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

In 1207, a Belgian Augustinian nun, Giuliana di Cornillon, who had just turned fifteen, had a vision of a full moon with a dark spot sullying it. Contemporary experts interpreted it thus: the full moon symbolized the Church, the dark spot was the absence of a specific feast in honor of the Body of the Eucharistic Jesus.

The following year, the same religious had an even clearer vision, but had to fight hard to get the feast instituted. She succeeded only at the diocesan level, when Robert de Thourette became bishop of Liège in 1247. In 1261, the former archdeacon of Liège, Jacques Panteléon, became Pope Urban IV. In 1264, impressed by a Eucharistic miracle that had taken place in Bolsena, near Orvieto in Italy where he was residing, he promulgated the bull Transiturus through which he instituted a new solemnity to be celebrated the Thursday after the Octave of Pentecost in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. Since Pope Urban IV died two months after having instituted the feast, the bull was never implemented, but Pope Clement V, the first Avignon Pope (1312), confirmed it later. The now traditional procession of Corpus Christi was introduced by Pope John XXII in 1316.

The ongoing Sacrament: These words of the Italian Bishops are still valid: “Many Christians live without the Eucharist. Others “make” the Eucharist but do not “make” the Church; that is, they celebrate the Eucharist in church but do not live according to the Eucharist.” The Eucharist still remains today an ongoing
Sacrament! We pray in front of the Holy Eucharist: “O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Most Divine, All Praise and All Thanksgiving, Be every Moment
Thine.” (Repeat 3 Times)

We shall make it a habit in our daily lives.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Today is Trinity Sunday. Our faith tells us there is but one God, and in this one God, there are three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three persons are really distinct: the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father, and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son.

Each of these persons is really and truly God, and still, there is but one God. We cannot understand it and we could not believe it if God had not told us; however, Jesus told us a great deal about God. He told us that God is love, life, and goodness.

To be a whole person, we must have a relationship with our God. We humans do not like being out of relationship with those around us or our God. We human beings are in desperate need for union.

We are made in the image and likeness of God, and God is communion, is relationship, and therefore so are we. Humans strive for union with God and with each other. We reach out for companionship. Every hug or embrace gives indirect testimony to the Trinity.

The Trinity says that God is relationship, and so we search. We are made to that image and likeness; we have to share all that we have with others.

God is love and unity undivided, and we strive for the same. Think of the most satisfying moments of your life: when you sat on your mother’s lap, when you were held or hugged, when you were affirmed, when you were simply in the silent presence of someone you loved, when you had someone in your life.

To be a Christian is to be always “on call.” On this feast of the Most Holy Trinity, we celebrate the mystery that God—Father, Son, and Spirit—has called us into an intimate relationship of love. God has made us his own daughters and sons.

We shall love each other and care for each other. We shall be part of God and show the world that we are made in the likeness and image of God.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

Today is Pentecost Sunday, which may be better called the Feast of the Holy Spirit. Actually, the meaning of the word Pentecost is “fiftieth.” For early Christian people, Ascension occurred on the 40th day after Easter which recognized the 40th day after the death of a person. This Pentecost feast occurred seven weeks, or 50 days, after the Passover feast. For Christians, especially Catholics, this feast occurs after the resurrection of Jesus.

Pentecost Sunday is always associated with the descent and giving as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This Pentecost feast is called also the Birthday of the Church. It is because even though the apostles received the Holy Spirit on Christ’s first appearance to them after His Resurrection, it was on Pentecost Day that this descent of the Holy Spirit became a public manifestation by which the crowds were amazed. People with different languages could understand the apostles’ preaching even though they spoke in their own tongue. It is good to talk about the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit is the proper name of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is true God just like the Father and the Son. Jesus calls Him the “Paraclete,” literally meaning, “He who is called to one side,” or “Advocate,” and commonly translated as “Consoler.”

The Sacrament of Confirmation is particularly the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. Through this sacrament we receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. If we use these Gifts we shall receive as rewards the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, namely: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity, Goodness, Long-suffering, Mildness, Faith, Modesty, Continence, and Chastity.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, on this Feast Day we shall thank God for sending the Advocate or Consoler to help us in our difficult moments of life. We pray the Good Lord to inspire us with His Spirit to always make right decisions at right times in our lives.

With love and prayers,

Fr. Charley