Lorenz and Lilibeth

Ed. Note: This was a homily from one of Fr Mon’s wedding masses earlier in the year. As Covid taught everyone to assess what really matters in life, we have included these valuable words for all to reflect on. Today is the 3rd anniversary of the start of the Covid lockdown. We look back and…

Sins of the Ancestors

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The Jews of Jesus’ time asked this question because of many realities: The response of Christ: “Neither he or his parents sinned”. In other words, this is a case that is not due to sinfulness or generational curses, but rather that it…

The Road to Holiness

It is the desire of every Christian to walk the path to holiness. To do so, the Church has given some “dos and don’ts” in this journey. Jesus often reminds us that more than from the outside, what really matters is what is on the inside.  One such example is when Jesus tells of the…

Blindness

It is said that we human beings have five senses. They all collect information that is sent to the brain. Then this information is what allows us to perceive the world. Of all the senses that we human beings have, a survey was made on what we considered the most important: touch, sight, hearing, taste,…

Authority

When Jesus founded the Church there were two things he assured: First, that even the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. Second, the Church was assured of authority; whatever you bound on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you lose on earth will be lost in heaven. What is authority? Authority…

The Unseen

Editor’s Note: This was a homily for a newly ordained group entering the priesthood. We have included it, as the words pertain to all of us, and as a reminder to continue to pray for all of our priests. I have been a priest for 18 years and if there is one thing that has…

Caring for Others

There is a saying that a good story can change our lives. In fact, when we were children, stories were a gateway to understanding the world and learning things. We learned values and lessons through stories.  That is why Jesus used stories, as he was an excellent storyteller. Among the many lessons: In the Gospel, we…

A God for All

One sad reality of humanity is that we tend to congregate among people we think we belong to. There is always the desire for exclusivity.  Suddenly even in the Matters of faith, there is also exclusivity. In the Old Testament, Naaman was in need of healing but he felt initially that he should be treated…

Fatima

This past weekend marked the 106th year since the first apparition in Fatima, Portugal. The question then is, “Is Fatima still relevant?” Let us look at the three secrets: While the message of Fatima is still very relevant, in 1973 Mama Mary appeared to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa in a convent in Akita, Japan. Her messages…

Family and Calling

I have been a priest for eighteen years this year. It is not easy but I tell people that it is the world’s best-kept secret. How a priest enters the life of people and family in their happiest moments and their most difficult moments, is beyond compare. In the words of Christ, “Anyone who has…