Have No Anxiety at All

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 5, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Is 5:1-7; Psalm 80; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of St. Francis. We had the blessing of the animals in the commons because it was so cold outside. Usually the dogs bark at each other before the blessing, but during the prayer they always calm down. We don’t only have dogs, of course. We had guinea pigs, rabbits and all types of animals. (more…)

Attitude of Gratitude

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 21, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Is 55:6-9; Psalm 145; Phil 1:20c-24, 27a; Mt 20:1-16a
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Last night after Mass at our sister parish, Resurrection, I went to visit Deacon Ray. On my way to his room, one of his daughters called me up and asked me to see how he was doing because he hadn’t answered his cell phone for the past two days. When I got to his room, I told him his children and grandchildren were worried about him because he wasn’t answering his phone. He said, “What do you mean? I have my cell phone right here with me. Nobody is calling.” (more…)

Saved by the Cross

Exaltation of the Holy Cross
September 14, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Nm 21:4b-9; Psalm 78; Phil 2:6-11, Jn 3:13:-17
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

About 28 years ago as a newly-ordained priest, a grandmother told me her granddaughter could recite all the basic prayers in three languages: in our own local language, in English and in Spanish. So I asked her, “Do you know the Our Father?” “No,” she answered.
“Hail Mary?”
“No.”
So I said, “Your grandmother told me you know all the prayers.”
“Yes.”
“What prayer do you know?”
“In the name of the Father.” (more…)

The Easy Way or Jesus’ Way?

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 31, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Jer 20:7-9, Psalm 63, Rom 12:1-2, Mt 16:21-27
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

As we are all aware, modern technology – media, smartphones, computers, microwaves – is designed to make our lives simpler and to do things quickly. We used to use a pen and paper to send greeting cards on birthdays. Now you can easily send to birthday wishes to Facebook or Instagram. Every time a Facebook friend celebrates a birthday, I get a text message. In my smartphone, all I have to do is text the number “1”. I don’t know where my answer goes, but it goes somewhere! If the person acknowledges my greeting, I know they got it. That’s how instant it is. (more…)

Mary: Our Spiritual GPS

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Rv 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; Psalm 45; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

As we celebrate today the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we remember that glorious day when the Blessed Mother was taken up, body and soul, into heaven. Our faith tells us there are only two physical bodies in heaven: our Lord Jesus himself, who ascended into heaven, and the Blessed Mother, who was assumed into heaven.

Why is this so important to us? (more…)

Be Not Afraid

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 10, 2014 – Year A
Readings: 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a; Psalm 85; Rom 9:1-5; Mt 14:22-33
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A few years ago, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Now this means, to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you are better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” (more…)

The God of Second Chances

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 20, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Wis 12:13, 16-19; Psalm 86; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

About 6 and a half years ago, there was a young man in Maryland who was trying to get in touch with a young lady that he met a few days before. He thought he got her on Facebook and began chatting with her. It turned out she was a different person. Of course, she wasn’t too happy with this at the beginning, but she gave him a chance to explain himself and the way he describes it, it fit the description of Psalm 86. She was “slow to anger, abounding in love and truth, and forgiving.” Because of that, they were able to start a conversation. They introduced themselves and realized they had a lot of things in common. They connected instantly. They chatted on Facebook from 6:00 in the evening until 4:00 in the morning. That’s 10 hours – and they had just met online for the first time! (more…)

An Oasis of Comfort and Love

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 6, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Zec 9:9-10, Psalm 145, Rom 8:9, 11-13, Mt 11:25-30
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The first time I had the opportunity to visit the city of New York, 17 years ago, my cousin took me to a restaurant called TGI Fridays – Thank God It’s Friday. My first reaction was, “Why would you only thank God on a Friday? Because the connotation is when Monday comes – Oh no, it’s Monday.” I’ve never seen a restaurant with the title “ONIM” – “Oh No, It’s Monday”. I don’t think people would be excited to eat dinner or have coffee at a restaurant with that name. (more…)

A Power Meal: The Supper of the Lamb

Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ
June 22, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a; Psalm 147; 1 Cor 10:16-17; John 6:51-58
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The last time I was at home in the Philippines, I admired the big lighthouse on my island. I said to my cousin, “You must be getting rich here; that lighthouse is so big and must cost thousands of dollars.” He answered, “Yes, it’s expensive, but it was donated to us by a generous benefactor.” I said, “That’s good that it’s free, but what about the electric bill that you pay every month?” He said, “The good news is we don’t pay for the electricity. It’s solar powered.” Although that light is so big and can be seen for hundreds of miles, it generates its own power from the sun. (more…)

Happy Ending

The Ascension of the Lord
June 1, 2014 – Year A
Readings:  Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47, Eph 1:17-23, Mt 28:16-20
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Yesterday I was requested to give the Last Sacraments to a Catholic who has not been to church nor been a member of any church for many years. However, he was baptized and grew up a Catholic.  Through his own admission, he somehow, for reasons he himself could not understand, drifted away from his faith.  Since he is already in hospice care, I thought I would be visiting somebody who is lying in bed almost all the time. But when I walked into his house, he was with his two friends drinking beer! (more…)