We are so familiar with this traffic safety warning: STOP, LOOK
and LISTEN. Our Gospel this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
invites us to dig deeper into this safety warning as we embark in
this Ordinary Time spiritual journey but will be rearranged a bit:
STOP, LISTEN and LOOK.
In the Gospel on this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord,
a voice came from heaven saying: “You are my
beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22).
By virtue of our own baptism, we too have become
sons and daughters of the heavenly Father and are
called to live a life pleasing to Him. This identity is
indissoluble and this is the grace of God in the sacrament of Baptism.
Searching
for Jesus in the midst of discouragement and uncertainties might be challenging but fulfilling, and meeting Jesus is an invitation to have a change of route,
a change of heart. The journey of the Magi is our
own journey of faith and hope in finding Jesus.
There might be challenges, some might be discouraging but finding Jesus at the end of the journey is
having that transformative relationship with him.
Yes, God is full of surprises and loves to surprise us. Having
this in mind would lead us to be hopeful for the best even
when sometimes things get rough and tough. Maybe, the
next time God makes another surprise, it would be for YOU
and that would be your greatest surprise gift for Christmas.
The Second Sunday of Advent reminds us of PEACE because a change of
heart is making at peace with God. Living at peace with God is
listening once again to His voice reminding us of our need of
newness of life in Him. John the Baptist is the voice crying out
in the wilderness of our hearts telling us, “Every valley shall be
filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The
winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways
made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of
God.” (Luke 3:5-6)
On November 28th, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day and it
is fitting to note that as we thank everything that has been
transpired all throughout the year, for all the blessings we
have reaped, we thank God the most for His goodness
and for continually guiding us. May we let our Lord Jesus
Christ, King of the Universe continue to reign in our hearts
forever.
Many of us would feel uncomfortable whenever we talk
about the end of world. We fear what happens next after the
rapture. Numerous movies and novels have dwelt on the
theme of apocalypse (Greek word apokalyptein: uncover,
reveal) and more often, they presented it a very scary
manner. Known dictionaries also described this in such a
way that we end up feeling helpless. Apocalypse is a very
serious event resulting in great destruction (Cambridge
Dictionary); It is a disaster resulting in drastic, irreversible
damage to human society or the environment, especially on
a global scale (Oxford English Dictionary); It is the end or
destruction of the world especially as described in the
Christian Bible (Meriam-Webster Dictionary). Who would not
be afraid with such descriptions of the apocalypse?
“If you feel forgotten by God because you question why
He would love you, remember that you are His precious
child because you fear the Lord.” (Psalm 103:13)
Một phụ nữ khác thời Chúa Giêsu, đang sống trong cảnh túng thiếu, thế mà bà đã đem cả số tiền lương
công nhật, tức là những gì bà có để nuôi sống mình, bỏ vào hòm tiền dâng cúng cho nhà thờ, và Chúa
đã khen bà là bỏ nhiều, dâng cúng nhiều hơn những người giàu khác, tại sao vậy? Bởi vì trước mặt
Chúa, những công việc từ thiện, và cả những việc đạo đức mà những người giàu có, cụ thể là giới kinh
sư và Pharisêu, chỉ là những phương tiện trục lợi, hay xây dựng danh giá và địa vị cho họ, chứ không
phải do lòng kính mến Chúa hay thương yêu người mà phát xuất. Hạng người như thế ở thời đại nào và
ở nơi nào cũng có với những cách thức khác nhau. Họ là tỷ phú hay triệu phú, họ bỏ ra một vài triệu để
đóng góp vào công việc từ thiện hay xây cất những công trình lớn thì động lực chính có khi không phải
là đức ái, mến Chúa yêu người, mà chỉ là giá mua danh vọng. Thành thử số tiền hay công lao khó nhọc
họ bỏ ra có thể là nhiều nhưng thực sự họ chẳng cho hoặc dâng hiến được bao nhiêu. Đó là cuộc đầu
tư một vốn bốn lời, đó là sự lợi dụng tôn giáo và bác ái chứ không phải là phục vụ. Trái lại, người đàn bà
góa trong Tin Mừng tỏ ra biết phục vụ tôn giáo hết mình: hòm tiền ở hành lang nhà thờ, chắc là thu góp
để xây cất hoặc bảo trì bảo quản đền thờ, vì thời Chúa Giêsu đền thờ vẫn chưa hoàn thành. Bà không
cần biết ai đóng góp bao nhiêu, bà chỉ thấy có bổn phận đóng góp để tỏ lòng tôn thờ kính mến Chúa
theo khả năng của mình. Cho nên, bà có bao nhiêu thì dâng cúng bấy nhiêu mà không hề lo đến tương
lai, đến ban chiều, đến ngày mai sẽ ra sao, bà chỉ biết phụng sự mà không biết lợi dụng tôn giáo hay
Thiên Chúa. Chính vì thế Chúa Giêsu khen bà đã dâng cúng nhiều hơn những người khác. Chúng ta
hãy nghĩ xem: chúng ta thường làm những việc đạo đức, những việc bác ái, chia sẻ, những cách đối xử
với người khác như thế nào? Có phải với tấm lòng chân thực hay vì những lý do gì khác? Chúng ta hãy
nhớ: Chúa căn cứ vào tấm lòng chúng ta mà thưởng công cho chúng ta.
We have once again witnessed how our love for God and
for our community became evident in the just concluded 35th
Annual Harvest Festival last October 25-27, 2024. It was
such a great event seeing our community working together
sharing each other’s time, talent and treasure. What a
beautiful sight seeing the body of Christ tirelessly making
visible and concrete the two greatest commandments, love
of God and love of neighbor which is the theme of our
Gospel this 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.
This weekend (October 25-27, 2024) is our 35th Harvest
Festival. For the past years, it has become a way of gathering our community from all walks of life and all ages. Days to
nurture and deepen our relationships as we celebrate the
giftedness of each other’s presence. These are days to
create memories that can be added to our stories as one
family of God.
October is Holy Rosary month. This is one among the
most well-known Catholic prayer devotions, if not, the
most popular one. A Catholic theologian by the name of
Romano Guardini described praying the Rosary as
“participation in the life of Mary whose focus was Christ.”
Indeed, in praying the Rosary, we are one with Mary and
while contemplating on her life, we are as well imitating
her ways of discipleship.
As I share with you my first bulletin article, I would like to
take this opportunity to thank the whole community of
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church for opening up your
hearts and for welcoming me warmly. I must admit that I
was hesitant at first, and of course, a feeling of uncertainty filled my heart before I responded yes and ultimately
accepted this new assignment.
This will be the last bulletin article you will be reading from
me. I will finally leave on October 1, 2024, to begin my
new role in my religious community. I say this with mixed
feelings – sadness because I am leaving a great parish
that has become my home for the past nine years; excitement because I am looking forward to doing the ministry I
have always wanted to explore; and anxiety because I am
not sure what exactly the life dynamics would be. Nonetheless, I trust in the Lord who generously provides necessary graces for those whom He calls.
The twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year B
brings us to the second passion prediction of Jesus
in the Gospel of Mark. Notice that we call it the
passion prediction but we really should call it the
passion and resurrection predictions because Jesus
never just predicts his death and leaves it there. He
always links his passion with his resurrection.
On September 19, the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette,
of which I am a member, will celebrate the 178th Anniversary
of our founding event - Mary’s Apparition at La Salette. La
Salette is not a household name, but you hear it preached in
many countries in Asia, America, Australia, Africa, and
Europe, and in a small alpine village where it was first heard.
Two Congregations bear the name of La Salette. Some
others are linked to it. All over the world, pilgrims, saints,
writers have sung its praises and continue to make it known.
You can see it over entrances, in parishes, spiritual centers
and cooperatives; at shelters for lepers and their families; you
see it in humble places where the handicapped work, and you
see it at high mountain shrine.
Why does Mary have a special role in helping us?
As the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary has a unique position
among the saints, indeed, among all creatures. She is exalted, yet still one of us. Redeemed by reason of the merits of
her Son and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie,
she is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the
Mother of the Son of God, by which account she is also the
beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy
Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace, she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. At the same
time, however, because she belongs to the offspring of
Adam, she is one with all those who are to be saved.
Our Gospel this weekend brings to a close the Bread of Life
Discourse we have been hearing for five weeks now,
beginning with the Feeding of the Multitude, and then the
following three weeks with the teaching of Jesus on himself
as the bread of life. “I am the bread of life. Anyone who eats
of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
Stewardship is our approach to the gifts that God has
bestowed upon us. It is living out a commitment to be
Christ-centered rather than self-centered. Profound gratitude, justice and love become the fundamental motives
for giving back to God. Everything that God has given to
us is intended to serve the divine plan.