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…
The Ascension of the Lord The Ascension completes Jesus’ work of salvation, known as the Paschal Mystery, which also includes His Passion, Death and Resurrection (see CCC512). By His death, Christ liberated us from sin; by His Resurrection, He opened for us the way to a new life. This new life is, above all, justification that reinstates us in God’s grace, and it consists of both the victory over death caused by sin and a new participation in grace…
Faith Formation Class for Adults in Cantonese is now being offered every Sunday at 12:30pm until August 11, 2019. We meet in the Library. All are welcome! 06/02/2019 The Old Testament 06/09/2019 The Old Testament 06/16/2019 The New Testament 06/23/2019 The New Testament 06/30/2019 The New Testament 07/07/2019 The New Testament 07/14/2019 The New Testament 07/21/2019 The New Testament 07/28/2019 Salvation, Faith & Works, Sacraments, Mass and Holy Days, Prayer 08/04/2019 Salvation, Faith & Works, Sacraments, Mass and Holy Days,…
The Peace of Christ In the Gospel according to John, Jesus tells His disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (Jn14:27) Sometimes, it doesn’t take much for us to feel troubled: an act that we see, a conversation that we had, or even a passing thought can become the cause of our distress. What kind…
Love one another Love of neighbor was already commanded in the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, it is found in the Book of Leviticus, which deals with laws, rituals, community relationships and behavior. This is what it says: “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). But in today’s Gospel, Jesus gives this commandment new depth and meaning by saying, “Love one another as I have…
Fr. Lou Aldrich, S.J. is visiting our parish community on July 27-28, 2019. He will be giving a one-day seminar on July 27 from 10 am to 4 pm; the topic is: Spiritual Warfare. Fr. Aldrich is a professor of theology at Fu Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan and is also involved in evangelization work with the Chinese Lay Missionaries Foundation. Spiritual Warfare Since the Church began, St. Paul warned Christians that they must prepare for spiritual war. Church tradition…
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd We all know Jesus as the Good Shepherd; and we know this because, like today’s Gospel says, He is willing to lay down His life for His sheep. In addition, Jesus is the Good Shepherd because His sheep know Him and He intimately knows each one of His sheep. But there is a third reason why Jesus is the Good Shepherd; and that is because He teaches us the truth, even though it can…
What must we do to gain eternal life? It seems that as a person grows older, it becomes more and more difficult to find happiness. A little child can suddenly stop crying and start smiling when offered a piece of candy, but an adult has more complicated needs and desires. Some adults choose whatever they want to do in life in the name of freedom, which in certain situations lead to spiritually detached and immoral lives. Jesus said to Peter:…
The Merciful Love of Jesus Christ Jesus’ disciples were locked in a room for fear of the Jews. In His merciful love, Jesus appeared to the disciples who had deserted Him during His Passion and Death, and His first words to them were: “Peace be with you!” Jesus the afflicted has become Jesus the consoler. Jesus’ words fulfilled what He said to them at the Last Supper: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not…
The Easter Message St. Augustine once said that there is nothing great in believing that Christ died, because non-Christians also believe it, but the great thing is in believing the Resurrection of Christ, which is the foundation of Christian faith. For the Christian, the Resurrection is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise when he said, “I have the power to lay down my life, and I have the power to take it up again (Jn 10:17-18),” and “destroy this temple and…