Blog Archives - THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT

The Joy of Discovery

7/27/2014

The irony of the Gospel is that it truly becomes the Good News when we apply the Word to the bad news of our daily experiences.
In the readings of the 17th Sunday in Ordinary time, Jesus once again speaks in parables to His disciples. He compares the Kingdom of God to a treasure buried in a field or a pearl of a great price, which would cause anyone who finds it, “in his joy,” to sell all that he has in order to possess it.

WISDOM: Heavenly or Earthly?

7/20/2014

We live in a world where a growing number of people no longer seek God for His counsel and wisdom. With the recent government shutdown and the constant bickering among our leaders that we witness every day, God plays no role. Instead, man is so entrenched in his own idea and purported wisdom, that as a nation we become so polarized and separated from each other, without regard to the consequences of our actions and decisions. As we struggle to satisfy and fight for our own personal cause, ideals and passion, we drift away from each other all the more. A world that is detached from anything divine can become a dangerous place to live in. And we are so because we see and suffer disillusionment, fear, doubts, worry and frustrations.

BLD welcomes YE #21

7/15/2014

On July 11-13, 2014, at the Pine Hill Retreat Center in Canadensis, Pennsylvania, God called 23 candidates to attend the Youth Encounter #21 to grow closer as one family in Jesus Christ.

The retreat was organized and led by the Study Team facilitators: Justin Lucero, Sean Olaso, Faith Pangilinan, and Kipsy Quevada; understudies: Dana DeCastro, Kyle Flores, Kevin Larobis, and Andrew Olazo; and shadow facilitators: John Estrella and Olivia Felibrico. The Pastoral Team was led by Father Paul Lehman together with Sam and Rory Olaso. Through the guidance of the Study and Pastoral Teams and of course the Holy Spirit, 23 complete strangers underwent a series of talks, activities, prayers, and worships, sharing tears and laughter together.

Confirmation Retreat for a Parish

7/14/2014

I would like to share about my experience in putting together a Confirmation Retreat for a Parish, where I collaborated with BLD Singles, Youth, and Liturgical Ministries. We had 24 candidates whose ages ranged from 13-15 years old.

The Seed of Grace

7/13/2014

Many enjoy sprucing up the garden during the summer months. They equip themselves with every tool to build a nice garden. A pick to open up the ground, a shovel to turn over the soil, a rake to remove the weeds and clean up then a trowel and a tiller to keep the soil loose. But there is one thing that should not be missed, and that is the SEED. We can have the best kind of soil - but if we don’t have the seed or the bedding plants to plant - then we have nothing. So is it in our lives. The seed in the parable is the Word of God. We can do everything we can in our desire to come closer to God but unless we receive the Word of God deep into our lives we will have nothing of value.

Rectitude of Intention

7/13/2014

Mt 6:1-6; 16-18: "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen; ...you will have no reward from your Father ... in heaven...When you give alms, sound no trumpet...when you pray ... fast, you must not be like the hypocrites..."

Jesus reaffirms three traditional works of mercy honored by Jews (Tob 12:8-10): almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. These three are the cardinal works of expressing our interior penance which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others, directing them to the "Father who sees in secret," instead of the desire to "be seen by men." CCC 1434,1969

The Fruit of Discipline

7/13/2014

“Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?...we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not (then) submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” Hebrew 12:7-11

Why will God let people suffer hardship to achieve discipline? When I recall the hardships in my life – my spouse’s infidelity, my child’s rebellion, my stresses at work, and my friend’s betrayal- they also reminded me of the pain, humiliation, frustration, anger and desire for revenge that I felt in my heart.

ME # 43 expresses their gratitude

7/11/2014

The ME 43 class has become more than a group of strangers who met each other during one weekend. It has become a family that is bonded by God’s love. This is apparent as they witnessed to those who attended their grand reunion, the fruits of all the efforts that they spent in their preparation.

BLD welcomes SPE # 16

7/4/2014

On June 27, 2014, twenty-one brothers and sisters arrived at the Archdiocesan Youth Retreat Center in Kearny, NJ to attend the Solo Parents Encounter Weekend #16. They arrived not knowing each other or what to expect throughout the weekend. They listened to the preaching, teaching and healing words of Msgr. Schetelick, who was the spiritual director for the weekend.