Bill Hao

The Faith of Martyrs What is faith? According to the Letter to the Hebrews, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (RSV Hebrews 11:1) Faith assures us of things that we hope for – not necessarily that what we ask for will be granted in the way we expect it, but that it will be granted in the way that God deems best for us. Faith is the unwavering conviction of the things…

The Mystery of Suffering Death and illness are two things that many people find difficulty dealing with. When illness lingers on and on with no cure in sight, or when the death of a loved one seems imminent, people can be forced to take desperate measures. In today’s Gospel, a synagogue official pleaded with Jesus for his dying daughter. This scene is unusual because most religious leaders in the Gospel opposed Jesus and didn’t want anything to do with Him.…

The Awesome Power of God In the Book of Job, we find a man who has endured an enormous amount of suffering. Having lost all his children and all his property in freak accidents, he is taunted by his own wife and friends. Through it all, Job maintained his innocence; he considered himself just, rather than God. But the Lord God tells Job: “Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its…

Parables of Growth Parable of the Trees in Ezekiel 17:22-24: the cedar tree represents Israel, while the other trees represent the other nations in the world. Babylon was at the height of its power, but the Lord will rebuild the Davidic dynasty so the nations will realize that only God has control over a nation’s destiny. “Every tree of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither…

The Eucharist: The Body and Blood of Christ When we hear the words “Body and Blood of Christ,” the Eucharist quickly comes to mind. However, the words “Body of Christ” have another meaning: St. Paul often referred to the “Body of Christ” as the Church (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Colossians 1:18; 2:18-20; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:12), which is the mystical Body of Christ made visible in the world (CCC 771). Jesus calls us into His Body! The connection between the two…

Glory to the Holy Trinity What is the dogma of the Holy Trinity? The Holy Trinity is the mystery of one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life; it is the mystery of God in Himself; it is the source of all the other mysteries of faith, and it is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the hierarchy of the truths of faith. The history…