Trust the Lord

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 17, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Jer 17:5-8 / Ps 1 / 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20 / Lk 6:17, 20-26
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

In my first few years in the priesthood, I was assigned by my former bishop to a parish in the Philippines that has mountains, hills, and rivers throughout, and it was truly a privilege to see the beauty of God’s creation there. I asked myself, “What good have I done to deserve living in this beautiful place? This is heaven on earth.”

Until one day I had to say a Mass in the boondocks, which would require me to walk across a long hanging bridge. The chair of the parish council there, who met me at the foot of the bridge, told me to leave my motorcycle at a house nearby so that we could walk across to the church on the other side. (more…)

Jesus’ Leaders

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 10, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Is 6:1-2A, 3-8 / Ps 138 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 / Lk 5:1-11
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

God’s ways are indeed different from what our human intelligence tells us is the right way. The entire history of salvation gives us examples of people whom God has chosen to be leaders, when by human standards, they would not make the cut. This is simply because God can see the whole picture.

I’m going to give you examples of three well-known men in history who were leaders during their time. Perhaps if each of them would run for office today, you could tell which of them would be considered good leaders based on the particular qualities and characteristics they have. (more…)

Free to Choose

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 3, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19 / Ps 71 / 1 Cor 12:31-13:13 / Lk 4:21-30
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Picture something in your mind. I want you to picture this word: kingdom. What comes to mind when you hear the word “kingdom”? Maybe it’s an image of a form of government where there is an absolute monarch placed to rule over all the people. And maybe you see this as a bad thing, as an oppressive thing, a negative thing.

Maybe you get images of knights on horseback, charging off to defend king and country. Maybe you get images of a grand castle, with a handsome prince and lovely maidens dancing in a ballroom.

Now picture this: What do you imagine when I say “the kingdom of God”? What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about some future joyous time, when there’s no death, and there’s no pain, and there’s no suffering? Is that what you’re thinking about? Because that’s right – to an extent. (more…)

Do What Jesus Tells You

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 20, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Is 62:1-5 / Ps 96 / 1 Cor 12:4-11 / Jn 2:1-11
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

About a month ago, Scott Marr of Nebraska was found by his son unconscious and barely alive. The following day his family was told by hospital doctors that his recovery from an apparent stroke was not expected. They subsequently gave permission for his breathing tubes to be removed, and they started planning for his funeral. After a few days in a coma and the day after the breathing tubes were removed, he started to respond. He is currently at home and on the road to a full recovery. He said that, although he is not an extremely religious person, he believes in God, and what happened to him is just a proof that everything he has been told about God is true. (more…)

To Christ, Through Mary

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
January 1, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Nm 6:22-27 / Ps 67 / Gal 4:4-7 / Lk 2:16-21
by Deacon Cassidy Stinson, Guest Homilist

I remember very clearly the first time I ever stayed up to celebrate New Year’s Eve as a child. It was the night before the start of the year 2000, the turn of the millennium, and I guess my parents decided that it was such a special occasion that they were willing to risk the chance of my getting crazy from lack of sleep to be able to see the event.

It was all very much like we did last night: celebrating at my grandparents’ house not far from here; fizzy cider for the kids, other beverages for the adults; and most of all, seeing the live countdown of the ball dropping in Times Square. (more…)

God Never Gives Up

The Nativity of the Lord – Christmas
December 25, 2018 – Year C
Readings: Is 9:1-6 / Lk 2:11, Ps 96 / Ti 2:11-14 / Lk 2:1-14
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

On December 6, a young mother from Orlando was taking her eleven-month old daughter to one of the children’s hospitals in Philadelphia. As was standard practice, the airlines allow families with babies to board first, that is unless you are in first class. First class always boards before business or economy class.

The mother was at the back of the plane trying to arrange her carry-on bags, along with the oxygen her daughter had to have at all times. She wasn’t even finished arranging her things, when the stewardess told her that there was a man in first class who wanted to give her his seat. He would then take her seat. The stewardess told her that there was more room for her things in first class. The mother was more than happy; she was in tears. (more…)

Discerning Your Role

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 23, 2018 – Year C
Readings: Mi 5:1-4A / Ps 80 / Heb 10:5-10 / Lk 1:39-45
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

If you go to daily Mass, and you were at daily Mass on Friday, you should be experiencing a little deja vu. The gospel today is exactly the same as the gospel we had on Friday, and Bishop Barron had a wonderful reflection on it. No, I’m not just going to read you his reflection, but it got me thinking, and sent me down a different path than I was planning to go. I will share with you a little bit of his reflection.

Bishop Barron writes, “I’ve always been fascinated by Mary’s haste in this story of the Visitation. Why does she go with such speed and purpose? Because she found her mission; her role in the Theo-drama.” (more…)

Moral Scope Creep

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 30, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Nm 11:25-29 / Ps 19 / Jas 5:1-6 / Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Many of you know that I actually earn my living as a mechanical engineer; that’s my nine-to-five job. You may not know that the way I exercise my engineering degree is as a machine designer. I build custom machines. Customers come to the company I work for with a problem; we put together a solution; they give us a purchase order; and then we build a machine to solve their problem.

But invariably, during that design process, we’ll stumble across something that really wasn’t included in the quote. Maybe it’s some little problem that we didn’t foresee when we were preparing the quote, or maybe it was something that the customer didn’t convey fully to us. Quite often, these are just small things, maybe a fifty-dollar sensor and a five-dollar bracket takes care of the problem, and we just do it. (more…)

Showing Our True Colors

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 23, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Wis 2:12, 17-20 / Ps 54 / Jas 3:16-4:3 / Mk 9:30-37
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

At 9:54 last night, we officially began the season of Fall. In just a few days we will begin seeing the beauty of God’s creation here and in the glorious mountain area. The different colors of leaves will remind us that our God is indeed almighty.

We know that leaves don’t change colors during autumn. Because of the change in temperature, the lack of sunshine, and other environmental factors, the leaves are no longer able to produce chlorophyll, which gives them their green color. Because of this seeming deficiency, the leaves will be showing their true colors, as the Lord God created them to be, and they are beautiful. (more…)

You Will Know Him

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 16, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Is 50:5-9A / Ps 116 / Jas 2:14-18 / Mk 8:27-35
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The song, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” which was first released in the early seventies, has sold millions of records and CDs worldwide and been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times on iTunes and Google Play. Even Carrie Underwood sang this song when she joined America’s Got Talent.

But scripture scholars would attest that the Lord Jesus would never have said or implied the words of the refrain: “If you don’t know me by now, then you will never, never know me.” (more…)