What Does “Rogation” Mean? The word “Rogation” comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning “to ask”, which reflects the beseeching of God for the appeasement of his anger and for protection from calamities.  “Rogation” means “asking”, which is a theme particularly prominent in the Gospel text for this Sunday (St. John 16:23-33).  We call this  Read more …

Would the disciples have accomplished anything without the Holy Spirit?  No.  Will we? That question needs to ring continually in our ears because we Christians are usually highly motivated self-starters.  If we weren’t, we probably wouldn’t have gotten past all the obstacles there are to involvement in evangelism.  Because we’re highly motivated we look ahead.  We  Read more …

Saddened by a loss….comforted by a promise The death of innocence and the loss of beauty break something so deep in us that we have no words for it. The loss of hope, of a dream, of a perspective   is almost more than human beings can bear; it reverberates forever. A world comes to  Read more …

Judas and Peter The readings this season describe the meeting between Jesus and his apostles after the resurrection. In the previous life, before His death, they abandoned Him, some even betrayed him. Judas “sold Him” to the Pharisees and chiefs priests, Peter betrayed Him three times. In his betrayal of Jesus, Peter is no different  Read more …

The tithe is 10% of your income, and it should be given to God faithfully.  Tithing honors God, the Scriptural principles of generously providing for those in need, and laying up treasures in heaven. Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to give the first part of our resources to God as an expression of honor and  Read more …

Peace not Food! Peace not toilet paper, Peace not hand sanitizers or mask. That is what the good Lord brought his disciples in his first appearance after death. In their confinement, He brought them Peace not Food. “Peace be with you”.  These are the first words that the Lord addressed his apostles who were still  Read more …

I am the Good Shepherd In the Gospel Reading, Jesus says that his sheep follow him. Those who belong to him know his voice and so they are willing to follow him and let him lead the way.  The most comforting of the Psalms, 23, begins with the line: “The Lord is my shepherd.”  It  Read more …

SEQUELA CHRISTI   – Following Christ Last week in my weekly reflection, I said that The Pre-Lent season is a time of preparation for the great fast of Lent. Fasting helps us experience our part in the passion (suffering) of Jesus. The Stations of the Cross, also known as the “Via Dolorosa”, is a narration  Read more …

Why do we make the sign of the cross when entering the church, at the beginning of the mass or any other prayer? The answer is both simple and profound.  In the Sign of the Cross, we profess the deepest mysteries of the Christian Faith, the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the saving  Read more …

No entitlement in the Kingdom of God The parable of the workers in the vineyard, in today’s Gospel, serves as a corrective to false notions of entitlement and merit. The story reflects the socio-economic background of Palestine at the time of Jesus. The parable is offensive to our mundane culture and it challenges our secular  Read more …