Reflections of a beloved son

There are so many paths that we can take and so many people who we can follow. Let us never forget that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and He is the way, the truth, and the life. He came to give us life - a life that is full of joy and peace and hope. The path that Jesus will show us may not be a path of luxury and wealth, but it is a path of hope and love, a path of grace and blessings, and the only path that will lead us to the Father. Jesus is inviting you to follow Him. Will you follow?

"Rise, and do not be afraid." Those were the word Jesus told Peter, James, and John when they witnessed Jesus transfigured before them and the voice of the Father saying, " This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. "  When Jesus first brought Peter, James, and John to the mountain and Peter saw Moses and Elijah, Peter said, "It is good that we are here."  He was so excited and happy that he asked Jesus if He wanted him to build three tents so everyone can stay!  Then a big cloud covered them and the Father said, " This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."   The disciples became scared and fell to the ground.  "But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ' Rise, and do not be afraid. ' And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone." When the disciples experienced the immensity of the Father's power they grew afraid and even fell down. They...

Standing before Pilate, Jesus is bleeding everywhere, struggling to breathe, and trying His best to stay standing.  Our Lord has been betrayed by His friend, tied up, led from the garden like a criminal, dragged around, spat upon, shoved and punched to the ground, denied by His trusted friend - treated like a victim fallen prey to a bunch of broken and wounded bullies.  "Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered." Our Lord did not rebel and shout, calling out "Unfair!"  Rather, He accepted and endured all that came to Him.  " Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before his shearers he opened not his mouth."  Out of obedience to His Father and out of love for us, Jesus endured the unjust suffering.  Though unjust, it was redemptive.  It is truly wrong and unjust that Jesus was mistreated the way He was, but Our Lord saw the bigger picture and He chose to remain faithful to His Father and persevered in carrying out His wil...

" When the days were completed for the purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord just as it is written in the law of the Lord " (Lk. 2:22-23a).  On February 2nd, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord .  Mary and Joseph carried and brought Jesus to the Temple. Later on, the twelve year old Jesus would stay back in the Temple after Passover where He famously said to Mary, " Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"   The Temple would also be where Jesus drove the money changers away and foretold His Resurrection saying " Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up ."  At the Presentation the righteous man Simeon was patiently waiting for Jesus, the "consolation of Israel," the "Christ of the Lord."  When he saw Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus in, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and ble...

Today in the Catholic Church we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family - Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  Jesus was born into a human family so that He can experience life as we do, and be like us in all things but sin.  God in His infinite wisdom planned for Jesus to be born into a poor family and in a lowliest of manners - among the animals, laid in a manger - the feeding place for animals.  Not too long after Jesus was born, Joseph, His foster father, was told in a dream, " Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you."  And so, he did. The life of the Child was already sought the moment He was born (before, really).  Perhaps, this does make sense - Jesus, after all, was born to die, and by that death, to save, to redeem, and to live.  I can only imagine how Joseph and Mary was feeling.  Their son's life was sought after and the King wanted Him dead.  " Herod is going to search for the child and destroy him." ...

The story of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus is, in my opinion one that gives hope and strengthens faith.  We are told that Jesus "came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town." But, He stopped when he saw a man who longed to see him so much that he climbed a tree just so that he could see Jesus.  " Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay in your house. "  Now Zacchaeus was a tax a collector, a wealthy man, someone perhaps the people did not like and who they considered a sinner.  But, Jesus chose him among all the others to stay with him.  And, Jesus among all people, decided to stay at a place through which He first only intended to pass.  Jesus stopped for Zacchaeus.  Jesus stops for sinners.  Jesus stops for you. Our Lord stopped for Zacchaeus because He knew it was important for Zacchaeus that He did.  He saw the earnestness and faith of Zacchaeus.  He knew how much Zacchaeus was suffering inside fro...

In this Sunday’s Gospel  (Lk. 17:11-19), we are told of the encounter between Jesus and Ten Lepers.   They begged Jesus to heal them of their leprosy, and Jesus simply told them “ Go show yourselves to the priests .”   While they were on their way, one of the lepers realized he was cured, and so he returned to Jesus and gave glory to God.   Jesus asked where the other 9 lepers were and said to the one Samaritan man who returned, “ Stand up and go; your faith has saved you. ” It was the man’s faith that saved him. What happened with the other nine?   Jesus said that they were cleansed, but why did they not return with the one to give thanks and praise?   Maybe they did not realize they were cleansed.   Maybe they did not have faith that Jesus would cleanse them.   Maybe they were too focused on getting to the priest and on questioning Jesus’ method that they failed to see what was actually taking place.   Maybe they did not even know the...

Have you ever been in a desperate situation?  How did you feel?  How did you respond?  Who did you turn to?  Whenever we are in those situations we tend to cling onto even the tiniest sliver of hope or the thinnest beam of light. We hold onto that tiny sliver and thin beam as if it's our only way out and as if our very life depends on it. In the Gospel, the synagogue official humbled himself and let go of his pride and turned to Jesus when his daughter died.  He said to Jesus, "My daughter has just died, but come, lay your hand on her, and she will live."  What faith!  And, for a Jewish official, too!  This man risked the ridicule of his fellow brothers and perhaps even his status and standing with the faith.  Yet, at that moment, Jesus, he recognized, was the only solution, the only person who could help him in this desperate situation .  This man believed that Jesus had the power to raise his daughter from the dead.  This man cl...