Posts by Fr. Marcelo Javier Navarro Muñoz, IVE
FROM PALM SUNDAY TO GOOD FRIDAY…AND BEYOND!
On Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the Liturgy of the Catholic Church makes the faithful face the beauty and the cruelty of Christ’s Passion in its entirety. Cycle B—this year—presents us with the simple, almost “laconic,” account of Mark. The concise style of this evangelist helps appreciate at a single glance all the beautiful details…
Read MoreThe “Epiphany” of the Lenten Season (Part Two)
Last month, as we had just come out of the Christmas Season into Ordinary Time, I reflected on the “epiphany” of Ordinary Time (Part One). In the last two months we have celebrated three different liturgical seasons almost without transition. Part Two of these brief reflections needed a change of title, but I will continue…
Read MoreThe “epiphany” of the Liturgical Ordinary Time (Part One)
Have you ever thought about the Liturgical seasons in the calendar year in terms of a ‘roller coaster’? Probably not. Neither did I, well… until now. There have been and will be, in a short period of time, many tight turns and steep slopes, and wild changes, however not unpredictable. But why is it so?…
Read MoreA Flood of Sweetness, Light, and Color?
This is the first time I have seen this painting of the Nativity, which does not seem to be widelyknown. However, the sweetness of the faces of the Holy Family, the light with which the painterhas “caressed” these divine characters, and the soft colors he utilized are nothing short of aprayer in images, without words.…
Read MoreThe End, and the Beginning
The Feast of Belshazzar by Rembrandt1 Daniel answered the king:“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;but the writing I will read for you, O king,You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,so that you and your nobles, your wives and your…
Read MoreHow to “Behave” in the House of God (Second Part)
“… you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world,…
Read MoreHow to “Behave” in the House of God
“… you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world,…
Read MoreMartyrdom
Martyrdom is not popular, much less nowadays. Martyrdom is nonetheless, in a sense, the essence or heart of Christianity, even though only “a few” have endured it. The Church continues its path amidst martyrdom and celebrates it as we do today on the solemnity of St John the Baptist who gave his life as a…
Read MoreContrasts
During the past two or three weeks the gospels of the Mass have shown us contrasts. There are contrasts between Christ and the leaders of Israel, contrasts between those who are willing to follow him and those who close their hearts to the Gospel message, contrasts between the healing power of God and human illness,…
Read MoreJune, the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The traditional devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary have not been forgotten. Many people nowadays feel attracted to these devotions and make them part of their daily prayers. Needless to say, how worthy it is to explore, for instance, the revelation of the Sacred Heart to Saint…
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