Dear Family!

The central theme of 22nd Sunday in the Ordinary Time revolves around ‘Humility’. Sirach highlights ‘humility’, a key virtue that puts us into God’s favor. We see Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary in the words ‘Humble yourself, the greater you are.’ Jesus preached and lived these words. Jesus asked us to follow him in the path of humility to walk humbly with God.

Dear Family!

The readings speak to us of God’s salvation being open to the whole world. Many of the world’s believers such as Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others want a guarantee from their respective religion that their future is absolutely secure. Fr. Leonard Feeney was condemned by the Holy See for denying salvation to non-Christians because we have a long history and a common belief that ‘outside the Church there is no salvation.’

Dear Family!

This week ended with a high note as we honor our Blessed Mother in her glorious assumption. We thank God as we ponder the words of Pope Pius XII’s words in Munificentissimus Deus 41, “the dogma of the Assumption of Mary is based on Sacred Scripture and deeply embedded in the minds of the faithful; it has received the approval of liturgical worship from the earliest times; it is perfectly in keeping with the rest of revealed truth and has been lucidly developed and explained by the studies, the knowledge and wisdom of theologians.”

Dear Family!

The Book of Wisdom could be understood in two parts: In the first chapters 1-9, Solomon guides the people who rule, to embrace righteousness and follow his example. In the second chapters 10-18, Solomon reveals the close connection between righteousness and wisdom in the history of the chosen people of God especially chapter 10 devoted to Creation and the rest is to Exodus.

Dear Family!

Gaudium et Spes (Vatican II, 1965): “God has intended the earth and all that it contains for the use of all people. Hence justice, accompanied by charity, must regulate the distribution of created goods that they are actually available to all in an equitable measure. […] Therefore, in using them everyone should consider legitimate possessions not only as their own but also as common property, in the sense that they should be able to profit not only themselves but other people as well. Moreover, all have the right to possess a share of earthly goods sufficient for themselves and their families.”

Dear Family!

The Greatest command as taught by Jesus is found in Mark 12:28-34. Loving God and loving our neighbor are seen as one command and the greatest command that Jesus taught us. ‘Our Father’ is referred to as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ expressing to us the same sentiments of the Greatest command of the Lord of loving God and loving neighbor. Every time we pray the Lord’s prayer we initiate our love for God and neighbor in a profound way. In a way we can say that prayer initiates love of God and neighbor.

Dear Family!

In 2021 the Vatican Dicastery of Worship taught us through Pope Francis, “…Therefore, the Supreme Pontiff Pope Francis, considering the important evangelical witness they offered in welcoming the Lord Jesus into their home, in listening to him attentively, in believing that he is the resurrection and the life, and accepting the proposal of this Dicastery, has decreed that the 29 of July be designated in the General Roman Calendar as the Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus.” (July 29th has been the Memorial of only Martha until last year).

Dear Family!

The context is important in reading and reflecting the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus was cornered to a trap on the basic understanding of God. Jesus encourages the scribe to get the answer from the Word of God - Jesus is the Word of God. ’Torah’ (The Law) could be understood as the correct teaching that points you to the right direction.

Dear Family!

“Almighty GOD; we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection, that thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States of America at large.

Dear Family!

This year we are blessed to celebrate a collection of solemnities ever since we celebrated the solemnity of Ascension followed by Solemnity of Pentecost, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Solemnity of Corpus Christi and today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul. We also celebrated two other solemnities during the last week (Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist and Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

Dear Family!

The Collect for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is read as follows: “O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.” Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Dear Family!

The Doctrine of Trinity is called a ‘mystery’ because this truth can never been known by reason alone. Only God can reveal the truth to us (CCC 261). This is not unique to Christianity: it transcends all religions and is a key ingredient of universal life and culture (Diarmuid Murchu). The Trimoorthy of Hinduism, the Buddhist doctrine of the three bodies, the Zoroastrian triplicate of Zurvan, the Egyptian cult of Isis, Seraphis and the divine child Horus and some thirty thousand years of traditional Trinitarian worship in the prehistoric times all point to the same One God seen in three persons.

Dear Family!

Pentecost is traditionally a Jewish Feast. It is one of the three pilgrimage feasts in the Jewish Calendar (Passover and Tabernacles are the other two). The scriptures taught the people to travel to Jerusalem for these feasts; thus, they were called pilgrimage feasts. (Ex 23:14-17). The Feast of Pentecost is celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover; it was also called the Feast of the First Fruits as people harvested at this time and thank God for their first fruits.

Dear Family!

We are blessed indeed to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ on this Sunday. At one time it was celebrated on the Thursday before the 7th Sunday in Easter. It has been permanently moved to the 7th Sunday of Easter by our Bishop.

The Catechism teaches us, “Only the one who "came from the Father" can return to the Father: Christ Jesus. "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.”