Is Your Light On?

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 5, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Is 58:7-10 / Ps 112 / 1 Cor 2:1-5 / Mt 5:13-16
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The Sunday School Times once published a story about a motorist who, one dark night, was run down by a train at the grade crossing.  The old signalman in charge of the crossing had to appear in court.  After a severe cross examination, he was still unshaken.  He said that he had waved his lantern frantically, but all to no avail. (more…)

Persevere and Secure Your Lives

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 13, 2016 – Year A
Readings: Mal 3:19-20a / Psalm 98 / 2 Thes 3:7-12 / Lk 21:5-19
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today is the second to the last Sunday in our liturgical calendar. As we come close to the end of the liturgical year, our Holy Mother Church has given us scripture readings that will encourage us to prepare ourselves for the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which will also mark the end of the world as we know it. How do we go about making this preparation? (more…)

Us and Them

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 25, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Am 6:1A, 4-7 / Psalm 146 / 1 Tm 6:11-16 / Lk 16:19-31
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

At first glance, our Gospel today seems pretty straightforward. The question is: Why did the rich man go to Hell? The obvious answer is: Because he did not feed the poor. (more…)

The Better Part

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 17, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Gn 18:1-10A / Ps 15 / Col 1:24-28 / Lk 10:38-42
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

From the time we get up in the morning until the time we sleep at night, we have to make decisions, and we hope and pray that we will always make the right ones.  Sometimes decision-making is as easy as choosing between eating the food that we love and not eating the food that we hate.  In that case, the choice is obvious.  But there are moments in our lives when making a decision is not so simple, because we perceive the choices as equally good, yet we still want to choose the better option. (more…)

You Are Needed

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 3, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 66:10-14C / Ps 66 / Gal 6:14-18 / Lk 10:1-12, 17-20
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Anyone who has been involved in the pastoral care ministry of our church, either giving Holy Communion to the homebound or visiting those who are in hospitals, can attest that it is a very rewarding ministry.  When I thank them for giving their time to those who are not well enough to be with us in the Mass, they usually reply that they get more out of it than they give. (more…)

You Have a Friend

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 5, 2016 – Year C
Readings: 1 Kgs 17:17-24 / Ps 30 / Gal 1:11-19 / Lk 7:11-17
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The song, “You’ve Got a Friend,” written by Carole King and popularized by James Taylor, has been in existence for forty-five years now.  It is still being used as a theme song in movies and commercials and is played on the radio and on many other occasions.  In fact, at the funeral of my aunt, they used “You’ve Got a Friend,” and that was only a few years ago.  A couple of lines from this song go something like this: “When you’re down and troubled, and you need a helping hand, I will be there to brighten up even your darkest night.” (more…)

Small Things With Great Love

Third Sunday of Easter
April 10, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Acts 5:27-32, 40B-41 / Ps 30 / Rev 5:11-14 / Jn 21:1-19
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A little more than a decade ago, in my former parish, I was approached by a mother on her way out of the church, who asked me to offer a special prayer for her son.  She told me that she thought she was doing everything right in raising him to be nourished spiritually and grow up to be a good Christian.  She sent him to a good Catholic school.  They even went on a pilgrimage together to the Holy Land and visited several Marian apparition sites.  In spite of all this, he seemed to have lost his appetite for prayer and practically everything about God and the Church. (more…)

To Boldly Go…

Easter Sunday
March 27, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 / Psalm 118 / Col 3:1-4 / Jn 20:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

When Father Sal told me he wanted me to preach this morning, my first thought was, “What do I say?” After all, today is THE day, the pinnacle of days. Today we celebrate the triumphal conclusion of Christ’s Paschal Mystery; His suffering, death and His glorious resurrection. What can be said except, “Jesus Christ is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!” Amen!

That was my first thought, but then I remembered my number one obligation is to preach the Gospel; the Good News of Jesus Christ. I can sum up this Gospel with three words: God loves us. God loves us and I can even prove it. (more…)

Showing Small Mercies

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 17, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 62:1-5 / Ps 96 / 1 Cor 12:4-11 / Jn 2:1-11
by Rev. David Hyman, Guest Celebrant

Today’s gospel is the story of Jesus’ first miracle of changing water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana.  This story was depicted on Facebook recently with a picture of a store window.  At the top of the window was the word “WATER” and below it was displayed a row of wine bottles.  Below the wine were the words, “JESUS WAS HERE”.

I like to begin my homily with a commentary like this as a springboard to the real story.  I want to share some of the points of this story I find interesting and important.

(more…)

Be Prepared!

1st Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2015 – Year C
Readings:  Jer 33:14-16 / Psalm 25 / 1 Thes 3:12 – 4:2 / Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Happy New Year! Today is the first Sunday of Advent, so it is the First Sunday of the Church’s year. And Happy New Year… the world is ending! How about that Gospel to start off the season of Advent?

I’m lucky that I have been able to be involved with Boy Scouting for the past 11 years. (more…)