Reflections of a beloved son

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...

Though it may sometimes feel this way, we are not alone in this world or in our struggles. It is a common temptation to feel that no one else in this world understands what we may be going through, but there is always someone who does. By sharing our own experiences with one another, others may suddenly see that flicker of light in the darkness. Our experiences may bring someone from despair to hope. Never underestimate the power of one's witness and testimony. When we speak from the heart, it is Christ who speaks and works through us. Heart speaks to heart.

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.

Everything we say and do can be used to bring others to an encounter to the living God. Sometimes it even happens unintentionally (at least on our part!). May all that we say and do (and think) be for the greater glory of God, and the glory of God is man fully alive! Jesus came to give us life to the full, and so let us strive to be living witnesses to this life, who is Christ Himself.

Now is the time to speak up. We must boldly speak Truth in a world that has buried it. The Truth that we have been so loved by the Father who sees us not as our sins or flaws but who loves us as His own children. Now, having been so loved we must speak up and proclaim this Truth and love loudly. It is time to bear witness and bring others to the Father.

" The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit " (Jn. 3:8).  From the commentaries, the ancient Christian writers point to this verse as the freedom of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that the will of the Spirit is one with the Father.  I'd like to look at this from a slightly different perspective which St. John Chrysostom alludes in his homily. Just because you do not and cannot see the wind it does not mean it does not exist.  Furthermore, it does not mean that you do not know or do not believe that it exists.  As Chrysostom said, "If then you do not complain when you cannot see this body (the wind) and you still believe, why, when you hear of 'the Spirit,' do you hesitate and demand such exact accounts?" We should not need to "see" God to know that He exists.  Like the events that happened in history - some of...

In today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:36-41), Peter speaks to the Jewish people on the day of Pentecost saying "...God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."  In other words, they have crucified and killed the Lord and the Christ.  The Scriptures tell us that " they were cut to the heart " upon hearing this.  Cut to the heart.  What does that mean? Perhaps we could understand "cut to the heart" as feeling hurt, pain, guilty, remorseful, shocked, or a multitude and combination of related emotions.  It could also have brought emotions of anger.  However, what is more important is how the people chose to respond to this very real emotion they were feeling.  Were their hearts softened?  Hardened? Fortunately some asked Peter, " What are we to do, my brothers? "  That feeling of being cut to the heart moved the peoples' hearts to conversion.  It was most likely the work of the Holy Spirit se...

" Stand up for what you believe in! "  It's a cry that we often hear.  But, it's really nothing new or fresh.  People in the ancient times also stood up for what they believed and some even died fighting for it.  What about something makes people want to risk everything fighting for it?  What is it about something that makes the risk of losing everything worth it?  What do you stand up for? In the Gospel, Lazarus, Jesus' friend, died but was raised up again by the Lord.  His sisters, Martha and Mary were heartbroken when their brother died.  Just imagine having to watch your brother die, put his dead body into the tomb, and roll the stone over the entrance.  They must have been experiencing a multitude of emotions - anger, confusion, sadness, unbelief, and perhaps hope.  When Jesus arrived, the sisters were weeping and one of the sisters pleaded with Jesus in grief, saying that if He had been there earlier, her brother would not have d...