Fear Not

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord
April 17, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 / Ps 118 / Col 3:1-4 / Jn 20:1-9
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

In the old Jewish culture, women were considered to be unreliable in what they said, and therefore, they were not accepted as witnesses in a court or tribunal.  So we can suppose that no Jew ever expected a woman to be the first witness of the risen Lord.  But Jesus, always on the side of the oppressed, chose Mary Magdalene to preach the good news of His resurrection.

Some would say that the Lord intended a woman to be the first to become aware of His resurrection, so that the news could be spread easily to the people.  But the seventh century theologian, Isidore of Seville, observed that just as a woman (Eve) first tasted death, so a woman (Mary Magdalene) first saw life.   Just as a woman is responsible for the fall of man, so a woman is the first to witness the dawn of salvation.  Beautiful!

But because of the magnitude of the mystery of the resurrection, Christ revealed it in a gradual way.  First, the stone at the door of the tomb was seen rolled away.  Second, they saw the remaining linen cloths.  And third, the women were addressed by two angels, before the resurrected Lord was actually seen by the disciples.

One thing we can be sure of, if Christ had not been resurrected, we would not have heard of the apostles.  We learn that when Christ was crucified on the cross, the disciples went into hiding, fearing that they would suffer the same death on the cross.  The mystery of the Resurrection and nothing else motivated the apostles to come out again and boldly preach about Christ and the Gospel to all people.

The Resurrection of the Lord is the foundation of our faith.  As St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith is vain.  If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is just made up and you still remain in darkness and sin.  But this is the truth – that Christ is risen from the dead and is the first fruits of them that slept.”  (1 Cor 15:14, 17, 20)

The resurrection of Christ also guarantees our own resurrection.  At Lazarus’s tomb, Christ assured Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall live.”  (Jn 11:25-26) At the end of time, Christ will raise us from the dead.  Even now, we who believe in Him are already beginning to share real life with the Lord.

So, what is the challenge of the mystery of the Resurrection to us today?  The great mystery of the Lord’s Resurrection calls us to live as Easter people.  But how can we do this?  First, we will live happily, confidently, and full of hope.  The Resurrection of Christ should give us strength and encouragement to face all the problems, pain, and suffering of the world.  As He said to the women on the way to the tomb, we are now told, “Fear not.”  The problems and pain of this life will remain, but we who have faith will also remain confident in God’s help.

Let us always remember that there is Easter after Good Friday.  There is life and peace after the storms of life.  We believe, with a vision of the life to come after this world.

St. Paul is the first to encourage us, “Since you were raised up with Christ, seek the things in heaven, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.  Think of the things that are heavenly, not the things that are earthly.” And the things of Heaven are none other than the virtues of the Gospel: love, peace, truth, justice, and fairness.  These must be our desire, because they belong to God and will give us true happiness, not material things and not physical feelings.

Two Commands

Holy Thursday
April 14, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14 / Ps 116 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / Jn 13:1-15
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

There is a meaningful quotation from an unknown author that says: “It is not the number of servants you have that matters to God, but the number of people you serve.”

This evening’s Mass includes the washing of the feet.  I will remove my outer vestment, the chasuble, before I perform the washing of the feet. This is also what Christ did before washing the feet of the twelve apostles. This gesture of Our Lord Jesus Christ, removing His outer garments, has a deeper meaning, not just removing it to make it more comfortable.

The outer garment is a symbol of our titles, our rank, our position in the community. It can be that you are a bishop, a priest, governor, mayor, doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, etc.  But the question is, are we ready to remove that in order to serve? Jesus removed His outer garment in order to wash the disciples’ feet. In order for Him to serve, He forgets that He is the Son of God, the King of the Universe, the owner of everything, the all-powerful, the Creator.

That’s a great act of humility that Jesus did for all of us. That’s why, in Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Phil 2:6), he said: “Though He was God, He did not think equality with God a thing to be grasped at.  Instead, He gave up His divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.”

So Jesus took off His outer garment, His mantle of privileges, and put on an apron of service. That’s what Jesus did as an example of service for us. He forgets His titles, His privileges, and humbles Himself in order to become a servant.

During Jesus’ time, the people who washed feet were only those who were slaves or servants.  That is why we can understand in our gospel why Peter refused to have his feet washed by Jesus. Peter could not say he treated Jesus as his master, teacher and savior, and then allow Him to wash his feet. Peter could not take it; that’s why he refused to let Jesus wash his feet.

Just imagine the Creator who kneels down before His creatures in order to serve them. That’s something very humiliating in the eyes of the world, in human eyes. Our Creator kneels down before His creatures in order to wash their feet. It’s something that’s incomprehensible for us.  Perhaps the only explanation for us to understand the act of Jesus, is because of God’s great love for us. Only love can do that. And Jesus chose to do it in order to show us the example of how to serve and to be humble.

Perhaps, I can imagine, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, God the Father was looking at Jesus and was filled with so much joy and pride. Perhaps He said, “Here is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Sometimes it’s very important for us to forget our positions in order to humbly serve others. This reminds me of my former parishioner when I was still at Our Lady of Nazareth. The parishioner was a doctor, a pediatrician.  One day a mother brought her child for a checkup, and it happened that, when they reached the clinic, her car broke down; she had a flat tire. When the doctor learned that she had a flat tire, he checked the child first, and after the checkup, he went to change the tire of his patient.  He even accompanied the mother to bring the bad tire to the shop to be fixed. An act of service, an act of humility, forgetting oneself in order to serve others.

In the last verse of our gospel today, it tells us: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example to imitate.”  This is the command of Jesus, especially today.  That’s why Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday.  “Maundy” is from the Latin word mandatus, which means “commanded.”  Jesus is giving us commands this evening.

The first command is to serve one another. Wash each other’s feet. We are all asked to serve one another, not only in times of crisis and trouble, but every day of our lives.  I’m sure, every time we serve with humility, the Lord is pleased, seeing us helping and serving each other.

Also, Jesus’ command to His disciples to serve one another happened on the same night on which Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. After He gave the instruction of serving each other, He also instructed them to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, when He said, “Do this in memory of me.”

Jesus is giving us two commands: to serve one another and to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. Holy Thursday is the first holy Mass that happened in the Catholic Church.  The Holy Eucharist is a living memory when Christ gave Himself, Body and Blood, for the forgiveness of our sins. This is an expression of God’s great love for us. We are mandated to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, but let us also remember that Christ also commanded us to serve one another, to wash each other’s feet.

These two commands of Jesus are interconnected. They cannot be separated, simply because every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, it gives us the strength and the courage to serve, and then our service will make the Eucharist meaningful for us.

That is why going to church every Sunday without serving is not good, because we fail to follow what Christ tells us to do.

To serve without going to church is also not good. Why? Because our motive for service is not for God, but for ourselves. That’s why the two must go together. Going to church, prayer, and service must go together.  We cannot say, I don’t have to attend Mass; as long as I do good works, I’ll be fine. No, Jesus made that command, that instruction, for us to celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him.

This reminds of the story of a sacristan who served the Church for a very long time, and one day she got ill.  The priest visited the woman, and the woman looked worried.  So the priest told the woman, “Don’t be afraid.  Is there something you’re worried about?” And the woman said, “Father, I’m worried that, on the day I meet God, what I will tell Him.”  The priest smiled and said, “What you need to do is just show Jesus your hands and your knees, and that will be enough.”

In this Mass we pray that, when the time comes for us to meet our Lord and Creator, our Judge, that our knees reveal our being prayerful, and our hands show we are merciful and helpful to those people who need our help.

Let us not forget: It is not the number of servants you have that is important to God, but the number of people you serve.

Judging With Mercy

Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 3, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Is 43:16-21 / Ps 126 / Phil 3:8-14 / Jn 8:1-11
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

There is a little-known sidelight to the story of the woman taken in adultery.  After the Pharisees dragged her before Jesus for sentencing, and Jesus says, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” a stone comes flying from the crowd.  Jesus looks up, frowns slightly, smiles a little and says, “If you don’t mind, mother, I am only trying to make a point here.”

In one way, this is a good joke because it shows the natural tendency of good people like the Pharisees and the Scribes to throw stones at those they consider sinners.  In other ways it is a bad joke because it tries to paint sinless Mary in the colors of sinful humanity.  The last person who would want to throw a stone at the woman caught in adultery would be the Blessed Virgin Mary, God’s most favored one.  According to the joke, Jesus says He’s trying to make a point here.  So now the question is:  What is the point that Jesus is trying to make?  Why would the Church give us this story for our spiritual nourishment on the last Sunday before Holy Week, when we commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus on our behalf?

The story of the woman caught in adultery had a very curious history in the early Church.  Many ancient Bibles do not have it.  Some have it as part of a different chapter in the Gospel of John.  Still others have it as part of the Gospel of Luke.  Some scholars think that originally this story could have been part of Luke’s Gospel.  Why?  Because it reflects themes that are dear to Luke, such as concern for sinners, interest in women, and the compassion of Jesus.

The fact that it is missing in some early Bibles and found in different locations in others suggest that some early Christian communities had removed this story from the Bible.  When later Christians tried to put it back into the Bible, they were no longer sure of its original location.

So why would anyone want to remove this story from the Bible?  There are people who cannot understand why Jesus would sympathize with a convicted adulterer.  After all, it is decreed in the Bible that such offenders should be put to death.  (Lv 20:10)

Does this not seem like an obstruction of justice?  What do you think?  Perhaps you remember the case of Karla Faye Tucker, a self-confessed repentant murderer who was executed in Texas in February 1998.  Many Christian organizations, including the Vatican, pleaded for her pardon, yet her execution was carried out.  Supporters of the death penalty argued that no one should interfere with the course of justice.  Well, Jesus just did in our gospel today.

There are people who think that compassion and leniency are a sign of weakness.  These are probably the kind of Christians who tried to suppress the story by removing it from the Church’s Bible.  How could Christians read this marvelous story of Jesus’ compassion and still take a hardline stand with regard to correctional services?

The answer lies in how one reads the story.  Some people identify themselves with the Pharisees when they read it.  Their interest is in how to deal with other people who break the law.   Their answer is usually that justice should be allowed to run its due course.

Now you can begin to understand, in the history of the Church, why the medieval Church did not see anything wrong with burning at the stake convicted witches like Joan of Arc.  Didn’t the Bible say that no one who practices sorcery should be allowed to live?  That is the law; that is justice.  Our only duty is to implement it.

But when we read this story, identifying ourselves, not with the Pharisees, but with the woman herself, then we begin to see the story for the good news that it really is.  Like the woman, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Like her, we all deserve death.  Why?  Because the scripture says “the wages of sin is death.”  But when Jesus comes into the picture, He overturns our death sentence.  He sets us free with His words of absolution: “Neither do I condemn you.  Go your way and sin no more. “

The story shows how Jesus stands up for sinners before the law.  In doing so, he draws upon Himself the hostility of the hardline officers, who will eventually arrest Him and give Him a taste of their justice.  The Church puts this story before us today, so that we can see ourselves in the sinner woman, whom Jesus saves from sure death, at the risk of attracting death to Himself.

This season of Lent urges us not to be judgmental of others.  We are all sinners and in need of God’s mercy and grace.  Only God has the right to judge people, because He alone is perfect.

Somebody said that God Himself does not propose to judge a person until he’s dead.  So why should we judge him?

Sometimes people ask me, “Father, is it wrong to judge?”  Of course, the answer is: It depends on how you deal with judgment.

There are two ways of judging people:  with compassion or without mercy.  If we judge the person with compassion, just like Jesus did, then we are doing the right thing.  If we judge the person without mercy, without compassion, then we end up like the Scribes and the Pharisees in our gospel today.  They want the woman to be stoned to death.  Or we end up being like the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.  He could not accept his brother for having squandered his parents’ money and property.

Someone asked me yesterday, “Father, what if I tell my children, “Don’t go with a drug addict.’  Am I judging the drug addict?”

Of course, that is a different story.  Your intention is not to judge the drug addict, but to keep your children away from drugs.

Or how about Putin, who killed all these innocent people?  Are we not going to judge him?  Judge him with mercy.  That is what Jesus wants us to do.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta reminds us of this when she said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

So perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is this:  When do you judge and act like the Pharisees and the Scribes?  Are there times when you judge others because of your biases and prejudices?  Are there times when you judge others even though you only know a little about the person?

If you are a person who judges others, try reflecting on these pieces of advice:

1)         Never judge someone without knowing the whole story.  You may think you understand, but you don’t.

2)        Never judge someone by the opinion of others.  Often, we are victims of this kind of judgment.  We easily listen, especially when the person telling us the judgment or the criticism is someone we trust, or someone who is close to us.

3)        Every single person on the planet has a story.  Don’t judge people before you truly know them.  The truth might surprise you.  Sometimes it is very easy to judge a person by their face, especially if the person’s face is ugly or he looks like a madman.  But we may end up realizing that the person leads a very saintly life.  And there are people who look like saints, but the way they lead their life is the other way around.

4)        Don’t judge a person without fully understanding them.  Just because you and the person don’t agree doesn’t mean you’re right.

We must be conscious that the way we judge things is limited.  Our minds, our intellect, is just limited.  That’s why, in philosophy, only God is an unlimited being.  He’s the only perfect being.  We, created beings, are all limited beings.  Even our thinking is limited; the way we say things; the way we understand things; the way we hear things is limited, and prone to mistakes.  If we are aware of that from the very beginning, then we end up realizing that we are not supposed to judge others right away.  Jesus is telling us in our gospel today to judge others with compassion, with mercy, so that we won’t end up to be condemning.

We may be hounded by remorse for our past sins we have committed, like stealing, giving or accepting bribes, committing abortion, gossiping, making intrigues, or infidelity to one’s spouse.  We feel we must do something more in order to make a balance of our spiritual account sheet.  In short, make reparations.

So, this story is a fitting preparation for Holy Week.  We see Jesus making the ultimate sacrifice to grant us clemency; we who are already sentenced to death by our sins.

As we prepare for Holy Week, let us thank Jesus for His mercy and love.  And let us promise him that we shall commit ourselves to doing exactly as He tells us:  To go and sin no more.

There is Hope

Third Sunday of Lent
March 20, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15 / Ps 103 / 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 / Lk 13:1-9
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Today is the Third Sunday of Lent.  The season of Lent is a wakeup call for all of us, a time to be brutally honest with ourselves, so that we come to know how deeply we depend on God’s mercy and providence. We know that the God we worship and believe in has proven to be loving, forgiving, and saving throughout the history of our Faith.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells about a fig tree that never bears fruit. So, like any sensible farmer, the owner thinks it’s probably time to get rid of it, simply because it does not bear fruit. But the man who works in the field has a better idea: I’ll give it a big dose of loving care, then we’ll hope to see its branches bend under the weight of juicy figs.

That is exactly what Jesus does for us. He feeds us, not with fertilizer, but with His Own Body and Blood. He invites us to stop boasting and be humble and let Him gently point out what we are doing wrong.

A story is told of an eight-year-old boy named Jimmy, who was acting up. He refused to do what he was told to do and did everything he was told not to do. In desperation, his father finally sent him to bed before dessert was served. Just then, a neighbor dropped in. He always liked Jimmy, and after a while he asked the parents if he could talk to the boy.

With a prayer in his heart, he reminded the lad that his disobedience displeased his parents and made them sad.  It especially displeased God. The boy began to cry.  “What can I do?” The visitor called his parents, who listened with tears in their eyes, as Jimmy told them he was sorry.

What the visitor did for Jimmy, Jesus does for every one of us. That is the meaning of the story Our Lord tells us in our gospel today. The man who planted the fig tree is God the Father. The fig tree means the chosen people of God: you and me. And the vinedresser or the worker in the vineyard is Jesus.

In justice, God the Father decides to cut down the fruitless trees. Christ intercedes. He pleads and prays that we be given more time, that we be given another chance. For the sake of His Son, the Heavenly Father gives us another chance.

This is the story of our life with Christ. We have not borne fruit.  We have not done what we were created to do. We have even done what God told us not to do. We have disobeyed His ten commandments. We have not produced. You can’t blame God for being dissatisfied.

He decides to remove us, but Christ intercedes. He intervenes. Christ steps between us and God and asks for another chance. Pleading for us is one of the principal tasks of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He asks for mercy for us. He gets us another chance. Not only does He beg His Father for forgiveness, Jesus begs for all the good things we need.

That is one reason why every official prayer of the Church, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, ends with a plea: “Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord,” or some variation of this thought.

There is a rather famous painting that shows a young man playing chess with the devil. They are playing for possession of the young man’s soul. The painting portrays the devil as having just made a brilliant move. Chess players who studied the arrangement of the chess pieces in the painting feel immediate sympathy for the young man. He has been put in a hopeless situation. He has been led down a blind alley with no exit.

Paul Charles Morphy, a former world class chess player, became intrigued by the painting. One day, while studying the arrangement of the chess pieces, he saw something that no one else did. Excitedly, he cried out to the young man in the painting, “Don’t give up! You still have an excellent move left.”  There is still hope.

The story fits in beautifully with the point Jesus makes in the parable of the fig tree today. Like the young man in the painting, the fig tree seems lost, then suddenly a ray of hope breaks through. Like the young man in the painting, the tree is not doomed after all; it gets a last minute reprieve. It gets a last minute second chance.

This is an important message for all of us. Because of Jesus, we are never doomed, no matter how bad things seem. Because of Jesus, there is still hope for us, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.  Because of Jesus, there is always one more move left to make, no matter how late in the game it is.

This brings us to the most important point of all. How does all this apply to our lives in a very practical way? All of us, to some extent, are like the young man in the painting and like the fig tree in Jesus’ parable. All of us, at one time or another, have arrived at a point in life when it seemed that we were in a no-win situation. Perhaps some of us are at such a point in our lives right now. Perhaps some situation threatens to engulf us and overwhelm us. Perhaps some relationship threatens to destroy everything we believe in. Perhaps some problem has led us down a blind alley that seems to be a dead end.

It’s right here that today’s gospel has an important message for all of us. Because of Jesus Christ, we are never doomed, no matter how bad things seem. Because of Jesus, we always have one more move left. Because of Jesus, there is still hope for us, no matter what the situation.

This is the lesson that’s contained in today’s scripture.  This is the good news that we celebrate in today’s liturgy. And this is the message that God wants us to carry back into our world to share with others.

Resist Temptation

First Sunday of Lent
March 6, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Dt 26:4-10 / Ps 91 / Rom 10:8-13 / Lk 4:1-13
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

There is a beautiful quotation from Franklin Jones, a journalist.  He said, “What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don’t want to discourage it completely.”  Another anonymous quotation goes, “Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch.”  Also, before he was fully converted, Saint Augustine’s prayer was, “Lord, make me chaste—but not yet.”

Seriously, however, we must ask ourselves, how often are we tempted in life?  Each day, how often do we experience being driven to do something wrong?  Or tempted to think ill of another person?  Or tempted to ignore a neighbor in need?  All these temptations come from the evil one.  God will never tempt us.  He can only test us.

In fact, in the letter of Saint James, it is said that God tempts no one.  The devil enjoys tempting us, because he wants us to be on his side, not on God’s side.  That’s why someone once said that Satan never rests.  Just as he tempted Adam and Eve, just as he tempted Jesus, he is tempting us today.  The only difference between now and Biblical times is that the devil has updated his tactics.  Even the devil (not just Apple) knows the need for updating.

If you look at the beginning of creation, how was the devil described?  As a snake.  In Mark’s Gospel which parallels the gospel we heard today from Luke, the devil is described as the wild beast. Today, the devil is a good-looking one.  The devil can be very sexy.  The devil can be something that is very delicious to eat or luscious to drink.  The devil can be in the form of something that will attract us away from the grace of God.

There is a story about Lucifer that tells how one day he got very angry because he noticed that the people of the world had started to read the Bible.  People believed in Jesus and His teachings.  Lucifer found it hard to tempt them.  He called for an emergency meeting with his top four advisers.  The topic to be discussed was what to do to tempt people away from following Christ.

The first adviser said, “Master, we will tell the people that God does not exist, so that they can do evil things.”  Lucifer said, “I am not convinced.  People will not believe that there is no God, because every time they see creation, they will wonder who created the birds, trees, people, etc. Of course they will think God created all of the things in the world.”

The second adviser said, “Master, we will convince the people that there is no heaven, so there is no need for them to do good.  They can do anything they want since there is no reward of heaven.”  Lucifer said, “No, when people love each other, it is like heaven.  When they help others, they feel joy and joy is a heavenly feeling.”

The third adviser said, “Master, we will tell the people that there is heaven, but there is no hell, so they will not be afraid to sin.”  Lucifer said, “Even on earth, people experience hell.  When a spouse is unfaithful, that is hell for them.  When government is corrupt, that is hell for them.  When there is war, that is hell for them.”

The fourth adviser said, “Master, we will tell the people that there is God, so do good.  There is heaven, so strive to be good.  There is hell, so strive to avoid sin.”  Lucifer said, “What?  Are you trying to make them good people?”  The fourth adviser said, “No. We will tell them that there is God, heaven, and hell, but don’t rush.  Don’t hurry—you have enough time.”  Lucifer said, “That’s a good tactic.  Let’s go with that idea.”

The devil’s tactic is effective.  We know that there is God, heaven, and hell, but the problem is that we are not in a hurry.  We follow the devil’s advice to take our time.  That’s why we go worldly first.  Go enjoy and party.  Go for vacation and neglect to attend Mass.  Go spend so much time working and save no time for prayer.  Go to church when you’re old and weak, but let’s enjoy life while we are young.  Get active in the church after retirement.  We don’t rush. By not rushing, by not seeing the urgency to follow Jesus, we believe what the devil says—that we have enough time.

I hope we will not actually be tempted by the devil’s tactic.  There are many people who fall into the trap of thinking that they have plenty of time.  Then death comes unexpectedly.  That’s why, during the season of Lent, especially, this first Sunday of Lent, we are always invited to enter into our desert.  Desert can mean many things.  We need to enter into the silence of our hearts and learn to know and recognize the devil’s temptation and then defeat it.

Do not try to trust your own strength to fight against temptation.  Be humble and accept that we cannot conquer evil by ourselves.  We always need God’s grace and guidance.  As we face the devil or temptation, we need to have the spirit of Jesus.  Let us remember that only Jesus has conquered the devil.

In the letter to the Hebrews, Paul says, “Because Christ Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”  Christ will help us because He understands our situation.  May God’s love and grace give us the strength to choose Him and not the devil.  His message to us is:  Leave your sins.  Repent and believe in the Gospel.

Let us always remember what makes temptation difficult for many people is that they don’t want to discourage it completely.

We Are Called

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 6, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 / Ps 138 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 / Lk 5:1-11
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Our three readings today have a similar theme.  They all tell us about individuals being called to serve God.

In the first reading, we hear that the Lord said to the prophet Isaiah (who lived some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ), “Whom shall I send?”  Isaiah replied, “Here I am.  Send me.”  In the second reading, Saint Paul narrates that, after Jesus had appeared to many other people, He appeared to Paul himself.  Finally, in the gospel, Peter, James, and John are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, after their boats are overloaded, and their nets are splitting because of the number of fish they caught.

Each of these men was called in a dramatic way: Isaiah’s sin being purged by a burning ember on his lips; Paul being knocked from his horse; and Peter, James, and John having their boats almost sink under the weight of the fish they caught.  You might say, if God called me by performing a similar miracle, I would probably accomplish great things, too.

The truth is, God has called each of us.  Maybe we didn’t hear His voice, or experience some miraculous conversion, but let’s face it, neither have most other people.  I don’t recall that either Mother Teresa or even Pope John Paul II ever revealed that they had a miraculous calling from God.  We may not consider ourselves in that kind of calling, but everyone has a call from God, although sometimes we don’t remember or even recognize the call.  When I was called to the priesthood, I didn’t experience any miraculous incident or something supernatural.  I thought about the possibility of becoming a priest, I prayed over it, and then decided that this is what God wanted me to do.

To those of you who are married, you had a call from God.  To the young people here, by the very fact that you were born, you have had a call from God.  We might say, but my call was so ordinary, nothing like that of our readings.  The most important fact, however, is not the call that counts, but how each person, such as Isaiah, Paul, Peter, James, and John, reacts to the individual calling received.  Those men merely accepted God’s invitation, and if we do the same, then our lives can be fulfilling, as their lives were.

For example, how does a married person react positively to the call of God?  Of course, by truly loving his or her spouse.  There is probably no husband or wife here who would say that is always easy to do.  It may be easy most of the time, but there are times when it is probably difficult.  That is the key.  God asked all of us to accept our calling and react in a manner that mirrors the reaction of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Remember, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He initially reacted exactly the way many of us react, when we find ourselves in situations that we find difficult or uncomfortable.

We might think we never experience Christ’s dilemma, but when husbands and wives don’t agree, or when children do not want to obey their parents, or when we are tempted to sin against the commandments, we, too, face a difficult decision.  Jesus responded to the possibility of His being crucified by moaning, “Let this cup pass from me, Father.”

Are any of you in that same situation right now?  My spouse and I had a fight.  My parents don’t understand me.  My boyfriend wants me to get more deeply involved than we should.  How we react to those situations determines whether we are truly answering God’s call to us.  Why do I have to make these difficult decisions?  Why do I have to think of God or other people?  Why not just do what I want to do?  These are questions we frequently ask ourselves.  Paul was called to evangelize the world.  Peter was called to martyrdom.  They reacted positively to their calling and that is what each of us must do.  We are expected to accept the conditions of our ordinary calling.

For us, answering the call, may be the courage to kiss one’s spouse and apologize.  It may be realizing God has given your parents the responsibility to expect reasonable obedience from you.  It also may be that you have the responsibility to tell your boyfriend or your friends, No.

This is one of the dimensions in the Synod on Synodality headed by Pope Francis.  The third dimension is what we call, the Mission.  Mission, because we are all called or we are all sent to evangelize and to witness God’s love to the world.  The question is, Is that an easy thing to do?  Not always.  Do not forget that in Gethsemane, Jesus was terrified.  He did not want to face the upcoming nightmare or trial, just as we often do not want to face any adversity in life.  However, we should give the same answer to our God as Jesus gave to His Father: “Father, not my will, but Yours, be done.”

The men mentioned in our readings today faced many difficulties.  At times they were under intense pressure.  We may not be as famous as they are, but we walk the same walk that they walked.  The pressures and the difficulties that we have are real.

As we face any difficulty in answering our call to follow God’s will, we should follow Christ’s example in the garden.  We should turn to His Father in prayer, and He will answer us.  He will give us the strength and courage to react in the same manner as did the men in today’s readings.  Isaiah said, “Here I am.  Send me.”  Paul said, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am and His grace to me has not been ineffective.”  The reply of Peter, James, and John was eloquent.  When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Him.  We should, too.

Following the Right Star

The Epiphany of the Lord
January 2, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Is 60:1-6 / Ps 72 / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Today we celebrate the feast of the Magi, or of the Epiphany. This feast is called Epiphany because Jesus revealed Himself, not only to the Jews, the chosen people, but also to pagan visitors.  The word epiphany is from the Greek word, epiphaneia, which means manifestation.  In other words, Epiphany is first and foremost the feast of God’s revelation of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, to the world. Jesus is Savior, not only of the Israelites, the chosen people, but of everyone.  In this sense, the Magi represent all the other peoples of the world. (more…)

Your Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 26, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 / Ps 128 / Col 3:12-21 / Lk 2:41-52
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

On the first Sunday after Christmas, the Church always celebrates the Feast of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. They are the number one model of a family that follows God’s will.  That’s why this Sunday’s reading features three essential elements of a Christian or sacred family. (more…)

Love Changes Everything

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
December 25, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Is 52:7-10 / Ps 98 / Heb 1:1-6 / Jn 1:1-18
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

I’ve always had a special feeling for Christmas, because Christmas is one of the best memories I have of my childhood.  I remember that in the Philippines, every Christmas after we attended Midnight Mass, my parents and siblings gathered together to watch the fireworks.  After that, we prayed together and had our meal.

This is what Christmas is:  It is fathers, mothers, children.  It is learning how to love.  It is learning how to care.  It is learning how to be the people that we really want to be and know we can be, if we have enough faith in ourselves and in the people around us. (more…)

Most Blessed By Obedience

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 19, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Mi 5:1-4a / Ps 80 / Heb 10:5-10 / Lk 1:39-45
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Today is the last Sunday of Advent.  This season is about to end, and we are closer to the Christmas holidays.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord took flesh in the Virgin Mary, and He remains with us in the Blessed Sacrament.  And every Christmas we commemorate His birth.

During these four weeks of Advent, we have been listening to and meditating on the readings from the Holy Scriptures that remind us of the need that we all have to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. (more…)