The return of the son One of the things that makes it quite obvious that the father in the parable of the prodigal son is not any ordinary father, but a metaphor about God, is the abundance of love and mercy that the father had for his son. When the son asked for his share of inheritance, the father did not object nor force the son to stay. That is a testament to the free will that God gives to…
The Eucharistic Congress of the Archdiocese of Atlanta will be held on June 17 to 18 at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) located at 2000 Convention Center Concourse College Park, GA. This year, only 3 people from each parish or organization will be allowed to process with the banner. The family of Wang Zheng will carry our banner at the Morning Procession on Saturday, June 18. Also, Mrs. Eva Mullins will read the intercession in Chinese at the closing…
So many chances Some people told Jesus about the Galileanswhose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.Jesus said to them in reply,“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this waythey were greater sinners than all other Galileans?By no means!But I tell you, if you do not repent,you will all perish as they did!Or those eighteen people who were killedwhen the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guiltythan everyone else who…
Vacation Bible School will be on Saturday, July 16. This parish event begins at 1:00pm and ends at 4:00pm. All children from grades 1-8 are welcome. Please register with Mrs. Long Che Chan.
Jesus Transfigured Some Bible readers tend to regard the Transfiguration account in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke as an independent story where the glory of Jesus was manifested to three chosen disciples. However, a closer look at Luke chapter nine reveals that the evangelist placed it together with other incidents in order to focus on the identity of Jesus. It begins with Herod asking: “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” (Lk 9:9) From there, Luke’s…
This year, the Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Catholic Mission celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph on Monday, March 20, with Mass in English at 12:00pm. As we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary, let us take a moment to reflect on this great Saint. There had been at least two popes who had written exhortations to the faithful regarding St. Joseph: Pope Leo XIII in his papal encyclical Quamquam Pluries on August 15, 1889 and…
The Temptation of Christ Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then he took…
Words of wisdom The Book of Sirach chapter 27 is full of wise sayings. Let us consider one of them: “When a sieve is shaken, the chaff appears; so do one’s faults when one speaks. (v4)” In biblical times and even today in certain parts of the world, a grain sieve is used to separate the grain from other matter after the harvest. A grain sieve is usually round, 2 to 3 feet in diameter. It is about 3-5 inches…
Love your Enemies Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours…
Blessings and Woes The sermon in Luke is counterpart to the sermon in Matthew (cf. Matthew 5:1–7:27). Many bible readers tend to think that the two sermons are separate events because Luke locates the sermon on a “stretch of level ground” (cf. Luke 6:17) while Matthew locates the sermon on a mountain (cf. Matthew 5:1). Thus, the sermon in Luke has often been referred to as the “Sermon on the Plain,” while the sermon in Matthew has been referred to…