Explore the Treasures - Part 1

     This past Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi. It is a Solemnity that was established in the thirteenth Century. The purpose was to recognize and celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Christ’s presence is not symbolic but real. This is something that has always been believed and taught in the Catholic Church from the time of the Apostles and continues to this day.

     During a homily at Mass on Corpus Christi, my parish priest made a startling statement: Of the 50% of the Catholics who attend Mass, half of them do not believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist!

Being a Beloved Disciple

     Being someone’s “favorite” is special. It’s like being picked out of a crowd and acknowledged as having a special effect on another. It is a feeling of being loved, cherished and cared about, far above the attention we usually receive. It fills your heart with joy and puts a smile on your face!

     You may have experienced this special treatment from a parent, a sibling, a friend, a teacher, or spouse. Being loved this way makes you walk a little taller as you accept the gift of being “the one.” When you embrace this role, you are willing to do whatever is necessary to return the gift to the other – which allows them to know they are cherished as well!

     The apostle John was that special person to Our Lord. Along with Peter and James, he was in the “inner circle,” but with John it went ever further. He was the Beloved Disciple. He was the one to rest His head on the heart of Jesus at the Last Supper and the only apostle to stand by Jesus as He suffered crucifixion. He did not run and hide when all the others did. He loved Jesus with a pure and true love. A love which only thinks of the other, wants to bring comfort, never counting the cost.

     Are you a Beloved disciple to Jesus? Do you stand by Jesus when the crosses of life come your way, or do you flee out of fear or disdain like the other apostles? Do you desert Him or join Mary, John and the holy women in trying to bring comfort to our Lord?

     Love proves itself by deeds, and John did just that. Jesus tells us in Holy Scripture, “If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” ( Lk 9 vs 23). We must learn to accept the trials and tribulations that come into our lives, recognizing them as a share in the cross of Christ. Learning to unite our sufferings with Jesus’ will open a wealth of graces to help us to endure. Realizing this is priceless. What a gift it is, to be invited to share in the work of salvation: if we could only remember that when suffering comes our way!

The Mysterious Wisdom of God

     “Many things happen that God does not will. But He still permits them, in His wisdom, and they remain a stumbling block or scandal to our minds. God asks us to do all we can to eliminate evil. But despite our efforts, there is always a whole set of circumstances which we can do nothing about, which are not necessarily willed by God but nevertheless are permitted by Him, and which God invites us to consent to trustingly and peacefully even when they make us suffer and cause us problems. We are not being asked to consent to evil, but to consent to the mysterious wisdom of God who permits evil. Our consent is not a compromise with evil but the expression of our trust that God is stronger than evil. This is a form of obedience that is very painful but very fruitful.”     Fr. Jacques Phillipe


     Living life in our fallen world is at times, both difficult and challenging with the relationship between God and us. We are called to trust and believe that somehow God can use this tough situation not only for our good, but for our sanctification. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, penned long ago: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God” (Rm. 8 vs 28). So why is it that we question and doubt God’s love for us when trials come our way? Why is it that these happenings remain a stumbling block or a scandal to our minds? Why can we not believe that God can and will bring some good from each trial?

Waiting in Trust

“Waiting times are growing and learning times. As you quiet your heart, you enter His peace. As you sense your weakness, you receive His strength. As you lay down your will, you hear His calling.” Roy Lessin



     We are a people who do not like to wait. We see it as a waste of time. We must be efficient. We must produce – now – not later. So we mutter and grumble if not audibly, under our breath, until our spirit is unsettled and our peace is lost.

Loved by Someone -- just because!

     “I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.”

     These words from Psalm 131 punctured my heart.

     It was part of my penance to pray and meditate on that psalm because my soul was so far from stillness and peace.