On Dec 9, 1531, our Lady appeared to Juan Diego at the Tepeyac Hill and asked that a Shrine be built. Juan Diego told the bishop, but he did not initially believe. He asked for a sign. On Dec. 12, the Virgin reappeared to Juan Diego and ordered him to collect roses in his tilmátli,…
Category: Church Traditions
Prophets
Part of God’s love for us and His desire is that we are saved. He has sent prophets throughout our Salvation History. Prophets are people called by God to teach His commandments, warn against sin, and prophesy of the future. Some of the most known prophets in the Bible are: Noah, who spoke about the…
Giving and Trusting
Mark 12: 38-44 It is said that the biggest charitable institution in the world is the Roman Catholic Church, which operates more than 140,000 schools, 10,000 orphanages, 5,000 hospitals, and some 16,000 other health clinics. Where does the money to help out come from? It is from its members that give. The Gospel gives an…
Grief
One book that I read every now and then is entitled Praying Our Goodbyes, written by Sr. Joyce Rupp. She said that since life is passing and fleeting and nothing is permanent, it is a series of hellos and goodbyes. Hence in all our relationships, there is a time for hello and a time for…
Signs
If one goes through the bible, one realizes that God also works through signs: When the Pharaoh did not want to let go of the Israelites, God sent 10 plagues to Egypt. The changing of water into wine by Jesus was the first of signs through Christ. When the apostles spoke a language that they…
Following Christ
During the time of Jesus, many people wanted to follow Christ. Perhaps they say it was his power and influence, the miracles he performed, the teachings with authority, and the many material blessings that he received. However, what they only saw was the outside. What they did not know were the sacrifices and challenges inside,…
Facts and Hope
Sometime ago on TV, amidst all the chaos and insanity happening, a lady being interviewed commented about leadership in the world. When asked what separates a good leader from a bad one, she replied, “The good leader gives facts and hope!” In the time of Jesus, Israel was undergoing uncertainty and unrest. They were waiting…
Eternal Life
How often have we been asked if we have been “saved”? Then the question that follows is “How?” “If you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.” While this is nice to hear, the problem is there is nothing written in the bible about accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. On the…
Each Life is Important
If there is so much trouble in the world today, it is because we do not value life as it already is. We do not value people as they already are. Other things are given importance more than people. Once upon a time, the safest place for a human being was the womb of the…
Pride and Humility
Luke 10:17-24 Once upon a time in the history of humanity, there was one being that was beautiful, strong, intelligent, and powerful. Eventually she “wanted to be like God.” On one hand, she was a creation who was simple and humble. Yet when she was asked whether she wanted to be the Mother of God,…