Twenty Seventh Sunday

09-29-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“Increase our faith.” (Lk. 17:5)

The disciples asked Jesus to “increase our faith.” Although they have been with Jesus for some time now, they realize still their tendency to doubt, fear, not to forgive, and to sin. How many times have we succumbed to have more faith in our own efforts and resources rather than having FAITH in God. In truth, we are still men and women of little faith. Faith in God involves more than just professing and proclaiming it.

Faith in God involves a conscious and intentional relationship, with something and someone greater than us, who loves us no matter what. Faith, more than creed and beliefs is a personal relationship with God whom we trust.

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Twenty Sixth Sunday

09-22-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime...” (Lk. 16: 25)

The parable disproves two wrong ideas: 1.) That the soul does not exist after death, thus, there is no life after death (no judgement after death), and 2.) The idea that worldly riches are reward to moral goodness, and on the other hand, material poverty in this world is a sign of punishment for our sins. There are many Lazarus in our neighborhood. Vat. II, Gaudium et Spes 27, “The Council lays stress on the respect of the human person: everyone should look at his neighbor (without any exception) as another selfE” God in His goodness has given us many gifts, thus, we have the responsibility to share with our less fortunate neighbors.

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Twenty Fifth Sunday

09-15-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“The master commended the dishonest servant for acting prudently.” Lk. 16:8 Jesus knows that the steward acted dishonestly but uses his behavior to teach them that like the steward, they must be astute and clever if they are to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus wants us to be both smart and wise in the pursuit of the Kingdom of God.

If only, we as disciples can be as wise and astute in the affair of the soul, and put the same passion as the shrewd steward, in the proclamation of the kingdom, then we could be a living example of faith. And there will be no obstacle that we can not overcome in the ministry. Indeed, shrewdness can be transformed into wisdom, the Lord praises the steward’s prudence and not his dishonestly. Prudence dictates not only the proper use of the world’s goods, but also in proclamation and the use of the resources of the Kingdom.

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24th Sunday: Lost and Found

09-08-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us about the joy and happiness when a lost sheep and coin is found. There is great joy in heaven when somebody who is lost, is found and finds his/her way back home.

Please endure and persevere in looking – The Gospel tells us that a sheep and a coin is found because somebody did not give up. Lesson: keep looking, don’t quit on anything and on anyone. In life, it’s not just about wisdom and hard work, it also requires endurance and perseverance.

Don’t give up also on goodness, you can find it at anytime. Sometimes you can find it in the most unexpected time, place, and people. The Gospel tells us that the Lord does not give up on our goodness, so please don’t give up on our own and on other’s goodness. No one has the monopoly on goodness. Even when it seems uncommon, we must not stop believing in other’s and our own innate goodness.

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23rd Sunday: Attachment to God

09-01-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In Lk. 14, 25-33, the Lord tells us about the importance of detachment in discipleship. “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Are we to attach to God and detach ourselves and the world?

I remember when I left the confines of the seminary formation house and lived for 2 months with a Mangyan (Indigenous Community) family, in the southern mountains of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. Crossing through rivers and hiking through mountains to reach the mission station, I realized, that my journey begins. The 2 months exposure with my host family was the most real lesson on worldly detachment, and attachment to God. In the far mountains, my only attachment was God, and the great nature He created.

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22nd Sunday: A lesson in Humility

08-25-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In Lk. 14: 7-14, Jesus teaches His disciples about the virtue of humility. When we do not take the “choice seats,” but take the lowest place, we learn to be humble.

“A humble person is blessed.” Many of our problems and troubles could have been avoided if we practiced humility to God and to others. Pride is disobedience to God, believing that we can do without Him. Thus, the road back to God’s heart is humility. As they say, unless and until we take this road, we will not have true peace.

Many of our problems can be healed only with humility. When we accept our failures in humility, reach out to God and to others, forgive others and forgive ourselves in humility, we experience true healing and freedom. As someone put it beautifully, the best “calming tea is humility.”

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The Narrow Gate

08-18-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The Gospel says strive to enter the narrow door (Lk. 13, 22-30). In heaven, there is no trespassing, no one can gate crash their way to enter heaven. Sometimes we would think that a merit system works in heaven, through good work or acts of goodness. Worse, some think they can buy their way to heaven. Remember, the road to hell is a highway, and the road to heaven is a stairway. Salvation is God’s grace, mercy and a blessing. To have faith is to enter the narrow door, to take the stairway rather than the highway. The journey of life is not a matter of taking the fastest lane that would lead us to the farthest destination. The journey maybe slow, the distance short, with a lot of inconvenience, and at times difficult. To have faith, is making a personal choice to stay in the stairway. Many times, we think we know how to save ourselves. It is for God to save, and it is for us only to enter the narrow door and stay in the course of the stairway.

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Changing Direction

08-11-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to make a radical decision to change the direction of our lives. He urges us to go beyond mediocrity and self-preservation and take the path of true commitment. He wants his disciples to be on fire, neither cold nor lukewarm, but like a burning coal.

How real is our faith, and how deep is our commitment to God? Many Christians fall into the habit of complacency and mediocrity. They are good at watching things at bay. They belong neither here nor there. They are also self-appointed commentators when it comes to everything and everyone, but end up having nothing to do with everything and everyone.

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Nineteenth Sunday

08-04-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Lk. 12:32-48: Missio-destination

The Gospel says, to be “like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when He comes and knocks.” Jesus wants us to be watchful and vigilant. May our worldly treasures: possessions, achievements, power, and prestige not sidetrack us, so that we lose sight of the real treasures in this life and in the life to come.

One of life’s greatest fear is losing something or someone of great value to us. I’ve always said, fear is inversely proportional to faith. As fear increases, faith decreases, but as faith increases, fear decreases. The sooner we learn to have faith and trust in God, the sooner we will have peace. Faith is surrendering and not managing, where we tend to control, push, and at times play games with God. Jesus reminds us, to seek security not in worldly plans and achievements, but faith in His will and providence.

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Eighteenth Sunday

07-28-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“Not rich in matters of God.” Lk. 12:21

Securing the future is one of the obsessions of man. In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus reminds us that worldly possessions do not guarantee absolute security for the future. Our only true security is in God, thus, the rest, everything and everyone are all just false security. For after securing our future with wealth, power, and relationships, God says, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.” Yes, we bring nothing with us when we leave this world, everything and everyone fades away except the love and goodness we have shared. The Wisdom of the Lord says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Our heart will gain peace when we number our days aright and work towards storing up riches in heaven.”

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Seventeenth Sunday

07-21-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

“Give us each day our daily bread” Lk. 11:3

One of the things we ask in the “Our Father” prayer is to give us “our daily bread.” It is noteworthy, that we are petitioning God for the food provisions that we need every day, not just for plenty or just enough to survive. The Church Fathers believe that the daily bread that we ask for is not just for ordinary food but also for the Eucharist, the food of the soul. Thus, if we ask God for the “daily bread” in the Eucharist, why do so many Christians go to receive it once a year? “Receive daily what enriches every day and live your daily life in such a way as to be worthy to receive it.” (St. Ambrose, De Sacramentis, 5,4)

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Stewardship of Formation

07-21-2019Stewardship

Formation is the product of education and practice. It’s an on-going cycle of applied learning. Without practice, it’s simply facts or knowledge. Without education action is often, and even most likely, misdirected and ineffective. The result of good formation is increased awareness. The old adage “The more you know, the more you know how little you know:” fits. Consider this as you read the question below

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Stewardship of Forming

07-14-2019Stewardship

I think it's natural for every generation to assume that walking the straight and narrow is harder for them than their predecessors. I honestly don't know if that's the case, but I do know that even with the challenges we have today, there are many technological advantages that can, and do, make our daily walk easier; that can make our formation easier and more fruitful. I'm going to share a couple of my favorites. Do you have your own favorites? Let me know.

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“Mary has chosen the better part…” Lk. 10:42

07-14-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

If you come to think of it, Mary's posture is that of disciple, sitting beside the Lord at His feet totally absorbed at every word that comes from the mouth of Her Master. Her focus was to just listen to Jesus, like a disciple listening to His Rabbi. (Acts. 22:3) In discipleship there is a time to listen and there is a time to serve. The posture of Mary is exactly what the voice in the Transfiguration asked every disciple to do, "Listen to Him" (Lk. 9:35). If only Martha realized the great blessing that she was missing, by trying to serve the Lord. When instead she should have been listening to Him. Mary choosing the better part also meant, that the aspect that takes priority in welcoming the Lord is "listening to Him," and to His message of salvation. That is exactly what Mary was doing. The better part, like a good soil… is to absorb all the nourishment that comes from the Lord.

Is our life dominated by the many cares of the world? Do we have time every day to really listen to our Lord? Prayer is listening to the Lord; do we have time to pray?

Be in God,
Fr. Bing

Fifteenth Sunday

07-07-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing

“Who is my neighbor?” Lk. 10:29

The central figure of the Gospel today is the Good Samaritan, the one who had compassion upon his neighbor, a person in need and treated him with mercy. We need to actively help our neighbor. They are the people we meet, and are with, in the present moment.

Our God is the Best Samaritan. He is always moved by compassion for those who are in need, and He acts to save them. Just as God showed compassion and mercy to those in need, we also are to act in mercy and compassion to those around us. As Pope Francis says, one day we will be face to face with God, and God will look at us and say to us, “Do you remember the people you met who are in need?” “That was me.”

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