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…)

Our Guiding Star

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Gn 3:9-15, 20 / Ps 98 / Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 / Lk 1:26-38
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

St. Thomas Aquinas once said, “As sailors are guided by a star to the port, so are Christians guided to heaven by Mary.”

It is a nice coincidence, as we prepare to commemorate the birth of Jesus with the Advent season, that we also have this season to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the womb of her holy mother, Saint Anne, the wife of Joachim.  The feast we celebrate today, the Immaculate Conception, is that of Mary being conceived by her mother, Saint Anne, not Jesus conceived by Mary. (more…)

Gratitude and Confidence

Second Sunday of Advent
December 5, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Bar 5:1-9 / Ps 126 / Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 / Lk 3:1-6
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

The season of Advent is a time for us to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  In our gospel today, on this second Sunday of Advent, we hear John the Baptist preparing the people for the coming of Jesus, a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.  Make his path straight.” (Lk 3:4). We hear these familiar words of John the Baptist calling all people to conversion.

Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians in our second reading today, reminds us of three wonderful things.  First, Saint Paul reminds us of the joy of the Lord. (more…)

Prepare for His Coming

First Sunday of Advent
November 28, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Jer 33:14-16 / Ps 25 / 1 Thes 3:12-4:2 / Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Today is the first day of Advent and also the first day of the liturgical calendar of the Church.  That’s why some would say it’s the New Year for the Church.

Every time we hear the word Advent, what comes to our mind?  Perhaps we would say, “Christmas is near.”  Yes, Christmas is near, but it’s not yet Christmas.

Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning ‘coming’ or ‘arrival.’   In this season of Advent, the Church invites us to prepare for the coming of the Lord into our lives.  The Church teaches us there are three ways in which the Lord comes into our lives. (more…)

What You Do Today

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 14, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Dn 12:1-3 / Ps 16 / Heb 10:11-14, 18 / Mk 13:24-32
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

There is a beautiful Cherokee proverb that says: “When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that, when you die, the world cries, and you rejoice.”

Our gospel today talks about the end of time. For many years, people have speculated about the end of time, because people love to speculate, especially about when the world might come to an end. That is why writers and filmmakers make money by imagining how it might end. (more…)

Good and Generous

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 7, 2021 — Year B
Readings: 1 Kgs 17:10-16 / Ps 146 / Heb 9:24-28 / Mk 12:38-44
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Two widows are featured in this Sunday’s readings.  The first one is from our first reading, when the prophet Elijah asked for water and bread from a widow that he saw picking up sticks.  At that time there was a great famine in that area, and only one meal was left for the widow and her son.  But even in that situation, the widow did not refuse to help the starving prophet.  She believed the prophet’s word that God would provide for them during this time of famine, and yet, her jar did not run out of flour and her bottle did not run out of oil until the drought was over, as Elijah had said.  So, the widow in our first reading experienced that God would never neglect a person who does good. (more…)