There is a Longing

Matthew 5:1-12a Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount took place at the beginning of His ministry.  It was His longest recorded explanation of what it means to follow Him and lead a full Christian life here on Earth with a great reward in Heaven.  The sermon began with today’s Gospel on the Beatitudes.  It can be easy to just brush over this Gospel that we’ve heard and seen many times, thinking we really don’t need to hear it again.  In addition to the Gospel reading, the Beatitudes are often found on inspirational plaques, cards, and in music.  They can even be used as an examination of conscience in preparing for confession. The Beatitudes contradict the secular call of the world, which views one’s level of happiness in light of having things and possessions.  The more we have, the happier we shall be…right?  Wrong!  That type of happiness is only fleeting. True joy can only be found when we answer the call of Jesus and conform our hearts with His. ...

  On June 16, 1946, Tshimangadzo Samuel Daswa was born into the Jewish Lemba tribe of Limpopo, South Africa. Growing up, he worked as a herd boy and studied. After the death of his father, he applied himself to the care of his four younger siblings and provided for their education. When he was 17, Daswa was baptized into the Catholic Church, being first introduced to it by a friend. Inspired by the life of the 6th century monk, he took the name Benedict and adopted the Saint’s phrase, “Ora et labora”.               Benedict became an active member of the Church, dedicating himself to the teaching and building up the parish in his area. In 1974, he married a woman named Shadi. They had eight children and would become a model of family life in their community, especially through their acts of honesty and charity.              Firm in his faith, Benedict adamantl...

On September 30, 2019, Pope Francis designated the 3 rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as “Sunday of the Word of God” . We are encouraged to use this day for celebrating, studying, and sharing the Word of God. The Bible is for all of us, not just a select few. God, the author of Sacred Scripture, inspired His team of human authors to write the books of the Bible. In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus beginning His ministry and the call of His first disciples. These were just ordinary men, working their ordinary fishing jobs. They knew of the Old Testament readings and prophecies of the Savior to come. They’d also heard of Jesus. Believing Him to be the long-awaited Messiah, they left their fisherman jobs to become “fishers of men” . Soon, Jesus would have His full team of disciples to follow Him, help spread the Good News, and carry on His works after He was gone. Two of those disciples (Matthew and John) even went on to become inspired authors of Gospels. ...

Blessed Laura Vicuna was the first child of Mercedes Pino and Jose Vicuna and was born into the noble Chilean family on April 5, 1891. When she was still young, Laura’s father died, leaving her alone with her mother and one younger sister. Left to raise her two daughters, Senora Mercedes was forced to find work outside of the country. Under desperate circumstances, she found no other option than to seek a living in a Senor Manuel Mora’s “hacienda,” a sort of large estate or plantation. This man was of a shady character and was able to win Senora Mercedes over by promises of help and protection, which included enrolling her daughters in a school run by Salesian Sisters in Junin. Sheltered under the love and guidance of the Sisters, Laura thrived. She began to learn more about God and through gentle nurturing, a deep love bloomed for Him within her. This love manifested itself in her kindness towards her schoolmates and the Sisters.  When she became aware of her mother’s situation, L...

This coming Friday, January 20th, the National March for Life will take place in Washington DC. The mission of this march is to "...promote the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion -- uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square." (marchforlife.org) Today, we are sharing a selection of pro-life quotes. Please join us in praying for an end to abortion! ********** "Life is a Gift From God. The Church’s teaching on the dignity of human life is clear. 'Human life' states the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 'must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person— among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.'” (Denver Archbishop Samual J. Aquila - January 22, 2013) "Some people argue that changing laws will not eliminate abortions. It is certainly true...

John 1:29-34 From the moment John the Baptist first encountered Jesus (at the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth), he began his ministry of preparing the way for our Savior. His leaping in Elizabeth’s womb awakened her senses to the Divine presence in Mary’s womb.  “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43) Now, as an adult, he testifies that Jesus is the “…Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Here we see the completion of his ministry as he passes the baton to Jesus. John’s baptism of water was of repentance. As the Son of God, Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit, removing the effects of Original Sin and giving us a sharing of His Life, Death, and Resurrection. “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” (John 1:34) John knew this was his time to step back from public ministry, surrendering to Jesus the mission of salvation. We, too, at times need to take that step back as well. Often, ...

  Juana Maria Condesa Lluch, Foundress of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Immaculate Conception, Protectress of Workers, was born on March 30, 1862. She was welcomed into a wealthy Christian family of Valencia, Spain, and received a sound Christian education. Juana lived a life rooted in prayer and from an early age, felt the call to live in a more profound union with God. She fostered a devotion to the Blessed Mother and to the Eucharist, and was known for her humility, selflessness and the joy that accompanies the two when practiced out of love.  As the growth of industrialization swept increasingly throughout the 19th century, Juana was especially attentive to factory workers. These were people forced to leave the country in order to find a means of living in the cities. Left with no other option, they were forced to make their living in the factories, and treated them as instruments.   Ever mindful of these injustices, Juana, at the young age of eighteen,...

One of the definitions of the word epiphany is "an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking." I think this fully encompasses the Feast of the Epiphany, which we celebrate twelve days after Christmas.  Through the magi's studies and in all their accumulated knowledge, they were called (by intuition/Divine revelation) to follow the star to Bethlehem. There, they found Jesus lying in a manger, a "simple and striking" vision of a King sent to rescue the Jewish people. They presented Him with gifts of gold (His Kingship), frankincense (His Priesthood), and myrrh (His burial ointment). Those may seem odd gifts to us, as we usually present newborn babies with blankets, clothing, diapers, & toys. However, the magi intuitively knew these gifts held special meaning for the reality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  A simple, striking birth in a manger in Bethlehem opened the door to salvation for the Jewis...

Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung was born on February 28, 1895, in Thailand. His parents raised him as a Christian, being converted from Buddhism, and he entered a minor seminary at the age of thirteen. Nicholas then went on to the Penang Major Seminary in 1920, and was ordained a priest in 1926. Nicholas served as a parish priest and also taught his native language to the Salesian Order upon their arrival to Thailand in 1927. In 1930, he was sent near Vietnam in Northern Thailand to serve as a missionary to the poor. Eleven years later, upon ringing the church bell in anticipation for Sunday Mass, Nicholas was arrested on the charge of “rebellion against the kingdom.” Although Thailand was officially neutral during WWII, anti-Western government dominated the country nonetheless. The Catholic Church was seen as a tool of the imperialis France and Catholics were considered a danger as “unpatriotic” and dangerous to the country.     Up to the moment of his arrest, Nicholas remai...

In honor of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who passed away December 31, 2022, we'd like to share some of his great wisdom. Any online search will display hundreds of quotes, so it was tough to just choose a handful for today. ††††† "Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness." "One who has hope lives differently." "The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." "Experience tells us that a world without God becomes a “hell”: filled with selfishness, broken families, hatred between individuals and nations, and a great deficit of love, joy and hope. On the other hand, wherever individuals and nations accept God’s presence, worship him in truth and listen to his voice, then the civilization of love is being built, a civilization in which the digni...

Any online search of the Blessed Virgin Mary will reveal hundreds of names for Her. There are dogmas of the Church (Immaculate Conception), geographical names from sites where she has appeared (Our Lady of Guadalupe), & events from Her life (Our Lady of Sorrows). The search will also show that many churches have been named for Her (Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal). Today, January 1, we celebrate under Her name, Mary, Mother of God. This day was instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1970 to commemorate Mary's role in salvation. Many non-Catholics feel the Catholic Church puts too much emphasis on Mary, believing that we worship Her at the level of worshipping Jesus. While we do not worship Her, we do acknowledge that She is deserving of special recognition & honor. God chose Her to be the Mother of His Son -- to be His Mother.  In his book, "The True Meaning of Christmas",  Michael Patrick Barber talks about the parallels between the ark of the covenant in the Old Testame...