I desire mercy, not sacrifice Jesus’ disciples had locked themselves in a place for fear of the Jews. The Jews had put their Master to death, and it is quite possible that the Jews would do the same to them. However, the risen Christ appeared to the disciples who had deserted Him, and His first words to them were: “Peace be with you!”(John 20:19, 21) Jesus came to His disciples in order to dispel their fears and to bring peace…
Happy Easter ! Easter occurs in Spring – a time when the flowers bloom, the leaves of the trees begin to come out, the birds sing, insects start buzzing, the air rich is with pollen – reminding us of the renewal of life on earth. In a similar sense, Easter is a time for us to re-examine and to renew our lives. It demands an answer: are we to resume our old lives, in the way that we think and…
Holy Love John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” People often ask: What kind of a father would give up his son, only to be killed by those whom he had come to save? The key to understanding this great mystery of love is to realize that the supreme act of love is to sacrifice oneself.…
Risen to a new life The Gospel of John chapter 11 is about the “Raising of Lazarus”. It is a story of sadness and frustration when people are faced with the death of a loved one; but it is also a story of hope and trust in God when one experiences tragedy. When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Martha went out to meet Him; she poured out her heart to Jesus, saying: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother…
Dear Parishioners, May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you all! In these uncertain times, we advise everyone to take the necessary precautions against the spread of the coronavirus. We recommend the advice of health officials that people stay home as much as possible. In addition, the CDC offers advice on how to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/index.html. As we take sensible measures to protect everyone from the spread of the coronavirus, be assured that our…
A friend of sinners Jesus is a Friend of sinners. The Gospel of Luke tells us that He was criticized by the scribes and the Pharisees for eating with sinners (Luke 15:2); they called Him “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7:34). But for those of us who consider ourselves as sinners, it is quite comforting to think of Jesus as a friend. On the other hand, the thought that Jesus will always…
Transfiguration and Exodus All three Gospels of Matthew (17:1-8), Mark (9:2-8) and Luke (9:28-36) record the event of the Transfiguration of Christ. All three Gospels mention that Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah. However, Luke’s Gospel alone reveals the subject of what they were conversing about – Moses and Elijah were speaking with Christ about the exodus which he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). Let us compare the exodus in the Old Testament with the exodus of…
3 temptations There is a difference between temptation and sin. Temptation is a kind of test or trial, in which man is free to choose to be faithful or unfaithful to God. It is not a sin to be tempted. However, when a person is tempted and chooses to be unfaithful to God, whether in thought, word or deed, then that person commits a sin. Jesus overcame each one of the devil’s temptations. How did Jesus overcome the devil’s temptations?…
An eye for an eye In Ｍatthew’s Gospel, Jesus quotes the Book of Exodus on the subject of personal injury, which said: “But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Ex 21:23-25) These words actually limit the degree of retaliation one can inflict on others; i.e., if one is unjustly injured by another, the ensuing retaliation cannot…
The Spirit of the Law In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about anger, adultery and the taking of false oaths. In each case, Jesus goes beyond what was prescribed by the Mosaic Law by teaching us the deeper meaning of these commandments. And in doing so, Jesus teaches us to observe not only the letter of the law but more importantly, the spirit of the law. When one follows the letter of the law, one follows only the literal interpretation…