from the bottomless pit, trusting that all the pain and suffering we come to experience will only bring about good. The good that makes us strong and that enables us to live

“So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 13:9 Pride is a tricky thing. Is it wrong to be proud of yourself for a job well done? I don’t think so, but if it gets to your head and you begin to look down on people, then I’d say yes. Pride can get in the way of everything that is important to you, relationships being a major one. Pride focuses on the individual and slowly blocks out other people, even God. While we may feel that we are on top of the world because of our accomplishments and achievements, our relationships may be deteriorating, and our hearts may be rotting. This is not to say that accomplishments and achievements are not worth celebrating but if those are what drives our being and all that we do then the important parts of life may be withering. Sometimes we care so much about the bloom of a plant that we neglect what is needed to ensure the continued growth and health of the plant – the roots, the soil, etc. Selfish pride w

“I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.” Jeremiah 3:15 Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest God promised the people of Israel that He would send people to lead them, guide them, encourage them, teach them, and comfort them. He would not abandon them in the midst of slavery or exile. That even when all seems dark and lost, there remains a light and a hope that can never be extinguished. The Lord sent prophets throughout the history of Israel, encouraging the people, speaking for the Lord, anointing kings, and in the fullness of time, God sent His Son, the King of Kings and Lord or Lords, the greatest prophet and the Good Shepherd to save us and to lead us to Paradise with Him. But the people did not always listen and heed the messages of the prophets and leaders. God continued to send but the people could choose to listen or ignore. When finally He sent His only begotten Son, many ignored and even called for His death. T

“Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13   Have we forsaken Our God? Have we forgotten the One who calls us His children? Have we made our standards God’s standards and our ways His ways? Have we allowed our pride to blind our hearts and eyes from seeing the Truth? Although our mouths may not have forsaken the Lord, perhaps our hearts have. When our actions no longer reflect what we once professed to believe then we have forsaken our God. When our words are used to hurt, humiliate, judge, and condemn then we have forsaken our God. When our thoughts are used to plot against others or when they are used to objectify our brothers and sisters, then we have forsaken our God. When we have forsaken God we have also forsaken ourselves for all that we are and is comes from Him. Not only have we forsaken God and ourselves but have made ourselves gods. God is our c

“Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and then reported what he told her.’” John 20:18 Feast of St. Mary Magdalene Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. From being possessed by seven demons to running to tell the Apostles of Jesus’s Resurrection, St. Mary Magdalene allowed God to work through her. Before following Jesus, Mary Magdalene was possessed by several demons and after being set free and having encountered Christ, she journeyed with Christ and the Apostles. In having encountered Christ, Mary Magdalene’s live was forever changed. The demons that once possessed her no longer had any control over her life. She lived in the freedom that comes from knowing Christ. She was there when Jesus died on the Cross. And she was there when the tomb was found empty. After encountering the Risen Lord Mary Magdalene ran to tell the Apostles who were in the Upper Room, locked away in fear, of the great news. Mary became for the Apostles the

“And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.’” Matthew 12:49-50 Today Jesus tells us who His family is. When some people hear of this passage, they feel that Jesus was dissing and disrespecting His Mother, Mary, by seemingly being indifferent to her presence outside. But Jesus was really praising and honoring Mary with what He did. When the people told Jesus that His Mother and brothers are outside looking for Him, He used it as a teaching moment.  Jesus taught about the importance of the will of the Father and of those who not only know of it but does it. Those who do the will of the Father, Jesus told the people, are His brother, and sister, and mother. In saying this, Jesus was saying that Mary does the will of the Father, and that perhaps we all ought to look to her and learn from her, imitating her humility and obedience. The Family Jesus

“You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 As children, whether at home or at school, we should have been taught what is right and what is wrong. But times have changed. We seem to be confused by what is right and good and what is wrong and evil. What is right and good is now seen as what is conservative and uptight, and what is wrong and evil is now just how we express our individuality. What is wrong will always be wrong – it can’t be justified. Deep down in our hearts we know what is good and what is bad. We have the innate desire to be good because we belong to Goodness. Only the Truth can satiate our hunger. We only need to do what is right, to desire and to love goodness and to clothe ourselves with humility, knowing that we depend on God. So simple yet so difficult. May we ask the Lord for the strength and humility to always choose to do what is right an

“‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest.’” Matthew 13:28b-30a We can see that in this world of ours there is evil. Bad things happen. Bad choices are seemingly glorified. We want to see good people thrive and evil people punished for their actions and decisions, but very often we see good people suffer and those who do evil thrive and continue to grow strong. We may be tempted to be the judge and take matters into our own hands. But we must be careful. We are not the judge, for there is only one judge. We are however called to stand up for Truth and to love. To love includes instructing those who are wandering down a wrong path. And this takes a huge amount of patience. To live in this world, we must always remember who we are and what we are called to do. We must learn to live in the world but never become of it. As long as we live in the world, there will b

“The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.” Matthew 12:14-15a   Sometimes we just need to take a step back and breathe. It’s tempting to get caught up in the moment, especially when in a place of darkness. When the Pharisees gathered together like a brood of vipers to plot against Jesus, Jesus withdrew from that place. He withdrew, He did not hide. Jesus saw danger and, in His wisdom, He decided to step away and go somewhere else. That does not make Him weak. He stepped away perhaps also because He saw that the Pharisees’ hearts were so hardened and no matter how much He said or tried to do they would not listen. And so, He needed to move on. Stepping back is not giving up. It is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of deep and profound trust in the Lord. Sometimes stepping back or stepping away can be the biggest and most important step we take. There are times in our lives and maybe even i

“Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.” Matthew 12:1 When Jesus and His disciples were traveling on the road, His disciples got hungry and so they plucked some grain to eat. The Pharisees got on their case and asked Jesus why His followers were doing things that went against the law. Picking the grains was not unlawful it was doing it on the Sabbath that was unlawful. But the Sabbath was made for man not the other way around. The whole point of the Sabbath was to rest in the Lord to praise Him and thank Him for all that He has done in our lives, and here the disciples were with Jesus, walking with Him – they were resting with the Lord, doing what was intended for the Sabbath. Sometimes we can get caught up in the fine details and lose sight of the bigger picture. When we nitpick the small things we forget the important things. The important thing is that we rest in the Lord on the Sabbat

“O LORD, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.” Isaiah 26:12   Have you ever had the experience of “Wow, I don’t know where that came from?” or “I don’t know what came over me when I did that or said that?” There are times in our lives when we experience an encounter that we perhaps never thought capable or possible. Oftentimes people credit their adrenaline rush. But I dare suggest it was rather the power of the Holy Spirit. “ Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say ” (Mt. 10:19). God always supplies. In His Providence, God always has our back. The question we must ask ourselves is if we trust Him.   Everything that has come to be God either caused it or permitted it. Even when it seems like it was done by us, it was God. We were the instruments through which God worked His creating, healing, and saving powers. But we must allow God to work through us, a

“No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27 When asked “Why did God make you,” the Baltimore Catechism teaches, “to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.” Before we can serve Him or love Him, we need to know God. But how? Through prayer. Not just the prayers we learned to memorize, but rather conversing with God. Speaking with Him, sitting with Him, sharing with Him everything that is on your heart, and listening to Him. It is only in conversation and in spending time with the Lord will you come to know Him, and in knowing Him and how much He loves you, you will come to love Him. And this “belovedness” or being loved by the Father will only increase in you the desire to love Him more so that everything that is important to Him is important to you. This then moves us to service. When we come to know God we will come to lov

“Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!” Isaiah 7:9b Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin Today we celebrate St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized a saint by the Church. As a little child, Kateri had scars from contracting smallpox and has always been self-conscious about that so she would often cover her face. Kateri converted to Catholicism when she was 19 and took a vow of chastity, professing Jesus as her only spouse. Her family and friends did not agree with her decisions, but Kateri stood firm in her faith. Because of this and fear of persecution, Kateri moved to a more Christian-friendly community. A short five years later she died at the age of 24 from illness. Despite opposition from her family and friends, Kateri stayed strong in her resolve to follow Christ and to remain chaste for her Spouse. Though she needed to flee to avoid persecution, her faith remained strong. The Prophet Isaiah tells us that the Lord reminds us that unless

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” Matthew 10:34   What?   Jesus came to bring the sword?   Doesn’t that go against everything that He stands for and is? Why not peace but the sword? The sword that Jesus was referring to is not a sword that cuts people open and kills people for no cause. This sword is the sword of Truth. And the Truth, as we can give witness to today, brings division. There will be people who stand by the Truth and others who say that is not their truth. The reality is that there can only be one truth, and if one thing is really true it cannot be false at the same time. So that “Well maybe that’s your truth but it is not mine” does not work. It’s illogical. If something is true, then it is true no matter how much you dislike or disagree with it. So, Jesus came to bring the sword and not peace because without the sword – without Truth there can be no true, lasting peace. You cannot have on

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” Isaiah 6:8   Memorial of St. Benedict   Today we celebrate St. Benedict, the Father of Western Monasticism. He strived to be with God. There were too many distractions in the world so he went away to a quiet place to listen to the Voice of God. There is too much noise in our world today that keeps us from hearing and listening to God’s voice. But the reality is that God is calling out to each one of us even if we cannot or do not want to hear it.  God calls us by name and has a unique mission for each one of us – a plan for our lives that will bring us deep joy and lasting peace. God wants this for each one of us. The Lord calls us and invites us to a mission that is uniquely ours, and if and when we answer this call, that joy and peace will get us through even the toughest moments of our lives. So, when the Lord comes to the silence of your heart today, wi

“Behold, I am sending you like   sheep in the midst of wolves;   so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” Matthew 10:16 There’s so much good out in the world. People helping the poor, feeding the hungry, mentoring the youth and the troubled, standing together in prayer. Yesterday I was at a prayer meeting for a missing girl, and it was amazing to see how much people who did not even know the girl that came out to pray together for her and the family. There is indeed so much good out there. But, there’s also a lot of bad and evil. People who exploit the goodness and generosity of others. Those who use the name of God to manipulate others to pursue their selfish wants. Those who pervert the truth to justify their evil deeds. As Christian disciples we are asked to live in this world but not to be of it. We are called to be a beacon of truth in a world that no longer believes in objective truth. We are asked to bring the Gospel of Love to people in a world that chooses to find love

“Without cost you have received;  without cost you are to give.” Matthew 10:8b Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, Chinese Martyrs   Today we remember those who brought the faith to the Chinese people and those who gave up their life for Christ there. These martyrs ranged from as young as 7 or 8 to their elderly years. These people received the gift of faith and their hearts were set ablaze by it. Life can no longer be the same once you have encountered Christ and His love. What but love moved these people to die for their faith?   They did not choose to die. They chose to follow Christ, and wherever that leads them, they will go.   Where are we in our discipleship? The Chinese martyrs received the gift of faith and in turn gave their lives up for it. There is a story about one of those martyrs, a little girl, who as she walked to her martyrdom was singing hymns and crying tears of joy. It is in receiving the love of Christ that even as we walk through the d

“The Kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the Gospel.” Mark 1:15   Now is the time to act. Now is the time to do better and to turn from our wayward ways. Now is the time to reconcile and make amends. Now is the time to love and to forgive.  Now is the time to stand up for what is true. Has there been something you’ve been meaning to start or to do? Do it! As long as it does not go against the Gospel, do it!  May all that you do glorify God and communicate His love and mercy to all. We cannot wait until later or when we are older to change our bad habits or return to the Lord because we do not know the time or day when we will be called home. We must be ready at all times. Like how we need to always be prepared to protect our family and have all the necessary precautions in place, we ought to do the same with our spiritual life. That can’t be put on hold. Now is the time.  Don't wait another second for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;  so ask the master of the harvest  to send out laborers for his harvest.’” Matthew 9:37-38   Our world needs you. Jesus needs you! Though our God is almighty, He somehow still wants our help in bringing His love and mercy to others. What a gift! Before Jesus returned to the Father He commissioned His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus taught the Apostles what they needed to do and promised to ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to guide them, lead them, and to remind them of all that He had taught them. So the Apostles then had the courage and strength to go out and preach the Good News. They were not afraid because they knew it was Christ teaching and speaking through them.   Today we must do the same. We must be Jesus’ hands and feet. We must help raise up those who are bowed down in shame and fear. We must walk with those who have gone astray and steer them back ho

“I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD.” Hosea 2:21-22 Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr   Today we remember and celebrate St. Maria Goretti, a young girl who was killed because she refused to sin. A young man had asked her for sexual favors and when she repeatedly said no, he became more forceful. He finally got fed up and stabbed her 14 times. On her deathbed, Maria forgave the young man. Maria Goretti knew that she was espoused to the Lord and that she belonged to Him, and so any acts of infidelity would be out of the question, even at the cost of her life.   We belong to the Lord. We are His. We are espoused to Him. Because we have been so loved, we ought to love others with this same kind of a love – a disinterested, non-possessive kind of love, a love that wants only the good of the other. We can and are called to love this way

“Come to me,  all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28   The Lord ask us to go to Him. In the busyness of our modern world, are we able to find rest and stillness? We are always doing something. Running from this place to the next, always on the move. But there is something special about resting and the peace that comes from it. In the Greek, the word used when Jesus said, “I will give you rest” is “ ἀ να π αύσω ” which can be broken down into the parts “ ανα ” and “ π αυω .”   Ανα can mean in the midst, among, between, and π αυω can mean make cease or desist, but it can also mean to release from sin. So, when we rest, we are really resting in the rest of Jesus Himself, and when we go to Him, not only we will receive rest from the works and burdens of the day, but the rest and peace that comes from the forgiveness of sins.   This rest does not requires us to go to any particular place or pay any amount for a vacation. To enter into this

“I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people.” Psalm 85:9 Today in the United States we celebrate Independence Day, the Fourth of July, celebrating and remembering all those who made freedom and peace and hope possible for a people who were desperate for it. America has been commonly called the land of dreams and a place of opportunities and freedom. However, all this is now at stake. Though we live in a country who boasts of its freedom of religion and speech, we have enslaved ourselves by our indifference and hatred. Some may say, “Well, not me!” Yes, true. But if we are to be truly the “United States of America,” then when one part suffers, we all suffer; when will we stand united and reclaim the name we call ourselves?   The freedom of this country was secured because we boldly proclaimed, “In God we trust.” But this freedom, this peace, and this country is now at risk because we, as a whole, as one, no longer trust or believe in God. True freedo

“Thomas answered and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”   John 20:28   Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle   St. Thomas is usually given a bad reputation with the nickname of “Doubting Thomas.” Yes, Thomas doubted when his brothers told him that Jesus is alive and has resurrected. But that does not define him as a person. Earlier on when Jesus was speaking with His Apostles, assuring them that there are many dwelling places in His Father’s house and that where He is going, they know the way.   At this Thomas asked, “Master we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”   At this Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Because of Thomas’ questioning, Jesus made a profound statement that is commonly quoted today. This statement was a statement of identity.   Questioning and doubting does not always signify something bad or weakness. It can be a sign of a desire to deepen one’s trust and faith. When w

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.’”   Matthew 9:2   We are told that “when Jesus saw THEIR faith” was when the paralytic was healed. Jesus was so moved by the people and their love for this friend and brother of theirs that He healed him. Love, my friends, bring healing. Not the kind of love that seeks pleasures or self-interest, but the kind of love that wants only the good for another. The kind of love the moves us to sacrifice our own comforts and wants for the sake of another, even to the point of sacrificing our own lives.   That is the kind of love that those friends had when the put aside their own wants and struggled to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus.   We need one another. Intercessory prayer is crucial. We are not alone on this journey of faith. Sometimes when we are paralyzed by our sinfulness and shame, we must ask others to help bring us to Christ. We can not do this alone. When we bring t

“Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,  and when they saw him  they begged him to leave their district.” Matthew 8:34 When Jesus did the people a favor by driving the demons out and into pigs, the people were unhappy and asked Him to leave. Instead of rejoicing that evil has been driven out the people were worried and upset over losing pigs, which probably did cost them some money and food. What are the priorities here?   What are the priorities in your life? For the people in the Gospel passage material wealth was more important than their spiritual and overall well being. They would rather have had demons among them than to have lost some profits. If we have our priorities out of order our lives will also be out of sorts. This is an invitation to evaluate your priorities. Where does God stand in our lives?   You are first in God’s list.   How about you?