Joseph and Fr. John

"19 As soon as the master heard his wife's story about how his slave had treated her, he became enraged. He seized Joseph and threw him into the jail where the royal prisoners were confined. But even while he was in prison, the LORD remained with Joseph; he showed him kindness by making the chief jailer well-disposed toward him." Genesis 39: 19 - 21

While praying for Fr. Corapi, I saw a parallel of his situation with Joseph in Genesis. Below is a short piece from the narrative:

God in His loving providence allowed the pure and innocent Joseph to be falsely accused by a womanof attempted rapeand then sent to maximum security prison with hard labor for years. This is very instructive when considering the case of Fr. John Corapi. I believe it is entirely possible and consistent with God's ways of acting to allow Fr. John Corapi's faith to be tried in the manner it is being tried today. What Fr. Corapi’s followersneed to do is to pray for himwith complete trust in God and have no anxiety at all. This also reminds me of the passage in St. Paul where he wrote about spiritual warfare in his letter to the Ephesians: Those of us who are familiar with Fr. John Corapi’s teaching know that he taught a lot about spiritual warfare.

"10 1 Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 11 Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. 13 Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. 14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, 15 and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones " Ephesians 6: 10 - 18)

Sent by the Lord Jesus

“Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9: 17)

The Lord Jesus sends me to bring you the peace of Easter.
The Lord Jesus sends me to bring you words of comfort.
The Lord Jesus sends me to bring you words of encouragement.
The Lord Jesus sends me to bring you the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord Jesus sends me to bring you BREAKFAST.

Baptism and Confirmation

“When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptized in the name of Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8: 14 – 17)
In Acts of the Apostles, Luke the writer documents for us the faith and the practice of the early Christian community. The above scripture shows that the early Christians considered Baptism a distinct sacrament from Confirmation. The Samaritans were first baptized. Then the Church in Jerusalem sent Peter and John, bishops to confirm the people. The Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and other New Testament passages show clearly the centrality of Baptism, Confirmation and the Sacraments in the faith and practice of the early Church. Today, only the faith of the Catholic tradition maintains this teaching of the early Church.

Bloom where you are planted

“It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom, to whom we can hand over this duty.” (Acts 6: 2 3)
Bloom where you are planted.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify your ministry. Then be who you are meant to be and you will set the world on fire. (St. Catherine of Siena) Peter and his fellow apostles were focused on the mission given them by Jesus. They were not denigrating the ministry of distribution of food to the poor. That ministry was marked out for some other people. As a result of the situation described in the above scripture, the Church has today the office of the permanent diaconate. The permanent deacons are resourceful men committed to the service of the Church.

Deliverance from Slavery

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1: 2-3)
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1: 6-7)

Manny called me at about 8.30 pm and we talked for about 40 minutes. He told me that this week had been one of the most stressful experienced in recent times. I told him that after Easter every year going back to at least twelve years, I had always experienced great trials. This year is no exception. And this week was one of my most stressful week in the entire year. With money very low, without jobs and without inspiration and with plenty of customer harassment, I had a lot to deal with.

In May 1995, I got this incredible elocution from the Blessed Mother:
"All you need is the Holy Spirit."

I remember that at the time, I was surprised by this message. Why? Because I was praying desperately for money, for job and for health. What is the connection of the Holy Spirit to my dire needs of the moment? But I was curious enough to investigate. As I started reading up on the Holy Spirit using the books in my library, I saw clearly that the Holy Spirit is the answer to my longings and quest for success. In one word, I saw that the Holy Spirit will fulfill the longings/desires of my heart. That is all that I want and need.

That message from Mary had remained with me all these years. But at periods of dire financial needs as I feel this moment, I wondered if I needed something more than the Holy Spirit to help me. For example, skills in making money, skills at a marketable functions, more endearing personality, more robust health, etc.

All these futile speculations were put to rest early this morning when I remembered that Our Lady gave me the message in the most needy time of my entire life. I had discovered since then the reason why Our Blessed Mother said to me: "All you need is the Holy Spirit." The reason is simply because the Holy Spirit is the source of all inspiration and power. I see this in my life every day. I delight in His inspirations. I delight in His power. I know that with Him all things are possible.

Now why do I still feel affected by worries, fears and doubts?

O Jesus, your name says what it is and does what it says. Deliver me O dear Lord from the slavery of fears, worries and doubts. I ask for this in that Name that means Salvation. Amen.

Lying to the Holy Spirit

“Peter said, ‘Ananias, how can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land?”
Is lying to the Church the same thing as lying to the Holy Spirit? This is what Peter is saying in the above scripture. Listen to another scripture:
“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Luke 10: 16)
Another scripture with a similar meaning is this:
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9: 4-5)
The three scriptures refer to one thing: the Mystical Body of Christ. Paul wrote that the union of Jesus with His Church is one big mystery.

Proclaiming the word of God fearlessly

“As they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked. From this time they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God fearlessly.” (Acts 4: 13)
O Most Holy Spirit, you respond to our desire for you by filling us with yourself and your gifts. Come to us and bless us with great courage to share the word of God everywhere. Amen!

Easter Faith

“You must repent,’ Peter answered, ‘and every one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2: 38)
To receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, repentance comes first. The Holy Spirit of God will not inhabit a soul that is stained with sin. After repentance comes Baptism. Baptism washes away our sins and makes us the adopted children of God and brethren of Jesus Christ. We died with Christ in Baptism. At Easter we proclaim our faith in the resurrection of Jesus.
May the Risen Jesus fill your hearts and minds with the simple and gracious joys of Easter!
Consider this for a moment:
Through faith, we gain direct and immediate access to the promise of God’s
1. Pardon
2. Peace
3. Purpose
4. Power
5. Protection
6. Provision
You can call the above the 6 P’s of God’s promise.
This is the power of Christ’s Resurrection for each and every believer.

The King and His Kingdom

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice…..On the contrary, this is what the prophet was saying: In the Last days – the Lord declares – I shall pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young people shall see visions, your old people dream dreams….” ( Acts 2: 14 – 21)
We see in the above scripture the prophecy and fulfillment of one of the most important prophecies in the Old Testament. I am currently reading The Teachings of the Church Fathers, by John Willis, SJ. I am surprised to see how the Church Fathers used prophecy and fulfillment in defending the person and work of Jesus Christ as Son of God and Son of Mary. God promised humanity the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in various passages in the Old Testament. He delivered on this promise in a mighty way on the day of Pentecost.
In the scriptures, the Spirit is known by many names: Spirit of power, Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, spirit of prophecy and so on. I like to refer to the Holy Spirit as Spirit of ministry. It is only through the Spirit that we can use our gifts in the service of God. Using our gifts in the service of God is exercising our ministry. Recently I witnessed the enlargement of my ministry. For a number of years, I exercised the ministry of lector and catechist. It pleased the Lord to enlarge my field by adding recently Sanctuary service to my ministry. Sanctuary service is a ministry I exercised before I was ten years old. At various times and places, I had been called upon to exercise Sanctuary service. That the call should come to me again at this point in my life is both mysterious and fulfilling. I can only thank God for His mercies.
The Spirit’s power in our live can be compared to electricity. We see the various effects of electricity but not electricity itself. Electricity is designed to be used not touched or seen. The Holy Spirit provides me with power to accomplish my ministry in the great program called the Kingdom of God. Kingdom (Basileia in Greek) means rule or authority. Where the King is, there is His kingdom. The King is Jesus Christ. When we pray to the Father “thy kingdom come,” we mean the establishment of the rule and authority of King Jesus at all times and everywhere. If this rule and authority of Jesus Christ is established fully in my heart and mind, then I can help through my ministry to bring it about in the hearts and minds of people whom the Lord places on my path.

Power to express themselves....

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.” (Acts 2: 4)
• Filled with the Holy Spirit
• Spirit and power
• Spirit and tongues
• Spirit and gifts
The disciples in the Upper Room were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to manifest at once. They had prepared themselves with prayer. They were expecting. The visible signs of the outpouring of the Spirit made them realize that this is indeed the hour of the promised Gift.
I affirm that God is a good communicator. It is impossible to miss His message or signal. On 122108, I asked the Father a point blank question. The desire to serve Jesus in a special way that has been with me for over twelve years, should I forget about it or is there something to it? The answer came in one word: WAIT. Fast forward. 0311, I entered the Sanctuary service. I asked the Lord to anoint me mightily with power to express myself in this new ministry. I nalso asked the question: Is this the Father’s answer to my question of 1208? If it is, I am very happy with this. My whole life has pointed to Sanctuary service right from the age of seven. Many years ago, I took notice of men who served in the Sanctuary and I liked what they did. The only problem was that they were all retired. I said to myself that when I am retired I too would like to serve the Lord in the Sanctuary for the rest of my life. Is this the moment?

Power to bear witness

“It is not for you to know times and dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1: 7-7)
“I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last.” (John 15: 16, 19)
“I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia!” (Psalm 17: 50:; 21: 23)

Wait for what the Father had promised

“When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is,’ he had said, ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptized with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1: 4-5)
What was the apostles to wait for? - The Holy Spirit
Where were they to wait? – Jerusalem
How long were they to wait? – “Not many days from now.” That is to say, “ten days.”
How were they to wait? – In prayer.

The above scripture, Acts 1: 4-5 is full of types and shadows. About the time I confided the reflection on this passage to my journal in January 1998, a friend I met in a Houston area library said to me: “We are all waiting for something.” The statement struck me to be very true. Some are waiting to be healed from the sickness, while others are waiting to see a doctor to start receiving their treatment. Some are waiting to get a job. Others are waiting to proceed to retirement. There are people waiting to get married. There are others waiting to end their marriage and get on with their lives.
Jesus Christ talks about a special waiting in Acts 1: 4-5. It is a waiting for a very special gift, God’s best and greatest gift to man. The promise of the Holy Spirit long foretold in the Old Testament and immediately by Jesus is about to be fulfilled. Whenever we receive a special guest, we prepare for him carefully. The house is cleaned and everything is set right. The disciples of Jesus were instructed to stay in Jerusalem and precisely in the Upper Room to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were to be closeted in retreat with the Blessed Virgin Mary to wait for this historic and momentous event.

Forgiving and retaining sins

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” (John 20: 22-23)
The Church teaches that by the above instruction, Jesus Christ instituted once and for all times the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called, the Sacrament of Penance, Sacrament of Confession. Since I returned fully to the practice of my faith, this Sacrament has become a powerful weapon in my arsenal. St. Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6 to put on the “full armor.” My armory is made up of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Eucharist, Prayer, the word of God and a few others.
Today, at the Dominican Church in downtown, I had course to thank Jesus Christ once again for this Sacrament. The pattern I established many years ago for using this Sacrament has been very helpful to me. I do not wait until “something happens” to take recourse of this Sacrament. I try to go once in two weeks and I have found this routine best for me. Weekly seems too short and monthly appears too long to remember everything that should be mentioned.

Complete Truth

“I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now. However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come.” (John 16: 12 – 13)
Jesus Christ promised His Church that the Holy Spirit will lead her to the fullness of truth. With complete assurance in this promise, the Church has throughout the ages prayerfully reflected on the words of Jesus and the experience of living out this word. Eternal truths have been perceived with clarity and added to the body of doctrines. Dogma or the certitude of doctrine is part and parcel of the Catholic heritage. Truth never changes.
The Blessed John Henry Newman writes: “Certitude of course is a point, but doubt is a progress. Certitude is a reflex action; it is to know that one knows.” The Holy Spirit helps the Church to come to certitude of doctrine by which the faith of the Church is constantly nourished. Jesus said that it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God unless one has the mind frame of a child. A child perceives truth by intuition.

He will remind you

“I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.” (John 14: 26)
Last Sunday after Mass, I stopped to talk to a friend whom I know shares the same enthusiasm about the Holy Spirit as myself. I beam with joy when I hear him attribute everything to the Holy Spirit. I feel the same way as himself. I rely completely on the Holy Spirit for inspiration and power. Without Him, I don’t even want to start any project. I marvel constantly at His suggestions and ideas. “Try this.” Or “Put it this way.” Each time, it is a winning proposition.
What I appreciate most about the Holy Spirit is what he does to my memory. He reminds me constantly what Jesus has said to me and equally important, the marvelous things Jesus has done for me. Thank you O Holy Spirit.

The Paraclete

“If you love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth whom the world can never accept since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.” (John 14: 14-17)
Loving Jesus and keeping His commandments is one and the same thing. He who claims to love Jesus and at the same time breaks constantly one or the other of the commandments is a liar. When we know Jesus and love Him, we open our hearts to the greatest gift – the Spirit of truth. He is called the Spirit of truth here to show His opposition to the spirit of falsehood that rules the world. The Holy Spirit in us assures our victory over the world. With the Holy Spirit in us, we fear nothing. He is the voice that speaks in court. He tells us what to say and do in critical moments of our life. Calling on him makes a difference in every single situation.
Send forth your Spirit O Lord!!

Thirsty for the Spirit

“On the last day, the great day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out: ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me! Let anyone who believes in me come and drink! As scripture says, ‘From his heart shall flow streams of living water.’ He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7: 37 – 39)
Lord Jesus, I am thirsty for the Spirit. Here I am. Let this stream of living water flow from my heart to wherever I may find myself: in the Church, my neighborhood, in my workplace. Everywhere I go, let me irrigate the place with this stream of living water. I believe in you Jesus. I trust in your word.

The Spirit and Pope John Paul II

“It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6: 63)
On January 26, 1998, I confided to my journal the following reflection:
“Pope John Paul II concluded a historic visit to Cuba yesterday. Most news commentators stressed his age and his feeble health. As I watched him on the television, I could see that his hands were trembling and that his flesh was indeed weak. But only a blind man could miss the fact that his spirit is very strong.
On the 1st of May, 2011, Pope John Paul II will be beatified a Blessed, one step towards full canonization. The world would watch in awe as it did during his funeral Mass. One can argue that 80% of his magnificent achievement was recording in the years of declining health and feebleness of the flesh. For those who follow salvation history, this is not a great mystery. “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer.” God has always used weak flesh to achieve great things. Think of Mother Teresa!

Worship in spirit and truth

“God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4: 24)
With the above scripture, Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman the new form of worship that is pleasing to God. It will be worship rendered to God by His children who accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives and have been baptized by water and the Holy Spirit. Such worshipers are led to true worship by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
“Eternal Father, turn our hearts to you. By seeking your kingdom and loving one another, may we become a people who worship you in spirit and truth …” Mass Prayer in Lent

Born through water and the Spirit

“In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit. What is born of human nature is human; what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is of everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 5-8)
We are born of water and the Spirit when we are baptized and confirmed in the Spirit. This is the first necessary step. When we allow the indwelling Spirit to control our thoughts, words and deeds, we come to taste and see that the Lord is good. The indwelling Spirit is a most welcomed Guest in our soul. He provides us with inspiration and power. I experience His constant guidance in my work of graphic design. Frankly I do not know what I would do without Him. He is the always present and infallible Guide. When I call, He answers. Thank you O Most Holy Spirit.