Servants – “Invite to the Feast Whomever You Find”

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 12, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Is 25:6-10a; Psalm 23; Phil 4:12-14, 19-20; Mt 22:1-14
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

For the third Sunday in a row, Jesus is criticizing the chief priests and elders, and once again, he is speaking to them in parables. He is admonishing them for failing to live up to the spirit of the Law and the Old Covenant. Unlike the last two Sundays where vineyards featured prominently, in this Gospel reading, Jesus uses the image of a party, a wedding feast, and the image is rich in meaning and symbolism. (more…)

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…)

Workers in the Vineyard

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 28, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Ez 18:25-28; Psalm 25; Phil 2:1-11; Mt 21:28-32
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

I don’t know about you but I like it when Jesus talks about vineyards. For me, it conjures up images of sitting in an adirondack chair over looking rows and rows of vines while sipping a glass of Nebbiolo. Birds chirping, mountains in the distance. However, I don’t think that’s the image that Jesus was going for. (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…)

Protesting Evil

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 7, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Ez 33:7-9, Psalm 95, Rom 13:8-10, Mt 18:15-20
by Rev. Mr. Ray Roderique, Permanent Deacon

There comes a time when we must speak out.

If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. (Matthew 18:15)

Martin Niemoller was a German submarine commander in World War I. The German government awarded him the prestigious Iron Cross for his service.  After the war he studied theology and became a Lutheran pastor in a suburb outside Berlin. When the Nazis came to power, he became a party member.  But when he saw the evil direction the Nazis were beginning to take, he publicly opposed them and organized German church leaders to oppose them, also. (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…)

A Personal Relationship with Jesus

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 24, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Is 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Last week at the end of Mass, I had the honor of giving you the good news that Father Sal has been released from the Diocese of Sorsogon in the Philippines and is now a priest of our own diocese. In the process, perhaps I even taught you a new word… “incardination.”

This week, our second reading may also have taught you new word. “How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!” (more…)

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Reflection for Nursing Home Prayer Service
August 18, 2014
Readings: Is 56:1, 6-7; Psalm 67; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
by Mrs. Rita Zimmermann, Faith Formation Coordinator

Oh what faith she had! This Canaanite woman! You see, she knew she would not be welcome among those who followed Jesus as she was not a Jew, but a pagan and a woman! What courage and determination she must have had to just get up and leave her daughter to seek out the only person she knew that could help her. (more…)

True Faith Brings Happiness

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 17, 2014 – Year A
Readings: Is 56:1, 6-7; Psalm 67; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
by Most Reverend Arturo Bastes, Bishop of Sorsogon, Philippines

The beautiful gospel has plenty of implications. First, this is the only recorded time that Jesus was in a non-Jewish territory. But most of all, it prophesied a very important doctrine that the gospel would be preached to all the nations, as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in the first reading and fulfilled in the second reading during the time of St. Paul, when the gospel was preached to the Gentiles because the Jews rejected Jesus Christ, our Lord. However, St. Paul still had the hope that all the Jews would be converted to Christ someday, because they were the first chosen people of God. (more…)