Matthew 8: 28-34 In the U.S., one the sad realities of the protests against racism is that they are now bringing down Catholic images. One of the favorite targets is St. Junipero Serra. He was the one who brought the faith to California, but those who take down his image claim that he mistreated the…
Category: Gospel of St. Matthew
One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
Matthew 16:13-19 There was this article entitled, “Who Founded Your Church?” Roman Catholic Church: 33AD, by Jesus Christ Lutheran Church: 1517, Martin Luther Anglican Church: 1534, King Henry VIII Mormonism: 1830, Joseph Smith Jehovah’s Witnesses: 1874, Charles Taze Russell In the Gospel, we hear of Jesus telling Peter, “And I tell you, you are Peter,…
The Power of Prayer
Matthew 9:1-8 The people today live on what we can call the best of times. They have iPads, cellphones, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Twenty years ago, these things were not a reality. Yet, despite all the wonders of technology, there is one thing that still has to be addressed – stress, anxiety, and worry. Just…
The Key to Gratitude
Matthew 13:18-23 When we talk about St. John Vianney (St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney), the patron saint of priests, three things come to mind. First, because of his witnessing he was able to convert the whole village of Ars, France. Second, his mortification which turned off the devil. Third, his service through long, long hours of hearing…
Losing One’s Life to Save It
Matthew 10:34:41 A friend of mine had a dream to be successful. She studied hard for it and eventually worked hard for it too. Just when she thought she was on her way up the corporate ladder, she found herself sick and hospitalized. Her realization is that at any given time, whatever we work hard…
Good and Bad
Matthew 13:24-30 I am sure we all have asked the question, “If God is good, why is there evil”? Or perhaps even, “Why are there evil people in the Church”? Just look at the scandals every now and then. Or, “Why bother being good?”, when the lifestyles of evil people include nice cars, huge houses,…
Evil and the Unfaithful Generation
Matthew 12:38-42 In the Gospel, we are told of the reality of how man’s sinfulness led to experiencing punishment. During the time of Noah, the whole world experienced flooding. Sodom and Gomorrah experienced God’s wrath, as did Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum. Eventually, as Jesus predicted, Jerusalem also was destroyed. Fr. Richard Heilman wrote an article…
God’s Mysterious Ways
Matthew 13:31-35 It all started when Saints Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and Peter Faber started a group originally known as Friends of the Lord. Eventually it became the Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits, in 1539. They were received by Pope Paul III in 1540. As of 2016 data, the Jesuits are the biggest…
The Harvest is Great, the Laborers Few
Matthew 9:32-38 When one goes through the daily news, I guess one cannot refrain from the question, “What are all these things going on in the world today?” When earthquakes are just around the corner… When violence is on a scale that is unthinkable… When world leaders act like dictators… When morality is based on…
What Profit Would It Be
Matthew 16:24-28 A lawyer friend once said, “fact is stranger than fiction.” He explained that you cannot imagine what parents will do to their children, children to their parents, one part of the family to the other, a person to the best friend, couples to each other, all because of money, properties, and inheritance. That…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 