Reflections of a beloved son

“But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” Matthew 14:30 Memorial of St. John Vianney We are in the midst of hurricane season. Rain is pouring, winds are gusting, and property is being damaged. For many, power will be lost. For some, lives might be lost. There will be many storms in our lives. Storms are natural parts of life. Some will be more violent than others. Some will cause more damage than others. But storms are not everlasting. All storms eventually come to an end. Even though there may not be anything we can do to prevent the storms from coming or magically make them go away, we can learn to do the proper precautions and proactively brave the storms. There will be times in our lives that make hope seem distant or joy and peace seem nonexistent. But we must hold on to them – hope, joy, and peace are everlasting!  They come from God. When Jesus asked Peter to go to Him on the waters, Peter did...

“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 ...

“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...

“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 ...

“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 alo...

“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...

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.

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 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...

We must always be ready to answer the question, "Why do you believe in God?" or "Why are you Christian?" If we are to answer these questions, we must have a relationship with the Father. Our answers to those questions must be the fruit of our experiences, fruit of our conversion. It is our personal, lived experience of God that will move the heart of another. It is the heart that will speak to heart. May our lives communicate to others the peace, joy, and hope that is within us.

When the storms of life overwhelm you, know that the Lord is right there with you. He may not turn the storm into a sunny day, but he will weather the storm with you. He says to you, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." It is He who is the way, the truth, and the life. He will lead us home when we've lost our way, affirm our goodness when the lies of the world bring us down, and remind us of our dignity and worth when others deny it.

When we get blamed for something or accused of doing or saying something we didn't do or say, how do we respond? Or, when our kindness gets taken for something else and we in turn get the cold shoulder, how do we react? St. Stephen turned to prayer and asked for the forgiveness of those stoning him. Are we like St. Stephen who remains committed only to the Truth and to love even until death, or do we profess one thing with our lips and believe another in our hearts? What we profess must be the same as what we believe. Let us ask God for the grace of humility and courage to reject all duplicity. #Forgiveness #Truth #Humility #BelovedSonMinistry