I am the Good Shepherd.

"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10: 27).

4th Sunday of Easter is the Good Shepherd Sunday.
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack." (Psalm 23: 1).

A dear friend told me of siblings who are not the sheep of Christ. They make themselves unknown to Jesus and refuse to listen and follow Him.
Do you have kids, siblings, friends, colleagues in the same situation? Do you feel any responsibility to help them? By virtue of your Baptism, the answer is unqualified Yes. (CCC 2472). These are the first steps:

#1 Intercessory prayers.
#2 Fasting, Almsgiving, Rosary.
#3 Masses.

Today is Mother's Day. One mother who understood that any foolish sheep outside the Shepherd's control is in mortal danger is St Monica. St Monica is the mother of the great St Augustine: Bishop, Doctor and Father of the Church. Through many prayers and tears, she was able to snatch her wayward son from the jaws of hell.
Augustine understood as few men have done that the so-called pleasures of this world are slippery and illusory. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8: 36).

Abba Father, attune our minds to the voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus the Son. Lead our steps to the path He has shown that we may enjoy the light of Your presence for ever! Amen.

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Now enters the Holy Spirit..

"It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail." (John 6: 63).

Saturday in the 3rd week of Easter. We reach a critical point in the Bread of life Discourse when Jesus declared the absolute necessity of chewing His flesh and drinking His blood. Many of His disciples were scandalized and left Jesus and went home to continue with their former business. Jesus however did not call them back to say that He was using a hyperbole or a metaphor. Instead He challenged the few remaining disciples to go home too if they wish.

Then enters the Holy Spirit:  "It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail." The Holy Spirit is the heart and life of the Church. In the 1st Reading today from (Acts 9: 31 - 42), we learn of the rapid growth of the Church everywhere as they enjoyed peace and the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

We are almost four weeks to the great Solemnity of Pentecost. It is time to start thinking of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is Lord and Giver of life, the same substance with the Father and the Son. Together with the Father and the Son, He is adored and glorified. It is He who will turn our lives upside down. Not in a bad sense. He is the cause of the Abundant life promised by Jesus in John 10: 10.

"Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!" (John 6: 63,68).

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My flesh is real food.

"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him,says the Lord."  (John 6: 56).

Friday in the 3rd week of Easter. The Bread of life Discourse is a very important theme for the Gospel of St John, so today Jesus continues this most important topic.

Remain in Me and I remain in you, Jesus pleads. The only way you can bear fruit in My work is if you remain in Me and I in you. We have heard this enough to excite our interest. But Lord Jesus, how do we remain in You?

#1 You must eat My flesh and drink My blood.
#2 You must dwell in My word. Make it really your home.
#3 You must remain in sanctifying grace.

Lord, how do I remain always in sanctifying grace? Sounds impossible. Not at all. Use frequently the Sacrament of Reconciliation and examination of conscience. Receive Me often in the Eucharist.

Lord Jesus, grant that everything we do may be directed by the knowledge of Your truth. May these mysteries which You have revealed to us give us new purpose and bring us to a new life in You. Amen.

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Whoever believes has eternal life.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life." (John 6: 47).

Thursday of the 3rd week of Easter. Jesus continues the Bread of life Discourse. He makes an astonishing statement about belief. Everyone who is acquainted with the Bible knows that faith or belief is absolutely necessary for a relationship with God. But in (John 6: 47), we learn that eternal life begins here and now for everyone who believes.

What does Jesus mean when He says that "whoever believes has eternal life?" What is eternal life? Eternal life is Jesus Himself. "Eternal life is to know you the one true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17: 3). In another place, Jesus says: "I am the truth, the way and the life." (John 14: 6).

To have the quality of belief in Jesus that gives you the enjoyment of the peace and affluence of the kingdom of God here and now, you need:

#1 To believe everything that Jesus teaches. No cafeteria Christian. "He who picks up one end of the stick picks up the other end."

#2 To observe everything that Jesus teaches and commands.
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 18 - 20).

"Christ died for all, that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him, who died for them and is risen, alleluia." (2 Corinthians 5: 15).

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The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.

"But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus!" (Acts 8: 4 TLB).

Wednesday in the 3rd week of Easter. The persecution that followed the martyrdom of Stephen scattered the first Christians everywhere. Just like the death of Jesus and Stephen, this persecution was no accident.

The circumstances of your call and answer to the ministry may not always be neat and planned. Hurricane, flood or fire may chase you into the land of your ministry. It could be the providential downsizing of your company or the death of a spouse.
Whatever the circumstances, you must be prepared to say Yes at the first call.

Philip, the Deacon fled Jerusalem and landed in Samaria. What did he do? He preached the Good News in his new home and converted a large number of people to Christ the Lord. (Cf Acts 8: 5 - 8).

Necessity is the mother of invention. The mother eagle shakes out the nest so that the complacent little eaglets will embrace their life's mission.

Be alert. Be vigilant. Jesus may come like a thief in the night.

"Alleluia, alleluia!
It is my Father’s will, says the Lord,
that whoever believes in the Son shall have eternal life,
and that I shall raise him up on the last day. Alleluia!" (John 6: 40).

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I am the Bread of life.

"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." (John 6: 35).

Tuesday in the 3rd week of Easter. In the Bread of life Discourse, Jesus told those who were beginning to develop faith in Him that [I AM + BREAD OF LIFE]. I AM is of course the name that Yahweh revealed to Moses in the Burning Bush as His sacred name.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man will give us Himself as our Bread. Not just bread but Bread of life. What does the Church teach about the Bread of life?

"It [Eucharist] refers directly to the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ, the "medicine of immortality," without which we have no life within us......The Eucharist is our daily bread. The power belonging to this divine food makes it a bond of union. Its effect is then understood as unity, so that, gathered into his Body and made members of him, we may become what we receive.  This also is our daily bread." (CCC 2837)

In the Eucharist, we receive who we are, the Body of Christ. Now we must become what we receive, the Body of Christ.

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What does belief in Jesus mean?

"Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” (John 6: 29).

Monday in the 3rd week of Easter. In our key Scripture above, the disciples asked Jesus what to do to accomplish the work of God. Jesus answered them: Only one thing is necessary. Believe in Jesus. Period.
We need to unpack what Belief in Jesus entails. Belief in Jesus means radical trust in Jesus. It means making Jesus and His Kingdom number one reality in your life.

Our second Reading today from Acts 6: 8 - 5 gives us a concrete example of a man that has a radical faith in Jesus and the result of such a faith.

"Now Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people." (Acts 6: 8).

When you truly believe in Jesus and the power of His name, you will be filled with grace and power and will be able to work miracles.

Stephen was surrounded by antagonists who wanted to punch holes in his claim that Jesus is the Lord and long expected Messiah "but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke." (Acts 6: 10).

The Spirit prompted what Stephen said in the debate.

Stephen's witness to Jesus showed clearly that Jesus Christ kept the promises He made to His disciples.
Do not be afraid to bear witness to Jesus.

"Alleluia, alleluia! ‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. Alleluia!" (John 20: 29).

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Bearing witness to who we are is a duty.

"We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5: 32).

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter. During the Holy Week 3 weeks ago, we stood in the crowd and watched the Passion of the Christ. On Easter Sunday, we were huddled in fear with other disciples when the Risen Jesus appeared and said to us: "I was dead but behold I am alive forever." (Cf Revelation 1: 18). We rejoiced and danced for joy.

Today, "the true and faithful Witness" is inviting us to bear witness to what we have seen and heard. Are you ready? What does it mean to bear witness or to be sent on a mission? What does the Church say?

"The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known." (CCC 2472).

To make a long story short, bearing witness to Jesus is a duty and a necessity from our privileges as Christians.

"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."  (John 15: 16).

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What you do when you are terrified.

“It is I. Do not be afraid.” (John 6: 20).

Saturday in the 2nd week of Easter. The disciples were terrified when they see Jesus walking towards their boat in the lake. Jesus said: "It is I. Do not be afraid.” And they became pacified. Have you ever been in a fearful situation when the word of God brought you peace and comfort?

Once upon a time, I spent the night in the countryside in a house that was fenced with a brick wall. In the middle of the night, I heard a loud noise that seemed like someone of over 300 pounds had jumped over the wall. I woke up with a cold sweat wondering how to defend myself. Then a Scripture that I know and repeat often came to my mind:
"Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." (Psalm 127: 1).
I asked myself: "Who is my security?" Peace and calm returned to me and I went back to sleep.
Jesus promises to be with us always. (Matthew 28: 20). If we cultivate the sense of His presence, this will bring peace and security in fearful moments.

"O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia." (1 Peter 2: 9).

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Feast of Saints Philip and James.

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14: 6).

First Friday in the 2nd week of Easter. Today is the feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles.

What does Jesus mean when He says that He is the Way? We say that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. Jesus is the direct way to the Father. When Jesus says: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things you need will come to you." (Cf Matthew 6: 33). He gives us the most direct way to the good life. Jesus Christ is the Good News.

Jesus Christ is not only the Way, He is also the Truth and the Life. What is the meaning of life, you may wonder from time to time. The answer is in the Truth that is Jesus. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all things. In His light, we see all light. Jesus Christ is the Top Prize.

"I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." (John 10: 10). Jesus is that life which we yearn for. This is why He gave us His flesh and blood for our food. He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to you and said: "Take and eat. This is my body." He did the same with the cup of wine.

Just as Saints Philip and James heard Jesus say "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and believed Him and followed Him so should we respond to His message.

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Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday, May 3.

First Friday, May 03, 2019.

Jesus promised 12 special graces and favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month.  In the 5th month of the year 2019, we look at Promise #5.

#5.  "I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings."

We celebrated the feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1st. St Joseph is the patron saint of many workers who intercede for them for success and prosperity in all their understandings.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus promises to pour abundant blessings on all the undertakings of those who honor Him especially on the First Friday of every month.

Lord, prosper the work of our hands.

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass.

For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, click the link below:

http://sfjweb.com/?q=content/sacred-heart-12-promises

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We must obey God rather than men.

“We gave you strict orders [did we not?] to stop teaching in that name." (Acts 5: 28).

Thursday in the 2nd week of Easter. The Memorial of St Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (297 - 373).St Athanasius defended the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Arian heresy. The heretics, a group not unlike the modern Jehovah Witnesses in their beliefs and arrogance. The Arians at this time had immense political power and they used it effectively to advance their pernicious doctrine. Athanasius the metropolitan Archbishop of Alexandria in Egypt suffered many exiles from Arian administrators but did not compromise the integrity of the Catholic Faith which is once and for all delivered to the saints.

"But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5: 29). The Apostle Peter and his brother Apostles laid down an important principle here. It is better to suffer than to deny the faith. This is a principle that our saint of today followed all his life.

"We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5: 32).

We believe in the infallible word of God. We believe in the Teaching of the Catholic Church. We believe in the concrete experiences God has given us to support our faith. We obey God and therefore we too are witnesses of these things as is the Holy Spirit that God has given us.

"In the midst of the Church [Athanasius] opened his mouth,
and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory, alleluia. (Cf Sirach 15: 5)

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Feast of St Joseph the Worker.

"Is he not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13: 55).

Wednesday in the 2nd week of Easter. Today is May Day, the feast of St Joseph the Worker. The Church teaches that God laid down for human beings the law of work. Jesus Christ, a man in all things but sin was not exempt from the law of work. He followed the profession of His foster father Joseph the Carpenter. After Joseph died, Jesus became a self employed business man running the family carpentry shop until he was 30 years when he left Nazareth to start His ministry.

The feast of St Joseph the Worker "reminds us that honest work, no matter how seemingly menial, can be sanctified. Through work we can sanctify ourselves and others, making each of us participants in the work of redemption." (Roman Missal).

May the Lord prosper the work of our hands.

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The Apostles bore powerful witness to the Resurrection of Jesus.

"With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all." (Acts 4: 33).

Tuesday in the 2nd week of Easter. The first Reading from Acts 4: 32 - 37 answers our curiosity: How did those very first Christians live? They had no doubt great community life. But our key Scripture for today deals with one crucial aspect: The Apostles testified with powerful sermons to the Resurrection of Jesus. The Resurrection of the Lord became their magnificent obsession. This is a very important and interesting point given their initial timidity after the Crucifixion. What made the difference? Let us hear from Jesus.

"You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified]." (John 3: 7 AMP).

In plain language it means: "To understand and believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and bear witness to it by your life day after the day, you must receive and activate the gift of the Holy Spirit."

All things are created twice. The first creation is earthy and earthly. Like Adam. The second creation is heavenly like Jesus.

Do you embrace your mission of bearing witness to the Resurrection of the Lord by sharing your gifts of time, talent and treasure?

"Alleluia, alleluia!
You, O Christ, are the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood. Alleluia!" (Revelations 1: 5).

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How to set the world on fire.

"As they prayed... they were all filled with the holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4: 31).

Peter and John reported all that happened during their imprisonment and trial to their community. The community thanked God and prayed for courage to continue the work of evangelization. God answered their prayers.

Today is the Memorial of St Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (1347 - 1380). God set St Catherine on fire with divine love and boldness in the service of the Church.

"Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire." St Catherine of Siena said and lived this maxim. One of the poignant lessons of our key Scripture from Acts 4: 31 is the power of prayer. God answers prayers.

"Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father." (Matthew 18: 19).

How often do you pray and agree with someone over a need or intention?

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Solemnity of Divine Mercy.

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (Lamentations 3: 22 - 23).

Today is the 2nd Sunday of Easter. We celebrate today the Solemnity of Divine Mercy. What is Divine Mercy? According to St Maria Faustina, the Apostle of Mercy, Divine Mercy is simply God's loving mercy for all men and women especially for sinners. This is a marvelous good news for all of us especially those in most need of mercy here and now. Imagine souls that are departing this world at this moment. What better good news could lift them up than to hear that God is rich in mercy and is waiting for them to turn to Him to blot out all their sins and receive them into Paradise.

The Divine Mercy devotions consist of Divine Mercy Novena (9 days of praying the Divine Mercy Rosary) and the Divine Mercy Rosary which can be prayed every day on its own. It takes about 10 minutes. Very powerful!
The Divine Mercy devotion is best remembered by its acronym ABC of Mercy:
Ask for mercy.
Be merciful.
Completely trust Jesus for mercy.

Jesus I trust in You.

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The Sheep are ransomed by the Lamb.

"Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb; and Christ, the undefiled, hath sinners to his Father reconciled." (The Easter Sequence).

Saturday in the Octave of Easter. The Lord Jesus in the Gospel (Mark 16: 9 - 15), rebuked the Apostles for not believing the credible witnesses who informed them of His Resurrection. Our reflection today however is from the Easter Sequence.

We offer the Paschal Victim [Jesus] our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving through our prayers but especially through immersion in His word and the Eucharist. At Calvary, we the Sheep are ransomed by the Lamb[Jesus].

What does Ransom mean? It means Redemption. Because of our sins, we owe a debt to God that no man or all men can redeem. Jesus paid the Ransom through His death. This is the meaning of Redemption. Now we are reconciled to God and therefore qualified for the fruits of Salvation.

At Calvary, we are redeemed but now wait for the Promise of the Father in Pentecost to enjoy the fruits of Salvation. What is Salvation?

"The Lord led his people to freedom and they shouted with joy and gladness. Alleluia!" This is Salvation.
Salvation is freedom from slavery to sin, fear, worry, doubt.
Redemption plus Salvation equals Spirit-filled Christian. This is the Good News we must share.
Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Savior.

As we march towards the Promise of the Father in Pentecost, let us sing:
"Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!" (Psalm 117: 24).

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What do you know about the Name of Jesus?

“By what power or by what name have you done this?” (Acts 4: 7).

Friday in the Octave of Easter. The healing of the crippled man landed Peter and John in trouble with the authorities. It also gave them the opportunity to bear witness to the power of the Name of Jesus.

Remember: "You are witnesses of these things." Jesus had said to His disciples:

#1 The Death of Jesus.
#2 Testimony of Scripture to the suffering and death of Jesus: (Luke 24: 44 - 46).
#3 The Resurrection of Jesus.
#4 The power of the Name of Jesus.

Today is the opportunity to bear witness explicitly to the awesome Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus contains the Person, Presence and Power of Jesus.

"Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders:.... then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed." (Acts 4: 8, 10).

The Name of Jesus is a sacramental. When evoked with faith disposes you to feel the Presence of Jesus. The Name of Jesus protects us from evil spirits who are terrified by that mighty Name. The Name of Jesus is the shortest and very effective prayer. It is one of my favorite prayers. "Jesus, Jesus!"

"Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!" (Psalm 117: 24).

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You are witnesses of these things.

"And he [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day  and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24: 26 - 28).

Thursday in the Octave of Easter. The Risen Jesus appears in the midst of His disciples with doors locked and bolted. They were understandably terrified. But Jesus calmed them down and convinced them that it was He. And Jesus said to them and us: "You are witnesses of these things."

What things are we to be witnesses of? Consider the following:

#1 The Death of Jesus.
#2 Testimony of Scripture to the suffering and death of Jesus: (Luke 24: 44 - 46).
#3 The Resurrection of Jesus.
#4 The power of the Name of Jesus.

This is the core of the apostolic catechesis. It has not changed. We bear witness to these truths by the witness of our daily lives.

"O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him,
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia." (1 Peter 2: 9).

Easter is a 50 day celebration and so we continue to sing:
"Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!" (Psalm 117: 24).

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Nobody can give that which he has not.

“I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you." (Acts 3: 6).

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter 2019. Peter and John on their way into the Temple healed a lame man in the name of Jesus. "In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk." (Acts 3: 6).

The Latins say: "Nemo dat quod non habet." Translated: "Nobody can give that which he has not." Makes sense? Absolutely!

I have often been empowered by the above Scripture. (Acts 3: 6).
God has blessed us with many gifts and talents but not everyone with  silver and gold. "Why don't I have lots of silver and gold pieces to fill my purse?" This was the dilemma of Peter in this narrative. This is my dilemma too. As a consequence, I did not know how to share my many blessings. One day, light and understanding came from above. "Your situation is not an accident but divine providence." Therefore,
#1 Accept who you are.
#2 Accept all that has happened.
#3 Accept everything that is happening.
#4 Cooperate with everything except what is sinful.

Do you struggle to understand why you do not have what you consider crucial to abundant life?
The truth below can set you free:

#1 "Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things." (Matthew 6: 32). God knows exactly what you need and when you need it.
#2 "Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!" (Psalm 23: 1 TLB).

Can't you see how the Lord in His kindness and mercy provides you everything you need? Share your blessings. Do not bemoan what you don't have.

"Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!" (Psalm 117: 24).

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