The King is calling (Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Cycle C)

Taking a look at the news or newspapers in the morning is really disappointing: every day there is more pain, betrayal, deception, sorrow, etc. Now I can just read your minds and see many of you thinking, “Why all this bad news? After all, I look at this blog for a comment on the good news that the Gospel of Christ brings. Well, my seemingly pessimistic reflections were actually occasioned by our Gospel passage. There Jesus tells a story about someone who cheats. A steward has been growing rich by mishandling his employer’s property. Sounds pretty contemporary. But when he is found out and threatened with punishment he is very wily in finding ways to assure his security for the future. Surprisingly when the employer returns to settle matters and finds how clever he has been in dealing with the debtors, he praises him and so, it seems, does Jesus. This, of course, raises all kinds of problems for us who read it today as perhaps it did when Luke wrote his Gospel. Is the employer and is Jesus praising this man for his dishonesty? That could hardly be the case. Indeed to prevent misunderstanding Jesus says, “The children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” Jesus is using the story then not to tell us to imitate the steward in his dishonesty but in his prudence and cleverness in taking care of himself. We, however, should do it, not for purely material gain, but to do our part in furthering the Kingdom of heaven. We have been hearing some very challenging things from Jesus these past weeks in Ordinary Time as we follow him on his journey to Jerusalem and to the Cross. Two weeks ago he told the crowds who were traveling with him, and he told us as well, that nothing less than complete commitment on our part will satisfy him. And he warned them, and us, that we should know what we are getting into if we accept the challenge. I am sure that it was not easy to be a committed follower of Jesus in the first century when Luke wrote his Gospel. And it certainly is no easier today, 2019. Christian commitment means trying to change the world. Let us remember that we are not simply individuals trying to accomplish the impossible. First of all we are members of the Body of Christ. We have one another, we have all those who profess, not only the Catholic Faith, but anyone who claims to be a Christian. Together there is much that we can do that we could not do alone. And even more important than that, we have Jesus as our head. In a key meditation of his Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius of Loyola asks the retreatant to imagine Christ, our King, calling all of us as a body, but also each one in particular, to follow him. He asks us to hear Jesus make this appeal, “It is my will to win over the whole world, to conquer sin, hatred, and death – all the enemies between the human race and God. Whoever wishes to join me in this mission must be willing to labor with me, so that by following me in suffering, he or she may follow me in glory.” And to that St. Ignatius adds this question: “With God inviting and with victory assured, how can anyone of right mind not give himself or herself over to Jesus and his work?” Indeed, how can we not? • AE

Jesus albergue de pecadores (XXIV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario. Ciclo C)

Parador de pecadores,

de mujeres confundidas,

de mis idas y venidas…

hoy rumbo de mis amores.

De las cien ovejas una

se perdió por los zarzales,

y pensando en otros males

fue el pastor por su fortuna.

Que aquella oveja querida

valía noventa y nueve,

era suya, dulce y leve,

y el amor jamás olvida.

Ovejuela del Señor,

que me arrime hasta su cara,

me tenga bajo su vara:

soy yo, débil pecador.

Ya su abrazo que me estrecha

muy dentro de mí lo siento,

guárdame de todo viento,

mi cabeza a tu derecha.

Mi pastor es mío, mío,

y hasta mi esposo se dice,

que me mima y me bendice

me da el maná del rocío.

Jesús, que te gusto amor,

sin memoria del pecado,

divino pan consagrado,

dulce de todo sabor.

Mi Jesús, mi sacramento,

mi historia, única y junta,

que aquieta toda pregunta

y rompe adverso argumento.

Mi Jesús, paz regalada,

corona de mi deseo;

¡en fe te adoro y te veo,

patria mía, patria amada! •

P. Rufino Mª Grández, ofmcap.

Puebla, 3 septiembre 2010

Granujas y todo, pero perdonados (XXIV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario. Ciclo C)

Dios ama a los pecadores. No sólo a los pecadores arrepentidos, lo que sería en cierto  modo comprensible para nosotros, sino también a los pecadores antes de su conversión; es  decir, Dios ama a los granujas, a los indeseables, a los perdidos, no porque sean lo que  han llegado a ser por su culpa sino para que sean lo que deben ser con la ayuda de la gracia: una criatura nueva. El amor de Dios lleva siempre la iniciativa. El que lo hizo todo de la nada y llamó a la existencia a lo que no era, llama a los  pecadores para que sean sus hijos. Es la misma fuerza –por poner un ejemplo muy concreto y muy tangible- que tira por el suelo a Saulo camino de Damasco y hace del perseguidor un apóstol. Si Dios ama a los pecadores, esto quiere decir que su misericordia es infinita y su amor  no tiene fronteras. Por lo tanto, nadie puede exiliarse del amor de Dios ni huir tanto y tan deprisa que no sea alcanzado por su misericordia. Por eso no hay para Dios un hombre  absolutamente perdido, por eso hay para el hombre siempre una posibilidad que no es del  hombre: el amor que Dios le tiene. Cuando uno pierde una moneda hasta el extremo de  olvidar que la ha perdido, ya no puede encontrarla. Pero Dios no pierde nunca de esta  manera a los pecadores, porque no los olvida ni los echa de su corazón. De ahí que Jesús  lo compare a una mujer que echa en falta su moneda, y barre toda la casa, y la encuentra, y se adorna con ella la cabeza, y llama a las vecinas y comparte su gozo. El perdón es un triunfo del amor de Dios. A los hombres nos cuesta mucho perdonar  porque no amamos a los que nos ofenden, por eso necesitamos enfrentarnos con nosotros  mismos: reprimir el instinto natural de venganza y dejar que pase el tiempo para poder  olvidar, y si al fin conseguimos cambiar de actitud, esto ha sido una victoria sobre  nosotros mismos. Dios no perdona como los hombres, pues ama a los pecadores y no  necesita pasar de la venganza a la misericordia. Dios perdona gozosamente. Jesús describe en las parábolas el inmenso gozo del  perdón de Dios. Lo compara al gozo del pastor que carga con la oveja perdida, al gozo de  la mujer que encuentra su moneda y, sobre todo, al de un padre que recupera a su propio  hijo. En esta última parábola contrasta el gozo del padre que perdona con la actitud del  hermano que no sabe perdonar y, en consecuencia, no quiere entrar en la fiesta. El motivo  de tanta alegría en el cielo, de tanto gozo, es la conversión del pecador y su vuelta a la  vida. La invitación de hoy es a perdonar como hemos sido perdonados: gozosamente • AE

Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Secuencia)

La Madre piadosa estaba

junto a la cruz y lloraba

mientras el Hijo pendía;

cuya alma, triste y llorosa,

traspasada y dolorosa,

fiero cuchillo tenía.

¡Oh cuán triste y cuán aflicta

se vio la Madre bendita,

de tantos tormentos llena!

Cuando triste contemplaba

y dolorosa miraba

del Hijo amado la pena.

Y ¿cuál hombre no llorara,

si a la Madre contemplara

de Cristo, en tanto dolor?

¿Y quién no se entristeciera,

Madre piadosa, si os viera

sujeta a tanto rigor?

Por los pecados del mundo,

vio a Jesús en tan profundo

tormento la dulce Madre.

Vio morir al Hijo amado,

que rindió desamparado

el espíritu a su Padre.

¡Oh dulce fuente de amor!,

hazme sentir tu dolor

para que llore contigo.

Y que, por mi Cristo amado,

mi corazón abrasado

más viva en él que conmigo.

Y, porque a amarle me anime,

en mi corazón imprime

las llagas que tuvo en sí.

Y de tu Hijo, Señora,

divide conmigo ahora

las que padeció por mí.

Hazme contigo llorar

y de veras lastimar

de sus penas mientras vivo;

porque acompañar deseo

en la cruz, donde le veo,

tu corazón compasivo.

¡Virgen de vírgenes santas!,

llore ya con ansias tantas,

que el llanto dulce me sea;

porque su pasión y muerte

tenga en mi alma, de suerte

que siempre sus penas vea.

Haz que su cruz me enamore

y que en ella viva y more

de mi fe y amor indicio;

porque me inflame y encienda,

y contigo me defienda

en el día del juicio.

  

Haz que me ampare la muerte

de Cristo, cuando en tan fuerte

trance vida y alma estén;

porque, cuando quede en calma

el cuerpo, vaya mi alma

a su eterna gloria. Amén • AE

Our Lady of Sorrows (Traditionally September 15)

Our Lady of Sorrows (in Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), are names by which the Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life. As Mater Dolorosa, it is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church. The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular Roman Catholic devotion. In common religious Catholic imagery, the Virgin Mary is portrayed in a sorrowful and lacrimating affect, with seven long knives or daggers piercing her heart, often bleeding. Devotional prayers that consist of meditation began to elaborate on her Seven Sorrows based on the prophecy of Simeon". The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows grew in popularity in the 12th century, although under various titles. Some writings would place its roots in the eleventh century, especially among the Benedictine monks. The first altar to the Mater Dolorosa was set up in 1221 at the Cistercian monastery of Schönau. In 1913, Pope Pius X, in view of his reform giving precedence to Sundays over ordinary feasts, moved this feast to September 15, the day after the Feast of the Cross.It is still observed on that date • AE

Fr Agustin´s schedule for October 12-13, 2019 ( Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time).

I'm away celebrating the sacrament of matrimony for my good friends Priscilla and Memo; I'll be back soon. 

The three parishes continue at their usual Sunday schedule.

Nos fuimos un par de días a celebrar la boda de éstos amigos míos. Regresaré pronto. 

Las tres parroquias continuan en su horario habitual del domingo. 

Fr Agustin´s schedule for September 14-15, 2019 (Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time).

Saturday September 14, 2019.

4.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 

 @ St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church.

5.30 p.m. Vigil Mass 

@ St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church.

Sunday September 15, 2019. 

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

8.30 a.m. Misa en Español. 

@ Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.

10.30 a.m. English Mass. 

@ Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.

5.30 p.m. English Mass. 

@ St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church.

...

(Jesus) Welcomes sinners and eats with them! (Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Cycle C)

Caravaggio, La vocación de san Mateo (1600), óleo sobre tela, 

Iglesia de San Luis de los Franceses (Roma). 

...

The three parables in today's gospel are in answer to the Pharisees and Scribes complaints about Jesus, saying that he can’t be the Messiah because he welcomes sinners and eats with them.  Eating with someone, for the ancients and for us, is a way of expressing friendship and love.  Jesus does not argue that he is eating with sinners, his argument is that he has called them to God and they have come. He is friends with them.  He loves them.  He is full of joy that they have come home to God. Jesus is telling us that we should be happy that others have been forgiven. He is also telling us that we should join in the joy of the Lord because we have been forgiven. First of all, unlike the Pharisees and scribes who saw themselves as holy and who considered everyday people as the hoard of sinners, the vast majority of us are well aware of our failures. Sometimes we think about something that we have done and feel devastated.  These thoughts besiege us: How could God forgive me? Maybe I don’t even belong here, with people whose commitment to the Lord has been far more solid than mine.  Perhaps at times we have an experience of God’s love in our lives and then suffer from our past even more.  This is all really the normal reaction of our commitment to the Lord.  The closer we come to Him, the more we are aware of the impact of the times that we did not choose Him.  Maybe the problem is that we are focusing on ourselves rather than on God.  According to the three parables, the Lord is delighted that we are once more in His Company.  Like the Forgiving Father, His focus is not on the past.  He doesn’t carry a grudge.  His focus is on our present and our presence with him.  Our return to Him is a cause of his joy. It takes a tremendous amount of humility to recognize that God has forgiven us. The Scribes and Pharisees did not seem at all pleased that Jesus had forgiven known sinners. We really have to be careful that we don’t behave the same way.  Perhaps we come to Mass at times and see someone that we know has done some really bad stuff.  What is our reaction?  According to the Gospel for today, our reaction should be: I am happy he or she is here, choosing Christ.  Another’s past is not my concern.  I need to be happy for him or her.  I am here to eat with him or her. That person is here for the same reasons that we are here: compassion, forgiveness, and love. The Lord feels bad for what we have done to ourselves.  And He feels bad for what that person did to himself or herself.  The Lord forgives us.  The Lord forgives Him or her.  The Lord wants us to live in His Love.  The Lord wants that person to live in His love. In the beautiful text we just heard as second reading, St. Paul mentions an early Christian saying, “Christ came into the world to save sinners.  Of these I am the foremost. But for that very reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me Christ might display all His Patience as an example for those who would come to believe in Him.” Exactly: Jesus came into the world to forgive sinners. And I am one of them • AE

La Natividad de la Santisima Virgen María (2019)

The Catholic Church celebrates on September 8, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary's infancy and early life are not directly recorded in the Bible, but other documents and traditions describing the circumstances of her birth are cited by some of the earliest Christian writers from the first centuries of the Church. These accounts, although not considered authoritative in the same manner as the Bible, outline some of the Church's traditional beliefs about the birth of Mary. The “Protoevangelium of James,” which was probably put into its final written form in the early second century, describes Mary's father Joachim as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  Joachim and Anne began to devote themselves extensively and rigorously to prayer and fasting, initially wondering whether their inability to conceive a child might signify God's displeasure with them. As it turned out, however, the couple were to be blessed even more abundantly than Abraham and Sarah, as an angel revealed to Anne when he appeared to her and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.” Saint Augustine described the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an event of cosmic and historic significance, and an appropriate prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley,” he said. The fourth-century bishop, whose theology profoundly shaped the Western Church's understanding of sin and human nature, affirmed that “through her birth, the nature inherited from our first parents is changed." • 

La celebración de la fiesta de la Natividad de la Santísima Virgen María, es conocida en Oriente desde el siglo VI. Fue fijada el 8 de septiembre, día con el que se abre el año litúrgico bizantino, el cual se cierra con la Dormición, en agosto. En Occidente fue introducida hacia el siglo VII y era celebrada con una procesión-letanía, que terminaba en la Basílica de Santa María la Mayor El Evangelio no nos da datos del nacimiento de María, pero hay varias tradiciones. Algunas, considerando a María descendiente de David, señalan su nacimiento en Belén. Otra corriente griega y armenia, señala Nazareth como cuna de María. Sin embargo, ya en el siglo V existía en Jerusalén el santuario mariano situado junto a los restos de la piscina Probática, o sea, de las ovejas. Debajo de la hermosa iglesia románica, levantada por los cruzados, que aún existe -la Basílica de Santa Ana- se hallan los restos de una basílica bizantina y unas criptas excavadas en la roca que parecen haber formado parte de una vivienda que se ha considerado como la casa natal de la Virgen. La fiesta tiene la alegría de un anuncio premesiánico. La homilía que pronunció San Juan Damasceno (675-749) un 8 de septiembre en la Basílica de Santa Ana, es hermosísima:  "¡Ea, pueblos todos, hombres de cualquier raza y lugar, de cualquier época y condición, celebremos con alegría la fiesta natalicia del gozo de todo el Universo. Tenemos razones muy válidas para honrar el nacimiento de la Madre de Dios, por medio de la cual todo el género humano ha sido restaurado y la tristeza de la primera madre, Eva, se ha transformado en gozo. Ésta escuchó la sentencia divina: parirás con dolor. A María, por el contrario, se le dijo: Alégrate, ¡llena de gracia! ¡Oh feliz pareja, Joaquín y Ana, a ustedes está obligada toda la creación! Por medio de ustedes, en efecto, la creación ofreció al Creador el mejor de todos los dones, o sea, aquella augusta Madre, la única que fue digna del Creador. ¡Oh felices entrañas de Joaquín, de las que provino una descendencia absolutamente sin mancha! ¡Oh seno glorioso de Ana, en el que poco a poco fue creciendo y desarrollándose una niña completamente pura, y, después que estuvo formada, fue dada a luz! Hoy emprende su ruta la que es puerta divina de la virginidad. De Ella y por medio de Ella, Dios, que está por encima de todo cuanto existe, se hace presente en el mundo corporalmente. Sirviéndose de Ella, Dios descendió sin experimentar ninguna mutación, o, mejor dicho, por su benévola condescendencia apareció en la Tierra y convivió con los hombres" •

 

En todo sencillez (XXIII Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario)

De nuestro padre san Francisco se cuentan historias simplemente maravillosas. Una de esas relata cómo uno de sus frailes le pidió permiso para tener como suyo un salterio. El Poverello le contestó: "Cuando tengas el salterio, querrás un breviario. Y cuando tengas el breviario, te sentarás en tu sillón como un gran prelado y dirás a un hermano tuyo: 'Oye tú: tráeme mi breviario'. Pues eso. Detachment. A propósito del evangelio de éste domingo • AE

Belonging to Christ (Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Cycle C).

Why does Jesus say we must “hate” our loved ones and even ourselves? Jesus wanted to make clear the vital point that for those who wish to follow him, namely, that nothing and no one other than God should take precedence or first place in our lives. That place is reserved for God alone. Should we actually hate those who are not God? No, for the law of love is clearly at the heart of all Gospel teaching. Another way to express the words of Jesus today in our daily life is that we are to prefer God to everything and everyone else, and at the same time never neglect the supreme law of love for one another. In fact, that is one of Jesus’ parting words to his chosen band: “Love one another as I have loved you”[1]. We are being asked by the Lord to place our lives totally in his hands with absolute trust. Handing over our lives to God is going to entail all our effort, but it is truly worth it. Jesus wishes to give us lasting and true happiness, peace and joy unending and everlasting life, but it comes at a price. We must be willing to give all we have to possess what in fact is everything we will ever need. This is what has been called, “The Gospel without compromise.” It is not about dollars and cents, though, but spiritual riches, awaiting those who will carry their cross and actually find themselves being cared for and carried by God. In comparison with the love God has for us, clinging to any earthly treasures and pleasure is like walking in utter darkness without a flashlight, when in fact we are meant to walk in the full light of a sunlit day. God is to hold first place in our life. Jesus told his followers elsewhere in the Gospels that to do so, to strive to do God’s will, qualifies such ones as brothers and sisters of Christ. So we must ask: is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, holding the most important place in my life and is my life centered in Christ? Probably none of us can give a resounding “yes,” to the question, but if we strive for such a goal with sincerity and perseverance, we have to believe that it is slowly becoming a reality and that our love for others will attain its full growth as well. We live in times when commitment to anything and anyone is not fashionable or easy. Nevertheless, in the depths of our hearts we are all seeking something that will last and offer us hope in a world asphyxiated by strife, unhappiness, brokenness and despair. Christ wishes us to belong to him and to allow him to take all our burdens and weariness upon his infinite tenderness. Belonging to Christ will not end our sufferings, but will make them bearable under the shadow of his outstretched arms. God so loved the world that Christ was sent to earth by God to redeem the human family. Too often our world is focused on pleasure, possessions and self-seeking, as if these are the things that really matter. Christ is calling us to something and Someone else. Christ asks each of us to commit ourselves entirely to the love of God and neighbor, for a life that is truly fulfilling and that will extend to eternal life in heaven. Whenever we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we pledge ourselves to adhere to Christ, who has called us “out of darkness into his marvelous light”[2]. We are attracted to that light where we find warmth, nourishment and renewed energy for our life in Christ, who is our strength, the Bread of Life, given that we might stay on the path we have been called to walk as followers of the Lord. We willingly partake of this feast to be united with our Lord, who is ever our Way, our Truth and our Life • AE

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[1] John 15:12.

[2] First Letter of Saint Peter 2:9.

Fr Agustin´s schedule for September 7-8, 2019 (Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time).

Saturday September 7, 2019.

5.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

 @ Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.

6.00 p.m. Vigil Mass

@ Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.

Sunday September 8, 2019. 

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

8.30 a.m. Misa en Español.  

@ Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.

10.30 a.m. English Mass. 

@ Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.

12.00 p.m. English Mass. 
@ Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.

4.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation. 
Margarite B. Parker chapel 

@Trinity University 
5.00 p.m. English Mass
...

Due to a major repair in the AC system, all the masses this weekend at St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church will be celebrated at the PArish Hall.

Vigésimo tercer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario. Ciclo C.

Juan de Valdés Leal, Jesucristo camino del Calvario y la Verónica (Hacia 1660), 

óleo sobre lienzo (161 x 211 cm), Museo del Prado (Madrid)

...

Todos buscamos ser felices. Por caminos diferentes, con más o menos acierto, pero nos esforzamos por alcanzar eso que llamamos felicidad y que nos atrae desde lo más  hondo de nuestro ser, sin embargo tarde o temprano todos nos encontramos en la vida con el  sufrimiento, experimentando en  nuestra propia carne aquellas palabras de Job: «El hombre, nacido de mujer, es corto de  días y harto de inquietudes»[1]. Los sufrimientos de cada persona son diferentes y pueden deberse a factores  muy diversos. Durckheim nos recuerda tres principales  fuentes donde casi siempre brota el sufrimiento humano. El hombre busca, antes que nada seguridad, y cuando en su vida surge algo que la pone  en peligro, comienza a sufrir porque su seguridad puede quedar destruida. Muchos de nuestros sufrimientos provienen del miedo a que quede destruida nuestra imagen, nuestra  tranquilidad, nuestra salud. Después, el hombre busca sentido a su vida, y cuando experimenta que ésta no significa  nada para nadie ni siquiera para él mismo, comienza a sufrir porque lo demás le parece inútil. Cuánto sufrimiento nace de los fracasos,  frustraciones y desengaños. Finalmente, el ser humano busca también amor frente al aislamiento y la soledad, y cuando se siente incomprendido, abandonado y solo, comienza a sufrir. La fe cristiana no dispensa al creyente de estos sufrimientos; también él conoce, como cualquier otro hombre o mujer el lado doloroso de la existencia, pero tampoco la fe carga necesariamente al cristiano con un sufrimiento mayor que el del resto de los hombres. Lo primero que  escucha el creyente cuando se siente interpelado por Cristo a llevar la cruz tras él no es una  llamada a sufrir «más» que los demás, sino a sufrir en junto con Él, es decir, a «llevar la  cruz» no de cualquier manera, sino «tras él», desde la misma actitud y con el mismo espíritu. Quien vive así la cruz, unido a Cristo y desde una actitud de confianza total en Dios, aprende a vivir el sufrimiento de una manera más humana, y desde luego más plena[2]. Los sufrimientos siguen ahí, sí, con todo su realismo y crudeza, pero con la mirada puesta en Cristo crucificado, el creyente encuentra una fuerza nueva en medio de la inseguridad y la  destrucción; descubre una luz incluso en los momentos en que todo parece absurdo y sin  sentido; experimenta una protección última y misteriosa en medio del abandono de todos. Son las palabras de san Pablo  en aquel que me fortalece[3] • AE

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[1] 14, 1.

[2] J. A. Pagola, Sin Perder la Dirección. Escuchando a San Lucas. Ciclo C, San Sebastián, 1944, p. 103 ss.

[3] Cfr Fil 4.13.