We see in the first reading that the Israelite people were complaining because the road of the Exodus was very rough and they complained about it to Moses. Ask ourselves when we have a time of hardship and difficulties in life, do we complain like the Israelites or do we put our trust in the Good Lord? Paul tells us that we must have the desire to do good and leave behind our old selfishness according to the likeness of God of which we are made to go forward.

Jesus tells the crowd in this week’s Gospel that they are following Him for the wrong reasons. They were seeking Him because He filled their bellies. We see the same thing with the Israelites, they were content to follow God so long as there was plenty of food to eat.

Food is the most obvious of signs—because it is the most basic of our human needs. We need our daily bread to live, but we cannot live by this bread alone. We need the bread of eternal life that preserves those who believe in Him. That is what we read in the Book of Wisdom: “Instead of these things thou didst give thy people food of angels, and without their toil thou didst supply them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste, so that thy sons, whom thou didst love, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds man, but that thy word preserves those who trust in thee.”(Wisdom 16:20, 26).

This is the food that God longs to give us. This is the bread we should be seeking. The manna in the wilderness, like the bread Jesus multiplied for the crowd, was a sign of God’s Providence—that we should trust that He will provide for us. These signs pointed to their fulfillment in the Eucharist, the abundant bread of angels we sing about in this week’s Psalm.

We shall always ask for that Food from Heaven which will satisfy every need of our lives. We shall ask the Lord always to give us the food of the Angels. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, you are the true Bread of Heaven. Only you alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and hunger of my heart. Nourish me with the bread of life that I may be truly satisfied in you alone as the giver of life. Amen

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Both Elisha and Jesus face a crowd of hungry people with only a few “barley” loaves. And in both the miraculous multiplication of bread satisfies the hungry and leaves food left over. The Elisha story looks back to Moses, the prophet who fed God’s people in the wilderness. Moses prophesied that God would send a prophet like him. The crowd in today’s Gospel, witnessing His miracle, identifies Jesus as that prophet. The Gospel today again shows Jesus to be the Lord, the good shepherd, who makes His people lie down on green grass and spreads a table before them.

Today Jesus points to the final fulfillment of that promise in the Eucharist. He does the same things He does at the Last Supper—He takes the loaves, pronounces a blessing of thanksgiving and gives the bread to the people. We should see that twelve baskets of bread are left over, one for each of the Apostles. These are signs that should point us to the Eucharist—in which the Church founded on the Apostles continues to feed us with the living bread of His Body.

When we approach the Table of the Lord today, what do we expect to receive from the Good Lord? I am sure that He will give us healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for our souls. The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist at the Lord’s Table is an intimate union with Jesus Christ, our Divine Healer and Savior. As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. We have to hunger for the “bread of life” every day of our lives. To live a Eucharistic life means to be transformed within by Jesus in such a way that we begin to offer our bodies, blood, sweat, tears, calluses, energy, time—all we have and are—for those for whom Jesus died.

The feeding of the five thousand shows also the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness towards human beings. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. For that we must trust in God’s provision for us and then share freely with others, especially those who are in need. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall live our lives for Christ always and receive the Eucharist and live a Eucharistic life, sharing with our brothers and sisters what God gave and multiplies in our lives.

God Bless you all,

Fr. Charley

Shepherding was one of the oldest of callings in Israel, even before farming, since the Chosen People had traveled from place to place, living in tents, and driving their flocks from one pasture to another. Looking after sheep was no easy calling. It required great skill and courage. Herds were often quite large, thousands or even tens of thousands of sheep. The flocks spent a good part of the year in the open country. Watching over them required a great deal of
attention and care.

In the First Reading we heard that Jeremiah was saying that Israel’s leaders, through godlessness and fanciful teachings, had misled and scattered God’s people. He promises God will send a shepherd, a king and son of David, to gather the lost sheep and appoint for them new shepherds.

The crowd gathering on the green grass in today’s Gospel is the start of the remnant that Jeremiah promised would be brought back to the meadow of Israel. The people seem to sense and to come to understand that Jesus is the Lord, the good shepherd, the king they’ve been waiting for. Jesus is moved to pity, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd. This phrase was used by Moses to describe Israel’s need for a shepherd to succeed him. And as Moses appointed Joshua, Jesus appointed the Twelve to continue shepherding His people on earth. As we sing in today’s Psalm, through the Church, the Lord, our good shepherd, still leads people to the verdant pastures of the kingdom, to the restful waters of baptism; He still anoints with the oil of confirmation, and spreads the Eucharistic table before all people, filling their cups to overflowing.

Jesus’ love was a personal love for each and every person who came to him in need. We must know that peace and security of a life freely submitted to Jesus because He is the Good Shepherd. In the person of the Lord Jesus, we see the unceasing vigilance and patience of God’s love. Therefore, we must trust in his grace and help at all times.

Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, you send your only begotten son Lord Jesus as a Shepherd to guard and protect us from all evil. Help us to stand firm in your word and to trust in your help in all circumstances of our daily life. May we always find rest and refuge in your loving presence. Amen.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

Jesus gave his apostles both the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He commanded them to do the works which he did—to heal the sick, to cast out evil spirits, and to speak the word of God—the good news of the gospel which they received from Jesus. When Jesus spoke of power and authority, he did something unheard of. He wedded power and authority with self-sacrificing love and humility.

Why does Jesus tell the apostles to “travel light” with little or no provision? “Poverty of spirit” frees us from greed and preoccupation with our possessions and makes ample room for God’s provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory. When you are ready to use the spiritual authority and power which God wishes you to exercise on his behalf, the Lord entrusts us with his gifts and talents.

Actually, in the teaching of the Catholic Church, the parents are the first missionaries—the first catechists and the first teachers to their children. They got this responsibility of first teachers when the child was baptized. They took the oath before God and the church through the minister that they are going to pass this faith to the child.

Many still have the idea that the call of Christ is addressed only to apostles and their successors, the bishops. This is not true today. All of us are called by God to be missionaries, proclaimers, and witnesses to others of His Words. The Vatican II document entitled, “On the Apostolate of the Laity” said: “Incorporated into Christ’s Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by the Spirit through Confirmation, the laity are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself.” So, whatever your call may be, you are sent out “to preach, heal, teach, and witness to the good news,” in short, to evangelize.

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, know in your hearts that we are called to be missionaries, called by Jesus to proclaim. It is our responsibility to practice that in our daily lives. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, make me a channel of your healing power and merciful love. Free me from all the attachments of this world, that I may joyfully pursue the treasure of your heavenly kingdom. May I preach the joy of the Gospel both in word and deed. Amen.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

According to the First Book of Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart” (16:7). Today we are contaminated by a sickness which is more dangerous than AIDS or cancer or an (H1N1) influenza virus. This sickness is called He-man (Himantayon in Visayan dialect), or observing and assessing people by their looks or appearances.

On the day He taught in their synagogue he was met with suspicious, hostile looks and cynicism. The most severe critics are often people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative, or neighbor, or co-worker we rub shoulders with on a regular basis. Jesus faced a severe testing when he returned to his home town, not simply as the carpenter’s son, but now as a rabbi with disciples. Their opposition was based on the fact that He was too transparent to them. They knew Him very well. They knew Him as the son of a carpenter. They could not accept this. They could not accept that the Messiah they were waiting for was just a son of a very simple and ordinary carpenter. They believed that the Messiah would come from an unknown source.

What Christ is asking from us today is that we should not set aside these Christian values of simplicity, authenticity, and sincerity. Do not make your pride reign in your hearts. Greg O’Hern said: “Be cheerful and understanding, ever ready to give a helping hand and a comforting word. When you hear an unkind remark, when you have been the object of an abuse, when you feel your grievance must be revenged, control your temper and stay calm. Forget the urging temptation to fight back, for a wrong thing done cannot be righted with another. If possible, avoid explaining your side while your neighbor is still in an irritated mood. Why try to build a castle while the storm is raging.” Jesus humbles Himself and is born like us in all things but sin. He set aside His being God in order to be close to us and to hear what is lacking in us. We must abandon our selfish biases and intellectual cynicism in order to possess a discerning heart. So let us look not at the appearance because that is deceiving, but at the heart; it is surely a win.

Let us try to see goodness in others always. Whatever the way they look is not most important; what is in the Heart is most important. From the fullness of heart, the mouth speaks. Judge no one on earth.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Jesus was aware of a touch that was out of the ordinary, a touch of faith by a desperate woman. He stops to question, “Who touched me”? He knew power had gone out of Him and He had cured someone, but to Him it was not just a face in the crowd; He had cured a person. He had to meet her face to face, speak with her, reassure her, and comfort her. The woman comes forward; she is fearful and starting to tremble; she needs reassuring, needs kind words. She fell at the feet of Jesus. Jesus simply tells her, “It is your faith that has cured you; go in peace and be free of this illness.”

According to Jewish law, this woman was unclean because of her condition. Therefore, anyone she touched would likewise be rendered unclean. Jesus shows no concern for the ritual laws of purity. His only concern is for her. “Your faith has cured you.”

We also read about Jairus. He is an official of the synagogue, part of the establishment. He would normally regard Jesus as an outsider, a heretic, one to whom the synagogue doors would be closed. It is not faith that has brought him to Jesus, but desperation.

His child was ill, so he forgot his prejudices, his dignity, and pride. He throws himself at the feet of Jesus and begs, “My daughter is dying, come and cure her.” Then a message comes, and he is told, “Your daughter has died.” Jesus tries to build his faith. He tells him that fear is useless, what is needed is trust. Just as an aside—notice that the little girl is twelve years old, and the bleeding woman has suffered the same twelve years. The ruler calls his beloved child “daughter.” Jesus called the woman healed of the bleeding “daughter,” but in both cases, Jesus touched someone who was considered unclean. Their wholeness mattered more to Jesus than His reputation.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall also ask for His healing and divine touch in our daily lives. We shall ask ourselves how much trust do we have in the Lord whom you and I believe—who is the Master and Teacher to us? Do we keep any prejudice towards others in our daily lives? For Jesus what matters is the wholeness of the person, not the caste or creed he or she belongs to. We will ask the Good Lord to open our hearts and eyes to see the things of this world with Jesus’s eyes and Jesus’s heart always—that is with mercy, love, compassion, and kindness towards others.

With love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

Jesus’ sleeping presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples. They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in the boat. They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour of need. The Lord Jesus is ever present to us. And in our time of testing, he asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? Do you recognize the Lord’s presence with you, especially when you meet the storms of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord is there with the same reassuring message: “It is I, do not be afraid.”

According to St. Augustine of Hippo:

When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind; when your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So, when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate, but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence…Rouse him then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him…A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him.

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, let us always feel the presence of Jesus in our lives. He is always there at our side, only we have to rouse him and let Him know our situation. We shall always try to walk with him. Many times the storms of our lives appear to be overwhelming, but we must not allow storms that attack our lives, whether personally or communally, to defeat us. We have the one person in our corner who can always be counted upon to be our champion. His name is JESUS. Don’t ever forget that.

With love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

On this Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, we reflect on the profound messages of hope that scripture offers us, drawing particularly from the insights of the prophet Ezekiel and the teachings of St. Paul.

Ezekiel offers us a vision of hope from Babylon born of his experience as a priest in exile. He speaks of the Lord planting “a tender shoot” on the “high and lofty mountain” of Israel. This imagery is not just poetic but deeply symbolic, representing a future filled with hope. Ezekiel reassures us of God’s undiminished power. Ezekiel boldly declares that our God is neither defeated nor dead. He is alive and actively present among His people, capable of both humbling the mighty and exalting the humble.

This message of hope is beautifully echoed in Psalm 92 which we recite with faith in our hearts, confident in the restoration of Israel and the Temple through God’s unwavering faithfulness. The Psalmist reminds us of the flourishing life promised to those who remain steadfast in their faith.

St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, extends this theme of hope by addressing the Christian community’s own form of exile. He reminds us that, in a very real sense, we are all exiles in this world, yearning for our true home with God. Yet, even as we navigate this earthly existence “away from the Lord,” we are called to live in a manner pleasing to Him, anchored by our faith and trust in His providence. It is in this daily living and aspiring to please God that we find our strength and purpose.

The seed, seemingly insignificant, sprouts and grows in ways beyond our understanding, symbolizing the kingdom of God that flourishes in unexpected places and circumstances. We take to heart the message of hope that today’s readings offer us. Like the tender shoot planted by the Lord, may we grow and flourish in our faith, nurtured by the knowledge of God’s active presence and faithfulness. Remember, no matter where we find ourselves, to give thanks to the Lord, to proclaim His kindness and faithfulness. For in His love and power we find our true home and the promise of eternal life.

We shall always look up to the Eternal Home and walk with the Lord that in the fullness of time God will provide everything we need in the world to come. Put our trust in Him and only in Him. Without His knowledge, nothing will ever happen to us.

I wish all the fathers of our parish a Blessed Fathers’ Day in the grace of God the Father and the example of St. Joseph!

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about spiritual dangers or harm that we should avoid at all costs. Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure. How could such a person be overtaken and robbed of his goods except by someone who is stronger than himself? Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than we are. Unless we are clothed in God’s strength, we cannot withstand Satan with our own human strength. We need the help of the Holy Spirit.

What does Satan wish to take from us? Our faith and confidence in God and our allegiance to follow God’s law. Satan is a rebel and a liar. Satan can only have power or dominion over us if we listen to his lies and succumb to his will, which is contrary to the will of God. Jesus makes it clear that there are no neutral parties in this world. We are either for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. There are two kingdoms in opposition to one another—the kingdom of God’s light and truth and the kingdom of darkness and deception under the rule of Satan. If we disobey God’s word, we open the door to the power of sin and Satan’s influence in our lives. If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then our “house”—our mind and heart and whatever we allow to control our appetites and desires—must be occupied and ruled by Jesus Christ where he is enthroned as Lord and Savior. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and his victory over the grave when he rose again on the third day, Satan has been defeated and death has been overcome. We now share in
Christ’s victory over sin and Satan and receive adoption as God’s sons and daughters. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord enables us to live a new life of love and freedom from slavery to sin. The Lord Jesus is our refuge and strength because he makes his home with us (John 15:4) and gives us the power and help of the Holy Spirit. Do you take refuge in the Lord and allow him to be the Ruler of your life? Yes, we must always take only Jesus in our lives and follow Him alone.

Let us pray: “Lord Jesus, you are my hope and salvation. Be the ruler of my heart and the master of my home. May there be nothing in my life that is not under your lordship.” Together with St. Thomas the Apostle we shall pray: “My Lord and my God.” I have nothing in this world other than you. I surrender myself wholly at your feet. Take me Lord and make me yours always. Protect me from Satan and all his works. Amen.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley