Reflections

At least once a year, we need to venture into the infinitude of God and to explore it rather than shy away from such impossibility. We wonder about this lure of the infinite that makes us feel so very small, so embarrassingly inept and yet so loved by the ultimate, most perfect Being, our Triune God from whom our very existence directly depends. As our faith grows over time, we were taught, correctly so, that we cannot probe God’s mystery. However,…

Even if it is incorrect because the earth is spherical, instinctively we look up in the sky whenever we think of heaven, and we look down into the bowels of the earth whenever we think of hell.  As always, the starting point should be the fundamental fact that we are living in Christ and with Christ as one, inseparable entity: Jesus the Head and we the members of the Body of Christ, i.e., the Church. So, the Ascension into heaven…

Growing up, I remember having a keen interest in real estate shows. These many years later, I think they interested me because as the hosts moved from town-to-town, neighborhood-to-neighborhood, and house-to-house, they always left me with a question: “When it is my turn to purchase a house and sign a mortgage, just what sort of house will I choose to live in?” This past week, as I’ve reflected upon the readings for this Sixth Sunday of Easter, the topic of…

On the Fifth Sunday of Easter, here is a very important question: what is our reaction to what Paul and Barnabas tell us today? They tell us that it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.(Acts 14:22) Before we answer that question, and point out our reaction to those inspired words, let me remind all of us that our God is the God of the living. Being the God of the living, today, he uses…

Jesus introduces himself as our Shepherd. Perhaps the Psalm most familiar and dearest to us is Psalm 23: “the Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” However, even in our familiarity with that Psalm we are in no way hardwired to appreciate the role of Christ as our Shepherd and, even less, to accept our role as his sheep. Hence, first, we ought to delve into the Hebrew psyche as evidenced in the Bible if we want…

While it is true that the Lord appreciates and counts on our contribution, symbolized by our Sunday collection and by the bread and wine we bring to the altar, what the Lord welcomes most of all is that part of our heart which can be dubbed “Doubting Thomas.” He wants our “Doubting Thomas” to reshape it according to the Father’s plan. This transformation is meant for all of God’s children, including those who have messed up as badly as Peter,…

On Divine Mercy Sunday, there are many images… The Psalmist (132: 22-24) proclaims that: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. While building upon this proclamation, the First Letter of John (1 John 5: 1-6) provides us with further insight into this “rejected” stone: This is the One who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and…

While, historically, Jesus endured one horrific passion and death on a cross, we are blessed with four narratives of that same passion and death: Matthew’s, Mark’s, Luke’s and John’s. Today, on Palm Sunday, let me share with you six points of reflection which are Luke’s gift to us for our edification and for our spiritual growth. 1. Holy Communion is a call to joyous service of each other. As, at the Last Supper, he was serving us his flesh and blood for…

…since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12) What a wonderful statement uttered by St. Paul! It should become the template of our relationship with Christ. There are two basic ways of becoming somebody else’s possession: by being purchased as slaves or as the result of being smitten by love. On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, St. Paul tells us how he fell in love with Christ. (Philippians 3:8-14) Two people smitten by love desire intensely to…

In 1967, while traveling on an airplane, the Canadian singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell, was deep into a novel entitled, Henderson the Rain King. Early on, the troubled and middle-aged Henderson was on a plane destined for Africa when he looked down and saw clouds. After reading that passage, Mitchell remembered putting down the book, looking out the window and also seeing— clouds. Having received an inspiration, she immediately began composing the song, Both Sides, Now. The song employs a memorable verse to explore different…

Time is a very valuable gift given to us by the Lord. He is the owner of the vineyard where our “fig tree” is growing. It would be absurd to expect the fig tree to determine when its time is up. (Luke 13:1-9)  That right belongs to the owner of the vineyard. Similarly, we don’t decide when our time on earth is up. Regardless of our bearing good fruit or of our sterility; regardless of our preparedness, age, health condition, goodness or lack…

Already bruised by the skirmishes of life, we grown-ups let kids take refuge in a world of dreams, make-believes and incredible feats made easy by super-heroes. We do not want them to be scarred and traumatized by an early brush with the real world in which we must live. Alas, the world of grown-ups reserves many unpleasant surprises. At times, unceremoniously, we can be thrusted into surreal situations in which we would feel numb, disoriented, enveloped in darkness, trudging hesitantly…