Daily Reflections
Jesus had done many things, the Apostles had done many things, the Holy Spirit had done many things, and people were amazed. Today we read of Paul being in chains for 2 years, under house arrest by Caesar, yet he continues preaching the Good News. As we read the Bible,…
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My brothers and sisters, what an elusive word, love can be. Just think about how easy it is to blurt it out unconsciously. And on other serious occasions when the word is introduced into a conversation, the level of uneasiness or awkwardness it brings forth. Think about it, we can…
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St. Paul was arrested, we are told, in the first reading of today and was questioned. His examiners found his supposed crime to be that he believed in the supernatural realities—the Resurrection, angels and saints. He faithfully preached Christ the risen Lord. It happens that belief in the Resurrection aligns…
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The famous saying “Knowledge is Power” is attributed to Francis Bacon, a 16th-century English philosopher, and father of empiricism and the scientific method. The correct quote is “for knowledge itself is a power whereby he [God] knoweth” (Meditationes Sacrae,1597.71). It hints at the relationship between divine knowledge and the power to…
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Oh María, Madre mía (Oh Mary, my mother) oh consuelo del mortal: (oh consoler of mortals) amparadme y guiadme (Protect me and guide me) a la patria celestial. (To the heavenly homeland.) Song of Mary This is always the song that we sing after the daily mass when I was…
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Christian Joys We returned this morning from an 8-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We are still processing all of our experiences from Nazareth to Jerusalem, from the Annunciation to the Resurrection but in reflecting on today’s readings a few thoughts came to mind. As I visited sites of Christ’s…
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Now I see the hope of my young and grieving heart fulfilled in the vision before my eyes. In those days of grief, I had felt the Lord’s prayer, coming from his beating heart straight to the heart of the Father. When I lay with my head against that sorrowing…
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The Way of the Lord Joy emanates from today’s readings. A man named Apollos comes to Ephesus and begins to speak about Jesus. He is on target but lacks complete understanding of Jesus as the Way. Paul’s disciples, Priscilla and Aquila, apply a gentle and tactful corrective. Apollos obviously accepts…
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The man who lost his wife is afraid of loneliness. The woman that just survived a heart attack does not want to look into the future with hope. The young boy that graduated from college is depressed because of momentary inability to secure a job. The 18-year-old girl is afraid…
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What a glorious day to celebrate today, being the Solemnity of the Feast of the Ascension!! Can you believe, it’s already 40 days since Easter?! Some parishes may celebrate this Feast on the following Sunday. After the Resurrection, Jesus was busy appearing to the Apostles in different locations, explaining the…
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