Bill Hao

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…

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…

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…

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…