How Can This Be Possible?

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
January 1, 2020 – Year A
Readings: Nm 6:22-27 / Ps 67 / Gal 4:4-7 / Lk 2:16-21
by Deacon Michael Stinson, Guest Homilist

When I was in college, I often went to a particular convenience store that was near our campus. I usually went there in the evening to get coffee, when I was studying in one of the classrooms that was just across the road. The name of that store was “Tinee Giant.” I went there so often that I bought a mug with the store logo on it, and I still have it. For some reason they spelled “Tiny,” T-I-N-E-E.

That name, Tinee Giant, is what we call in English class an oxymoron. It’s a figure of speech that puts two things together that seem to be opposite, like tiny and giant. How can something be tiny and giant at the same time? I’ll bet you can think of more oxymorons: “jumbo shrimp”? That’s a favorite one. “Open secret,” “virtual reality,” “alone in a crowd,” “unpopular celebrity,” and of course, you can quote Shakespeare: a “damned saint,” an “honorable villain.” (more…)

Put on Love

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 29, 2019 – Year A
Readings: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 / Ps 128 / Col 3:12-21 / Mt 2:13-15, 19-23
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today is a special day. Not only are we still within the octave of Christmas, but we are celebrating a big feast, one that each and every one of us is a part of.

Children are God’s gifts. Those of you who have lived in this world long enough may say that there are even greater gifts, and they are grandchildren. It is beyond doubt that, for grandchildren, their grandparents are the greatest and the most wonderful people in the whole world. This is usually their first experience of an extended family. (more…)

The Gift of Now

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
December 25, 2019—Year A
Readings: Is 9:1-6 / Ps 96 / Ti 2:11-14 / Lk 2:1-14
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

I’m sure most of you have seen “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Charlie Brown is being typical Charlie Brown and is stressing out over the over-commercialization of Christmas. He knows that something about this is not quite right, but he’s not sure why. Throughout the show, he’s looking for the true meaning of Christmas. (more…)

Faith: God Is With Us

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2019 – Year A
Readings: Is 7:10-14 / Ps 24 / Rom 1:1-7 / Mt 1:18-24
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A couple of weeks ago when I was in the Philippines preparing to fly back here to the US, the Philippine weather bureau had announced that a super typhoon was about to hit our island. This caused the airlines to cancel all of the flights. This super typhoon was probably the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane.

The most popular shelter there during the storms has always been the Catholic churches, because they are the biggest and the strongest buildings in the islands. Most of all, people feel safe there because, as we all believe, the Lord Jesus is present there in the church: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament. (more…)

Prepare the Way of the Lord

Third Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2019—Year A
Readings: Is 35:1-6A, 10 / Ps 146 / Jas 5:7-10 / Mt 11:2-11
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Advent is a time of preparation, when we prepare for the coming of the Lord. For the past two weeks the focus of the readings has been on preparing ourselves for Jesus’ second coming. The fourth Sunday has readings about the Nativity. This Sunday is different. It is a kind of check in the middle of the season. (more…)

Life-long Repentance

Second Sunday of Advent
December 8, 2019 – Year A
Readings: Is 11:1-10 / Ps 72 / Rom 15:4-9 / Mt 3:1-12
by Father Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

We heard in the gospel about John the Baptist in the desert – wearing weird clothes and eating weird food. He’s attracting quite a crowd, calling people to repent. His baptism is a baptism of repentance. Repentance basically means to make a 180-degree turn – to turn away from a sinful life to a life of the Lord.

Of course, for Jesus to be born in our hearts, we have to repent. I suggest that repentance is not a once-and-for-all thing: one time you’re here and then suddenly you’ve done a 180. It’s a life-long process. We have to spend a life turning away from sin and evil and turning toward what Jesus wants for us. We have to keep working on it. (more…)

What Kind of King?

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 24, 2019 – Year C
Readings: 2 Sm 5:1-3 / Ps 122 / Col 1:12-20 / Lk 23:35-43
by Father Jay Biber, Guest Celebrant

What an unexpected joy for me, on this last Sunday of this Year of Grace. You notice we wear white, because it’s joyous. We look forward to God’s great mercy, that divine mercy that we look forward to at the end of everything. Christ gathers everything that the Father gave Him – everything! To return it to the Father.

Although Thanksgiving is a civil feast, it’s a very important feast for us. It has a real sacred character to it, perhaps more than Christmas even, unfortunately. Here’s what I want to do in my front lawn, now that I’ve got my own house. I want to put in the front lawn: “Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis.” (It’s a college town; somebody’s going to understand that.) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” That’s the only thing that Christmas is about; everything else is derivative. (more…)

Living In Mystery

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 10, 2019 – Year C
Readings: 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14 / Ps 17 / 2 Thes 2:16-3:5 / Lk 20:27-38
by Father Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

We’ve had two readings today of seven brothers, all of whom have passed away. The first reading from the Book of Maccabees is about the time when the Jewish people were being persecuted and tells of seven brothers who went to their death for what they believed, with the hope of resurrection and new life. And that is what today’s readings are all about: resurrection and new life. (more…)

Trying to See God

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 3, 2019—Year C
Readings: Wis 11:22-12:2 / Ps 145 / 2 Thes 1:11-2:2 / Lk 19:1-10
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

There are some questions there’s only one answer to….

… Like, when your wife asks, “How does my hair look?” There’s only one answer to that.

… When your kid comes up and says, “I drew this picture for you, Daddy. Will you put it up in your office?” There’s only one answer to that question. (more…)

Prayer of the Humble

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 27, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18 / Ps 34 / 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18 / Lk 18:9-14
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told about Frederick the Great, who was the king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. One day he visited one of the prisons in his kingdom. As he went around, speaking to the prisoners, each of them claimed to be innocent. One told him that he was a victim of misunderstanding; another prisoner said that he was a victim of prejudice; and still another claimed that he was suffering as the result of injustice.

Finally, the king stopped at the cell of an inmate who remained silent. Frederick remarked, “I suppose you are innocent, too.” (more…)