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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