Have Faith!!!

Jesus says in the gospel for today, "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27-31a). Another translation would read, "You have faith in God, have faith also in me." Our Lord is thirsting for our faith, just like the Samaritan woman at the well. We live in a troubled world and society but these words of Jesus are loud and clear. Yes, we may have fear, questions, and doubts but Jesus tells us to have faith. Today is also the memorial of Saint Pius V, a Dominican who went on to become Pope. As the Roman Pontiff, Pius V, implemented the reforms that were begun at the Council of Trent, he promoted the spread of the faith, and renewed divine worship (Source: "Magnificat, 417-18). Even though times, situations, and circumstances have changed we need to live our faith and live it to the fullest!!! May Saint Pius V intercede for us and may this Year of Faith be a time to renew and strengthen our relationship with Christ so that we will take his words to heart and have faith. God Bless You!!!

Return to Blog!!!!

I apologize for the long delay in getting another blog posted. Since my last entry, there was a lot going on in the parishes and school. Then, last week, I was able to go on a much needed break. I spent the week in North Little Rock, Arkansas visiting Father Tom. I am grateful for his friendship and his hospitality. It was a great time to get away and get the batteries recharged. Over the weekend, our parishes hosted our Mission Coop Appeal, and we were happy to welcome a lay missionary from the Maryknoll Missionaries. He talked about his experience in Kenya, our role as missionaries, and the commandment of love that Jesus gave to us in the gospel. Today, we celebrate the memorial so Saint Catherine of Siena. Her biography said that she was on fire with the love of God and others. We pray that we may be on fire with God's love and be an example to one another. Thank you for your patience and it is a joy to proclaim the Good News with the technology at our fingertips. We need to do our part to be missionaries, to live the love of God and neighbor, and proclaim the Good News, not just with words, but with our very lives!!!! God Bless You!!!!!!!!

Saying "YES" to Discipleship!

Jesus tells us in the gospels that if we want to be his disciples, we need to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. Following our Lord is saying "YES" to his call and the call to live discipleship. Being disciples of the Lord is a way of life and it calls for faith, trust, commitment, and dedication. The first reading from Mass today is from the Acts of the Apostles, 7:51-8:1a. This passage is about the stoning of Saint Stephen. There is a wonderful commentary that speaks to what the Easter season is about, the life of St. Stephen, and what it means to be a disciple. "Lest the Easter season, with its emphasis on life, tempt us to euphoria, the Church today sets before us the example of Stephen, first of martyrs, icon of the Crucified. The tomb remains the prelude to the glory until the end of time. Life in Christ is always costly, and always worth the cost" (Magnificat, 247). That concluding line really stood out for me, "Life in Christ is always costly, and always worth the cost." We never know what crosses we will carry in our lives but we have the assurance that the Lord is always with us. He will give us the grace and strength that we need to persevere! Do not be afraid to follow Christ! Do not be afraid to say "YES" to being his disciple!!! Following Christ is costly, but always worth the cost! God Bless You!!!

The Presence of God!!

As one commentator states, "Signs point to the presence of God" (Loose-Leaf Lectionary, 3600). In the gospel for this Friday of the Second Week of Easter, John 6:1-15, Jesus feeds five thousand. As we journey through life, all we need to do is look around us and we can see the presence of God! The Author and Creator of life works miracles and gives us signs and wonders to show us that He is around and that He is in control. The gospel acclamation for today even proves that point, "One does not live on bread alone, but one very word that comes forth from the mouth of God." With God, we live, move, and have our being. Of course, we need to do our part as well. The commentator from the beginning concluded the commentary by offering this: "Ultimately the challenge present in today's liturgy is the following: to be a sign of God's love for others or not to be a sign of this love. That is really the question" (LLL, 3600). As we continue celebrating the glory of Easter, we are witnesses to God's love in the world and of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Being renewed by word and sacrament, let us continue to do our part to bring God's love and the joy of the resurrection to others. When we live our lives and our faith, we can truly make the presence of God known!!! Bless You!!!

Easter Joy

The feelings of Easter joy are not confined to just the Easter Season, but everyday of our lives. Every Sunday is a celebration of The Lord's Resurrection, so why is Easter Sunday the most crowded day at church, next to Christmas? As I was watching the people set up chairs for the overflowing crowds on Easter Sunday I said, "It would be nice if we had to do this every Sunday!" This past weekend for example at one of the Masses someone asked me why it was a small crowd and I responded, "It's the post-Easter crowd." Just think what our Lord did for us by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. God loves us so much and just thinking of that every minute of every day needs to provide us with daily Easter joy! God Bless You!!!!!!!

We Are the Messengers!!!

In the gospel from Easter Monday, Matthew 28:8-15, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away from the tomb to announce the news to the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead. From our gospel today, John 20:11-18, Mary Magdalene is at the tomb and she encounters our risen Lord. She did not recognize him at first but when he called her by name, then she knew it was Jesus. Our Lord instructed her to go and tell the news to his disciples. It was the women who announced the Good News with great joy, Jesus Christ has broken the bonds of sin and death and has risen from the tomb! As one commentator wrote, we need to follow the example of Mary Magdalene and proclaim this Good News in our present day!!! Many people are thirsting for God and thirsting for the message that Jesus has risen from the dead and we need to be those messengers! As Jesus says to us, "Do not be afraid!" May we have the courage to proclaim the Good News like the early disciples and let the world know that Jesus Christ has arisen- Amen, Alleluia!!!