Have Faith

06-27-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Both stories in our Gospel today are related. It tells about the theme of faith, the power of belief in Jesus, and the advantage of knowing Him. It is also about despair and the effect of having faith in Jesus. Jairus, a synagogue official desperate because his daughter is at the point of death. Jairus heard so many things about a miracle worker who has power both in words and deeds. He desperately sought Jesus; He is his last recourse. The hemorrhaging woman is in the same situation, having gone to many doctors without success; her last recourse is this man they call Jesus. Both showing great faith in Jesus received what they wished for: the hemorrhaging of the woman finally stopped, and the dead daughter of Jairus, raised to life.

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Touching the Cloak of Christ

06-27-2021Stewardship

Look to today’s Gospel and you’ll find one of the most arresting images in all of Scripture. Christ in a crowd, everyone clamoring for his attention, pressing against him. Several feet away, is a chronically ill woman, weak and desperate for help. She knows she doesn’t have a chance of getting his attention. She has no connections. She has no strength. All she can do is lift up her hand.

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Father's Day: Third Sunday of June

06-20-2021Stewardship

Fatherhood has its origins in God, who chose to reveal Himself to us as Our Father, sending his only Son for the sake of our salvation. Fathers therefore have a special role “in revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God”. Indeed, the role of the father “is of unique and irreplaceable importance”. Although society increasingly tells fathers that they have no say in the lives of their children before birth and fails to recognize the dynamic and critically important role of fatherhood, it is both a biological and spiritual reality. Pope Saint John Paul II said fathers are called to exhibit “generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother”. They are uniquely entrusted with the protection and defense of both mother and child and, in this way, in safeguarding the sanctity of human life.

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Jesus’ Presence

06-20-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The disciples were awestruck after they witnessed what Jesus did. There is power in His words that even the wind and the sea obey Him. They are left pondering the question of the real identity of Jesus. Most of Jesus’ disciples are good Jews. They believe that God alone has power over nature. And yet, they just witnessed a man who seemed to have absolute control over the forces of nature. And the ease that Jesus commanded the winds: Quiet! Be still! How is it that He acted as if with divine power? At this point, they had no idea that God has come among men.

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St. Anthony Can Find Anything — Even You

06-13-2021Stewardship

"Tony, Tony, come around! Something is lost and it must be found.”

Did you learn this one when you were a kid? In my experience there are even a lot of lapsed Catholics — or people who were never Catholic at all — who know that when you lose something, St. Anthony becomes your best friend. Missing keys? Pray to St. Anthony. Can’t find your favorite sweater? St. Anthony. Forget where you parked your car in the mall lot? St. Anth— okay, you get the idea. Whatever it is, large or small, important or trivial, Tony has a reputation for finding the lost things.

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God Makes us Grow

06-13-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

St. Paul says we walk by faith, not by sight. Meaning, for Christians, we have our faith and have total confidence in our Lord. We know the Lord is with us. He is on our side, working for our good. St. Paul, a man of faith himself, believes with confidence because he trusts in the Lord. The reason why we grow anxious, is because fear dominates us and we are afraid of losing control over things in our life. That is like walking by sight and not by faith.

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Solemnity of Corpus Christi

06-06-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the first reading, the blood of animals seals the old covenant. In the Gospel, the blood of Jesus Christ seals the new covenant. The Holy Eucharist is the sacrifice of the new covenant where His flesh is real food, and His blood is true drink, the cup of salvation.

Before the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified: He asks His Apostle to prepare the Passover meal. The Jews celebrate the Feast of the Passover annually to commemorate their liberation from Egypt. The law requires all adult male Jews to go to Jerusalem; for this reason, Jesus went to Jerusalem together with His disciples. They follow the ritual of the celebration called the Passover Seder, similar to the Catholic Eucharistic Celebration.

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We can Prepare the Upper Room

06-06-2021Stewardship

We all know that person, don’t we? Hey, maybe we’ve even been that person.

“I have a great relationship with God, but I don’t go to church regularly. God and I are on good terms. I can talk to Him just fine on my own.”

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God Doesn’t Take a Break

05-30-2021Stewardship

An acquaintance who works in church ministry once told me a story about one of the students she had in Faith Formation. This student informed my friend that his family doesn’t come to Mass in summer. “God takes a break in summer, and so do we,” he said.

There’s a lot to unpack here. First, it’s tragic to think of anyone voluntarily missing out on the Eucharist for so long. It’s also a real problem in the church today that a lot of our folks don’t understand the beauty of the Sunday obligation. But if I had to dissect this situation and pinpoint the thing I find most troubling, it’s the idea of God taking a break.

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Most Holy Trinity

05-30-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The Solemnity of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit gives us an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. In the Old Testament, the image of God often is associated with a father. When Jesus came, He speaks a lot about His Father. He identifies Himself as the Son, the begotten Son, sent by the Father. Towards the end of His earthly life, Jesus often speaks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Counselor. And Jesus said this about the Holy Spirit: He will teach you everything and remind you all that I have told you. (Jn. 14:26) Thus, we can say that it is the Holy Spirit that enlightens us of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. As human beings, there is a quest in man to know more about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: To ponder their one life together, which is the inner life (economy) of the Trinity.

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Pentecost

05-23-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In John, Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit on Easter Sunday Evening. While the Acts of the Apostles put this event at Pentecost, fifty days after Easter. Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John rely on two different traditions. But it suffices to say that although different in presentation, it is good to know that the Apostles and the disciples received the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. That is, on Easter, Christ gave the Spirit to a limited number of people, then at Pentecost, the extraordinary gifts to all present.

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You Don't Have What it Takes, But You Will

05-23-2021Stewardship

Those of us in ministry love this saying: God doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.

We all know that sort of queasy feeling we get in the pit of our stomachs when it becomes clear what we’re supposed to do, in any situation. It’s that feeling of: Oh, no. Not me. Not now. I can’t.

We’ve all got our list of reasons why not, don’t we? We do it for everything, from big life problems to small everyday choices. I’m not going to invite my neighbor to church because I don’t want to come across as pushy. I’m not going to make amends with my cousin because she’ll just walk all over me again. I’m not going to say a Rosary tonight because I’m tired and it’ll just stress me out.

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Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

05-16-2021Stewardship

Where do you get the best night’s sleep? For me, it’s in my own bed. I don’t even really know why. There’s something about the texture of the sheets, the groove I’ve worn in the pillow. The mattress seems to recognize my shape. I’ve got a job that sees me traveling often and I’ve stayed in plenty of nice places. But there’s just no sleep like the sleep you get at home.

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Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

05-16-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Luke the Evangelist is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles. Addressing Theophilus, he mentions the Ascension of the Lord. How Jesus, after His resurrection, appeared to the disciples for 40 days. He instructs them to stay in Jerusalem until they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then, they are to go to all of Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth to proclaim the Good News. And as soon as He said this, He was lifted - up into heaven before their eyes. To reenforce what they just witnessed, two angels confirm the Ascension of Jesus: Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the skies? That Jesus who went up into heaven will return.

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Choosing to Love One Another

05-09-2021Stewardship

Love one another. The greatest commandment, the simplest commandment - and if you’ve ever loved anyone, you know it’s also the hardest.

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God's Love

05-09-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Jesus loves us unconditionally and greatly: should we not be convicted by His love? Many times, our love for Him is shallow, wavering, and conditional. Yet, He loves us no matter what, and He even calls us His friends, “you are my friends, and I no longer call you slaves.” In truth, we all have a long, long way to go in the road of love. I pray that we all constantly pray the Jesus’ prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Let no one of us be self-righteous and proud.

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Branching Out Isn’t Always What It’s Cracked Up to Be

05-02-2021Stewardship

“That’s a really beautiful tree branch. Man, would you look at the bark on that thing? The others are real duds, but that low-hanging branch has really got it all together.”

I’ve never heard anyone say this. Maybe I just need to hang out with more arborists, but I can’t recall ever hearing someone admire the particular beauty of a single branch. When someone comments on a tree, it’s usually the whole tree - perhaps a visual element of it, like the color of the leaves or its height. But people don’t usually zero in on one branch.

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