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• 1 Peter 4:7-11
• John 15:26-27; 16:1-4

It is Sunday after Ascension. We did not have the Thursday celebration of the Lord’s Ascension because the Diocese of Reno agreed to the transfer of the Feast of the Ascension to today. This is not a theological reason, but a practical option, so that all the faithful are able to enjoy the blessing of the celebration. If you have guilt for not attending last Thursday, you have not committed any sin, for I believe that circumstances dictate that it was not your fault. God is more intelligent than us; He knows and sees everything. If it is my moral culpability, that is my sin, of which I am sincerely sorry to God, the Almighty. I hope this satisfies everyone.

Our epistle from the text of 1 Peter 4:7 plainly says, “Dearly beloved, be prudent and watch in prayers. But, before all things, have a constant mutual charity among yourselves; for charity covereth a multitude of sins.” It is obvious that being charitable and loving one another is a main concern. “Before all things,” Peter says, “we must keep loving one another earnestly.” Love or charity is absolutely important in the church and in our community. We have known that in the scriptures “Love” is the foundation of Christ’s teaching; likewise, St. Paul says that we can speak about God to others, share the gospel clearly, preach great homilies, possess faith and practice it according to rubrics, coming to church every Sunday, but if you don’t love, you are and you gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Above all be sure that you love. This time find your gift loving and serving. Two suggestions: One, find someone who needs to be served and to be helped materially and do what God does; or two, find someone who is elderly or handicapped and spend time with them, sharing time as your corporal works of mercy. A Christian relationship of loving and serving others will help discern your gifts. Do it to cover a multitude of sins.

In today’s gospel Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for a brief time that He would be away. In addition, He explains more about how the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will help them in His absence.

This entire pericope of the gospel taken from St. John has two lessons exploring what Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit.

First, the Holy Spirit Testifies Concerning Jesus (15:26-27). “When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me: and you shall give testimony, because you are with Me from the beginning.” (15:26-27) The Holy Spirit will just remind the disciples what Jesus taught, which is the fundamental function the Spirit needs to accomplish. The Greek word “Paraklētos” which means an advocate and which is connected with another familiar word to us, “martyreō,” which means “to confirm or attest something on the basis of personal knowledge or belief, bear witness, be a witness, offer testimony.” The Holy Spirit enlightens us about Christ with much conviction before the believers and the world.

Second, Jesus told his disciples not to be scandalized because all these things have been spoken to us. Though we are not eyewitnesses of the Jesus of History, who walked and lived here on earth, we too must bear witness of what Jesus has done in our lives as part of our reconstructive reflections about the teachings of the historical Jesus, which we all have today. “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father nor Me. I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you.” (16:1-4) The verb “skandalizō,” in this context, is to cause ourselves to fall away from Jesus and consequently will be our downfall when we commit sins. Jesus told them that they would be expelled from the synagogues and even be persecuted and killed. It must have been a heavy cross for them to carry as well. The instruction of Jesus to His disciples and to us is that we must not succumb to despair and lose faith. Jesus anticipated this heavy trial and, for that reason, He warns us that it would come. Jesus did not say to fight back and engage in a revolution; rather we see Jesus telling us that the Holy Spirit will take care of all things. We must testify to Jesus. To testify to Jesus means to be His staunch and committed witnesses.

A week from now, we anticipate the Feast of the Coming of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost. The key is the Holy Spirit. Thus, if you feel the pressure of persecution because of your Catholic faith, in any way, realize that Jesus spoke these words not only for His first disciples, but also for you and me.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 18:1-8
• John 16:16-20

A new student here at our Parochial Little Flower Catholic School has been very observant of his fellow students. One day this boy asked one of his classmates why the students of Little flower School are happy and very much satisfied and friendlier than his former classmates in another school. He wanted to know the reason why they are different because of their behavior.

He befriended one boy who kindly told him the secret which was written in his notebook. He read it: “Don’t worry/be anxious, for God loves you. (John 13:1). Don’t feel weak, for God holds you! (Psalm 139:10) and Don’t be afraid for God keeps you. (Psalm 121:5)” These three assuring phrases in the scriptures keep us always joyful and boost our morale to live in cheerfulness all the days of our lives even out of the school vicinity. Am I right?

What is happening around us is that we face life with uncertainties which create tension and we become uncomfortable. Thus, through the Lord in the scriptures, we are reminded not to worry, not to be weak and not to fear because Jesus loves us, holds us, and keeps us always in His heart.

In today’s gospel, Jesus told His disciples, “A little while and you will see me no more; again, a little while and you will see me” (John 16:16) What does Jesus mean by “a little while?” This expression “a little while” is a Greek word “mikron” which means a brief period of time. It means a temporary absence. These words of Jesus put the disciples into a very uncomfortable situation. They failed to understand the meaning of the words of Jesus and were confused and in a dilemma! They began to have a discussion about the phrase of Jesus – “a little while.”

Jesus, the Good Teacher, knew that confusion of His Apostles; however, they were not courageous enough to ask Him questions. I believe Jesus is inviting His disciples and us to believe that all our worries, fears and sorrows in this world are human experiences; however, when we turn to the Lord, it completely changes our human suffering into joy and rejoicing.

Maybe today as we pass through waves of troubles and the deserts of anxiety, let us bear in mind that the good Lord assures us, … “In a little while” things will be fine! … “In a little while” the sunshine will appear again! Oftentimes, we may tend to lose our patience, and we may feel like giving up. Just remember today through this gospel that Jesus wishes to encourage us and strengthen us because in suffering, please do love Him strongly; in trials, trust Him deeply; in uncertainties, depend on Him greatly. These great principles mark authentic Christianity by which our Lord works in our lives.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
• Psalms 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
• 1 Peter 3:15-18
• John 14:15-21

Today is the 6th Sunday of Easter. We have to make this Sunday special honoring both the living and the deceased mothers. It is Mother’s Day, and to all the mothers here, Happy Mother’s Day. We give our gratitude to all the mothers for their sacrifices and love to raise their children to the best of their ability. I must admit, I was a mama’s boy in the right sense of the word. I had a wonderful experience with my mother during my early childhood up to my adulthood. She used to take me wherever she travelled, and she lavishly loved me despite my inadequacy or naughtiness. I believe I was spoiled by her in a correct way. However, I was never abusive in taking advantage of her love because I knew my boundaries. I always wanted to reciprocate her love. She passed away when she was 84 years of age under my watch which was timely in that I was on vacation. May she rest in peace and comfort under God’s loving embrace.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is another story about Philip, who went to Samaria and performed amazing signs like, the expulsion of unclean spirits from those who were possessed and the crippled being able to walk. Many people were cured resulting in extreme rejoicing in that city. Other Apostles, Peter and John, were sent to Samaria, “who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit by laying hands on them.” This is an extraordinary ministry. After people received baptism, they were strengthened, not only by seeing miracles, but by the power of Jesus bestowed upon His disciples. They received the free gift of the Holy Spirit.

The early Church grew through the work of the Spirit and the works of those who lived what they believed. I am grateful for the faith I have received from those faithful witnesses, in particular, to my grandparents and parents from whom I came to know Christ as revealed by His Spirit. The gift of my faith was handed down especially through the example set by my mother. Today I would like to especially thank my mother for introducing me to that faith which gives the hope as described in 1 Peter 3:15, “proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have.”

Reflecting upon the lessons given to us from the gospel of John, I have realized that there are so many promises of the Lord that we must consider tremendous blessings and interventions to build much faith and hope:

First, Jesus promises us, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” With His words Jesus is informing us that we won’t be experiencing total abandonment, but He promises support, love, and wonderful encouragement to assure us of His consistent guidance as His followers. When we are unhappy and empty, we are like orphans because we have orphaned ourselves, separating ourselves from a loving God.

Second, Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit to carry out His promise. What is our understanding of this third person in the Holy Trinity? The Holy Spirit is the perpetuation of God’s presence among us. Jesus tells us of the “Advocate”, which is in Greek, “the Paraclete.” The Holy Spirit will gather us together and will speak for us, and we need not worry what to say because the Holy Spirit will continuously give us wisdom to speak the truth. The Holy Spirit is defending or advocating for us when we don’t know how to pray and speak. St. Paul says in Romans 8, that the Holy Spirit will give us the grace to call our Father, “Abba.” The Holy Spirit will pray for us and is with us in our sighs and groanings.

Third, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I do believe that when we are apart from the Lord, we cannot achieve anything. The very foundation of any relationship is Love. It is true that when we love someone, we are always happy and connected with that person whom we truly love. There are no idle moments when we ignore his or her words. This is precisely how we must love Jesus. We cannot ignore Him and turn our back against Him. With open hearts and arms, we completely focus on fulfilling our love towards the Beloved.

Fourth, Jesus is not asking us to earn and to merit His love. His coming is tantamount to loving us deeply. Today, we are reminded that according to God’s plan His love is never diminished; observe and keep His commandments.

Therefore, being so filled with God’s love, we need to be grateful.

God loves us first, through Christ, with Christ and in Christ. Our acceptance of Jesus is to guide us on our way to God, through our human responses. We must love Jesus and loving Him is revealed through keeping His commandments and truly loving God and our fellow brothers and sisters.

The more we mold our hearts like Jesus’ heart, the easier it is to find Jesus in our lives, and the Holy Spirit simply will teach us everything to abide with the living presence of God in you, in me and in the whole Church.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón: Sexto Domingo de Pascua

• Hechos 8:5-8, 14-17
• Salmos 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
• 1 Pedro 3:15-18
• Juan 14:15-21

Hoy es el Sexto Domingo de Pascua. Hoy es un día especial, ya que honramos a nuestras madres tanto vivas como a las que ya fallecieron. ¡Es el día de las Madres! Felicidades a todas las Mamás. Damos nuestra gratitud a todas las madres por su sacrificio y amor para criar a sus hijos lo mejor que pueden. Voy a ser honesto, yo era un niño de mami, en el sentido correcto de la palabra. Tuve una experiencia maravillosa con mi madre durante mi infancia hasta mi edad adulta. Ella solía llevarme a dondequiera que viajaba, y me amaba generosamente a pesar de mis travesuras. Creo que fui mimado por ella, de manera correctiva. Sin embargo, nunca fui abusivo para aprovecharme de su amor porque conocía mis límites. Siempre quise corresponder a su amor. Ella falleció cuando tenía 84 años bajo mi supervisión, lo cual fue oportuno porque estaba de vacaciones. Que descanse en paz y consuelo bajo el abrazo amoroso de Dios.

La primera lectura de los Hechos de los Apóstoles es otra historia sobre Felipe que fue a Samaria y realizó señales asombrosas como la expulsión de los espíritus inmundos de los que estaban poseídos, los lisiados pudieron caminar y muchas personas fueron curadas resultando en un regocijo extremo. en esa ciudad Otros Apóstoles, Pedro y Juan fueron enviados a Samaria, “quienes descendieron y oraron por ellos, para que recibieran el Espíritu Santo al imponerles las manos”. Este es un ministerio extraordinario después de que las personas recibieron el bautismo que los fortaleció, no solo al ver milagros sino también por el poder de Jesús otorgado a Sus discípulos. Recibieron el don del Espíritu Santo.

La Iglesia primitiva creció a través de la obra del Espíritu y las obras de aquellos que vivieron lo que creían. Estoy agradecido por la fe que he recibido de esos testigos fieles, en particular de mis abuelos y padres, quienes me dieron a conocer a Cristo revelado por Su Espíritu. El don de mi fe fue transmitido, especialmente a través del ejemplo de mi madre. Hoy quisiera agradecer especialmente a mi madre por introducirme en esa fe que da esperanza como se describe en 1 de Pedro 3:15 “Proclamad santo a Cristo el Señor en vuestros corazones, y tened siempre lista vuestra respuesta para las personas que os pregunten el motivo de la esperanza que tienes”.

Reflexionando sobre las lecciones que nos ha dado el evangelio de Juan, me he dado cuenta de que hay tantas promesas del Señor que debemos considerar tremendas bendiciones e intervenciones para edificar mucha fe y esperanza:

Primero, Jesús nos promete: “No os dejaré huérfanos; Vendré a ti.” Con sus palabras, Jesús nos informa que no experimentaremos un abandono total, sino que promete apoyo, amor y un aliento maravilloso para asegurarnos Su guía constante como Sus seguidores. Cuando somos infelices y vacíos, somos como huérfanos porque nos hemos dejado huérfanos a nosotros mismos, separándonos de un Dios amoroso.

Segundo, Jesús nos promete el Espíritu Santo para cumplir Su promesa. ¿Cuál es nuestra comprensión de esta tercera persona en la Santísima Trinidad? El Espíritu Santo es la perpetuación de la presencia de Dios entre nosotros. Jesús nos dice el “Abogado”, que en griego es “el Paráclito”. El Espíritu Santo nos reunirá y hablará por nosotros, no tenemos que preocuparnos de qué decir porque el Espíritu Santo continuamente nos dará sabiduría para decir la verdad. El Espíritu Santo nos defiende o aboga por nosotros cuando no sabemos cómo orar y hablar. San Pablo dice en Romanos 8, que el Espíritu Santo nos dará la gracia de llamar a nuestro Padre, “Abba”. El Espíritu Santo orará por nosotros y con nosotros en nuestros suspiros y gemidos.

Tercero, Jesús dice: “Si me amáis, guardaréis mis mandamientos”. Creo que cuando estamos separados del Señor, no podemos lograr nada. La base misma de cualquier relación es el Amor. Es cierto que cuando amamos a alguien, siempre estamos felices y conectados con esa persona que amamos de verdad. No hay momentos de ocio cuando ignoramos sus palabras. Así es precisamente como debemos amar a Jesús. No podemos ignorarlo y darle la espalda. Con el corazón y los brazos abiertos, nos enfocamos completamente en cumplir nuestro amor hacia el Amado.

Cuarto, Jesús no nos está pidiendo que ganemos y merezcamos Su amor. Su venida equivale a amarnos profundamente. Hoy, se nos recuerda que según el plan de Dios Su amor nunca disminuyó, observa y guarda Sus mandamientos. Por lo tanto, tan llenos del amor de Dios, necesitamos ser agradecidos.

Dios nos ama primero, por Cristo, con Cristo y en Cristo. Nuestra aceptación de Jesús es para guiarnos en nuestro camino hacia Dios, a través de nuestras respuestas humanas. Debemos amar a Jesús y amarlo se revela al guardar Sus mandamientos, amando verdaderamente a Dios ya nuestros hermanos y hermanas.

Cuanto más amoldemos nuestro corazón al corazón de Jesús, más fácil será encontrar a Jesús en nuestra vida, y el Espíritu Santo simplemente nos enseñará todo, permanece con la presencia viva de Dios en ti, en mí y en toda la Iglesia.

Dios lo bendiga.

Padre Arlón, osa

• James 1:22-27
• John 16:23-30

Today is the 5th Sunday of Easter. Today is also Mother’s Day, a special tribute and honor to all the mothers. Happy Mother’s Day, to all mothers. As Catholics, our Blessed Virgin Mary is our spiritual Mother. Today, our community celebrates the month of Mary with a special crowning of flowers placed on Mary’s head after the 8 AM mass. After the mass, we will have a procession towards the statue of the Blessed Mother in front of the church. May crowning is one of our activities offering a wreath of flowers honoring Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. It has a deep meaning for our Catholic faith. The Blessed Mother is a perfect follower of Christ, and so is considered the crown of creation. She is the Mother of the Son of God, Jesus, who is the King of the universe and our Savior. She hears the word of God and fulfills it, for she says, “Let it be done to me according to Thy word.” She is our model of faith. I hope and pray that you will also have a crowning of Mary at home and have a special encounter with Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The epistle today taken from the book of James expresses a clear spiritual value that we must be faithful to accomplish something good according to what we heard from the scriptures, that is to work for the benefit of others. It says, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22). This signifies our trust in the Lord who speaks to us through the proclamation of His words. And if our trust in God does not lead us to act for the benefit of others in need, then James suggests that we don’t really trust God. As James puts it, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation, and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.” It means to care for orphans and widows in their distress (St. James 1:27). Our faith and belief must be translated into action.

I believe that St. James is referring to the very source of our faith, Jesus Christ, who prioritizes the marginalized, the oppressed and the poor. This reminds us that those who are underprivileged brothers and sisters assume a special place in God’s kingdom. This is the very teaching of Jesus. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”(St. Luke 6:20)

Many of us are concerned about having a successful business, profession, investments, and other stakeholders at the expense of being neglectful of our duty to share with the people who are poor and powerless. Whenever we can and have, please don’t be greedy. Jesus’s teaching is this, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (St. Matthew 6:19-20) Whenever our needs are met, not coming from our surplus, always think of others because I believe that whenever we are generous and able to respond to meet other’s true needs, it is doing God’s work and doing God’s words.

In the gospel today taken from St. John 16:23-30, Jesus says. “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you. Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name.” I believe that anyone who asks something through Jesus, our loving Father heeds our prayer. But prayer in the name of Jesus is not just asking for something or help, but rather it is a disposition of one’s heart. We are aware that God will not tolerate our hearts being divided, for He must be the very core of our being.

So, prayer is important; therefore, let us not doubt when we pray and never underestimate your prayer. We sometimes think our prayers will do little good when faced against all odds. But our prayer changes everything, for it is the weakness of God’s heart and the strength of our hearts.

The power of prayer does not come from you nor your sincerity or faith. It comes from Christ. Jesus is the power in prayer because Jesus is God. Out of the Father’s love, He has sent Jesus to restore creation. If we deny that Jesus was not sent by the Father and deny that Jesus is not God, our prayer is meaningless at best, and blasphemy at worst. When we believe, along with the disciples, that this Jesus is the true Son of God, the Messiah, who has been sent by the Father, then it is true that all our prayers and all the promises of God find fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Today, He commands us to “Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” It is not necessarily well worded content of prayers, but the complete giving up and control comes from God alone. God knows what we need, anyway, but what is being asked of us is our humility and confidence in Him. Our relationships with God must be better and stronger, which also matters a lot.

It is a melody if God constantly hears the voices of His children in prayer. It is pleasing in the sight of Jesus, our Savior. Hearing our voices, pouring out from the recesses of our hearts to God, we may unburden the discomfort of our souls, making us Christ for others. St. Augustine inspires us with his words, “Et Cor Unum in Deum! And the Heart is One in God!”

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 15:1-6
• Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
• John 15:1-8

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Damien, a Belgian priest who dedicated his entire life and priesthood to serve the “Colony of Lepers” in the island of Molokai, Hawaii.  It was a coincidence that he found himself in Hawaii.  His older brother was to be sent to Hawaii but unfortunately, his brother got ill, and so he decided to volunteer to go for a mission.  He finished his priestly formation and in 1864 he became an ordained priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary in Hawaii.

On the same year, he volunteered to live with 800 lepers on that island until he died of the disease himself.  Fr. Damien experienced that being an unruly and desperate community of lepers, his presence made it a community of love due to his spirituality centered on Mary and the Eucharist.  When he first contracted leprosy, Fr. Damien was able to identify completely with them with the words, “We, Lepers.”  He became the embodiment of God’s love and presence amongst the lepers.  His strength came from God and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, as he himself wrote: “It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength we need in our isolation…”

Truly God manifests himself in Fr. Damien’s struggles by giving him the strength, consolation, and hope that he was a faithful servant and by being the happiest missionary on earth, I would say.  He died on April 15, 1889.  He was canonized on October 11, 2009, by Pope Benedict XVI. His feast day is May 10.  He is the patron saint of people suffering from leprosy.

The first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles tells us about the increasing number of believers and followers of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God.  We know that the first followers of Jesus were Jews, who were faithful to the Torah, the Mosaic tradition.  One of the prominent issues is the observance of their tradition that all males must be circumcised.  However, the followers of Jesus also include the gentiles who were not circumcised.  Those Pharisees who followed the teachings of Jesus objected that it is necessary that new converts must be circumcised to be true members of the faith.

The answer to this issue had been decided by the Apostles and Elders taking the stance that believing in Jesus is based on faith and is not to be determined by circumcision.  Being a Christian is based on believing in Jesus as divine and the Son of God.  Thus, the community allows the uncircumcised gentiles to be included, for the solid reason that it doesn’t matter based on a physical trait but on one’s faith in Jesus.

The gospel today speaks about Jesus being the vine, and we are the branches.  The ultimate decision a believer needs to make is to be united with Jesus.  Our lives must be attached and dependent on the Lord.  I know that we spend time being productive in our mission in order to bear abundant fruits by way of good works and charity; however, our lives must be like Jesus’ love, being willing to offer our lives for everyone, like St. Damien, filled with his love for God so that he could continue loving those lepers around him and be one of them.  I am inspired by his words, “I make myself a leper, to be with lepers, all for Christ.”

Jesus is the “new vine, the new Israel.”  We are called to remain in the true and new vine, for we are the New Israel which is pleasing to God because we continue to bear many fruits. Jesus says, “Remain in Me, as I in you.”

St. Damien, pray for us especially those people suffering from leprosy.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 6:1-7
• Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
• 1 Peter 2:4-9
• John 14:1-12

Today is the 5th Sunday of Easter. It is nice to return from my pilgrimage which was very spiritually uplifting. I have a new perspective of the gospel events and how Jesus, together with His chosen Apostles, were able to fulfill their mission to spread God’s love. Their own commitment, words and witnessing continue to lead people to God.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles raised concern about the widows being neglected. The twelve apostles called upon the community of disciples to choose from amongst themselves seven men filled with Spirit and Wisdom to help with the concern regarding the widows, thereby leaving the apostles able to continue preaching and praying. They knew that they could not manage to do everything, because “the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly and even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” They were not only keeping the faith, but their work concerning the widows, the poor and the deprived or under privileged people resulted in their growing as a community due to their commitment to help and care for the needy.

The second reading from the first letter of St. Peter 2:4-9, invites us again to build the foundation of our faith on the very cornerstone of who is Jesus. We need to be aware that the solid rock is Jesus who will last forever and who calls us out of darkness into His wonderful light. Our spirituality is solely based on the importance of acknowledging the true cornerstone, Jesus Christ. who always leads us away from all troubles.

The gospel from St. John consoles me that even if we have a troubled heart, we are always reminded “to have faith in God and also have faith in Him.” A few days ago, when I was in Jerusalem, I was able to visit Jesus’ sepulcher, the empty tomb. Thousands of people were lining up to see what is inside the tomb and what it looks like inside that small opening. We stayed there waiting patiently for over two and an half hours for our turn to enter. I said to my companions, “Why do we spend almost half a day waiting to enter this empty tomb when we all know that Jesus has risen? The empty tomb will be empty forever, and we know that; however, our hearts will not remain empty because they have been filled with much “Faith” in the resurrection.”

In today’s gospel, Jesus again offers substantial promises to His disciples:

First, Jesus promises to prepare a place for us. It is not only provisions for everyone, but in His Father’s house there are many dwelling places that have been prepared for those who followed Him to God’s house.

Second, the fact that it was Jesus saying it, Thomas again asked Jesus, how we would follow Him since we don’t know the way. Jesus responded, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus is leading us to know the way to eternal life. We would never be wrong to know the Truth and to have Life for eternity.

Third, Thomas was not the only one asking Jesus, but Philip was much worse. He asked, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus responded, “I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” These words of Jesus clearly point out that He is personally with the apostles, and they see that with their own eyes. The problem with Philip, like some of us, we try to see differently the Son of God, Jesus, and the Father. The existence of the Father who is the “Presence” and the Son who is the “Word” is intimately one according to 1 John 5:6-7. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Jesus and the Father are One.

We, like the apostles, have to believe, and if we believe, we have to believe and live-out that faith every day of our lives. Of course, it is not easy, however, we rely on the Lord’s guidance and His promises.

St. Augustine reminds us that we must always be an “Easter people”. I know that our desire is to be a People of God and community of faith with our song, “Alleluia.” In each of our human encounters, we are dealing with so many unexplained occurrences in life that make us confused and anxious whether we are indeed Easter people. There is so much violence, war and poverty that obscure the reality of God, yet all these human problems cannot match what has been promised to us, that is the hope of the resurrection. I believe that it is part of the “Paschal Mystery,” which speaks of the reality of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. This is an easy answer to the world’s problem because our life here on earth is not the finality of itself.

God’s way and truth tells us that He defies everything by proving to us that He resurrects and comes to life again, and death has no power over Him anymore. He is alive, an invitation for all of us to enter into His saving love for all eternity.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón

Quinto Domingo de Pascua, Año A

• Hechos 6:1-7
• Salmos 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
• 1 Pedro 2:4-9
• Juan 14:1-12

Hoy es el Quinto Domingo de Pascua. Es agradable estar de regreso, después de la peregrinación, que fue edificante espiritualmente. Tengo una nueva perspectiva de los eventos del evangelio y cómo Jesús, junto con sus Apóstoles escogidos, pudieron cumplir su misión de difundir el amor de Dios. Su compromiso, palabras y testimonio continúan guiando a las personas a Dios.

La primera lectura de los Hechos de los Apóstoles suscitó la preocupación de que las viudas no fueran desatendidas. Las doce personas designadas llenas de Espíritu y Sabiduría para ayudar a continuar su ministerio de manera eficiente mientras que los 12 discípulos pudieron concentrarse en predicar y orar. Sabían que no podrían lograrlo todo, porque “el número de discípulos en Jerusalén aumentaba mucho y hasta un gran grupo de sacerdotes se hacían obedientes a la fe”. No sólo el mantenimiento de la fe, sino su trabajo en favor de las viudas, los pobres y las personas necesitadas o desfavorecidas redunda en su crecimiento como comunidad debido a su compromiso de ayudar y cuidar a los necesitados.

La segunda lectura de la primera carta de San Pedro 2:4-9 nos invita nuevamente a construir el fundamento de nuestra fe sobre la piedra angular misma que es Jesús. Necesitamos ser conscientes de que la roca sólida es Jesús, quien durará para siempre y nos llama de las tinieblas a su luz maravillosa. Nuestra espiritualidad se basa únicamente en la importancia de reconocer la verdadera piedra angular, Jesucristo, quien siempre nos aleja de todos los problemas.

El evangelio de San Juan me consuela que incluso si tenemos corazones atribulados, siempre se nos recuerda “tener fe en Dios y también tener fe en Él”. Hace unos días, cuando estuve en Jerusalén, pude visitar el sepulcro de Jesús, la tumba vacía. Miles de personas hacían fila para ver cómo es la tumba, cómo se ve dentro de esa pequeña abertura. Allí estuvimos esperando pacientemente nuestro turno para entrar durante más de dos horas y media. Les dije a mis compañeros: “¿Por qué tardamos casi medio día en entrar en esta tumba vacía cuando todos sabemos que Jesús ha resucitado? La tumba vacía siempre estará vacía para siempre, sabemos que, sin embargo, nuestro corazón no permanecerá vacío porque ha sido lleno de mucha “Fe” en la resurrección”.

En el evangelio de hoy, Jesús nuevamente ofrece promesas sustanciales a sus discípulos:

Primero, Jesús nos promete preparar un lugar para nosotros. No son solo provisiones para todos, sino que en la casa de Su Padre, muchas moradas han sido preparadas para aquellos que lo siguieron a la casa de Dios.

En segundo lugar, el hecho de que fuera Jesús quien lo decía, Tomás le preguntó de nuevo a Jesús cómo lo seguiríamos si no conocemos el camino. Jesús respondió: “Yo soy el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida. Nadie viene al Padre sino por Mí”. Jesús nos está guiando a conocer el camino a la vida eterna. Nunca nos equivocaríamos al conocer la Verdad y tener una Vida de eternidad.

Tercero, Tomás no solo le estaba preguntando a Jesús, sino que Felipe fue mucho peor, le pidió: “Maestro, muéstranos al Padre, y eso nos bastará”. Jesús respondió: “Os digo que el que cree en mí, hará las obras que yo hago, y las hará mayores que estas, porque yo voy al Padre”. Estas palabras de Jesús señalan que Él está personalmente con los apóstoles. , y ellos los ven con sus propios ojos. El problema con Felipe, como algunos de nosotros, tratamos de ver de otra manera al Hijo de Dios, Jesús, y al Padre. La existencia del Padre que es la “Presencia” y el Hijo. quien es el “Verbo” es íntimamente uno según 1 Juan 5:6-7 Jesús y el Padre son Uno.

Nosotros, como los apóstoles, tenemos que creer, y si creemos, tenemos que creer y vivir esa fe todos los días de nuestra vida. Por supuesto, no es fácil, sin embargo, confiamos en la guía del Señor y en Sus promesas.

San Agustín nos recuerda que debemos ser siempre un “pueblo de Pascua”. Sé que nuestro deseo de ser un Pueblo de Dios y una comunidad de fe con nuestro canto, “Aleluya”. En cada uno de nuestros encuentros humanos, estamos lidiando con tantos sucesos inexplicables en la vida que nos confunden y nos ponen ansiosos acerca de si realmente somos personas de Pascua. Hay tanta violencia, guerra y pobreza que oscurecen la realidad de Dios, pero todo estos problemas humanos no pueden corresponder a lo que se nos ha prometido, que es la esperanza de la resurrección, creo que es parte del “Misterio Pascual”, que habla de la realidad de la pasión, muerte y resurrección de Jesús. una respuesta fácil al problema del mundo porque nuestra vida aquí en la tierra no es la finalidad en sí misma. El camino y la verdad de Dios nos dicen que Él desafía todo al probarnos que Él resucita y vuelve a la vida y que la muerte ya no tiene poder sobre Él. . Él está vivo, una invitación para que todos nosotros entremos en Su amor salvador por toda la eternidad.

Dios los bendiga.

Padre Arlón, osa

• James 1:17-21
• John 16:5-14

Today is the 4th Sunday of Easter. As we enter the month of May, we are also grateful to the Blessed Mother Mary to whom we show our love and devotion this month. It is nice to return from my pilgrimage which was very spiritually uplifting. I have a new perspective of the gospel events and how Jesus, together with His chosen Apostles, were able to fulfill their mission to spread God’s love. Their own commitment, words and witnessing continue to lead people to God.

Today’s epistle from the book of James informs us that God has given every single good gift in life. He is the very source of all the good we crave. Everything is a gift from God, which we do not deserve. This is a great encouragement in order to strengthen our faith so that we can handle every trial of life. The Father of heavenly lights does not change for He has been, and will continue to be, good and perfect for all eternity.

In every situation, no matter how difficult, we trust in His goodness both in this life and the life to come. Therefore, no good and pleasant thing comes from any place other than God. Even when we work hard for something, we would be right to thank God for blessing the fruits of our labor. As well, no hard thing should be considered anything less than a perfect gift from God for our own good, and we should respond properly and faithfully. In this way, we will grow to be like Him.

The gospel, taken from John 16:5-14, expresses the disillusionment of the disciples by letting them know in advance that they will face persecution and even martyrdom as they seek to carry on His mission in the world after Jesus’ departure. It is also clear that, whatever the disciples may have thought about the course of future events, Jesus himself is well aware of the future course of history, even beyond the cross, which John has mentioned many times in his gospel.

With regard to the term, “His hour” it is not referring to Jesus’ time but rather to the disciples’ hour where they would be expelled from the synagogues and be put to death at the expense of their faith in following the Lord.

Jesus says, “I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?” I believe the Lord wants to arouse His disciple’s curiosity and attempts to make them aware and be interested in what is going to happen with Him. Instead, they think only about themselves and not about the result of His going away. This is precisely the tendency of every one of us. We are too concerned about our own little world, and so, as Jesus says, “Sorrow has filled your hearts.”

Having mature faith, we need to get out and be less preoccupied with thinking too much of ourselves, but the revelation and the impact of Christ’s resurrection must be upon us to know who we really are. What we need to cherish is the Holy Spirit because Jesus says, “For if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you.” The Holy Spirit will tremendously strengthen and encourage the disciples in order to be ready to face life with radiant faces and joy in their hearts. That is what the Spirit does. Indeed, to their advantage, and to ours, Jesus is promising an advocate to continue their mission and our mission as well. Go and be strengthened.

Brothers and sisters, how would you ever get to see Jesus in today’s world? By means of the Holy Spirit we have access to Him. The Holy Spirit is not coming to the world; He is coming to you, to the church and to our community, when He comes to convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment “because they believe not in Him.”

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 2:14a, 36-41
• Psalms 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6
• 1 Peter 2:20b-25
• John 10:1-10

I am grateful to God for the successful religious pilgrimage in Lourdes, France revisiting one of the most famous world Marian apparition sites. This is my second time around to be at the grotto where Mother Mary’s apparition to St. Bernadette speaks to me profoundly my priestly calling to devote my time spreading the message of reparation, renewal and praying for the conversion of the world under the guidance and maternal help of our Immaculate Conception. St. Bernadette is a young village girl who was chosen by the Blessed Mother to announce her messages to the world. I was delighted to know that we were born on the same day, on January 7th. I was able to celebrate mass with 84 pilgrims from USA and I drank the miraculous water from that same grotto believed to have extraordinary healing effect.

Then after Lourdes, France we flew to the Holy Land.  We went first to Mother Mary for her protection for the whole period of our pilgrimage.  The Holy Land is totally new to me. It was emotional to be in the land where historic Jesus fulfilled the scriptures as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament and where He lived, preached, then offered the most loving sacrificed for the salvation of the world. Seeing and visiting those important places connected to His life, I have been renewed, strengthen my faith and brought me healing. I have offered prayers for those numerous friends who have asked me to pray for them. May those prayers I have offered help them resolve their weary heart and fill them with His abundant blessings.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday where we are invited to look at Jesus as our Shepherd who watches and cares for us.

There are qualities which we know Jesus has fulfilled being a faithful and Good Shepherd.

First, He works hard even putting Himself in an extremely difficult task to secure all of us from all kinds of danger. I can only imagine being a shepherd who travels with the sheep as he finds fertile fields for their food; he leads them to those pastures and watches over them as they are being nourished.

Second, as our eternal shepherd, who literally laid down His life for his sheep by caring for us 24-7. At night a new demand, he puts on great responsibility of his flock. He finds a place safe for sleeping. But even then oftentimes the shepherd couldn’t just sleep because he needs to be attentive to the sheep even at his time of rest. He needs to be vigilant for the sake if his flock.

Third, as a sheep enters the gate the shepherd stands in the middle and examined each animal for any wound or difficulty they might have encountered. That is why, Jesus our Good Shepherd says, “Amen, Amen I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

Jesus identifies with both the Good Shepherd and the gate in today’s gospel. All of the above qualities of a Good Shepherd describes His marvelous cares for each of us.

Jesus is meant to be the very embodiment of God’s loving care for each and all of us. Yes, we are sheep and the gospel message here is to continue to watch us. He is there pouring himself out for his sheep.

St. Peter’s preaching in the Acts of the Apostles, also reminds us of another “good shepherd” from John’s gospel.

St. Peter preaches to the “house of Israel.” His words and life represent the focus of his preaching of the gospel as the basis of his and others disciples’ commitment to live out their faith in the Risen Jesus.

We are the harvests of Peter and the early Christians’ witnessing and definitely the work of the Holy Spirit because in Jerusalem, he was bold to say that “to all those far off” thus invited to ongoing repentance based in our baptism.

Let us continue to work hard to participate in the ministry of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

As God’s beloved children, let us pass on to others our faith in order to share that abundant mercy and forgiveness.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón: Cuanto Domingo de Pascua, Año A

• Hechos 2:14a, 36-41
• Salmos 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6
• 1 Pedro 2:20b-25
• Juan 10:1-10

Estoy agradecido con Dios por el éxito de la peregrinación religiosa a Lourdes, Francia, visitando uno de los lugares de apariciones marianas más famosos del mundo. Esta segunda vez de estar en la gruta donde ocurrió la aparición de la Madre María a Santa Bernardita me habla profundamente de mi llamado sacerdotal para dedicar mi tiempo a difundir el mensaje de reparación y renovación y orar por la conversión del mundo bajo la guía y Auxilio maternal de la Inmaculada Concepción. Santa Bernardita, una joven aldeana, fue elegida por la Santísima Madre para anunciar su mensaje al mundo. Me encantó saber que nacimos el mismo día, el siete de enero. Pude celebrar misa con ochenta y cuatro peregrinos de los Estados Unidos y bebí el agua milagrosa de esa misma gruta que se cree que tiene un efecto curativo extraordinario.

Luego, después de Lourdes, Francia, volamos a Tierra Santa. Creo que acudimos primero a la Madre María para su protección durante todo el período de nuestra peregrinación. La Tierra Santa es nueva para mí. Fue emotivo haber estado en la tierra donde el Jesús histórico cumplió las escrituras como el Mesías profetizado en el Antiguo Testamento, y vivió, predicó y finalmente ofreció el más amoroso sacrificio por la salvación del mundo. Al ver y visitar esos lugares importantes conectados con Su vida, me he renovado, mi fe se ha fortalecido y me ha traído sanidad. He ofrecido oraciones por esos numerosos amigos que me han pedido que ore por ellos. Que esas oraciones que he ofrecido les ayuden a resolver sus corazones cansados y los llenen con Sus abundantes bendiciones.

Hoy es el Domingo del Buen Pastor donde se nos invita a mirar a Jesús como nuestro Pastor que nos vela y nos cuida.

Hay cualidades que sabemos que Jesús ha cumplido siendo un fiel y Buen Pastor.

Primero, Él trabaja duro incluso poniéndose a sí mismo en una tarea extremadamente difícil para protegernos a todos de todo tipo de peligro. Solo puedo imaginarme siendo un pastor que viaja con las ovejas mientras encuentra campos fértiles para su alimento; los conduce a esos pastos y vela por ellos mientras se alimentan.

Segundo, como nuestro pastor eterno, Él dará Su vida por Sus ovejas al cuidar de nosotros veinticuatro – siete. Por la noche hay una nueva demanda, la gran responsabilidad de su rebaño. Encuentra un lugar seguro para dormir. Incluso entonces, muchas veces el pastor no puede simplemente dormir porque necesita estar atento a las ovejas incluso durante su tiempo de descanso. Necesita estar alerta por el bien de su rebaño.

Tercero, cuando las ovejas entran por la puerta, el pastor se para en el medio y examina a cada animal en busca de cualquier herida o dificultad que puedan haber encontrado. Por eso, Jesús, nuestro Buen Pastor, dice: “Amén, en verdad os digo, yo soy la puerta de las ovejas. yo soy la puerta El que por mí entre, será salvo, y entrará y saldrá, y hallará pastos”.

Jesús se identifica tanto con el Buen Pastor como con la puerta en el evangelio de hoy. Todas las cualidades anteriores de un Buen Pastor describen Su maravilloso cuidado por cada uno de nosotros.

Jesús está destinado a ser la encarnación misma del cuidado amoroso de Dios por cada uno de nosotros. Sí, somos ovejas y el mensaje del evangelio aquí es que Él continúa cuidándonos. Él está allí derramándose por sus ovejas.

La predicación de San Pedro en los Hechos de los Apóstoles también nos recuerda a otro “buen pastor” del evangelio de Juan.

San Pedro predica a la “casa de Israel”. Sus palabras y su vida representan el enfoque de su predicación del evangelio como la base de su compromiso y el de otros discípulos de vivir su fe en Jesús Resucitado.

Somos la cosecha del testimonio de Pedro y los primeros cristianos y la obra del Espíritu Santo porque, en Jerusalén, se atrevió a decir que “a todos los que estaban lejos” invitaba así al arrepentimiento continuo basado en nuestro bautismo.

Sigamos trabajando duro para participar en el ministerio de Jesús, nuestro Buen

Pastor. Como hijos amados de Dios, transmitamos a otros nuestra fe para compartir esa abundante misericordia y perdón.

Dios los bendiga.

Padre Arlón, osa

• 1 Peter 2:11-19
• John 16:16-22

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter in the traditional Latin mass. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus tells the disciples, “A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” They were confused what He is talking about, and they were hesitant to ask further explanations. But Jesus knew that they didn’t get it, He could tell they were dumbfounded. And, like so many times, Jesus gives them an answer, though maybe not the answer they wanted.

Jesus could have just told them that He was referring to His death, burial, and resurrection. But no, instead He starts to talk them of the sorrow and the joy they feel as His followers. He speaks of a woman in labor experiencing the sorrow that the hour has come for birth, but then the joy that overwhelms in that a human being is born into the world. This imagery of labor and childbirth is actually referring to the prophet Isaiah proclaimed of Israel’s suffering and deliverance in a similar way in 26:17-19, “Like a pregnant woman who writes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of You, O Lord; we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

We all believe that God’s power does not stop at the grave. Christ is risen! At His command, the dead comes to life. He can raise the whole nation, a whole people, who are seemingly entombed forever in exile and oppression. Jesus’ work upon the cross and the resurrection guarantees that our bodies will also rise. Those made righteous through faith will experience the resurrection of their bodies and life everlasting. Those who refuse to believe in Christ, who would prefer He stayed in the tomb, will rise at the resurrection to everlasting punishment and condemnation.

The Epistle for today teaches us to train ourselves in godly virtues while we await the final restoration of creation. To endure through sorrowing and suffering and trials and temptations, and by doing so, give witness to the eternal joy of the resurrection. Some of the strongest witnessing that takes place is while a person is full of sorrow. In the way that person handles it, where they look for help and comfort and peace.

Therefore, let us enter into suffering Himself, to bear our sorrow in Himself. To endure the sorrow of the grave. To bring restoration to His people by the forgiveness of sins. It draws us closer to our Savior.

Jesus speaks of His death and resurrection to us today. Because the same body and blood of Christ is in you by means of the Sacrament, like Jesus, the resurrection comes after tarrying in death for a moment. For Jesus, the grueling night of His passion gave way to the break of day on Easter morning. You too will arise at the break of the new day, the glorious Day of the Lord. For you are baptized, washed with the blood of the Lamb, clothed in the joy of the resurrection Because you have been united into His death and resurrection in Your baptism, your sufferings have become His and His works have become yours. So the Father now looks with joy upon you. He is pleased to call you His child. His is overjoyed to hold you in His arms.

Christ comforts His disciples that the coming change was not loss but gain. The approaching grief was to last for just a little while. Christ comforts us that the coming change in our world is not loss but gain.

May we be faithful to Christ, our Savior! God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 2:14, 22-33
• Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
• 1 Peter 1:17-21
• Luke 24:13-35

We are on the 3rd Sunday of Easter. I am happy to be here in the land where Jesus walked. For ten days, I am walking on the same soil where Jesus was born, lived and called His disciples, preached the Goodnews and performed numerous miracles. This pilgrimage is meaningful and moving my heart so deeply because I have the opportunity to step on this soil which is very familiar from places known through the gospels. I am grateful to God that I have this opportunity of a lifetime to visit various religious sites in the Holy Land, Jerusalem. For me, it is doubly joyful to go on this religious pilgrimage during this season of Easter.

In the first reading today from the book of Acts, this particular chapter narrates to us the completely new experience after the coming of the Holy Spirit where Peter observed the unusual difference of their way of life and attitude concerning Jesus. Peter’s teaching is simply that Jesus is from God, who was crucified, and God has given Him power to do great things on earth, to offer Himself for the salvation of men and finally for God to raise Him back to life.

Psalm 16:11 also points to Jesus. David was a promise from God that his descendants will never taste death, through Jesus, because He is under the lineage of David.

The gospel is a wonderful story of the Resurrection which is typical from St. Luke, the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus. After the crucifixion and death of Jesus, these two disciples were recalling the events that had occurred in Jerusalem. Their faith has sustained them to be firm, and yet as if their hope and dream had been crushed, they were downcast in spirit. Here are some things we need to remember as points of reflection:

First, they trusted the teaching of Jesus, heard Him preaching, established friendship with Him, and yet acted as if they were lost. They invested everything with Jesus and followed Him, probably they left everything. All of these things flashed like lightning in their minds, conversing as they walked along in desperation.

In our lowest moments, we are preoccupied thinking about all sorts of things that distract us. Sometimes we forget to acknowledge God’s presence in our lives accompanying us and we fail to trust Him.

Second, Jesus walks along side of them unrecognized. Jesus knew how to engage with the two in a conversation about the scripture from Moses, the prophets, and how the people rejected Jesus and put Him to death. Jesus reminded them that they are slow of heart to believe.

It is true that our own human sufferings and misfortunes are connected to our disbelief. We have hearts that are not open to accept and believe in the power of God. Many times, our life is neglectful to engage in a conversation in prayer where we can truly divulge the inner recesses of our own feelings and being. We fail to understand that the suffering of the Lord is actually the willingness of the merciful God to enter into our human weakness and uncertainty.

Third, Jesus stays with them for an intimate sharing of bread which Jesus blest, broke and offered them. Their eyes were opened to remember and recognize Him, but suddenly Jesus vanished from their sight. In the breaking of bread, Jesus is truly present. This Eucharistic meal is to call them to go and spread the Goodnews that Jesus has risen.

When we are with God, after the storm of life, there is always a promise of a rainbow. After problems and difficulty, there is a promise of a feast to celebrate and be grateful of a blessing. This is the reason, when we receive any kind of blessing, we must attend a Eucharistic celebration, the Mass, which is the highest form of thanksgiving to God.

Cleopas and his companion gained much understanding about their faith in Jesus Christ. They went back to Jerusalem with burning hearts, renewed commitment and awareness about themselves.

In following Jesus, we walk with Him and join Him always as we journey towards heaven. We are given new life, so that we too can share the fulness of life in the risen Lord, life that is filled with His saving power and life we find from the community of faith where we too belong.

Lord Jesus, please accompany us here in the Holy Land and through the path of life eternal.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón
Tercer Domingo de Pascua, Año A

• Hechos 2:14, 22-33
• Salmos 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
• 1 Pedro 1:17-21
• Lucas 24:13-35

Estamos en el Tercer Domingo de Pascua. Estoy feliz de estar por diez días pisando y caminando en la misma tierra donde Jesús nació, camino, vivió, predicó la Buena Nueva, donde llamó a cada uno de sus discípulos y realizó numerosos milagros. Esta peregrinación es significativa y conmueve profundamente mi corazón. Estoy pisando este suelo y yendo a lugares que me son muy familiares por mi conocimiento de los evangelios. Estoy agradecido de que Dios me haya bendecido con esta oportunidad única en la vida, de visitar varios lugares religiosos en Tierra Santa. Es doblemente alegre realizar esta peregrinación religiosa en este tiempo de Semana Santa.

La primera lectura de hoy es del libro de los Hechos. Este capítulo nos narra la experiencia completamente nueva después de la venida del Espíritu Santo que Pedro observó la diferencia inusual en su forma de vida y actitud con respecto a Jesús. Pedro simplemente enseña que Jesús es de Dios, que fue crucificado, y Dios le ha dado poder para hacer grandes cosas en la tierra, para ofrecerse a Sí mismo por la salvación de los hombres, y finalmente para que Dios lo resucite. El Salmo 16:11 también apunta a Jesús. Dios le prometió a David que sus descendientes nunca probarían la muerte, y Jesús está bajo el linaje de David.

El evangelio es una maravillosa historia de la Resurrección que es típica de San Lucas. La historia de estos dos hombres en el camino a Emaús. Después de la crucifixión y muerte de Jesús, estos dos discípulos estaban recordando los hechos ocurridos en Jerusalén. Su fe los ha sostenido para ser firmes y, sin embargo, como si sus esperanzas y sueños hubieran sido aplastados, estaban abatidos en el espíritu. Aquí hay algunas cosas que debemos recordar como puntos de reflexión:

Primero, confiaron en la enseñanza de Jesús, lo escucharon predicar y establecieron una amistad con Él, y sin embargo, como si estuvieran perdidos. Todo lo invirtieron en Jesús y lo siguieron, probablemente lo dejaron todo, todo eso brilló como un relámpago en sus mentes conversando mientras caminaban desesperados. En nuestros momentos más bajos, estamos preocupados por pensar en todo tipo de cosas que nos distraen. A veces nos olvidamos de reconocer la presencia de Dios en nuestra vida y que Él nos acompaña y, sin embargo, no confiamos en Él.

Segundo, Jesús camina junto a ellos sin ser reconocido. Jesús sabía cómo entablar una conversación con los dos sobre la escritura de Moisés, los profetas, y cómo la gente rechazó a Jesús y lo mató. Jesús les recordó que son lentos de corazón para creer.

Nuestros sufrimientos e infortunios humanos están ciertamente conectados con nuestra incredulidad. Tenemos corazones que no están abiertos a aceptar y creer en el poder de Dios. Muchas veces, nuestra vida es negligente en entablar una conversación, en la oración, donde verdaderamente podemos divulgar los recovecos internos de nuestros sentimientos y de nuestro ser. No supimos comprender que el sufrimiento del Señor es la disposición del Dios misericordioso a entrar en nuestra debilidad e incertidumbre humanas.

Tercero, Jesús se queda con ellos para compartir íntimamente el pan que Jesús bendijo, partió y les ofreció, sus ojos se abrieron para recordarlo y reconocerlo, pero de repente Jesús desapareció de su vista. En la fracción del pan, Jesús está realmente presente. Esta comida eucarística es para llamarlos a ir y difundir la buena nueva de la resurrección de Jesús.

Cuando estamos con Dios, después de la tormenta de la vida, siempre hay una promesa de un arco iris. Después de los problemas y las dificultades, la promesa de una fiesta para celebrar y agradecer es una bendición. Por eso, cuando recibimos cualquier tipo de bendición, debemos asistir a una celebración eucarística, la misa que es la forma más alta de acción de gracias a Dios.

Cleofás y su compañero adquirieron mucha comprensión acerca de su fe en Jesucristo. Regresaron a Jerusalén con corazones ardientes, compromiso renovado y conciencia de sí mismos. Al seguir a Jesús, caminamos con Él y nos unimos a Él siempre en nuestro viaje hacia el cielo. Se nos da nueva vida para que nosotros también podamos compartir la plenitud de la vida en el Señor resucitado, una vida que está llena de Su poder salvador, y la vida que encontramos en la comunidad de fe a la que también pertenecemos.

Señor Jesús, por favor acompáñanos aquí en Tierra Santa y por el camino de la vida eterna.

¡Dios los bendiga!

Padre Arlón, osa