Visible Signs of God's Love

In our recent RCIA session, I started focusing on the Sacraments. These are visible signs of God's love and they bestow grace which is invisible. As one source states, "Through the sacraments, there are visible signs of the Lord's presence in the Church and in our lives. Each sacrament we receive not only increases the Lord's presence but also increases our own awareness of that presence. We don't walk our journey of faith alone. Jesus walks with us every step of the way" (Liguori, Journey of Faith- Leader's Guide, 29). One of the passages that I used to show the visible expression of God's love came from the gospel for today, Luke 5:12-16. Jesus did something that was counter-cultural and not allowed, he touched a leper to heal him. That expresssion of love was felt and the healing that came from it. We experience the love of God everyday of our lives. The visible signs are always there and we need to be open to them and the assurance they provide. God loves us unconditionally and that love is made manifest in the birth of Jesus Christ. We also see it in the sacraments that we receive and the grace that flows from it. Let us be open to the presence of God in our lives and share in His great love for us by sharing it with others because those are truly visible signs. Have a blessed day!!!

God's Love!!!

What can we say about the love of God? The best answer is that God's love is unconditional. During this Christmas Time, we know how much God loves us because He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior. This week our first reading has been from the first letter of St. John, chapter 4, and it speaks about God's love for us. In the passage for today, 4:19-5:4, St. John takes God's love a step further when he says that we need to love our brother. Of course, that means that we need to love our brothers and sisters with the love of God. As John writes, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments." When we look at the Ten Commandments, the first three commandments focus on Love of God and the final seven focus on Love of Neighbor. This of course is our Lord's commandment on love. God's love is infinite and unconditional and nothing can take love from us. Let us be open to the love of God in our lives and in turn, share that love with others!!! Have a blessed day!!!

Calming the Storm!!!

In my personal chapel, I have a statue that was given to me from a parishioner depicting Jesus calming the winds and the sea from the boat. It is a beautiful image and a great reminder of what our Lord can do in our lives. Mark 6:45-52 presents Jesus walking on the sea and calming the fears of his disciples. Our Lord's words speak volumes, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" As we read this passage or look at the statue, we know that there are storms, trials, struggles in our own lives, but we have the constant assurance that Jesus is always present. This is the beauty of our Christmas Time and everyday of our lives, God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to be our Savior. In our joys and sorrows, good times and bad, the Lord is always there. Let us not be afraid, but have courage, for the Lord is always there to calm the storms that arise in our daily life!!! Have a blessed day!!!

Always Enough!

"These days between Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord foreshadow the marvels we can expect to encounter in Jesus Christ once he begins his earthly ministry. He is the One whose 'heart is moved with pity' when he recognizes our bottomless need. Out of our nothingness he will make a miracle of untellable abundance so that we might have life through the Son of God sent into the world" (Magnificat, 109). The miracle being referred to is the gospel reading from Saint Mark, 6:34-44, where Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes. When he saw the crowd Jesus was moved with pity "for they were like sheep without a shepherd." He fed their bodily nourishment, as well as their spiritual nourishment. As we heard in the first Letter of Saint John, 4:7-10, God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to be our Savior. This is the joy that we celebrate during this Christmas Time, but more than that, every day of our lives. The love of God and what He has done in our lives is always enough. May we be thankful for what God has shown and what He continues to show us with His great love. Let us take the love of God and share it with our brothers and sisters. Have a blessed day!!!

Epiphany

A blessed Solemnity of the Epiphany to everyone!!!! This is a second Christmas if you will. The Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 in other parts of the world, but in the United States, it celebrated on Sunday! Thankfully, today happens to be the 6th, so it is appropriate that we celebrate this feast now. The Epiphany calls to mind the magi making their way to the newborn King and Jesus being made manifest. God truly became one of us by taking on human flesh. The magi were transformed by their encounter. The Lord can do great things for us if we allow it. May the light of Christ shine brightly in our lives and hearts so that we can share God's great love with others!!! Have a blessed feast day!!!!

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Church in the United States celebrates the memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton! Truly she is a saint for our time, having been canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975. She is known for establishing the first Catholic School in Baltimore. Being the pastor with a Catholic School, I look to Saint Elizabeth as an example and intercessor. We are called: priests, religious, teachers, catechists, and parents to pass on the faith to our young people! We all have a responsibility and we pray for the grace to live out this ministry to the fullest! Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for Us!!!

The Power of Jesus' Name!!!

"At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11). Every time I genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament, this scripture passage comes to mind. The prayer postures of genuflecting or kneeling remind us that we are to go down in homage to the newborn King that we celebrate during this Christmas Time. The name of Jesus is very powerful. As it says also in scripture, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do" (Jn 14:13). Today we celebrate the memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. Here is a good thought by Richard Rolle, "If you think the name 'Jesus' continually, it purges your sin and kindles your heart; it clarifies your soul, it removes anger and does away with slowness. It wounds in love and fulfills charity. It chases the devil and puts out dread. It opens heaven, and makes you a contemplative. It puts all vices and phantoms out from the lover" (Magnificat, 50). We thank God for the gift of His only begotten Son and for the name of Jesus, because it is truly a powerful name and it makes every knee bend!!! Blessings on your day!!!