Word of Life

12-30-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem... (Mt.2:1) The first chapter of Matthew tells us about the origin of Jesus, the second chapter deals with His mission and the purpose of His life. Jesus is the Messiah, the new King, the wise men who were not Jews are the first Gentiles who receive the call of salvation in Jesus Christ.

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Word of Life

12-23-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Feast of the Holy Family (Lk. 2:41-50) Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house. (Lk. 2:49)

Mary and Joseph find Jesus sitting among the teachers in the temple listening and asking them questions, and they were all amazed at his understanding. Jesus is not an ordinary child, He is the Son of God.

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Word of Life

12-16-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (Lk. 1:39-45) Mary traveled from Nazareth to a hill country village called Ain Karim (90 miles south) near Jerusalem, traditionally accepted as the place where Zechariah and his family lived. It’s around five miles southwest of Jerusalem, not too far from the temple where Zechariah goes to fulfill his daily priestly duties.

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Word of Life

12-09-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“What shall we do? (Lk. 3:10) The coming of the Lord is imminent, so everyone should be ready. In answer to the question of the crowds: John the Baptist says, everyone should do penance for their sins and mend their ways, to be worthy to receive the grace that the Messiah brings. Salvation does not depend on one's ancestry, but by repentance and conversion (v.7-9). This should be manifested in people’s good behavior; the good thing about it is that it applies to everyone. What each person must do depends on his or her present status or position in life.

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Word of Life

12-02-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“Prepare the way of the Lord...(Lk. 3:4) The general tone of the Gospel shows that everyone, even tax collectors (v. 12-13), soldiers (v. 14), and even those considered as publicans can attain salvation. The coming of the Messiah opens a path into the depths of everyone’s soul. Meaning, the path of the Word of God is through the human heart and soul.

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Word of Life

11-25-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“Raise your head because redemption is at hand.” (Lk. 21:28). Jesus challenges us this 1st Sunday of Advent to take time and take a good look at our sinful realities and open ourselves to possibilities of greater sanctity and true greatness. The right attitude for this Advent season is that of hope. No matter how low or how far we have wandered from God’s love, we are always welcome to rise up and to come closer to God’s heart.

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Word of Life

11-18-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“My Kingdom is not here.” (Jn. 18:36b) When Jesus was brought to Pilate, He said to him, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” Pilate could not understand why he had to intervene in this mocked trial, because he actually did not have a problem if Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews. The RomanEmpire by policy, allowed kings to rule in their realm for as long as they are under his authority. When Jesus claimed He is the King of the Jews, many did not understand Him, because His statement should be understood in the context of His Messianic Mission.

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Word of Life

11-11-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“The Son of Man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory...” (Mk. 12:44) By His coming in power and glory, the Lord wants this option for us: He is inviting us to live with Him in Glory. The Son of Man came to save us from eternal death, and to offer a passage from death to life. He is the “once and for all” sacrifice for our sins. The mission for man is to complete the task, the passage from the slavery of sin which causes death, sharing the fullness of life with Him.

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Word of Life

11-04-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“From her poverty, has contributed all she had...” (Mk. 12:44)

God wants people to do good out of pure sincerity. It is not so much the quantity as the quality of our giving that matters. This Jesus pointed out when He put more value to the widow’s mite rather than the rich peoples’ surplus. And all believers should give to the Lord. Giving is a privilege and a responsibility for those who have received from God first.

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Word of Life

10-28-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“And no one dared to ask him anymore questions.” (Mk. 12:34)

When Jesus was asked which is the first commandment? He fixes love as the most fundamental commandment, but He further teaches us that love can be expressed in love of God, love of neighbor, and love of oneself. The commandment to love must start with love of God first, love of neighbor second, and love of self, last. His answer summarizes all of sacred scripture so that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Word of Life

10-21-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” (Mk. 10:45)

The blind Bartimaeus’ cry among the crowd was a display of great faith in Jesus. He first experienced interior healing, when he began to publicly acknowledge that Jesus has the power to heal him. It is both a prayer and a profession of faith. This prayer has evolved through the centuries into a Christian tradition of the Jesus prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” (CCC 2616)

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Word of Life

10-14-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“And you will have treasures in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mk. 10:21)

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Word of Life

10-07-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

"God made them male and female…."

Mk. 10:6

In the Garden of Eden, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." Thus, He created Eve, so that Adam will have someone with whom He could enter into a loving communion of life. The plan of God from the beginning was for man to be in a loving relationship with Him and with one another. The communion of man and woman forms the covenant relationship called marriage. The love of spouses require by its very nature, unity and indissolubility of the bond made in a marriage covenant, which embraces their entire married life. In the Gospel, Jesus identifies the root cause of many-failed relationship, the "hardness of heart."

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