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ACT OF HOPE AND PATIENCE

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  Tuesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time  Jeremiah 14:17-22 Psalm 78(79):8-9,11,13 Matthew 13:36-43 If it is within God's will, He could easily express His displeasure with humanity’s wrongful actions, and with a single command, the entire universe might cease to exist. One might wonder whether it was necessary for God to sustain humans thus far—beings who often act with wickedness and sin. Given the prevalence of darkness and evil covering the earth, it is remarkable that the world persists as it does, and if God’s nature were different, the duration might be much shorter. This raises the question: why does God demonstrate such patience toward a world filled with so much evil? The psalmist offers an insightful answer—God is characterized by compassion and love. His goodness, kindness, and merciful love are evident. He is the loving Father who cares deeply for His children. If it were solely up to humans, the world might have already reached its end. God's patience reflects His i...
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Live for the Lord

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  Monday of week 17 in Ordinary Time  Jeremiah 13:1-11 Deuteronomy 32:18-21 Matthew 13:31-35 The Messiah, Christ Jesus, has guided us to place faith and trust in Him, promising that He will fulfill our heartfelt desires. It is important to remember that just as a mustard seed can grow into countless mustard trees, so too do each of us possess significant potential. We, as seeds, have much to contribute—skills, talents, and the capacity to activate our inner potential. Development from seed to fruitful tree requires ongoing transformation. If it had pleased God, each of us might have entered heaven immediately upon our conversion. Our preparation for eternal life does not necessarily require a prolonged stay here; it is conceivable that a person who has merely believed in Jesus could be called to the inheritance of the saints in light. While sanctification is a continuous process until we transition from this earthly life, it remains within God's sovereign will to bring us to h...
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SEEKING GOD’S KINGDOM

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  Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)   I Kg 3.5, 7-12;   Ps 118;   Rom 8.28-30;   Mt 13.44-52   Today’s Gospel presents three parables that reveal different aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable of the fishing net teaches that good and evil exist together in the world until God’s final judgment. Like the wheat and weeds, people respond differently to the Gospel—some accept it, while others reject it. The final separation belongs to God at the proper time. The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price emphasize the immense value of God’s kingdom. Those who recognize its worth willingly give up everything to obtain it. This requires detachment from selfishness and complete trust in God. Some discover faith unexpectedly, while others find it after a long search, but both experience great joy. King Solomon, in the first reading, is an example of someone who sincerely sought God’s wisdom and received it. St. Paul reminds us t...
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  Saint James, Apostle  - Feast   2 Corinthians 4:7-15  Psalm 125(126):1-6 Matthew 20:20-28 CALLED TO LOVE, CALLED TO SERVE  Today, the Church honors St. James, the brother of St. John—son of Zebedee and fisherman by trade. After they met with Jesus, he witnessed the Transfiguration and was present during the sleepless hours of the Agony in the Garden. Notably, he was the first of the apostles to face martyrdom, beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I to appease Jewish opponents of Christianity. He also played a role in Peter’s arrest and once got a harsh lesson in humility—being consumed by an internal parasite or worms as a punishment for pride. The Lord puts it to us in today’s gospel that Power, status, privilege, and prestige often go hand-in-hand with leadership—and they can be dangerously tempting. Like James and John, some of us follow Christ for the recognition and honor, while others seek to be in charge and exert control as men and women of God. Some pu...
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Fruitfulness through perseverance

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  Friday of week 16 in Ordinary Time  Jeremiah 3:14-17 Jeremiah 31:10-13 Matthew 13:18-23 Perseverance calls all of us to live Gospel-centered lives with unwavering commitment. We live in a world and within a church community that challenges us to nurture and hold fast to the seeds of faith planted in us at baptism. To deepen our faith, we must be willing to walk on rocky ground, endure the thorns we encounter, and persevere in the Gospel message—even when it is difficult to understand or when we would rather ignore it. Today's Gospel reminds us that the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word, understands it, and actively produces fruit—yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirtyfold. May we continue to cultivate ourselves as the rich soil that bears abundant spiritual fruit, not only enriching our own lives but also impacting everyone we meet on our faith journey with compassion and love.
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You are blessed to witness what the Father has revealed through his Son in the Holy Spirit

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  Thursday of week 16 in Ordinary Time  Jeremiah 2:1-3,​7-8,​12-13 · Psalm 35(36):6-11 Matthew 13:10-17 In today’s Gospel reading, I was particularly struck by Jesus’ explanation of why He often spoke to the people in parables. He quotes Isaiah: ‘They look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand.’… The hearts of these people are dull; they scarcely listen with their ears, have closed their eyes, so that they cannot see with their eyes, hear with their ears, or understand with their hearts—yet, if they did, I would heal them. You might wonder why these words of Jesus resonated so deeply with me. It’s probably because it feels like we struggle to see what truly matters and to hear what we need to hear. We find it hard to recognize the humanity in certain groups of people. We often don’t take the time to listen to their stories, and we struggle to hear how far Jesus is calling us to go in loving God and our neighbors. In our first reading from Jeremiah, God ...
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  Saint Mary Magdalen  - Feast Song of Songs 3:1-4 · Psalm 62(63):2-6,8-9 John 20:1-2,​11-18 We are called to witness to the Resurrection  Mary initially did not recognize the Rosen Lord due to her overwhelming grief and the vacant tomb that left her distraught. However, when the Lord called her by name, her sight was restored, and she identified Him as the Master. As followers of Christ, we too can become absorbed in our sorrow, potentially forgetting His words. The Lord then instructed Mary to inform His disciples that "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." She sought out the disciples and shared everything that had happened and what He had said. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Mary Magdalene is renowned as "apostolorum apostola,” the Apostle of the Apostles. She was the first to witness the empty tomb, the first to see the resurrected Christ, and the first to proclaim His Resurrection to the apostles. Her love for Jesus wa...
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