The Cost of Freedom

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 30, 2019 – Year C
Readings: 1 Kgs 19:16B, 19-21 / Ps 16 / Gal 5:1, 13-18 / Lk 9:51-62
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Four days from now we will celebrate the Fourth of July, and it is a privilege to wake up each morning knowing that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave and the greatest nation on earth.

It is also great news that the importance of our Lord God and Creator is acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence. Once again let us remind ourselves of these two lines from the Declaration:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” (more…)

The Real Presence

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
June 23, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Gn 14:18-20 / Ps 110 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / Lk 9:11B-17
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told that, one day, Saint Mother Teresa went to see a man who owned a big bakery in India. She asked him to give bread for her hungry orphans. Annoyed that Saint Mother Teresa’s presence in his store might not be good for business, he spit in her face. Unperturbed by the man’s horrible actions, Saint Mother Teresa said, “That’s for me. How about some bread for my orphans?” Shamed by the saint’s response, he gave her all the bread she needed. (more…)

Faith, Hope, and Blessings

The Ascension of the Lord
June 2, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 1:1-11 / Ps 47 / Eph 1:17-23 / Lk 24:46-53
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Each of us gathered here in front of God’s altar, who is old enough to have responsibilities at home or at work, must be carrying a cross on his or her shoulder, which means each of us has a problem or two. Welcome to the human family. As long as we are still breathing, we will have trials and difficulties. We all have a share of life’s ups and downs, but as God’s children we always move on and continue our faith journey. (more…)

Faith and Love

Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 26, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 / Ps 67 / Rev 21:10-14, 22-23 / Jn 14:23-29
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Jimmy Carter, in his book, Sources of Strength, tells about interviewing Eloy Cruz, an admirable Cuban pastor who had tremendous rapport with poor immigrants from Puerto Rico. When President Carter asked him the secret of his success, Pastor Cruz replied, “Señor Jimmy, we need to have only two loves for our lives: love for God and love for the person who happens to be in front of us at the time.” (more…)

Mother As a Shepherd

Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 13:14, 43-52 / Ps 100 / Rev 7:9, 14B-17 / Jn 10:27-30
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Deacon Harold of EWTN, one of the most sought-after speakers in men’s conferences, told this story. One day when his children were little, his wife was having one of those days where she just wanted to have a little rest after a whole day of running errands and taking care of the kids. So she asked him to take them out of the house. He took them to the park nearby, and they were having a great time until his little girl stumbled and cried, “Mommy!” He told her, “Don’t worry. I am here.” But she kept on crying, looking for her mom. (more…)

Desert Experience

Second Sunday of Lent
March 17, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Gn 15:5-12, 17-18 / Ps 27 / Phil 3:17 – 4:1 / Lk 9:28B-36
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

In my first few years in the priesthood, I had the privilege to minister to the residents of a remote, small, country town in the Pacific. It happened to be within my parish jurisdiction, so I had to be there quite often. People who have never been there consider it to be a God-forsaken place because there are no hospitals, no department stores, and yes, no electricity. But the folks that live there are the happiest and healthiest people in that region. Those who happen to visit that place, usually by accident, often have a desert experience. As a side note, one hundred percent of the residents there are Roman Catholics. When they have difficulties, their only recourse is to turn to God, since they are miles away from modern civilization. (more…)

Let Go To Be Free

First Sunday in Lent
March 10, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Dt 26:4-10 / Ps 91 / Rom 10:8-13 / Lk 4:1-13
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Although the beginning of Spring is still ten days from now, the fact that we have already made the “spring forward” of our clocks tells us that Spring is here. As you all know, Lent is the ancient word for Spring. This is the time when we members of the mystical body of Christ take a closer look at our relationship with our God and our neighbor. The good news is that even if we had a long hard winter in our spiritual life, our good and merciful God is always giving us a new springtime, so we can start all over and leave the past behind. (more…)

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…)

Friends of God

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 27, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Neh 8:2-4A, 5-6, 8-10 / Ps 19 / 1 Cor 12:12-30 / Lk 1:1-4, 4:14-21
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

It has been said that you know that a person is your friend if you wouldn’t hesitate to call him or her at 2 o’clock in the morning during an emergency. The first part of the gospel today is taken from the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, and the Evangelist addresses his narrative to a man named Theophilus.

The word “Theophilus” means “friend of God,” and this is who we are. In Chapter 15 of the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus said, “I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from My Father.” (more…)