The Transfiguration of the Lord There are three important elements in the Transfiguration of Jesus that is pertinent to the season of Lent. First, the conversation that Jesus had with Moses and Elijah. Second, the change in appearance of Jesus, and third, the voice from the cloud that came over them. According to St. Luke in today’s Gospel, Moses and Elijah conversed with Jesus about the exodus which he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The Exodus in the…
The Three Temptations We are all beset with temptations on a daily basis, and sometimes it becomes a real struggle to choose between sin and doing what is pleasing to God. However, today’s Gospel shows us that we need not face temptation alone, and that it is possible to overcome temptation. The temptations of Jesus in the desert signify that Jesus himself had to undergo what all of mankind had to undergo since the fall of Adam and Eve. And…
Lent is Fast Approaching The Lenten season has a double character. It prepares both catechumens and the baptized faithful to celebrate the Paschal Mystery. The catechumens are prepared for their reception of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. On the other hand, the baptized faithful are prepared through penance and prayer for the Easter celebration. This year, the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday (March 6, 2019) and ends on Holy Thursday (April 18, 2019). In addition…
In the Catholic Church, the month of March is devoted to St. Joseph. St. Joseph, the foster father of Our Lord, is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew (1:16,18-20,24; 2:13,19), Luke (1:27; 2:4,16; 3:23,24; 4:22) and John (1:45; 6:42). He was a just man (Matthew 1:19), a man of humble obedience and strength. St. Joseph is regarded as the patron saint of workers and is associated with various feast days. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared him to be both…
Love your Enemies Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours…
Four Blessings and Four Woes And raising his eyes toward his disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap…
On February 24 at 12:30 pm, Mr. Zheng Li will share his experience on a 5-day pilgrimage with his children to Santiago de Compostela in 2017. There are many different ways of pilgrimage, and the journey of a holy pilgrimage, step by step, is a great way to experience the missionary journey of Jesus with the apostles. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela runs along the Pyrenees mountains and ends at one of the Catholic holy sites. The Cathedral of…
Happy Chinese New Year! According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2019 is the year of the pig. Many cultures in the world have different opinions of the pig. For the Chinese people, the pig symbolizes good luck, good fortune and happiness. The year of the pig is a good year to make big plans and to undertake big projects. The Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Catholic Mission began the Chinese New Year with an evangelization seminar on February 2-3. Miss…
Fr. Dennis Callan is a Divine Word Missionary. The Society of the Divine Word (Latin: Societas Verbi Divini, abbreviated SVD), popularly called Verbites or the Divine Word Missionaries, is a missionary religious congregation in the Roman Catholic Church. Fr. Callan was ordained a priest in Pennsylvania, USA in 1987. He had ministered in various churches in Taiwan and South Korea, and he speaks fluent Mandarin and Korean. Currently, he is assigned to the SVD Bordentown Religious Center in New Jersey.…