Teach us to pray If we were to look at the world around us, we simply cannot deny that the whole of reality is not only composed of the physical, but also the spiritual. As human beings, we too are made up of the physical and the spiritual – we each have a body and a soul. In order to live in the physical world, we must take in what our bodies need: to breathe the air, eat food, drink…
Our church is very blessed to have families with small children, and we are even more blessed that the number of small children in our church increase each year. As a church, it is important that we provide a safe and fun place for little children to run and play. A good children’s playground will also attract new families with small children to join our church. Unfortunately, our children’s playground is currently unsafe and unusable. Fr. Bill, together with the…
Faith Formation classes for children for schoolyear 2019-2020 begin next month. Classes for Grades 1 to 6 begins on August 18. Classes for Grades 7 to 8 begins on August 25. The class syllabus for each grade level may be downloaded from the church website. Grade 1 (Sundays 12:30 pm) Grade 6 (Sundays 12:30 pm) Grade 7 (Sundays 12:30 pm) Grade 8 (Sundays 12:30 pm)
The Joy of Work Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” Many of us can relate to Martha’s predicament, because we admit that, like her, we too have been anxious and worried about many things. In today’s world, the Martha of today’s Gospel can be male or female, young or old, rich or poor, employed or retired, of any race or nationality. We have too much to do but too little time to do it.…
Being a Good Neighbor In the Gospel of Luke, the scholar of the law knew what the greatest commandment is: To love God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” What he meant was “Who deserves…
The Holy Martyr Saints of China Today we celebrate the feast day of the Holy Martyr Saints of China. 19 years ago, on October 1st, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 120 martyrs of China. Of the 120 saints, 87 are Chinese and 33 are foreign missionaries. Among them are 6 bishops, 23 priests, 8 monks (one of whom was a novice), 7 nuns and 76 lay people (two of whom were catechumens). According to historical records, the Catholic faith…
Foxes have dens and birds have nests The story of Elijah and Elisha, and the things that Jesus said to those He called on His way to Jerusalem shows us that God calls us in many different ways. The actions of Elisha clearly demonstrate how some are called to leave everything behind; he slaughtered his oxen, burned his plowing equipment in order to cook the oxen and fed it to his people before leaving with Elijah. In the Gospel, Jesus…
The Body and Blood of Christ Do we really believe that the bread and wine offered during Mass becomes the Body and Blood of Christ? The Eucharist carries on the tradition of Passover, since the Last Supper took place in the context of Israel’s liberation from slavery. However, it inaugurates a new covenant which fulfills the various covenants throughout Israel’s history. The Eucharist is a memorial of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, as well as a remembrance of God’s action…
Father, Son and Holy Spirit The belief in a Trinitarian God is uniquely Christian; no other major religion in the world professes that there are three Persons in one God. The concept of a Trinitarian God is not only unique, but also impossible to humanly explain. St. Augustine was quoted to say that if you deny the Trinity, you lose your soul, but if you try to explain it, you lose your mind. Although we cannot fully understand the…
Gifts of the Holy Spirit One way of looking at the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, in that they are all manifestations of love. Wisdom is the love that allows us to appreciate the goodness of God; Understanding is the love that penetrates the beauty of the truths of faith; Knowledge is the love that keeps us attentive to know both ourselves and the service which we must give to God and neighbor; Counsel is the love that…