WE have to be wary of the conditions nowadays that would tend to desensitize us from our constant need for penance and conversion. This, I believe, is the message Christ wanted to impart to us when he said, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you,...
CHRIST’S redemptive mission is very much an ongoing affair, and he involves all of us actually in this business. Those words that he addressed to his apostles, giving them their mission, can be considered as addressed to us also. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers...
ON the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (September 29), we are presented with that amusing gospel episode about the calling of Nathanael. (cfr. Jn 1,47-51) We might be wondering how Nathanael’s vocation is related to the existence of angels. My personal take on...
THE secret, of course, of having our death as a way to our resurrection is to die with Christ. Only with him can our resurrection, our victory over sin and death, take place after our death. St. Paul encapsulated this most wonderful truth of our...
YES, we have to be most careful with our tendency to fall into bitter zeal. It’s that zeal that was rebuked by Christ in that gospel episode where his disciples suggested that fire rains on those who did not welcome them while they entered a...
THE gospel of St. Luke 9,46-50, shows us how being childlike in spirit would enable us to accept Christ as he is as well as to accept everybody else irrespective of how they are. It’s a great lesson we have to learn if we want...
“Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9,40) With these words, Christ told his apostles, and is telling us now, that we should have a universal regard for everyone, irrespective of the unavoidable differences and conflicts we can have among ourselves. Especially when these...
THAT gospel episode where Herod the tetrarch was perplexed about Christ and was more disturbed than simply curious about him, (cfr. Lk 9,7-9) reminds us that if we are to be like Christ, we should be ready to be misunderstood and even hated. Like Christ, we...
THERE is no doubt we are all meant to be apostles of Christ, to be his ambassadors. That’s simply because we are meant to be like Christ, to be ‘another Christ,’ and so we share also in his redemptive mission which is a continuing affair...
THAT’S true! God can call us in a surprise. But that’s not because of God who wants to surprise us. Rather, it is because of us. To be sure, everyone is called by God because we are supposed to be like him and to be...