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• Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
• Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
• 1 John 4:7-10
• John 15:9-17

Today is the 6th Sunday of Easter. We have heard how the early Christians significantly flourish as a community. The community has changed tremendously as God reveals himself in human history and in the world. Thus, these unfolding events consistently favor us truly in our relationship with God and others.

This first reading from the Acts of the Apostles narrates concerning St. Peter and Cornelius. Through these two staunch disciples of the Lord, it manifests the Holy Spirit’s power to accept Gentiles alongside Jewish believers. We do understand that God lacks partiality or favoritism. Furthermore, Peter’s message is to emphasize how Jesus’ followers are now witnesses called to testify. These verses summarize the highlights as witnessed by all in the household of Cornelius. First, the message declares that “in every nation” God does not play favorites. Second, God is the “Lord of all.” It means Jesus’ lordship over earthly and supernatural forces, even death, Satan and all forces that defy God. Third, this message is written by St. John that “Jesus is mysteriously powerful” as indicated by the coming of the Holy Spirit which is strongly pronounced by St. Peter’s message.

The second reading from the first letter of St. John reminds us of our main focus on the divine attribute that embodies all others, that is the love of God. There are no such relationships that work if we don’t recognize the presence of God, who is Love. It says, “Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” Therefore, this has been revealed to us that love for one another manifests in full when God is acknowledged and present in all our human relationships.

Today’s readings include the most important teaching of Jesus about His love and friendship for us. For me, it is simply a repetition in the 2nd reading and the gospel on how to follow Him: “Love one another as I love you.” How can the teaching of Christ be concretized as we go through life?

First, in the opening sentence of the gospel, Jesus says, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” This statement of Jesus is our model of faith and love. There is that divine origin because the love is from the Father. Jesus becomes a true witness by the gift of the incarnation and by offering Himself on the Cross as His greatest expression of love for us.

Second, Jesus says, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” Here we are exhorted to abide by this commandment simply to manifest that as we believe and live in the love of God, we must practice that love in action in the world, especially by loving one another. We love because God first loved us. Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters; however, this love must go beyond the boundary of our family, as it extends to every human being.

Third, Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” This gives us a clear message: Jesus is our friend, and He loves us. It’s amazing to realize that Jesus selected us to be his friends. Our friendship with Jesus is another relationship in our lives with the same movements we have with family members, spouses, and friends. We talk and we listen. Prayer is conversation with our friend, Jesus, talking as we might with our friends and family members. It’s an invitation to remain in the awareness that as we go through our daily lives, we are loved deeply by Jesus in everything we do.

Fourth, Jesus says, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose and appointed you to go and bear fruit.” We have been chosen to share our lives with Jesus as he shares his with us. It’s a connection of joy. The good news, Jesus says, is joy for both of us. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” But more than that, Jesus says that because he chose us, we are sent “to go and bear great fruit that will remain.” Our role as Christians is to live out the teachings of Jesus.

Let us remember that the fundamental teaching of Jesus is Love. In the scripture, it is almost a repetitive invitation to fall into love and to live in love in the midst of our lives and existence. It is through Christ that we, the people, often learn to love by being loved. The love of Christ has empowered us to be loving persons. Being loved is God’s greatest gift.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

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Dictado del Corazón
Sexto Domingo de Pascua, Año B

• Hechos 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
• Salmo 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
• 1 Juan 4:7-10
• Juan 15:9-17

Hoy es el sexto domingo de Pascua. Hemos escuchado cómo los primeros cristianos florecieron significativamente como comunidad. La comunidad ha cambiado enormemente a medida que Dios se revela en la historia humana y en el mundo. Por lo tanto, estos acontecimientos que se desarrollan consistentemente nos favorecen verdaderamente en nuestra relación con Dios y los demás.

Esta primera lectura de los Hechos de los Apóstoles narra acerca de San Pedro y Cornelio. A través de estos dos discípulos incondicionales del Señor, se manifiesta el poder del Espíritu Santo para aceptar a los gentiles junto con los creyentes judíos. Entendemos que Dios carece de parcialidad, o que Dios no tiene favoritismo. Además, el mensaje de Pedro pretende enfatizar cómo los seguidores de Jesús ahora son testigos llamados a testificar. Estos versículos resumen los aspectos más destacados según lo atestiguó la casa de Cornelio. Primero, el mensaje declara que “en cada nación” Dios no tiene favoritos. Segundo, que Dios es el “Señor de todo”. Significa el señorío de Jesús sobre las fuerzas terrenales y sobrenaturales, ni siquiera la muerte, Satanás y todas las fuerzas que desafían a Dios. En tercer lugar, este mensaje está escrito por San Juan en el sentido de que “Jesús es misteriosamente poderoso”, como lo indica la venida del Espíritu Santo, que se pronuncia con fuerza en el mensaje de San Pedro.

La segunda lectura de la primera carta de San Juan nos recuerda nuestro enfoque principal en el atributo divino que encarna a todos los demás, es decir, el amor de Dios. No existen relaciones que funcionen si no reconocemos la presencia de Dios, que es Amor. Dice: “Quien no tiene amor no conoce a Dios, porque Dios es amor”. Por lo tanto, se nos ha revelado que el amor mutuo se manifiesta plenamente cuando Dios es reconocido y presente en todas nuestras relaciones humanas.

Las lecturas de hoy incluyen la enseñanza más importante de Jesús sobre su amor y amistad por nosotros. Para mí es simplemente una repetición en la segunda lectura y en el evangelio sobre cómo seguirlo: “Amaos unos a otros como yo os amo”. ¿Cómo se puede concretar la enseñanza de Cristo a lo largo de la vida?

Primero, en la frase inicial del evangelio, Jesús dice: “Como el Padre me ama, así también yo los amo”. Esta declaración de Jesús es nuestro modelo de fe y amor. Existe ese origen divino porque el amor es del Padre. Jesús se convierte en verdadero testigo por el don de la encarnación y al ofrecerse en la Cruz como su mayor expresión de amor por nosotros.

En segundo lugar, Jesús dice: “Este es mi mandamiento: ámense unos a otros como yo los amo”. Aquí se nos exhorta a cumplir este mandamiento simplemente para manifestar que mientras creemos y vivimos en el amor de Dios, debemos practicar ese amor en acción en el mundo, especialmente amándonos unos a otros. Amamos porque Dios nos amó primero. Quienes aman a Dios deben amar a sus hermanos y hermanas. Sin embargo, este amor debe ir más allá de los límites de nuestra familia, se extiende a todo ser humano.
En tercer lugar, Jesús dice: “Ustedes son mis amigos si hacen lo que les mando. Esto nos da un mensaje claro: Jesús es nuestro amigo y nos ama. Es sorprendente darnos cuenta de que Jesús nos seleccionó para ser sus amigos. Nuestra amistad con Jesús es otra relación en nuestras vidas con los mismos movimientos que tenemos con familiares, cónyuges y amigos. Hablamos y escuchamos. La oración es una conversación con nuestro amigo Jesús, hablando como lo haríamos con nuestros amigos y familiares. Es una invitación a permanecer conscientes de que a medida que avanzamos en nuestra vida diaria, Jesús nos ama profundamente en todo lo que hacemos.

Cuarto, Jesús dice: “No fueron ustedes quienes me eligieron, sino yo quien los elegí y los designé para que vayan y den fruto”. Hemos sido elegidos para compartir nuestras vidas con Jesús como él comparte la suya con nosotros. Es una conexión de alegría. La buena nueva, dice Jesús, es un gozo para ambos. “Les he dicho esto para que mi alegría esté en ustedes y su alegría sea completa”. Pero más que eso, Jesús dice que debido a que nos eligió, somos enviados “a ir y dar grandes frutos que perdurarán”. Nuestro papel como cristianos es vivir las enseñanzas de Jesús.

Recordemos que la enseñanza fundamental de Jesús es el Amor. En las Escrituras, es casi una invitación repetitiva a enamorarse y vivir en amor en medio de la vida y la existencia. Es a través de Cristo que nosotros, el pueblo, muchas veces aprendemos a amar siendo amados. El amor de Cristo nos ha empoderado para ser personas amorosas. Ser amado es el regalo más grande de Dios.

Dios los bendiga.

P. Arlón, osa

• James 1:22-27
• John 16:23-30

Today is the 5th Sunday after Easter. I am happy that we did the “May Crowning” last week, and let us continue to seek Mother Mary’s maternal protection by praying the rosary regularly. When I can’t find the time to pray, I always turn on my CD inside my car in order to pray and meditate each mystery as I recite the rosary. Let us offer a rosary, a bouquet of roses to the Blessed Mother Mary.

The epistle today, taken from the Book of James, is a persuasive message that intends to clarify the true meaning of being a Christian and provides important instructions that we should adhere to. The passage begins with the following sentence: “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (v.22) This verse signifies that we become the doers of the word and not only the passive hearers. To make his message even more convincing, James employs an allegory and compares the passive hearers with the individuals in front of a mirror “For he beheld himself and went his way and presently forgot what manner of man he was.” (v.24) St. James‘ writing seems to attempt to illustrate how unreasonable such behavior is, and how pointless it is for one to learn something important and then never use it in practice. St. James encourages us to follow his instructions saying, “not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” The danger is that we listen to the word of God and agree mentally with it, and we say, “This is true, that is right, I believe this and yet we stop acting on it. We cheat because we deprive ourselves of something important and valuable to practice in our life, and oftentimes depend on lies and listening to the words of others that are not true as if it were true. We don’t read the Bible to become familiar with it. We really don’t know what the Bible says about saving our souls, blessing others with perseverance to achieve the crown of life for eternity. We seldom meditate on the content of the scriptures so that the words are written on our heart. We know some biblical verses but it’s in our head and when we fall into trials, as we do, the scripture doesn’t help because it is not part of us. We need to depend on His word and act on it.

The gospel from St. John is a flashback to what had been spoken by Jesus to His disciples in the upper room. There are several important points to reflect on:

First, Jesus says, “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you.” This is an invitation to consider prayer requests to God in the name of Jesus. We know that in the scripture, the disciples were taught to pray in His name. (Jn 14:13-14) We pray in the name of Jesus in order to acknowledge that our access to God in prayer comes only through Jesus. As sinners, we are separated from God, and through Jesus our friendship with God has been restored. By grace and the HOLY SPIRIT we are united to Him, for we become children of God whom we are able to call, “Abba, Father,” to experience intimacy and life-giving communion with Him. (Rom 8:15)

Second, Jesus says, “I will ask the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because you have loveth Me and have believed that I came out from God.” These words of Jesus are remarkable that the Father loves the disciples simply because they love and believe in Jesus. How do we understand this? Just think of your child’s friends whom you know are good companions and reliable and loving friends to your own child. You reciprocate that goodness of your child’s friends and consider them as part of your family. I believe the loving God felt the same way about the disciples who were truly devoted to Jesus and loved and believed Him. This is exactly the whole idea that God truly loves us when we faithfully love and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a clear consideration of Christian love for, and faith in, Jesus.

Third, His disciples say to Jesus, “Behold, now Thou speakest plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now we know that Thou knowest all things, and Thou needest not that any man should ask Thee, by this we believe that Thou camest forth from God.” (v.30) This is an indication that the disciples have had their eyes opened a bit more in regard to their knowledge about their master. Jesus has spoken to them clearly without any figures of speech, but in words they easily understand. Jesus not only addressed their questions but answered them because He knows the depth of their hearts. After believing Jesus who came from God, they realized their mission to fulfill.

Therefore, this gospel is a perfect reminder that despite the blessing of Easter, we endure so many challenges and trials. Though the resurrection of Jesus confirmed His victorious lordship, we need to believe that we are not abandoned by Jesus, because He is our Savior. Let us proclaim the many promises of the Lord by keeping His words and living them out, which is the hope of our own resurrection and the source of our courage in this world.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 9:26-31
• Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-3
• 1 John 3:18-24
• John 15:1-8

We are in the 5th Sunday of Easter.  We have good sunny weather to enjoy and to have a good time with outdoor activities.  Some of us are busy preparing the garden to plant ornamentals and vegetables.  Some plant fruit trees in their backyard.  In this way, we connect to the earth as we reflect the value of being connected to God, others and to our surroundings.  Jesus says, “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”  The highlight and the importance of our connection and lifeline to Christ is crucial.  If we’re disconnected, we wither and die like a dead branch, and that means we are nothing.   The very source of our life in order to bear much fruit is to remain with the main branch, our strength, and to give glory to Him.   

In today’s reading, Saul was persecuting the first century Christians without being afraid.  He continued to torture and kill those who followed Jesus.  The disciples of Jesus were afraid of him.  However, by God’s grace of conversion, Jesus appeared to him and that was the beginning of converting to be a staunch follower of Jesus. The name Saul was changed to Paul, and with his courageous assistant, Barnabas, these two new converts shared their faithfulness to proclaim the gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  They did their best to work hard for evangelization.  Paul, through his actions, had proven that His faith in Jesus was real.  Paul was an instrument in spreading the word as he went off from Jerusalem to tell of the consolations of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Resurrection.   The believers of Christ were growing in numbers, and their faith became strong.  

The second reading, from the first letter of St. John, manifests that believing in Jesus and loving one another are not represented as two separate commandments, but rather as one command.  It requires obedience to the fullness of both Christ-believing and people-loving being what it means to abide in Jesus, to have a vital connection to the source of all eternal and true life and joy through the Spirit.  The only problem is that we would rather love our way, rather than God’s way.  

Today’s gospel is taken from the evangelist John narrating the story of the vine and the vine grower.  “I am the vine; you are the branches.”  There are many images that we need to consider. 

First, Jesus says, “My Father is the vine grower.”   In this gospel, the Father is depicted as the vine grower in this story.  He is the main architect in making the vineyard more productive in order to achieve the expected harvest.  The vine grower spends abundant time and careful checking of everything in the vineyard for a successful end-result.  He will do whatever is needed by His constant and nurturing love.  In the same way, the Father spends great time and care in watching over each of us.   

Second, Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit.”   St. John, the evangelist, portrays Jesus as the New Israel who bears much fruit pleasing to the Father by declaring that He is the “true vine.”  Jesus’ words have to remain in us, and since we are connected to Him, we are to ask for whatever we desire, and it will be done.   It is obvious that the growth of a fruit or a flower depends on being attached to the vine which provides sustenance for their growth.  Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches, and if we are apart from the Vine, we can do nothing.  We grow, we mature, we bear fruit which is the result of living His words and His ways.  If we are apart from the Vine, we become barren and wither as a result of doing our own will, rather than allowing Jesus and His words to influence us. 

Third, Jesus says, “You are the branches….You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in Me as I remain in you.”  The words “branches, prune and remain” are images of conditioned attachment of our hearts and spirits with Jesus, the true Vine.   Being the branch is the validating connection with the main vine.  However, our natural reaction is that we do not like the thought or experience of being pruned.  The idea of “pruning” is suggesting deepening our friendship and love; therefore, there is a need to remain constantly in Jesus.  As branches of the true vine, which is Jesus, is part of the love which Jesus offers in order to experience the holiness of our soul and grow in Christian virtues. Then, we are assured of a fruitful life.  

Let us pause and ask ourselves, how are the fruits of our labor connected to our relationship with Christ?  Are we resisting some pruning that God is trying to do with us?   We need to offer ourselves as obedient children of God to pray for each other so that we may be branches bearing fruit of goodness and glorifying God with our actions, particularly as we work towards healing our hurting world, community and family.  Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches! 

God bless you. 

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón

Quinto Domingo de Pascua, Año B

• Hechos 9:26-31
• Salmo 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-3
• 1 Juan 3:18-24
• Juan 15:1-8

Estamos en el Quinto Domingo de Pascua. Estamos teniendo un buen día soleado para disfrutar y pasar un buen rato con actividades al aire libre. Algunos de nosotros estamos ocupados preparando el jardín para plantar flores para decorar nuestro jardín, hortalizas o árboles frutales. De esta manera, nos conectamos con la tierra mientras reflexionamos sobre el valor de estar conectados con Dios, los demás y nuestro entorno. Jesús dice: “permanece en mí y yo en él, ése da fruto abundante, porque sin mí nada pueden hacer”. Lo más destacado y la importancia de nuestra conexión y salvación con Cristo es crucial. Si estamos desconectados, nos marchitamos y morimos como una rama muerta, y eso significa que no somos nada. La fuente misma de nuestra vida para poder dar mucho fruto es permanecer en el pámpano principal, nuestra fuerza, y dar gloria a Dios.

En la lectura de hoy, Saulo perseguía sin miedo a los cristianos del primer siglo. Continuó torturando y matando a los que seguían a Jesús. Los discípulos de Jesús le tenían miedo. Sin embargo, por la gracia de Dios. Jesús se le apareció y ese fue el comienzo de su conversión para ser un seguidor de Jesús. El nombre de Saulo fue cambiado a Pablo, y con su valiente asistente Bernabé, estos dos nuevos conversos compartieron su fidelidad para proclamar el evangelio de Jesucristo. Hicieron todo lo posible para trabajar duro por la evangelización. Pablo, a través de sus acciones, había demostrado que su fe en Jesús era real. Pablo fue un instrumento para difundir la palabra cuando salió de Jerusalén para hablar de los consuelos del Espíritu Santo y del poder de la Resurrección. Los creyentes en Cristo crecían en número y su fe se fortaleció.

La segunda lectura, de la primera carta de San Juan, manifiesta que creer en Jesús y amarse unos a otros no se presentan como dos mandamientos separados, sino como un solo mandamiento. Requiere obediencia a la plenitud del ser que cree en Cristo y ama a las personas, lo que significa permanecer en Jesús y tener una conexión vital con la fuente de toda vida y gozo eterno y verdadero a través del Espíritu. El único problema es que preferimos amar a nuestra manera que a la manera de Dios.

El evangelio de hoy está tomado del evangelista Juan narrando la historia de la vid y el viñador. “Yo soy la vid; ustedes son las ramas”. Hay muchas imágenes que debemos considerar.

Primero, Jesús dice: “Mi Padre es el viñador”. En este evangelio, el Padre es representado como el viñador de esta historia. Es el principal artífice de hacer más productivo el viñedo para conseguir la cosecha esperada. El viticultor dedica mucho tiempo y controla cuidadosamente todo lo que hay en el viñedo para obtener un resultado exitoso. Él hará todo lo que sea necesario gracias a Su amor constante y nutritivo. De la misma manera, el Padre dedica mucho tiempo y cuidado a velar por cada uno de nosotros.

En segundo lugar, Jesús dice: “Yo soy la vid, ustedes son los pámpanos. El que permanece en Mí y Yo en él, dará mucho fruto”. San Juan, el evangelista, retrata a Jesús como el Nuevo Israel que da mucho fruto agradable al Padre al declarar que Él es la “vid verdadera”. Las palabras de Jesús deben permanecer en nosotros y, dado que estamos conectados con Él, debemos pedir todo lo que deseemos y será hecho. Es obvio que el crecimiento de un fruto o de una flor depende de estar adheridos a la vid que les proporciona sustento para su crecimiento. Jesús es la Vid, y nosotros somos los pámpanos, y si estamos separados de la Vid, nada podemos hacer. Crecemos, maduramos y damos frutos que son el resultado de vivir Sus palabras y Sus caminos. Si estamos separados de la Vid, nos volvemos estériles y nos marchitamos como resultado de hacer nuestra propia voluntad, en lugar de permitir que Jesús y Sus palabras nos influyan.

En tercer lugar, Jesús dice: “Ustes son las ramas… Ya están podados por la palabra que he hablado. Permaneced en Mí como Yo permanezco en vosotros”. Las palabras “sarman, podan y permanecen” son imágenes del apego condicionado de nuestros corazones y espíritus a Jesús, la Vid verdadera. Ser el pámpano es la conexión validadora con la vid principal. Sin embargo, nuestra reacción natural es que no nos gusta la idea o la experiencia de ser podados. La idea de “poda” sugiere profundizar nuestra amistad y amor; por lo tanto, es necesario permanecer constantemente en Jesús. Como sarmientos de la vid verdadera, que es Jesús, es parte del amor que Jesús ofrece para experimentar la santidad de nuestra alma y crecer en las virtudes cristianas. Entonces, tendremos asegurada una vida fructífera.

Hagamos una pausa y preguntémonos: ¿cómo se conectan los frutos de nuestro trabajo con nuestra relación con Cristo? ¿Estamos resistiendo alguna poda que Dios está tratando de hacer con nosotros? Necesitamos ofrecernos como hijos obedientes de Dios para orar unos por otros para que seamos sarmientos que den frutos de bondad y glorifiquen a Dios con nuestras acciones, partid especialmente mientras trabajamos para sanar nuestro mundo, comunidad y familia heridos. ¡Jesús es la Vid y nosotros somos los pámpanos!

Hermanos y hermanas, hay tres cosas que necesito recordarles:

Primero, es verano, quisiera recordarles a todos que debemos respetar al Señor, cada vez que vengan a la Iglesia para la celebración de la misa, por favor, vístanse apropiadamente, sin pantalones cortos, sin ropa indecente. No estamos aquí para el espectáculo sino para adorar a Dios. Por favor respeta la casa de Dios.

En segundo lugar, durante la comunión, extienda los brazos simplemente para expresar su deseo de recibir el cuerpo de Cristo en lugar de que el sacerdote se acerque a usted. Es el Señor quien ofrece Su cuerpo sagrado, pero debemos mostrar nuestra disposición a aceptarlo extendiendo con reverencia nuestros brazos con las manos abiertas o recibiéndolo por la lengua en lugar de ser pasivos.

En tercer lugar, durante la consagración nunca abandones tu asiento hasta que termine la solemne consagración para ir al baño. Asegúrate de arrodillarte y la consagración es la parte más solemne de la misa.

Traten de tener estos importantes puntos siempre en cuenta.

Dios lo bendiga.

P. Arlón, osa

• James 1:17-21
• John 16:5-14

Today is the 4th Sunday after Easter.  I congratulate the awardees, Mike Gallagher and Hector and Stacy Bucchianeri for their continuous support of the Holy Spirit Mission through their various volunteer works.  Next week, the Prior Provincial of the Christ the King Institute, Canon Matthew, will be celebrating mass on my behalf due to my commitment to attend the Knights of Columbus Nevada State Convention in Las Vegas on May 3-5, 2024.  My presence is needed because I am still the Knights’ State Chaplain.   

Today we heard the epistle taken from the Letter of James.  The Letter of St. James is not popular with our protestant brethren because St. James says, “Faith without action is dead,” (James 2:18) which obviously means, real faith cannot exist apart from works.  I think the purpose of this epistle is to make us understand that the intent of St. James is to teach us how to live our faith.  It challenges us to take the next step in our life of genuine discipleship and teaches us how to persevere following the example of the Lord.  St. James acknowledges that the Father is the “Father of Lights,” and all perfect gifts, the sending of His begotten Son Jesus and His words and ministry, all make us favored children of God.  The Word became flesh and was born among us, and the word of God which fills our scriptures, also comes from above. It all comes from above, through the Holy Spirit and not from us. The light that came from heaven and descends on earth is the good gift coming from above.   St. James further says, “Let every man be swift to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger.  For the anger of a man worketh not the justice of God.”  We need to accept God’s word to change us when we welcome it with great humility or meekness.  We must be willing to be changed by this Word, to be led by this Word and to live not by our will but by the divine Will of God. We are ready to be doers of the word in order to make ourselves an extension of Christ to others. That is what we are called to do.  Let us control our anger by what we usually hear in the proclamation of the epistle and the gospel.  When we welcome with meekness, God is implanting the power of His word in our hearts. 

In the gospel today, Jesus says, “I go to Him that sent Me: and none of you asked Me: Where are you going?”  The chosen apostles of Jesus could not understand His impending passion and death with these words Jesus had spoken the night of the last supper.  Jesus was giving them clear assurance that leaving them is to open for them a new and life-giving way through the promise of the Paraclete which means the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, and which demonstrates God’s presence so that they would be strengthened and be bold in speaking about the Risen Lord. 

God continues to accompany His beloved people of Israel and us since the beginning of His creation.  The fundamental realities that sustain the disciples’ goodness and right judgement is their full trust, faith, and belief of Christ’s promise that He would continue working with them powerfully through the Paraclete.  Their own vulnerability and fragility have been overcome by the presence of the third person of the Trinity. 

There are moments in our lives that we stumble and fall with broken and sad hearts for various reasons, dark and difficult times, and in all our times of painful loss.  Our sadness too can be related to some experience of loss just like the sadness the disciples felt knowing that their master would experience passion and death.  The disciples were experiencing a necessary loss, a loss that was in the service of a greater blessing, a sadness of losing someone who has been significant to them, and yet Jesus showed them that His leaving had a value.  He was teaching them in a new and different way of rising and sharing with us the Paraclete.  The Spirit assures us of the Lord’s loving presence at such moments, so that even in our sadness we can experience something of that joy which is the fruit of the Spirit.   

In and through the Spirit, the Lord would come to believers of every generation in every part of the world, and to us here present, rejoicing in His eternal presence.  Only then, if we work with dedication and commitment, we can do wondrous things by, through, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, whom the risen Lord sends to us, for us also to share and to proclaim! 

God bless you. 

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 4:8-12
• Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
• 1 John 3:1-2
• John 10:11-18

Today is the 4th Sunday of Easter, Year B. I presume that we are enjoying reading and reflecting on the previous three Sundays post-resurrection stories. Jesus has been present in our lives and continues to lead us closer to Him.

The reading today from the Acts of the Apostle speaks about Peter and John who cured a cripple in the name of Jesus. Peter had told the followers of Jesus to be bold to speak out to the Jewish leaders in defense of their good actions for healing a cripple. It was not through their good deeds that the crippled man was healed, but by the power of Jesus Christ the Nazorean. Jesus has been the foundation, strength and stability for the whole community despite being rejected by the Jews. St. Peter says, “Jesus is the stone rejected by the builders but becomes the cornerstone,” and the conclusion of Peter’s word is powerful to proclaim that, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

The second reading from the first letter of St. John reminds us that “the love of the Father has bestowed upon us….now we are children of God. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Our own motivation shall be like Him – be like him in motivation, in attitude, and in action. It is nice that we reflect on the goodness of the loving God and imitate Him.

In the gospel reading, we hear Jesus speak of Himself as the “Good Shepherd” that lays down His life for the sheep. He stays faithful throughout all dangers and will gather all into one flock. Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one of the most familiar ways of portraying our Lord. This particular gospel is read every 4th Sunday of Easter. So, let us decipher some of the most important points in this gospel pericope:

First, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v.11) I am grateful to Jesus for offering Himself to be our Shepherd. It is true that we desire for someone to lead us, to protect us, to guide us, and to care for us always. We are a blessed flock of sheep who can rely on Him. The world, our community, our family and friends search for someone to rely on. In this period of deception, we must listen to Jesus, who carefully distinguishes false shepherds or hirelings. Many would be coming to deceive us, but the significant character of our Good Shepherd is His commitment and readiness to lay down His life for us, for Jesus has preceded us on this perilous road.

Second, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” (vv. 14,15) In this verse, we agree that His complete knowledge about His sheep refers to us, His flock. He likes us to be together under His care and guidance, as the fact is that He knows each one of us. It is also for our own safety that He tends to spend a lot of time with us for our benefit. In like manner, He spent time with His Father in prayer. In addition, He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Third, the last point of Jesus expresses this, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16) Personally, I believe the sacred intention of our Lord is to gather all people in the world as “one flock and one shepherd.” To rightly interpret these words of Jesus, we need to find the rationale for this scriptural text which refers us to the fact that Jesus of history preached to the fold of God’s chosen people, Israel. While Jesus’ earthly ministry served the Jewish people almost exclusively, His great commission to the Apostles before His ascension was to send them all into the world to preach, baptize, and thus unite His believers in one-fold. (Mt. 28:19) Here the “other sheep” refers to Gentiles willing to obey and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, these righteous Gentiles heard the gospel from the lips of His disciples, sought conversion, and they became followers of Jesus. I believe that we are considered Gentiles, which means outside the fold of the chosen people of Israel. Thus, it is not proper for other denominations and religions claiming to justify their existence as being the “other sheep.” Such interpretation is wrong! Our understanding of the “other sheep” as the Gentiles who would come to believe in Christ is the natural understanding of the passage.

This Easter season allows us to find Jesus in our ordinary lives, where we encounter Him in unexpected moments, ways, or places. I wonder if we are grounded in faith to share our own thoughts about Jesus and in what role He has in our life.

Jesus gives us the example that everyone is welcome to join His flock. Jesus finds no difference in serving, working, and loving those people the Father gives Him. Who is Jesus for you and where can you find Him?

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón
Cuarto Domingo de Pascua, Año B

• Hechos 4:8-12
• Salmo 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
• 1 Juan 3:1-2
• Juan 10:11-18

Hoy es el Cuarto Domingo de Pascua, Año B. Hemos disfrutado reflexionando sobre las lecturas de los tres domingos anteriores sobre las historias posteriores a la resurrección. Jesús ha estado presente en nuestras vidas y continúa guiándonos a Él.

La lectura de hoy de los Hechos de los Apóstoles habla de Pedro y Juan que curaron a un cojo en el nombre de Jesús. Pedro había dicho a los seguidores de Jesús que se atrevieran a hablar ante los líderes judíos en defensa de sus buenas obras para curar a un lisiado. No fue por sus buenas obras que el cojo sanó sino por el poder que tiene el nombre de Jesucristo el Nazareno. Jesús ha sido el fundamento, la fuerza y la estabilidad de toda la comunidad a pesar del rechazo de los judíos. San Pedro dice: “Jesús es la piedra desechada por los constructores, se convierte en la piedra angular. Y la conclusión de la palabra de Pedro es poderosa para proclamar que “no hay salvación por otro, ni hay otro nombre bajo el cielo dado al género humano en el que podamos ser salvados”.

La segunda lectura de la primera carta de San Juan nos recuerda que “el amor del Padre nos ha concedido… ahora somos hijos de Dios. Y todo aquel que tiene esta esperanza puesta en Él, se purifica, así como Él es puro”. Nuestra motivación será como Él: seremos como Él en motivación, en actitud y en acción. Es bueno reflexionar sobre la bondad del Dios amoroso y que lo imitemos.

En la lectura del evangelio, escuchamos a Jesús hablar de sí mismo como el “Buen Pastor” que da su vida por las ovejas. Él permanece fiel a través de todos los peligros y reunirá a todos en un solo rebaño. Jesús como el Buen Pastor, que es una de las formas más familiares de representar a nuestro Señor. Este evangelio en particular se lee cada cuarto domingo de Pascua. Entonces, descifremos algunos de los puntos más importantes de del evangelio:

Primero, Jesús dice: “Yo soy el buen pastor. El buen pastor da su vida por sus ovejas”. (v.11) Doy gracias a Jesús por ofrecerse para ser nuestro Pastor. De hecho, deseamos que alguien nos guíe, nos proteja, nos guíe y nos cuide siempre. Somos un rebaño bendito de ovejas que podemos confiar en Él. El mundo, nuestra comunidad, nuestra familia y nuestros amigos buscan a alguien en quien confiar. En este período de engaño, debemos escuchar a Jesús, quien distingue cuidadosamente a los falsos pastores o asalariados. Muchos vendrían a engañarnos, pero el carácter significativo de nuestro Buen Pastor es su compromiso y disposición por dar su vida por nosotros, porque Jesús nos ha precedido en este camino peligroso.

Segundo, Jesús dice: “Yo soy el buen pastor. Conozco a los míos y los míos me conocen a mí, así como el Padre me conoce y yo conozco al Padre. (vv. 14,15) En este versículo, estamos de acuerdo en que Su conocimiento completo acerca de Sus ovejas se refiere a nosotros, Su rebaño. Le gusta que estemos juntos bajo su cuidado y guía, pues lo cierto es que Él nos conoce a cada uno de nosotros. También es por nuestra seguridad que Él tiende a pasar mucho tiempo con nosotros para nuestro beneficio. De la misma manera, pasó tiempo con Su Padre en oración. Además, Él nos conoce mejor que nosotros mismos.

En tercer lugar, el último punto que Jesús expresa: “Tengo otras ovejas que no son de este redil. A ellos también debo traer, y escucharán mi voz. Entonces habrá un solo rebaño, un solo pastor”. (v.16) Personalmente, creo que la sagrada intención de nuestro Señor es reunir a todas las personas del mundo como “un solo rebaño y pastor”. Para interpretar correctamente estas palabras de Jesús, necesitamos encontrar el fundamento de este texto bíblico que nos remite al hecho de que el Jesús de la historia predicó al redil del pueblo elegido de Dios, Israel. Si bien el ministerio terrenal de Jesús sirvió casi exclusivamente al pueblo judío, su gran comisión a los Apóstoles antes de Su ascensión fue enviarlos a todos al mundo para predicar, bautizar y así unir a Sus creyentes en un solo redil. (Mt. 28:19) Aquí las “otras ovejas” se refieren a los gentiles dispuestos a obedecer y seguir a Jesucristo. Entonces, estos justos gentiles escucharon el evangelio de labios de sus discípulos, buscaron la conversión y se convirtieron en seguidores de Jesús. Creo que somos considerados gentiles, lo que significa fuera del redil del pueblo elegido de Israel. Por lo tanto, no es apropiado que otras denominaciones o sectas afirmen justificar su existencia como las “otras ovejas”. ¡Semejante interpretación es errónea! Nuestra comprensión de las “otras ovejas” se refiere a los gentiles que llegarían a creer en Cristo, es la comprensión lógica de este pasaje.

Este tiempo pascual nos permite encontrar a Jesús en nuestra vida ordinaria, donde lo encontramos en momentos, formas o lugares inesperados. Me pregunto si estamos cimentados en la fe para compartir nuestros pensamientos sobre Jesús y qué papel tiene en nuestras vidas.

Jesús nos da el ejemplo de que todos son bienvenidos a unirse a su rebaño. Jesús no encuentra diferencia en servir, trabajar y amar a aquellas personas que el Padre le da. ¿Quién es Jesús para ti y dónde puedes encontrarlo?

Dios los bendiga.

P. Arlón, osa

• 1 Peter 2:11-19
• John 16:16-22

Today, we are in the 3rd Sunday after Easter. Let us continue to be empowered by the risen Lord to glorify our loving God through good works and continuous rejoicing Easter people.

The epistle, from the first letter of Peter, reminds us of our personal calling to holiness, which is essential to be genuine witnesses of Christ participating in our mission. We too are reminded to take advantage of the abundant blessings and the necessity of obedience. Obedience is necessary to do good in order to persevere in our Christian life. Through our obedience, we are protected from anything that destroys our body and spirit. We must always recognize the Lord, who guides and illuminates us with His eternal light to show the path to moral uprightness, in both our personal and public lives, all for the good and glory of God. It is imperative that, as believers, we live lives that express inherent goodness of God’s children; therefore, we must live consistently faithful and willing to renew ourselves by the challenge of the Sacrament of Confession. To keep our conduct excellent is to live in complete obedience to Jesus’ teachings and words and to emulate His purity, kindness, mercy, and love.

In the gospel today Jesus uttered a puzzling statement when he said, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” I would like to reflect on these words of Jesus so that we have a better understanding of His words.

First, Jesus repeats a portion of His thought maybe to put weight on something. His disciples struggle to comprehend what He was talking about. They wanted to ask Him what He meant, but Jesus doesn’t precisely answer their question. However, “a little while and you will not see Me,” refers to His impending death. These words were uttered by Jesus before His crucifixion. His words. “You will not see Me,” brought intense sorrow to the disciples for it provides details of what they will experience in the time ahead.

Second, Jesus is planning to surprise them, and He said, “Big things are coming for you in the days ahead.” What does this mean? It is true that the Jewish religious leaders are planning to eliminate Jesus who will be put to death because the power of darkness manifests through the betrayal of Judas. These religious leaders, Pharisees and Scribes walk and exist and ordered a state of enmity which exists against God through the rule of Satan.

Third, Jesus says, “Trust Me, when they come, you will be delighted beyond measure! But the world will rejoice.” This must be taken to mean that those who came against Christ would rejoice which has been the outcome thinking that they defeated Him. The wickedness permeates the world under Satan, and that evil prevails gaining control is another lie of Satan. However, Jesus Christ the Messiah. is the Light of the world, and He has the over-all and permanent control of everything that even darkness and sin won’t succeed. The Risen Christ‘s presence in our midst expresses in a new and profound way for us to rejoice forever.

St. Paul gives us encouraging words, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27) It is for us believers that we keep Christ’s promise and to remember what the resurrection of Jesus means to us. Without God, we have no purpose and God has never lost control. Rather, He is in complete control.

Our greatest desire and concern should not be to live to please the world, but to be pleasing before God and see how God sees. This is our goal and our mission.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
• Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
• 1 John 2:1-5a
• Luke 24:13-35

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter. We started our Easter journey three weeks ago, and we will continue to travel to our “Road to Emmaus.” In every celebration of the mass we heard the word of God, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” He is speaking to us in scriptures, and we meditate to understand the message.

We heard the first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was recollecting the events of the past and moving through the present to face their future. Then Peter made a blatant comment that hit all listeners hard as they were responsible for the death of the servant, Jesus. However, Jesus was raised from the dead as the Father’s servant with his concluding comment that you can repent and have your sins wiped away and follow Jesus, who was the lovingly obedient anointed Son of God.

The second reading from the first letter of St. John reminded his readers of the trait of this merciful God if we keep His commandments. If we claim we know God and never keep His commandments, our own identity doesn’t make any sense. We can be the worst liars. When we are not honest and we disobey God, we miss the opportunity to see how God would work through us. We must be obedient in our own seeking of transformation and conversion. To remain in sin doesn’t help us see better, even in darkness. It is important to remember that a crucial part of obeying God is trusting Him and counting on Him. Trust is the foundational command so that all our obedience is to flow out is active, alive, and present.

The gospel today is one of my favorite passages in the scripture. Two disciples who had been traumatized by the death of Jesus were returning to the safety of Emmaus. Let us accompany them in their journey with open heart and mind to fully understand ourselves better.

First, the two disciples were exiting from the worst week of their lives, knowing that Jesus was tortured and put to death by crucifixion without the people’s knowledge about Jesus being the true Messiah. These two disciples wanted to escape from their experience of brokenness and heavy hearts because of what had happened to Jesus, their Master. We, like the disciples, have our hurts, disappointments, and even doubts, and so we want to sit on the side of the road to question, to ponder and retrospect. To escape from those hurtful feelings is not advisable, but rather confront them with confidence and faith.

Second, Jesus reviews the scriptures with them, which announce His truth, and they then recognize Him in the proclamation of the word. Jesus explained well about the events as revealed in the scriptures. The two disciples’ hearts were burning with joy, so they invited Jesus to stay with them in the inn because it was already dark. While the two disciples and Jesus were at the table, something familiar happened, that is, the “breaking of bread.” At that moment, Jesus shared a meal with them, and by doing so, He extended a deep relationship with His disciples, which surprised them, with the mystery of His bodily resurrection appearance.

Third, then Jesus vanishes, but their hearts were so flooded with joy that they decided to return and reveal to others what they had experienced. Their encounter with the risen Lord gave them encouragement and mission. Thus, Jesus has risen to keep us rising, that is, to encounter His presence, to remember His encouraging words and teachings, to extend peace and reconciliation, and to make us understand our mission to accomplish.

Oftentimes, in our spiritual exercises, like attending Mass and personal reading of scriptures and meditations, the Risen Lord becomes available to us. He intimately speaks to us in silence and even walks with us. Intimacy invites us into mystery, into adventure, and into deeper experiences of life. Jesus invites His intimate friends to go out and be with Him in the so called “Eucharistic presence.” Then, we find comfort through His healing power and are lifted as a person. He gives peace and joy for our community and for the world.

God bless everyone! He is Risen! Alleluia!

Fr. Arlon, osa

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El Dictado del Corazón
Tercer Domingo de Pascua, Año B.

• Hechos 3:13-15, 17-19
• Salmo 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
• 1 Juan 2:1-5a
• Lucas 24:35-48Hoy es el tercer domingo de Pascua. Continuamos nuestra Jornada de Pascua y continuaremos recorriendo nuestro “Camino a Emaús”. En cada celebración de la misa escuchábamos la palabra de Dios y aquellas palabras “¿No ardía nuestro corazón?” Él nos está hablando en las Escrituras y meditamos para comprender el mensaje.

  Escuchamos la primera lectura tomada de los Hechos de los Apóstoles. Pedro estaba recordando los acontecimientos del pasado y avanzando por el presente para afrontar su futuro. Entonces Pedro hizo un comentario audaz golpeando duramente a todos los oyentes que fueron responsables de la muerte de Jesús. Sin embargo, Jesús resucitó de entre los muertos como el siervo del Padre con su comentario final: puedes arrepentirte y borrar tus pecados y seguir a Jesús, quien es Hijo ungido de Dios amorosamente obediente.

  La segunda lectura de la primera carta de San Juan recordó a sus lectores el rasgo de este Dios misericordioso, si guardamos sus mandamientos. Si afirmamos que conocemos a Dios y nunca guardamos Sus mandamientos, nuestra propia identidad no tiene ningún sentido. Podemos ser los peores mentirosos. Cuando no somos honestos y desobedecemos a Dios, perdemos la oportunidad de ver cómo Él obraría a través de nosotros. Debemos ser obedientes en nuestra búsqueda de transformación y conversión. Permanecer en pecado no nos ayuda a ver mejor ni siquiera en la oscuridad. Es importante recordar que una parte crucial de obedecer a Dios es confiar en Él y contar con Él. La confianza es el mandato fundamental para que toda nuestra obediencia fluya de la confianza en que Él está activo, vivo y presente.

  El evangelio de hoy es uno de mis pasajes favoritos de las Escrituras. Los dos discípulos habían quedado traumatizados por la muerte de Jesús y por eso regresaban a la seguridad de Emaús, así que acompañémoslos en su camino con el corazón y la mente abiertos para comprendernos mejor a nosotros mismos.

  Primero, los dos discípulos habían estado saliendo de la peor semana de sus vidas sabiendo que Jesús fue torturado y ejecutado mediante crucifixión, sin que la gente supiera que Jesús era el verdadero Mesías. Estos dos discípulos querían escapar de su experiencia de quebrantamiento y pesar por lo que le había sucedido a Jesús, su maestro. Nosotros, al igual que los discípulos, tenemos nuestras heridas, decepciones e incluso dudas, y por eso queremos sentarnos a un lado del camino para preguntar, reflexionar y mirar en retrospectiva. No es aconsejable escapar de esos sentimientos hirientes, sino afrontarlos con confianza y fe.

  En segundo lugar, Jesús repasa con ellos las Escrituras que anuncian su verdad y luego lo reconocen en la proclamación de la palabra. Jesús explicó bien los acontecimientos tal como se revelan en las Escrituras. El corazón de los dos discípulos ardía de alegría, así que invitaron a Jesús a quedarse con ellos en la posada porque ya era de noche. Mientras los dos discípulos y Jesús estaban en la mesa sucedió algo familiar, es decir, la “fracción del pan”. En ese momento, Jesús compartió el pan con ellos, al hacerlo extendió una relación profunda con sus discípulos que los sorprendió con el misterio de su aparición corporal resucitada.

  En tercer lugar, Jesús desapareció, pero sus corazones estaban tan inundados de alegría que decidieron regresar y revelar a los demás lo que habían experimentado. Su encuentro con el Señor resucitado les dio aliento y misión. Jesús ha resucitado para mantenernos en ascenso, es decir, para encontrarnos con Su presencia, para recordar Sus palabras y enseñanzas alentadoras, para extender la paz y la reconciliación y para hacernos comprender nuestra misión a cumplir.

  A menudo, en nuestros ejercicios espirituales, como asistir a Misa, leer personalmente las Escrituras y meditar, el Señor Resucitado se vuelve disponible para nosotros. Nos habla íntimamente en silencio e incluso camina con nosotros. La intimidad nos invita al misterio, a la aventura, a experiencias de vida más profundas. Jesús invita a sus amigos íntimos a salir y estar con Él en la “presencia eucarística”. Luego, encontramos consuelo a través de Su poder sanador y somos elevados como persona. Él da paz y alegría a nuestra comunidad y al mundo.

  ¡Dios los bendiga a todos! ¡Él ha resucitado! ¡Aleluya!

  P. Arlón, osa

• 1 Peter 2:21-25
• John 10:11-16

Today is the 2nd Sunday after Easter. We are invited to make the most of the beautiful readings provided to us today which always lead to nourish and to feed our hungry souls with these Words of God.

Today’s epistle, taken from the first letter of St. Peter, explains to us what is meant by discipleship. Our simple understanding of this word is to follow the Lord. We must prayerfully and thoughtfully develop a simple suggestion from St. Peter. As followers of the Lord, we are open to accept sufferings for doing good, not evil, and we connect with the example of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. For this, we are called to influence our fellow believers in the community and to pursue others by doing good in allegiance to the Lord. In this epistle, Peter provides his community with an example that, in believing Jesus, they have hope because He suffered for us. Jesus did not retaliate when He was maligned, and He did not respond with revenge. After all, Jesus suffered not only as an example for himself, but also on our behalf. Therefore, we must be converted to turn ourselves “back to the shepherd and bishop of your soul.”

Today’s gospel talks about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, which is one of the most familiar ways of portraying our Lord. This particular gospel is read every 4th Sunday of Easter for the Novus Ordo, but for the Traditional Mass, we jump from post-resurrection stories to a common description about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. I guess we are more advanced in mind thinking about the future. So, let us decipher some of the most important points in this gospel pericope:

First, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v.1) I am grateful to Jesus for offering Himself to be our Shepherd. It is true that we desire for someone to lead us, to protect us, to guide us, and to care for us always. We are a blessed flock of sheep who can rely on Him. The world, our community, our family, and friends search for someone to rely on. In this period of deception, we must listen to Jesus, who carefully distinguishes false shepherds or hirelings. Many would be coming to deceive us, but the significant character of our Good Shepherd is His commitment and readiness to lay down His life for us, for Jesus has preceded us on this perilous road.

Second, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. (vv. 14,15) In this verse, we agree that His complete knowledge about His sheep refers to us, His flock. He likes us to be together under His care and guidance, as the fact is that He knows each one of us. It is also for our own safety that He tends to spend a lot of time with us for our benefit. In like manner, He spent time with His Father in prayer. In addition, He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Third, the last point of Jesus expresses this, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16) Personally, I believe the sacred intention of our Lord is to gather all people in the world as “one flock and one shepherd.” To rightly interpret these words of Jesus, we need to find its rationale for this scriptural text which refers us to the fact that Jesus of history preached to the fold of God’s chosen people, Israel. While Jesus’ earthly ministry served the Jewish people almost exclusively, His great commission to the Apostles before His ascension was to send them all into the world to preach, baptize, and thus unite His believers in one-fold. (Mt. 27:19) Here the “other sheep” refers to Gentiles willing to obey and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, these righteous Gentiles heard the gospel from the lips of His disciples, sought conversion, and they became followers of Jesus. I believe that we are considered Gentiles, which means outside the fold of the chosen people of Israel. Thus, it is not proper for other denominations and religions claiming to justify their existence as being the “other sheep.” Such interpretation is wrong! Our understanding of the “other sheep” as the Gentiles who would come to believe in Christ is the natural understanding of the passage.

From our own catechism, we have learned that “Salvation History” started from the experience of our Jewish brethren which unfolded God’s love in the Old Testament through to the New Testament. Jesus was born through the cooperation of the Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph. Jesus lived in human history, preaching and calling His apostles. Then St. Paul wrote the epistles, and the four evangelists did the same as well. Jesus, after His passion, death, and resurrection, continues to be with us gathering other sheep to be counted among His flock. God shows His overflowing grace to establish the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and that is the Holy Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is open and welcoming to those people of no faith and those who belong to other faiths as part of the continuous mission of the Church by offering her grace of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

In the midst, of all confusing and competing voices, the sheep would hear their true Shepherd’s voice and follow Him. Let us walk together, listening together, and participating in the mission actively. Let the sheep live in relationships with the Shepherd and others. Let us be positive in a Synodal Church where we are willing to indulge in Communion, Participation, Mission!

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
• Mark 16:1-7

Alleluia, Happy Easter!

Today is the feast of all feasts of the Holy Church, Easter Sunday, remembering Jesus’ victory over death and sin. It is our happiest day of the year because of God’s promise of salvation for us, who believe by doing His divine Will.

Today’s epistle from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians encourages the people to celebrate by becoming new creations in Christ Jesus, that is, Christ has already died to sanctify and make us holy, and St. Paul is reminding us of our own calling as holy ones of God. When St. Paul says, “purge out of the old leaven,” this old leaven represents sin, and it means that we must get rid of all our sinfulness and return to God.

Sometimes we are skeptical to accept the truth that by the power of Christ’s resurrection, we will never free ourselves completely and totally of sin because cleansing our lives of sin is a lifetime struggle and process. However, we need to cooperate with God’s grace to fully strive to conform to the image of Jesus Christ, which is indeed possible. Many sinners converted to the Lord and became Saints because they were open to take that path to holiness and completely turn themselves to God. Though we are constantly in battle against Satan, we must wage a spiritual warfare by being close and faithful to God throughout our lives. Our weakness and failures can be removed for ourselves to be revived from our old selves by being united in the paschal mystery of Jesus.

The gospel today summarizes the story about Mary Magdalene and other disciples who went to where Jesus was buried with the intention of anointing the body in the morning on the first day of the week. They were surprised that the big stone that covers the tomb, had already been rolled back. Jesus’s body was not found inside the sepulcher. Let us discover other interesting parts of this Easter gospel pericope:

First, there was an appearance of this angel, “who they saw as a young man sitting on the right side” which utterly amazed these women upon entering the tomb. As we would think and believe, the absence of Jesus’ body in the tomb contributed much to their belief in Jesus’ promise that He would rise again, and this first reaction of anxiety and confusion slowly disappeared.

Second, the presumed angel said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; He is not here,” an explanation of what happened to Jesus’ body. They sought Jesus but He was not there. Maybe they were seeking the crucified Jesus, who had been buried a few days before, but they should be seeking the risen Jesus! Since they were slow to believe the promise of His resurrection, which they shouldn’t have, the angel thus stresses that the promise had indeed been fulfilled.

Third, the angel in conclusion told them, “But go and tell his disciples and Peter, He is going before you to Galilee, there you will see Him, as he told you.” And now the angel gives these women a divine commissioning to be the first witnesses to tell others about the resurrection of Christ, something else they surely did not expect! Despite their fear, St. Mark doesn’t in any way indicate that these women themselves were disbelieving. In fact, one can only conclude that it was their faith that overcame their fear and eventually led them to go and tell the others what they had seen and heard.

What can we learn from their example and witnessing? Well, perhaps you have been afraid to tell others about the risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have even begun to doubt your own faith at times. Just know this, that being afraid doesn’t mean you have no faith, even if it may indicate a weak faith. The real question for you is this: Will you allow your fears to conquer your faith, or will your faith win out in the end? The Risen Jesus calls to us: Do not be afraid. Die with me, so that with me you may have life!

(For those who come to the baptismal waters tonight, Jesus truly makes them one with Him, in His dying and rising. Because Baptism is our participation in not just the death of Jesus Christ, but also His resurrection. Baptism is not just our participation in His burial, into the waters of death, but also our participation in His resurrection from the waters of death through the power of the Holy Spirit.)

For those who renew their baptismal promises, Jesus promises that we can grow deeper still, into union with him. When we were baptized into Christ, we die to our old ways, die to our old selves, to that “leaven life” mentioned by St. Paul in the first epistle today. Then we are blessed to be His new creation becoming adopted sons and daughters of God.

Imagine how differently we would act to believe in the “empty tomb” which we have found in the written gospel of Jesus. Today, the risen Lord is speaking with us! If we remember and live out His words, then we welcome a renewed relationship with Him. How differently we would then treat our parents, our children, our spouse, our classmates, our friends, and our enemies. How differently we would treat the people who sit beside us in the pew, the people we see in the church every week but to whom we never talk, the people who don’t look, act, or think the way we do. How differently we would treat the poor and the homeless. Each time we speak with one another, we “see” Christ, we “hear” Jesus. How different our world would be.

We are all on the journey to Easter Sunday together! We have the promise of our rising again to new life with Christ Jesus! Our new and eternal life with Christ Jesus doesn’t begin after we die our earthly death; it begins the moment we are baptized.

This life-changing encounter with the risen Lord ought not to be thought of as the privilege of the few, but an invitation to all. We are invited to renew our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter us.

On this Easter Sunday, let us desire to join with the many who have not seen, but have believed, because they have encountered Jesus. Let us be genuine witnesses of the Resurrection! Let us enjoy the celebration of life in faith that is being renewed, celebrated, and shared, with such joy.

Happy Easter!

Fr. Arlon, osa

 

• Romans 6:3-11
• Mark 16:1-7

I pray for wisdom to reflect and contemplate on the readings tonight. I anticipate hearing the joyful news tonight that we will have an everlasting life through our goodness and baptism in Jesus.

We are here for this Easter Vigil celebration which is the feast of all feasts. The Easter Vigil celebration is a full and rich presentation of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as it fits into a grand plan of God. It’s from the moment God called a people to Him (the Israelites), through the main figures of the Jewish Bible (messengers and prophets), to this very moment in history when a New People are formed by their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. For us, we align ourselves with God’s plan in Jesus.

What a blessing! What a gift! How blessed are we in Christ Jesus, both God and man, here on earth for us. Let us rejoice and be glad for such blessings. The Easter season has begun, and we are given this joy and salvation because of a loving and merciful God. Let us respond with gladness and rejoicing hearts for God’s incredible goodness in the person of Jesus, our Savior.

Many of us cannot help but be thrilled in beholding the Easter candle’s flame, spreading from candle to candle, filling and flooding with light the place in which we gather on this holy night. This quiet, but dramatic, gesture reminds us that there are to be no spectators tonight, only participants, all sharing in the blessed Light and the blessed Life, that is Jesus, who has risen from the dead.

St. Paul’s language puts this so boldly and moves us to confess clearly that the Resurrection is not an event “out there,” something which happened merely to someone else. It is meant to be our experience. But how does this happen? The resurrection experience happens only for those who have grown into union with Him, with Jesus, through a death like His. We cannot make this happen; we can only receive it, though, with and in Jesus.

The Liturgy of the Word describes celebrating the story of our salvation. While we wait there this night, we hear the story again – from Genesis to the Exodus story, from the Prophets to the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Each reading has a joyful Psalm of its own and each set, reading and psalm, concludes with a wonderful prayer which gathers what we just heard and sang into a prayer. All this prepares us for the Gospel story of the Resurrection.

The gospel today summarizes the story about Mary Magdalene and other disciples who went to where Jesus was buried with the intention of anointing the body in the morning on the first day of the week. They were surprised that the big stone that covers the tomb, had already been rolled back. Jesus’s body was not found inside the sepulcher. Let us discover other interesting parts of this Easter gospel pericope:

First, there was an appearance of this angel, “who they saw as a young man sitting on the right side” which utterly amazed these women upon entering the tomb. As we would think and believe, the absence of Jesus’ body in the tomb contributed much to their belief in Jesus’ promise that He would rise again, and this first reaction of anxiety and confusion slowly disappeared.

Second, the presumed angel said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; He is not here,” an explanation of what happened to Jesus’ body. They sought Jesus but He was not there. Maybe they were seeking the crucified Jesus, who had been buried a few days before, but they should be seeking the risen Jesus! Since they were slow to believe the promise of His resurrection, which they shouldn’t have, the angel thus stresses that the promise had indeed been fulfilled.

Third, the angel in conclusion told them, “But go and tell his disciples and Peter, He is going before you to Galilee, there you will see Him, as he told you.” And now the angel gives these women a divine commissioning to be the first witnesses to tell others about the resurrection of Christ, something else they surely did not expect! Despite their fear, St. Mark doesn’t in any way indicate that these women themselves were disbelieving. In fact, one can only conclude that it was their faith that overcame their fear and eventually led them to go and tell the others what they had seen and heard.

What can we learn from their example and witnessing? Well, perhaps you have even been afraid to tell others about the risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have even begun to doubt your own faith at times. Just know this, that being afraid doesn’t mean you have no faith, even if it may indicate a weak faith. The real question for you is this: Will you allow your fears to conquer your faith, or will your faith win out in the end? The Risen Jesus calls to us: Do not be afraid. Die with me, so that with me you may have life!

For those who come to the baptismal waters tonight, Jesus truly makes them one with Him, in His dying and rising. This is because Baptism is our participation in not just the death of Jesus Christ, but also His resurrection. Baptism is not just our participation in His burial into the waters of death, but also our participation in His resurrection from the waters of death through the power of the Holy Spirit.

For those who renew their baptismal promises, Jesus promises that we can grow deeper still, into union with him. When we were baptized into Christ, we die to our old ways, die to our old selves, and then we can become a new creation, becoming adopted sons and daughters of God.

Imagine how differently we would act to believe in the “empty tomb” which we have found in the written gospel of Jesus. He is speaking to us! If we remember and live out His words, then we will have a renewed relationship. How differently we would treat our parents, our children, our spouse, our classmates, our friends and our enemies. How differently we would treat the people who sit beside us in the pew, the people we see in the church every week but to whom we never talk, and the people who don’t look, act, or think the way we do. How differently we would treat the poor and the homeless. If each time we speak with one another, we “see” Christ, we “hear” Jesus, how different our world would be.

We are all on the journey to Easter Sunday together! We have the promise of our rising again to new life with Christ Jesus! Our new and eternal life with Christ Jesus doesn’t begin after our earthly death; it begins the moment we are baptized.

This life-changing encounter with the risen Lord ought not to be thought of as the privilege of the few, but an invitation to all. We are invited to renew our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least have an openness to letting him encounter us.

On this Easter Vigil night, let us desire to join with the many who have not seen, but have believed, because they have encountered Jesus. Let us be genuine witnesses of the Resurrection! Let us enjoy the celebration of life in faith that is being renewed, celebrated, and shared with such joy.

Happy Easter!

Fr. Arlon, osa

—————————-

El Dictado del Corazón Vigilia Pascual, Año B

• Romanos 6:3-11
• Marcos 16:1-7

Pedí sabiduría para reflexionar y contemplar las lecturas de esta noche. Anticipo escuchar la gozosa noticia esta noche de que tendremos vida eterna a través de nuestro bautismo en Jesús.

Estamos aquí para esta celebración de la Vigilia Pascual, que es la fiesta de todas las fiestas. La celebración de la Vigilia Pascual es una presentación completa de la vida, muerte y resurrección de Jesús, tal como encaja en el gran plan de Dios. Es desde el momento en que Dios llamó a su pueblo hacia Él (los israelitas), pasando por las principales figuras de la Biblia judía (mensajeros y profetas), hasta este mismo momento de la historia cuando se forma un Nuevo Pueblo por fe en Jesús como Señor y Salvador. Para nosotros, nos alineamos con el plan de Dios en Jesús.

¡Que bendición! ¡Qué regalo! ¿Cuán benditos somos en Cristo Jesús, Dios y hombre, aquí en la tierra por nosotros? Alegrémonos y estemos contentos por tales bendiciones. El tiempo pascual ha comenzado y recibimos este gozo y salvación gracias a un Dios amoroso y misericordioso. Respondamos con alegría y corazones regocijados por la increíble bondad de Dios en la persona de Jesús, nuestro Salvador.

Muchos de nosotros no podemos evitar sentirnos emocionados al contemplar la llama del cirio pascual, extendiéndose de vela en vela, llenando e inundando de luz el lugar en el que nos reunimos esta noche santa. Este gesto tranquilo, pero dramático, nos recuerda que esta noche no habrá espectadores, sólo participantes, todos compartiendo la Luz bendita y la Vida bendita, que es Jesús, que ha resucitado de entre los muertos.

El lenguaje de San Pablo expresa esto con tanta audacia y nos mueve a confesar que la Resurrección no es un evento “ahí afuera”, algo que le sucedió simplemente a otra persona. Está destinada a ser nuestra experiencia. Pero ¿cómo sucede esto? La resurrección ocurre sólo para aquellos que han crecido en unión con Él, con Jesús. A través de una muerte como la suya. Esto no lo podemos hacer por nosotros mismos, sólo se puede recibir, a través de Él y en Él, Jesús.

La Liturgia describe la celebración de nuestra salvación. Escuchamos la historia nuevamente: desde el Génesis hasta la historia del Éxodo, desde los Profetas hasta la Carta de Pablo a los Romanos. Cada lectura tiene un Salmo gozoso y concluye con una maravillosa oración, que reúne lo que acabamos de escuchar y cantar. Todo esto nos prepara para la historia evangélica de la Resurrección.

El evangelio de hoy resume la historia de María Magdalena y algunos de los discípulos; Muy de madrugada, el primer día de la semana, se dirigían al lugar del sepulcro para ungir el cuerpo de Jesus. Se sorprendieron al ver que la enorme piedra que cubría el sepulcro ya había sido quitada. El cuerpo de Jesús no fue encontrado dentro del sepulcro. Descubramos otras partes interesantes del evangelio pascual:

Primero, hubo la aparición del ángel, “al cual vieron como un joven sentado al lado derecho” lo que asombró a estas mujeres al entrar al sepulcro. La ausencia del cuerpo de Jesús en la tumba contribuyó mucho a su creencia en la promesa de Jesús de que resucitaría, y esta primera reacción de ansiedad y confusión desapareció lentamente.

En segundo lugar, el presunto ángel les dijo: “No se espanten. Buscan a Jesús de Nazaret, el que fue crucificado. No está aquí; ha resucitado.” Tal vez buscaban a Jesús crucificado, que había sido sepultado unos días antes, ¡pero debieron haber buscar a Jesús resucitado! Como tardaron en creer la promesa de Su resurrección, el ángel enfatiza que la promesa efectivamente se había cumplido.

En tercer lugar, el ángel finalmente les dijo: “Ahora vayan a decirles a sus discípulos y a Pedro: ‘Él irá delante de ustedes a Galilea. Allá lo verán, como él les dijo”. Y ahora el ángel les da a estas mujeres la comisión divina de ser los primeros testigos para contarles a otros sobre la resurrección de Cristo, ¡algo más que seguramente no esperaban! A pesar de su miedo, San Marcos no indica de ninguna manera que estas mujeres mismas fueran incrédulas. De hecho, sólo se puede concluir que fue su fe la que venció su miedo y finalmente los llevó a ir y contar a los demás lo que habían visto y oído.

¿Qué podemos aprender de su ejemplo y testimonio? Bueno, tal vez hayas tenido miedo de contarles a otros de la resurrección del Salvador, nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Quizás hayas comenzado a dudar de tu fe en ocasiones. Sólo debes saber esto: tener miedo no significa que no tengas fe, tal vez es porque se tiene una fe débil. La verdadera pregunta es: ¿Permitirá que sus miedos conquisten su fe, o su fe vencerá al final? Jesús resucitado nos llama: no tengas miedo. ¡Muere conmigo, para que conmigo tengas vida!

Para aquellos que vienen a las aguas bautismales esta noche, Jesús verdaderamente nos hace uno con Él, no es sólo una participación en Su sepultura, sino también en Su resurrección por el poder del Espíritu Santo.

Para aquellos que renuevan sus promesas bautismales, Jesús promete que podemos profundizar a un más cuando estamos en unión con él. Cuando somos bautizados en Cristo, mueren nuestras viejas costumbres, nuestro viejo yo, y luego podemos llegar a ser una nueva creación, convirtiéndonos en hijos e hijas de Dios.

Imagínense cuán diferente actuaríamos si creyéramos en la “tumba vacía” que hemos encontrado en el evangelio. ¡Él nos está hablando! Si recordamos y vivimos Sus palabras, entonces tendremos una relación renovada. ¿Cuán diferente trataríamos a nuestros padres, nuestros hijos, nuestro cónyuge, nuestros compañeros de clase, nuestros amigos y nuestros enemigos? Cuán diferente trataríamos a las personas que se sientan a nuestro lado en el banco, a las personas que vemos en la iglesia todas las semanas, pero con las que nunca hablamos, y a las personas que no se ven, no actúan ni piensan como nosotros. ¿Cuán diferente trataríamos a los pobres y a las personas sin hogar? Si cada vez que hablamos unos con otros “vemos” a Cristo, “oímos” a Jesús, qué diferente sería nuestro mundo.

¡Estamos todos juntos en el camino hacia el Domingo de Pascua! ¡Tenemos la promesa de resucitar a una nueva vida con Cristo Jesús! Nuestra vida nueva y eterna con Cristo Jesús no comienza después de nuestra muerte terrenal; comienza en el momento en que somos bautizados.

Este encuentro transformador de vidas con el Señor resucitado no debe considerarse como un privilegio de unos pocos, sino como una invitación a todos. Estamos invitados a renovar nuestro encuentro con Jesucristo, o al menos a estar abiertos a dejar que Él nos encuentre.

En esta noche de Vigilia Pascual, deseemos unirnos a los muchos que no han visto, pero han creído porque han encontrado a Jesús. ¡Seamos auténticos testigos de la Resurrección! Disfrutemos de la celebración de la vida en la fe que se renueva, celebra y comparte con tanta alegría.

¡Felices Pascuas!

P. Arlón, osa