As we approach the end of the liturgical year of the Church, at first glance, the Word of God might seem to refer to the next life, to the end of time. But a deeper understanding shows that what the Word of God is really referring to is the present; the life lived here and now. It calls us to …
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Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
When I was a young boy in Burlington, Vermont, my dad had a good friend named Phil who owned a sporting goods store. I loved sports, so meandering the treasure-filled aisles was an unmitigated joy. One afternoon, we were shopping for a baseball glove. Dad said to me, “Hey Johnny, see that man who just walked into the store? That’s …
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
As we approach the end of the Church’s liturgical year, the gospel of Mark presents three great models of total self giving, wholehearted giving and undivided love. The gospel highlights total surrender and trust in Divine Providence. God provides and is never outdone in generosity. The first model is the widow of Zarephath who is a pagan woman. Widows in …
Diocese of San Diego Bankruptcy Notification
UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA In re The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego Case No. 24-02202 Notice of Deadline for Filing Claims: FEBRUARY 3, 2025 YOU MAY HAVE A SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM OR OTHER CLAIM AGAINST THE DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO On June 17, 2024, The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego, sometimes referred …
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
As we approach the end of the liturgical year of the Church, the Word of God Reveals the core and foundation of our Christian life. Jesus teaches the scribe in the Gospel of Mark (Mk 12:28-34) about the two greatest commandments. A scribe is a scholar and interpreter of the law. He asks Jesus about the first of all the …
I WANT TO SEE
The story of Bartimaeus, who is blind and beggar, is a masterpiece of Mark (Mk 10:46-52). It is the last healing miracle of Jesus before His entry to Jerusalem. It points to the total healing that Jesus will perform on the Cross. God restores wholeness. Jesus restores our original integrity: created in the likeness and image of God. Salvation is …
TOTAL SELF GIVING
In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:35-45), Jesus predicted for the third time His passion, death and resurrection. He was preparing His disciples for His impending death. Instead, the disciples did not understand Him. James and John asked Him to be seated at His right and left. They wanted the two highest places of honor. The rest of the apostles …
SUPREME GOOD
In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:17-30), Jesus gives another radical and uncompromising teaching and the focus is on wealth. He is preparing His disciples for His impending death. He is on His way to Jerusalem and His Cross. He teaches them about the proper way of using wealth because riches and possession could own, possess and corrupt us. He …
DREAM OF GOD
The Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:2) tackles the difficult issue of divorce which is a very sensitive and painful reality in our society today. Divorce was also controversial during the time of Jesus. In fact, in that culture, there was an easy divorce policy that prevailed. It was initiated by man and not by woman. Marriages were arranged between families …
UNIVERSALITY OF SALVATION
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus prepares His disciples for His impending death. He is on His way to Jerusalem and the Cross. He teaches them that discipleship is humble service rather than position and power. Service and humility are sterling qualities of discipleship and true marks of greatness. They have to learn from Jesus that ministry is shared responsibility …