He jumped up and began to walk about

April 30, 2018 6:00 am

“At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet.’ He jumped up and began to walk about.” (ACTS 14: 8-10)

Paul, like His Master Our Lord, healed “a crippled man, lame from birth,” not just his legs. A man, “who had never walked,” need to be healed entirely, from his brain to the very last muscle in his legs. We know how difficult it is for children to learn how to walk; it takes weeks or month to learn how to work the brain and body together. A “man who had never walked . . . jumped up and began to walk about.”

“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you.” (Gospel Acclamation)

in deed and truth

April 29, 2018 6:00 am

“Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.” (1 JN 3: 18-20)

We should remember that love is not only a noun, or like often in these days people think an emotion or a feeling, but also, or maybe even especially, a verb: “let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” Our deeds tell more about our love than words, and when we love in truth, we “remain in” Our Lord.

“Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord. Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.” (Gospel Acclamation)

So that where I am you also may be

April 27, 2018 6:00 am

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (JN 14: 2-3)

A beautiful exchange: He came to dwell in our places, so we can dwell in His. He wants to be with us wherever we are, but this is not our final destination. He “will come back again and take us to himself, so that where He is we also may be.”

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

whoever receives the one I send receives me

April 26, 2018 6:00 am

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (JN 13: 20)

Whenever we go with a mission from Our Lord, we can expect His presence. Our Lord identifies himself with us, leading us to His Father and His love, which is the center of His love. Whenever we receive people with a mission from Our Lord, we receive Him and His Father, not just others.

“Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you

April 25, 2018 6:00 am

“So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.” (1 Pt 5: 6-7)

When bl. Pope Paul VI wrote the encyclical letter “Humanae vitae,” about “the transmission of human life,” He mentioned there that “it has always been a source of great joy to them [parents], even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships” (HV 1). The Pope knew that we are under “the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” We are so lucky “because Our Lord cares for us.”

“We proclaim Christ crucified; he is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)

For a whole year

April 24, 2018 6:00 am

“For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” (ACTS 11: 26)

The important things don’t come in seconds; what is important takes time and effort. We promote our Programs saying that happy relationships don’t grow on trees—we need to do the necessary work.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

So that they have life and have it more abundantly

April 23, 2018 6:00 am

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (JN 10: 9-10)

This is the concern of Our Lord: “that we have life and have it more abundantly.” He made Himself the “gate,” so we will have access; always open, always waiting for us, and always leading us to good “pasture.”

“I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

In His name this man stands before you healed

April 22, 2018 6:00 am

“Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed.” (ACTS 4: 8-10)

We are so beautifully gifted by Our Lord. We were chosen to be His beloved children: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God,” and He wants us to serve in the most important areas: human dignity, procreation, unity and relationship. Whatever we do, we must remember that we are always behind Our Lord’s love; we exist—because He created us, we love—because we are loved and He shows us how to love, we grow—because He is our Teacher and Leader, and we leave a legacy—because He invited us to something bigger than we are—to live in a mission, to serve and to bring forth fruits.

“I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Get up and make your bed

April 21, 2018 6:00 am

“There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.’ He got up at once.” (ACTS 9: 33-34)

On one side we have Our Lord’s grace, and on the other side comes our activity—they work complementary. “Jesus Christ heals you” started a process but immediately after came: “Get up and make your bed.” Our Lord wants us to be active, people in action, because we are sent to express His love to His beloved children, to be His hands and His heart—especially for those in need, in crisis, in doubts and in hunger.

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Eternal life

April 20, 2018 6:00 am

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him.” (JN 6: 53-56)

Our Lord comes to our bodies and souls as “the Flesh of the Son of Man” and “his Blood.” This brings to us “eternal life.” It helps us to “remain in Him and Him in us.” We are like living Tabernacles—wherever we go, we take Him with us.

“Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood, remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)