The Peace of Christ Perhaps you have heard someone say, “The peace of Christ be with you!” But what does it mean? One of the readings for Christmas from the Book of the prophet Isaiah foretells that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will be born (cf. Isaiah 9:5). But more than 2,000 years later after Jesus walked on this earth, why is there still so much war and violence? Luke’s Gospel account on the birth of Jesus begins with the…
Why was Jesus born? Why was Jesus born; in other words, why did Jesus take on human flesh and became man? The History of Salvation began in Creation and culminated in Jesus Christ (CCC 280). God freely wills to communicate the glory of His blessed life to man. Such is the plan conceived by the Father in His beloved Son before the foundation of the world. This plan unfolded in the work of creation, the whole history of salvation after…
The Doubting John? When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3) The Gospels tell us quite clearly that John sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah (cf. Matthew 11:3, Luke 7:19), but what is not clear is John’s motive for doing so. Based on the translation of this…
The Voice in the Desert The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke announce the appearance of John the Baptist as “A voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” (Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4) He is described as one who wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Why did John the Baptist wear clothing…
The Unknown Day and Hour Jesus said to His disciples, “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Matthew 24:36).” Jesus was speaking of the coming of the Son of Man (cf. Matthew 24:39). Christians take that to mean the end of the world, when Jesus returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. How unexpected will the coming of the Son of Man be?…
On December 9, 2022, beginning at 5:00 pm, we will hold an event for praise and worship, Mass and charismatic healing prayers. Experience the power and mercy of God. Receive the graces of the Holy Spirit. Be healed and delivered. Spiritual transformation and empowerment. Many have experienced the special grace of the Holy Spirit in these events. All are welcome! Note: The event will be conducted in Vietnamese.
The Supremacy of Christ St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians is one of the four epistles written during his house arrest in Rome — the other three are the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians and Philemon. One of the reasons St. Paul composed the letter to the Colossians is to warn the early Christians in Colossae against false teachers who inculcated the worship of angels, whom they regarded as equal to or superior to Christ. Therefore, in the first chapter,…
On Christmas Day at the 10:00am Mass, come and see the children of our parish re-enact the wonderful mystery of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ: “For a child is born to us, a Son is given to us; upon His shoulder dominion rests. They name Him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:5)
The Apocalypse Luke 21 can be examined parallel to Mark 13 and Matthew 24. These chapters contain Jesus’ eschatological discourse since it deals with the end of the world (the eschaton) and the events which will precede it. All three chapters begin with Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The first century Christians believed that the end of the world was imminent, and this is evident in Mark’s Gospel, which was written shortly before 70 AD;…
Resurrection of the Dead The teaching of the resurrection of the dead had a relatively late origin in Judaism; in the Old Testament, it appears in the Book of Daniel, which was written around 167–164 B.C.: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some to everlasting life, others to reproach and everlasting disgrace (Daniel 12:2). In the New Testament, the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead; in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and…