2012

Have you ever found your heart heavy, maybe so heavy that you wondered if life was still worth living? Such moments can arise when we find ourselves grieving the loss of someone or something dear to us. I imagine such was the pain Mary Magdalene and her companions felt as they walked in the early dawn toward the tomb of Jesus.

In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl describes what having a heavy heart was like after spending three years in a Nazi concentration camp, knowing that everyone in his family had perished there. He emerged from the camp emotionally drained but soon he discovered that one could begin life anew.

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Easter SundayRead More »

1st Reading: Isaiah 50: 4-7
2nd Reading: Philippians 2: 6-11
Gospel: Passion Mark 14:1 – 15:47

Have you ever wanted something or were waiting for something so badly that you could hardly stand it because of the excitement and heightened sense of anticipation? Well, I have, and what I remember happened a few years ago when I was around 12-13 years old.

My family decided to go on a camping/fishing trip up in the mighty mountains. I love the mountains. Plans were made , the camping stuff was assembled, the tent was aired out and re-packed, I made sure I gathered my fishing gear, and food was boxed-up for a weekend of great excitement and fun.

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Palm SundayRead More »

This gospel brings to mind a Japanese tale of another man born blind. Being blind didn’t really bother him nor stop him from doing anything he wanted to do.

With age, he grew more confident in handling the world around him. His house was arranged so that he knew where each piece of furniture and utensil was placed. He knew where every street in the village was. He knew how to find his way to the market, the temple, and even neighboring villages. He would feel his way along, using what he could smell, hear, and touch as guides.

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4th Sunday of LentRead More »

Perhaps you have heard of the book, You Just Don’t Understand Me, written by Deborah Tannen some twenty years ago. The book discusses how difficult it is at times for women and men to truly understand each other, even when they use the same words. The meaning each one is trying to convey while communicating to the other somehow gets lost.

You Just Don’t Understand Me would be a good title for a biography of Jesus. I suspect he said those words often. In today’s gospel, we find him expressing that sentiment with the Samaritan woman at the well. “You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.”

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3rd Sunday of LentRead More »

Readings: 1st – Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
              2nd – Roman 8:31b-34
          Gospel – Mark 9: 2-10

My brothers and sisters: Since we were little children, we have known that God created us. As we matured we realized that each of us is called on to acknowledge that He is our Creator, through our daily prayers and perhaps by some sort of test.

One thing is sure; God created us out of His great love. Needless to say, at points in our lives we are tested in our love and obedience to Him. Just take a look at how each of us handle our sufferings, our illnesses, our losses, all the trials of our every day lives. Do we place our trust and love in God to be there with us? We know He is, but if for some reason we feel He is not, it is because we are pushing Him away!

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2nd Sunday of LentRead More »