In the natural sense, they reminded me of the view out my back window this past winter. In my garden I saw nothing but snow and ice on the plot of land where I’ve always planted my tomato plants. And as I looked at our old fig tree, which can be traced back a hundred years to my wife’s Italian grandparents, I wondered if it would survive the bitter winds and the ice building up around its roots despite my careful planning to protect it last fall. Now I recall those thoughts and many more that I had this past winter, as I look out at my garden on this beautiful day in June.
As I reflected on the readings for this Sunday, I realized that they could be looked at from two different perspectives.
In the natural sense, they reminded me of the view out my back window this past winter. In my garden I saw nothing but snow and ice on the plot of land where I’ve always planted my tomato plants. And as I looked at our old fig tree, which can be traced back a hundred years to my wife’s Italian grandparents, I wondered if it would survive the bitter winds and the ice building up around its roots despite my careful planning to protect it last fall. Now I recall those thoughts and many more that I had this past winter, as I look out at my garden on this beautiful day in June.
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“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold,
new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17) We live in a world in which we are surrounded by rebellious, disinterested people who are bent on living their lives regardless what anyone else says, God included. In surroundings like these, the peace of God is like a compass for our souls, leading us in the direction that the Holy Spirit intends for our lives. God grants us this internal compass, so that we might not lose our way as He works at transforming us. “When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead, I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God commissioned me to heal you....” (Tb 12:13-14)
God’s Word in the Book of Tobit truly strikes me with so much awe. It opens my eyes to perceive, recognize and accept the meaning of everything occurring in life. But she said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages.” Yet I would not believe her and told her to give it back to its owners. I flushed with anger at her over this. So she retorted: “Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your righteous acts? Your true character is finally showing itself!” (Tb 2:14)
Two feasts that should converge and complement one another are the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Both are moveable feasts. The feast of the Divine Mercy is actually the Sunday after Easter, the octave day of Easter. The feast of the Sacred Heart is always on the Friday following the Feast Of Corpus Christi (this year June 12).
“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” (CCC 261) Jesus Christ revealed this immense mystery to us just before he ascended to Heaven when He commanded us to: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.” (Mt 28:19)
Last weekend, May 22-24, eighteen young adults said YES to a weekend with God at Graymoor Spiritual Life Center. They could have been somewhere else doing their usuals, but God handpicked each one of them and brought them together for Singles Encounter #34 weekend. It was facilitated by Paolo Nolasco, Molly Brilliantes, Patrick McGrail, and Jennifer Ompod with Deacon Serge Bernatchez as the spiritual director. The SE34 is likewise blessed with the guidance of their class shepherds, Tito Lito and Tita Elaine Fernando.
“Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age... and eternal life in the age to come.” (Mk.10:29-30)
What is the best investment you can make with your life? Mark’s gospel presents us with a paradox. We lose what we keep and gain what we give away. When we lose our lives for Christ, we gain a priceless treasure and an inheritance which lasts forever. Whatever we give to God comes back a hundredfold. There was this story about a young boy of 4 and his father. Quite often, this little boy and the Father would come to stroll in the park. He loved to reach up and reach his father’s hand while walking.
One day, the father was carrying his son around on his shoulders. They met a friend who had seen the little boy just the week before. The friend looked up at the little boy riding on his father’s shoulders and with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, said to him, “my goodness, look at you! At how much you’ve grown since I last saw you. The little boy replied, Not all of this is me.” A youth prepares for college and is given the opportunity to speak about herself, reflect upon her life, and to share her thoughts and her faith...
I walk into my small and modest bedroom, and each day during the fall, I either shudder due to its accumulated coldness or sigh in relief towards the rush of warmth that hits my body. The room's climate always surprises me because I rarely spend my wakeful hours within it. There are no luxuries of a stereo system, television, or telephone, which would tempt me to stay inside my room, and although I have occasionally pointed this out to my parents in complaint, now, I believe that its barrenness is beneficial. As a result, the contents of my room signify the deeper side of me. Located towards the front of the house, my one wall consists almost entirely of tow windows, giving light to read my Bible and check my calendar. A window, a Bible, and a calendar are three objects, which symbolize the characteristics I possess. |
To nurture and promote the love of the Gospel of Christ.
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