It was such a memorable pilgrimage; I would like to thank our parish priest Father David who is very understanding and patient with us. I am also thankful to Father Louland for accepting and accommodating us at Saint James Church. To our FCG president Lorenda and to all St. Anne community, who joined this year's pilgrimage I am thankful (Sylvie N Marcahillo). 

Hypocrisy Causes Spiritual Blindness

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus speaks this parable towards the very end of his life. He is in Jerusalem the week before his crucifixion.

He spends his nights outside the city with his disciples and his days inside the Temple, debating with the Jewish scholars and leaders who are trying to discredit and humiliate him.

He tells this parable for them, in order to break through their blindness. These leaders, the ones who are against Jesus and who will soon arrange his death, are Palestine's experts in religion. They are the ones who serve in the Temple, study the sacred Scriptures, preach to the crowds, and rule and govern God's Chosen people.

They claim to be God's close collaborators, the ones who are following God's commandments better than anyone else. And yet, these are the very ones who fail to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Sinners and social outcasts on the other hand, like tax collectors and prostitutes, do recognize Jesus; they believe in him, and they repent from their sin.

Why are the chief priests and elders unable to see the truth? Why do they, like the second son in the parable, say that they are God's followers, but then refuse to obey the Messiah of God?

This is an important question for us. We are among the small percentage of Catholics who come to Sunday Mass - we are the ones who appear to be following the Lord. And so, we too are in danger of falling into this same blindness, of thinking that we are doing God's will in our lives, but actually not doing it.

The cause of their spiritual blindness can also become the cause of our spiritual blindness. What is this cause? Hypocrisy. Keeping up the appearances of a good Catholic, but compromising the substance.

The Weakness of Disguises

Jesus condemned hypocrisy more energetically than any other sin. Maybe this was because it is one of the easiest sins to fall into. It's so easy to change our outward behaviour in order to fit in with everyone around us.

But it's a losing strategy, because sooner or later every actor has to take off his mask. This was especially true for the Marquis [mahr-KEY] de Condorset [cone-door-SAY], a nobleman who lived in France at the time of the French Revolution.

The Revolution was tough on nobility. For years the aristocracy had exploited the common people, forcing many of them to suffer and starve while the nobles lived in luxury. With the revolution came payback.

The guillotine was the method of choice for the people's revenge. During the Revolution, many noblemen tried to escape execution by disguising themselves to slip out of the country undetected.

This particular Marquis donned the ragged clothes of a peasant and attempted to make his way to the nearest border. His ploy worked until he stopped at an inn full of real peasants.

The disguised nobleman walked into the inn, sat down at a table, and ordered an omelette made with a dozen eggs. That wasn't a smart thing to do in front of a group of people who never would have been able to afford such an extravagant meal. They immediately saw through his disguise. The nobleman's mistake ended up sending him to the guillotine.

Hypocrisy is like that: we put on different disguises in order to fit in with different crowds. But in the end that kind of selfish living for appearances leads to self-destruction - when we lose sight of who we really are, we also lose sight of everyone else, including God.

Making God's Will Our Rule of Life

The surest way to banish hypocrisy from our lives is to adopt as our personal motto the phrase that Jesus taught us in the Our Father: "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done."

God's will is dependable and truthful, and when we make it our highest priority, we too become dependable and truthful. And unlike followers of some other religions, as Christians we have an objective standard for God's will that protects us from doing evil and calling it "the will of God."

This standard is drawn from the three basic sources of God's will. First, there are the commandments of the Bible as authentically interpreted by the Church. The third part of the Catechism is dedicated entirely to explaining what these commandments entail, and how to apply them to real life. 80% of life's dilemmas can be solved right there.

Second, there are the responsibilities of our state in life. God guides each of our lives, placing us in a family and a community, giving us talents to use for the good of our neighbour, and calling each one of us to a vocation. The normal responsibilities that go with these basic realities are God's will for us. By fulfilling them with attention and love, we glorify God, achieve our purpose, and build up God's eternal Kingdom.

Finally, God sometimes sends special inspirations, which need to be discerned, prayed over, discussed with a wise spiritual guide, and then acted upon with prudence and humility.

God's commandments, the responsibilities of our state in life, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit: this is the threefold path to a truthful, fulfilling life, free from the poison of hypocrisy. Today, let's make Christ's motto our motto: Thy Kingdom come, Lord, and thy will be done, in my life, just as it is in heaven. 

Jesus Christ Is Extraordinarily Generous

Christ himself is the generous landowner in this parable, and the lesson he wants us to learn is that his generosity goes beyond even our widest comprehension. This is why in the First Reading God tells us that "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways."

To pay these hired workers a full day's wage for only a few hours of work is the epitome of generosity. There is no other reason for it; he does it simply because he is generous; he is deeply concerned about these men and capable of helping them.

Palestine's day laborers at that time had no steady work and no steady income. They were hired on a day-to-day basis. The workers still waiting to be given work late in the day were probably resigned to another hungry evening for themselves and their families.

Only a man with a truly generous heart would take the trouble to put them to work with only an hour remaining till sundown. And only an extraordinarily generous man would pay them the full day's wage!

That's Jesus. Jesus Christ is extraordinarily generous; the history of salvation is the story of his boundless giving. First, he gives life, then after original sin he gives hope for salvation, then with the Incarnation he gives redemption, and finally, to those who faithfully work in his vineyard, he gives everlasting heavenly bliss.

And it doesn't stop there. Strictly speaking, we deserve none of those gifts. And yet, just as the landowner gave the laborers real work to do in his vineyard, even if the reward far outweighed the work, Christ too allows us to make a real contribution to the eternal happiness of ourselves through prayer, self-sacrifice, and service. Jesus Christ is a volcano of generous love.

Jesus often used parables to teach his disciples and people to make a point and to express profound spiritual truths. What are the parables and why did Jesus use them so frequently?

Parables are a Jewish style of storytelling. The stories are drawn from ordinary life. Parables usually contain some element that is strange or unusual, and they are used to illustrate or compare ideas. They do not define things precisely but use comparisons to point us in the direction of an understanding of how God works. The meaning of parables is never too obvious, and indeed, the purpose of parables is not to settle issues, but to challenge us to think more deeply about the issues.

The Catholic Encyclopedia explains, "The word parable signifies, in general, a comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another. It is a likeness taken from the sphere of real, or sensible, or earthly incidents, in order to convey an ideal, or spiritual, or heavenly meaning. As uttering one thing and signifying something else, it is in the nature of a riddle….it is intended to stir curiosity and calls for intelligence in the listener."

Because parables are drawn from everyday life, it would seem that Jesus used them in order to make it easier for his listeners to understand his message. However, if you read Matthew 13:10-17, you will see that Jesus did not expect people to understand what he was saying. If you think you know what the parable means at first glance, chances are you missed the point. This is because parables are not as clear as you might expect. There is always some doubt about the exact point of the story, and the result is that the listener or reader wonders why the story is so strange or unsettling? You begin to think more deeply about the meaning of the parable. That is the goal? Parables raise more questions than answers. They help us see beyond the obvious into the deeper meaning that Jesus had in mind. That is why the parables of Jesus continue to fascinate us two thousand years later.

Jesus used parables to help us penetrate mysteries that were too deep for us to fully understand. The Kingdom of God was one of the most popular subjects of Jesus' parables, which reveal to us the impenetrable nature of God's Kingdom and our inability to fully comprehend it on this earth.

Parables are also perfect examples of how the various senses of scripture are revealed. Each parable has a literal sense as well as a spiritual sense. The spiritual sense of parables can further be separated into its allegorical sense; its moral sense; and its anagogical sense.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church adds to this notion, explaining how, "parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good earth for the word? What use has he made of the talents he has received?" (CCC 546)

If Jesus used straight definitions when describing the Kingdom of God, it would make it seem like a person could somehow "control" it and "grasp" for it. Instead, the Kingdom of God must be pondered within one's heart, as Mary did with everything that happened in her life. It must be internalized and take on a personal meaning that is unique, further leading that one individual towards a deeper relationship with Christ. While we may be tempted to want "the straight facts," Jesus invites us through parables to go embrace the mystery of God and recognize our inability to fully grasp who God is and what his plan is for us.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if we read the Gospel of Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 to 20, at first glance, it seems that Jesus is being authoritarian. He is explaining to his Apostles, the future leaders of the Church, how they should deal with members of the Church who fall into sin and cause scandal to the family of believers.

Here Jesus is referring especially to the kind of sin that affects the whole community directly. He instructs his Apostles not to ignore it, but to do something about it. Maybe that's why it sounds so authoritarian to us - we are used to thinking that tolerance, even tolerance of sin, is the highest value. But that's not Jesus' perspective.

He wants his Church to care about tolerance, yes, but he wants it to care even more about truth. Sin is real, and it is destructive, both for the person sinning and for the whole community. Sin is like a destructive fire that starts in one person's soul. If it isn't put out quickly with Christ's mercy, it can destroy that person and spread like a spiritual forest fire through a whole community.

And that's why Jesus instructs his Apostles to do everything possible to bring people back when they stray. First, they should approach them one-on-one and patiently encourage them to come back to Christ.

If that doesn't work, they should patiently involve some objective parties in the discussion. And only if the scandal continues should there be a public denunciation, to make it clear to everyone that the sinful, scandalous behaviour is contrary to God's loving plan of salvation - to isolate the fire.

This Gospel passage comes right after Christ's parable of the good shepherd who leaves his 99 sheep to seek out the one who has strayed. Christ is insisting here that all his followers, and especially his ordained ministers, have the same selfless and determined attitude.

The Blinding Effect of Relativism

In past periods of history, the reality of sin was something everyone was familiar with. But in our day and age, this basic truth has been eclipsed by a devotion to the false god of relativism.

Relativism says that there is no objective right and wrong equally valid for everyone. Instead, relativism says, the only thing that matters is what each individual feel is right and wrong for him. In other words, morality is relative to each person. This sounds nice, but it is both illogical and impractical.

It is illogical because it contradicts itself. The statement "right and wrong is not universal, but personal" is a universal statement. It is like saying, "It is objectively true that there is no objective truth." That makes no logical sense.

But relativism is also impractical - no one lives by it, because they can't. Imagine a high school teacher who flunked all his blond-haired students, just because they had blond hair, and in his mind that was a sign that they didn't deserve to pass. No one would accept that. It is clearly unfair treatment. But a true relativist would have to accept it.

That same illogical logic is at the root of what our society tries to tell us about sins like pre-marital sex, homosexual unions, abortion, and cloning. In order to have a reason to justify what many people have strong, personal desires to do, they try to say that there are no universal moral standards - in other words, that there is no such thing as sin.

But that's like saying there is no such thing as poison - it's a psychological comfort, but it's dangerously wrong. Jesus is reminding us today that sin is destructive and real, and that he is the antidote.

Staying Close to the Good Shepherd through Confession

St Paul tells us in today's Second Reading that we can sum up all our moral obligations in one phrase: love your neighbour as yourself. Then he goes on to say that love "does no evil" to others.

By ignoring the reality of sin, we can do great evil, both to ourselves and to others. By acknowledging and rejecting sin, we do great good. That doesn't mean we are supposed to go around pointing fingers at people, like the Pharisees did.

If we want to help lost sheep come back to the Good Shepherd, the first thing we must all do is stay close to the Shepherd ourselves. If we get lost, how can we help save others?

And Jesus makes it so easy for us to stay close to him: not by isolating us from temptation, not by taking away all our selfish and sinful tendencies, not by taking away our need for self-discipline and responsibility. No, he doesn't spoil us - he loves us too much to do that.

Instead, he gives us unlimited free access to his own spiritual car wash: the sacrament of confession. If we want to be good shepherds to those around us, if we really want to learn how to love our neighbours, we must first let ourselves be loved by Christ. We must let him teach, heal, and forgive our selfishness, sinfulness, and weakness, so that we can learn to do the same for others.

A good soldier needs to be fed - as we are each week through Holy Communion. But good soldiers also need to have their wounds healed so that they can keep on fighting. That's what happens in confession - if we let it. 

Mary: Hope of the Dying

One comes into the world weeping and dying we pour out our last tear; this land is rightly called the valley of tears and a place of exile, from which we must all one day leave. Few are the joys of present life and very much sufferings; all this is providential, because if one did not suffer, one would be too attached to the earth and would not eager to Heaven.

The greatest suffering for everyone is death, both for the pains of the body, and for the separation from all earthly affection and especially for the thought of one's appearance before Jesus Christ the Judge. The hour of death, certain for everyone, but uncertain for the exact day, is the most important hour of life, because eternity depends on it. Who can help us in that supreme moments? Only God and Our Lady.

The mother does not abandon her children in need and the more serious the need, the more she strengthens her care. The Celestial Mother, the dispenser of divine treasures, runs to help the souls, especially if they are about to leave for eternity. The Church was divinely inspired in the Hail Mary to include a particular plea: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death!

How many times during this life we have repeated this prayer! And can Our Lady, with Her gentle and maternal Heart, remain indifferent to the cry of Her children?

The Virgin on Calvary assisted the agonizing Son Jesus; She did not speak, but he contemplated and prayed. As the Mother of all believers in those moments, She also turned her gaze to the multitude of adopted children, who in the course of the centuries would find themselves in agony and would implore Her help.

For us Our Lady prayed on Calvary and let us be consoled that on our death-bed She will help us. But we must do everything to deserve Her assistance.

Every day let us offer Her some act of special homage, even a small one, as could be the recital of three Hail Mary, with the ejaculation or little prayer: "Dear Mother Virgin Mary, help me save my soul!"

We often ask that you free us from sudden death; that death does not seize us when we unfortunately are in mortal sin; that we can receive the Holy Sacraments and not only the Extreme Unction, but especially the Viaticum; that we can overcome the assaults of the devil during agony, because it is then that the enemies of soul double their effort; and finally obtain the serenity of the spirit, to die in the kiss of the Lord, fully conformed to the will of God. The devotees of Mary often die peacefully and sometimes have the joy of sensibly seeing the Queen of Heaven, who comforts them and invites to eternal joy. This is how the child Domenico Savio, now a saint, he died exclaiming with joy: "Oh, what a beautiful thing I see!" 

The usher ministry is the busiest ministry in our St. Anne's parish. Ushers are responsible for opening and closing the door of the church, welcoming people, handing out the bulletin, assisting parishioners, especially the needy, to their seats, inviting members of the congregation to participate in the offertory, taking up the collection, and facilitating the flow of people during holy communion.

During the pandemic the ushers also served as the frontline workers of our church. They played a very important role to ensure the health safety of each parishioner by cleaning the pews before and after each mass, They ensured that each individual wore their facemask properly, checked body temperatures, scanned health passes, sanitized their hands, and supported observance of social distancing. Some of the ushers were volunteers from the Catholic Center and came to St. Anne's to help. The ushers did extraordinary work and deserve to be thanked.

Therefore, a certificate of appreciation of service has been prepared for them. St. Anne's parish is grateful for the service of the following ushers: Lorna Magtoto, Alice Cuadra, Cristita Asumbrado, Janesa Alfaro, Marlita Marinas, Ethel Balmes, Reden Tabangay, Marilou Padilla, Virginia Tayo, Lisa Foronda, Lyn Flores, Prescilla Sanche, and Sylvie Macahilo.

Special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Camaya and family and most of all to Bro. Desmond Lau who is helping the ushers, especially during the Saturday anticipated Mass. 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus Christ loves us enough to tell us the truth about ourselves. Those who selfishly use other people instead of seeking their authentic good rarely tell them hard truths.

It's too risky. Pointing out their failings may result in offense and rejection - like the parents who are afraid to discipline their child. But love will take the risk, because love always goes after what is best for the beloved. A true friend will tell you when you're wrong, so that you can straighten out.

Christ is a true friend, and he shows it in this conversation with St Peter on last Sunday Gospel. Jesus' elevating Peter to a position of prominence in the coming Kingdom, as a first pope.

But then Jesus makes the shocking announcement that he is going to suffer greatly and be killed - he predicts his passion. Peter, puffed up with naïve self-importance, takes the Lord aside and disagrees with him.

That's when Christ comes down hard on him - very hard, calling him "Satan" and telling him that he is thinking like a pagan, not like a Christian. Only a true friend would do something like that.

Not everyone liked Jesus. Many Pharisees and Scribes positively hated him and had been plotting his death almost since the beginning of his ministry.

When Jesus made his speech about the importance of the Eucharist, of eating his flesh and drinking his blood in order to receive eternal life, most of his followers walked out on him.

Here too, by being so firm with Peter, he was risking a walk-out. But in every case, Jesus cared less about personal popularity than about the saving truth. He is a friend we can count on.

Jeremiah's Lament

Being honest about the hard truths got Jesus in trouble - in fact, it got him crucified. It also got the Old Testament prophets in trouble, and Jeremiah is a prime example.

He lived in Jerusalem in the final years before that city was conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians, in 588 BC. His God-given task was to warn the Israelites that if they didn't repent and return to the commandments and the faith of their fathers, disaster would strike.

No one wanted to hear that, especially not the corrupt rulers, so they tried to silence him. They spread lies about him, accusing him of sins he never committed. They imprisoned him more than once. One time some false prophets even threw him into an old well, filled with mud, and left him there to die.

Another time the king asked him to write down his prophecies, and when the scroll was read in the king's presence, he became so infuriated that he ripped up the scroll, threw the pieces into the fire, and then had Jeremiah arrested. And yet, God continued to give Jeremiah the courage to speak the hard truths, to warn the Israelites, encouraging them to repent.

This experience of speaking the saving truth even at great personal cost is what Jeremiah describes in today's Reading: "...the word of the LORD has brought me derision and reproach all the day. I say to myself... I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it."

Jeremiah was a preview of Jesus. Jesus loves us too much to hide the hard truths - even if he knows that we don't always want to hear them.

Being a True Friend to Jesus

Jesus tells us the hard truths we need to hear; he loves us too much to put his own comfort ahead of our spiritual and moral well-being. During this Mass, we should thank him for being a true friend, and let his love give us comfort and confidence.

But we should also ask ourselves a difficult question. What kind of friend are we being to Jesus? Jesus cares about this; he doesn't want a one-way relationship. There are at least two ways we can check up on this.

First, are we honest with him in prayer? It is easy for us to turn our prayer into an exterior exercise in good manners rather than a real, heart-to-heart conversation. Jesus is our King, but he is also our older brother, the kind of brother who really cares, who you can talk to about anything. Is that the kind of relationship we have with him?

Second, are we courageous about speaking the hard truths to others? Jesus died for every sinner, and he wants to save all of us - our neighbors, our cousins, our co-workers, our teammates... everyone. And we are his messengers - messengers of his love.

That means that sometimes it's up to us to tell people the hard truths that no one else will tell them, the ones that they really need to hear, so that they don't damage their souls, their lives, and their futures. This doesn't necessarily mean going to football practice wearing a chastity sign. But it does mean reaching out to your buddy who is struggling with temptation and helping him make the right decision.

The best way to thank our Lord for being such a faithful friend to us is to be a faithful friend to him in return. 

The plan of the Father for the salvation of the world is centered on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The passion and death of Jesus were part of the plan of God for the salvation of the world. God will not take away pain and suffering. This is the truth shown to us in the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. He is known as the Man of Sorrows. And anybody close to Him also shares in His sorrow. This is because love and suffering always go together. Love is self-giving. Self-giving always entails sacrifice and suffering.

Bishop Fulton Sheen said: "Love needs a constant purification and this happens only through sorrow. Love that is not nourished on sacrifice becomes trite, banal, and commonplace. It takes the other for granted, makes no more professions of love because it has sounded no new depths."

Suffering and pain are opportunities for us to develop our virtues, especially patience and self-sacrifice. They also help us strengthen our self-control and discipline. A Christian who is not tested is weak. Just as gold is subjected to fire to purify it, so also a Christian has to undergo trials and sufferings to purify his intentions and make him strong. And they also help us appreciate the blessings that come our way.

We often think like Peter. What we think is best for us. We insist on our plans, when we pursue our own will, apart from the will of God, we find ourselves fighting against God. We may have the best intentions, like Peter. But no matter how good our intentions are, if we don't follow God's plan, we will become His enemy.

In our Christian life, therefore, it is always important to know the will of God and follow it, to avoid the dangerous traps ahead and walk the way to salvation. God always knows what is best for us.

To know the will of God, two things are necessary: study and prayer. Studying is very important. Culpable ignorance is a sin against faith. We have to study the doctrines of our faith, read and reflect on the Scriptures, listen to and read various teachings of the saints and official Church teachers, and be fully attuned to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is an essential part of the formation of a right and healthy conscience. We have to know the truth and the will of God.

Prayer is more important. There are many things we cannot learn in study. It is, ultimately, the Holy Spirit who will give us the truth. This is very clear in the case of the apostles. They have listened to all the teachings of Jesus, but they still could not understand. It was only after Pentecost that they fully understood everything. In the case of Peter, in last Sunday's Gospel, his answer was not a fruit of study but came from the heavenly Father. That is why we see Jesus oftentimes praying alone, and conversing with the Father, so that everything He does will be according to the will of God. When we pray and study, we will eventually be accustomed to knowing the will of God in our lives.

Knowing God's will is only half of the story. Ultimately what matters is doing the will of God. Knowing the will of God is indeed important so that we won't be misled and do things contrary to His will. However, following Jesus is not that simple and easy. He says: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Self-denial is important to be able to follow the only one commandment: love. Carrying the cross is also important so that our intentions are purified, our love becomes deeper and purer, and we can follow Jesus. Without the cross, there is no way we can follow Jesus. Jesus always has the cross. A Jesus without the cross is no Jesus at all.

We need not be afraid of suffering and pain; these are all part of the cross we have to bear to follow Jesus and to do the will of the heavenly Father. Rather, we should fear going through our earthly journey without Jesus. 

My dear brothers and sisters, we all remember the famous Gospel passage when Jesus says, "Unless you turn and become like little children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 18:3).

What Jesus means by this seems obvious: salvation involves a return to a state of moral innocence, like children. Yet, are children as innocent as their reputation makes them?

Don't infants show signs of extreme selfishness and self-centeredness from the very beginning? Don't toddlers give their parents' constant headaches with their rebellious antics? Don't kindergartners need to be disciplined so that they stop lying and tormenting their siblings?

Maybe Jesus was referring to a different kind of innocence when he made that statement - the innocence of wonder. For healthy children, the world is a wonder-full place. Seashells and starlight are magically mysterious.

Grasshoppers and green mountains inspire fascination and excitement. And isn't that way it should be? Isn't that the way Adam and Eve would have seen the world before original sin, as an inspiring collection of magnificent treasures given to them by their Creator? That's what creation is, a fabulous gift from an all-powerful God who is not an angry tyrant, but a wise and loving Father.

An attitude of wonder and awe in the face of God's gifts is something shared by all the saints. And it applies not only to natural gifts, but even more to the supernatural gifts of salvation and redemption.

That is why St Paul, after spending three chapters of his Letter to the Romans analysing and explaining the complex twists and turns of salvation history, breaks out in a hymn of wonder and awe: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" This is the cry of a childlike, grace-filled, healthy Christian heart.

The Strange Plan of the Papacy

St Paul tells us that God's judgments are "inscrutable" and his ways are "unsearchable." Not in a bad sense, but in a wonderful sense. God is always using creative ways to bring about his magnificent plan of salvation. One of the most creative is the papacy.

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus explains that the papacy is the indestructible foundation of his Church. To emphasize the point, he gives Simon a new name that symbolizes his ministry as the first pope: "Peter," which is Greek for "rock." This conversation took place just outside the city of Caesarea Philippi.

That glorious city was constructed on the top of a huge hill, one side of which was a towering, bare rock cliff. It gave the city an appearance of invincibility and magnificence. Precisely there, standing near that imposing cliff, Jesus explains that his Church will also be invincible, because it too will be founded on rock, the rock of Peter, Christ's Vicar, the first Pope. It will be indestructible; the "gates of the netherworld" will not prevail against it.

And Jesus' promise has come true. For the last 20 centuries, the papacy has continued intact. Even the secular encyclopaedias can trace an unbroken line of succession from St Peter, the first pope, through Benedict XVI, the 265th.

Although at times there have been corrupt, greedy, and weak men occupying the papal office, and although emperors, kings, and generals have kidnapped, murdered, and exiled numerous popes, no pope in history has spoiled the purity of the Gospel or interrupted the flow of God's grace through the sacraments.

The rock has stood the test of time - not because of the popes' human qualities, but because of the "riches and wisdom and knowledge" of God's divine and truly wonder-full providential care.

Benefits and Bolsterers of Christian Wonder

A healthy sense of wonder and awe in the face of God's natural and supernatural gifts helps us grow in wisdom and peace of mind. It increases peace of mind because it reminds us that God really can guide history towards the eternal happy ending, he has promised - in spite of all the tragedies and sufferings that sin causes along the way. Nothing escapes his providence: "from him and through him and for him are all things," as St Paul wrote.

This attitude of gratitude and wonder also makes us grow in wisdom, because we recognize that there is much more to the human story than appears in the newspapers. As Christians, we have x-ray vision; we know the origin and purpose of all things, because God has told us.

These are the benefits of a healthy sense of Christian wonder, and there are two things we can do to keep it healthy.

First, we can make a point of reading the lives of the saints. The saints and martyrs are Christian all-stars, spiritual gold-medal winners. They show us how to rise to the heights of Christian maturity and remind us of God's wonder-full deeds.

Second, we can make sure that our Sundays are different. Sunday Mass is a primary duty for every Catholic - so much so that to miss it on purpose is a mortal sin - but the Lord's Day shouldn't stop at Mass. We need to create space and time on Sundays to have a fresh encounter with the "riches and wisdom and knowledge of God," whether by family picnics and cookouts, or visits to the sick or poor, or relaxing with our favorite hobbies.

Today, whether our wonder-level is rickety or robust, let's stir it up during the miracle of this Mass, and ask the Lord to keep our Christian hearts healthy. 

Jason Tam

First, I would like to thank Fr. Taam [談雷濤神父] for guiding and encouraging me to write this article. I am a Catholic who has been baptized for 29 years.

Ever since I was a child, I have felt that God loves me very much and has given me a lot of grace. My sixth-grade primary school won the championship of the Hong Kong Children's Drawing Competition. Then, on behalf of Hong Kong, I went to Paris to participate in the World Children's Painting Competition. Fortunately, I won runner-up. When I was in middle school, I studied in a very good Catholic school which enlightened my understanding of Catholicism. When I was in college, I was lucky enough to be admitted to the University of Hong Kong where I met some good Catholic classmates. In this atmosphere and under the inspiration and guidance from the Lord, I decided to participate in a catechumen class to become Catholic.

In the process of catechism, I was very fortunate to find my middle school teacher, Fr. Chan [陳鴻基神父]. Fr. Chan readily agreed to teach me Catholic Catechism. At that time, Father Chen was already the principal of Tang King Po Secondary School in Kowloon, and he was studying for a master's degree. However, he took time out of his busy schedule to teach me one-on-one and baptized me on Easter in 1994. For this reason, I am grateful to Father Chen for enlightening and cultivating my faith!

After graduating from university as a Catholic under God's protection and care, my career and work was smooth sailing, and I was promoted. Soon, I became the youngest director of a large company in Hong Kong!

Just when I was confidently preparing to step to the next peak, I never expected that I would suddenly encounter the biggest setback in my life and experience a challenge that transcended life and death!

It all started in March last year. At that time, Hong Kong was facing a severe blow from the fifth wave of the epidemic. Due to an unusual headache, I had an MRI of my head at Canossa Hospital in Central. After the examination, the doctor found that I had a high-grade brain cancer that was bigger than a billiard ball! This kind of brain cancer is very dangerous, and the survival period of patients is generally only 8-12 months! The doctor said that my condition was very serious. The huge cancer caused severe cerebral edema as well as massive bleeding in my brain. If I did not receive surgical treatment in time, I could have fallen into a coma at any time or even died unexpectedly.

After listening to the doctor, I felt like it was the end of the world. Fortunately, I had my wife and son by my side to support and encourage me.

Before going to the hospital for surgery, I decided to go to St. Margaret's Hall to pray first. However, due to the severity of the epidemic, the church was open. So, I went to pray at the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in front of the church. I prayed sincerely, hoping that the Lord Jesus could support me through this difficult time. When I put my hands on the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and prayed, I suddenly heard a voice saying to me: Don't be afraid, just believe! Hearing this Bible verse, I immediately felt as if I was seeing light in the darkness! At the same time, my body, mind, and spirit were full of strength and confidence, which made me believe that I would be able to overcome this brain cancer!

After praying in the church, I was admitted to St. Teresa's Hospital. At that time, I saw a kind and gentle statue of the Virgin Mary in the hospital lobby. So, I walked up to the statue of the Virgin, held the hands of the statue of the Virgin, and prayed. At that time, a warm current poured into my body from the hands of the Holy Mother as if the Holy Mother was also comforting me!

After feeling the consolation of the Holy Mother, I entered the operating room and underwent a craniotomy and brain surgery that lasted more than five hours. It was a complicated, dangerous operation that crossed the line between life and death. I would also have 20 courses of radiation therapy after the surgery. In this way, I was hospitalized in St. Teresa's Hospital for a total of 40 days and experienced a 40-day journey of God's wonderful salvation journey. So much happened in those forty days that I could write a novel. But to put it simply, I fully felt the grace and love bestowed on me by God and Our Lady!

Under the grace and protection of God, coupled with the care and help of Our Lady, after seven days and seven nights of sincere prayer, a miracle happened. The pathology test report after brain surgery confirmed that my high-grade brain cancer was a benign brain tumor. From a high-grade brain cancer that cannot be treated and meant certain death, it turned into a benign tumor in the end. This is simply a world-class miracle. This is a great gift from God to me. It is God and Our Lady who rescued my life from the valley of death!

After the operation, I had a nearly 20 cm-long wound scar on my head. Despite such a long-wound scar, I have had no pain since the operation, and I don't even need painkillers. A craniotomy is very dangerous. After undergoing brain surgery, most people face many postoperative sequelae, such as long-term coma, general or hemiplegia, incoordination/inflexibility of hands and feet, language, vision, or hearing impairment. However, thanks to God's grace for me, I have not had any postoperative sequelae at all.

And the 20 radiation therapy sessions I received after surgery did not cause any damage to my body either. I want to thank God for His saving graces!

I was able to get out of bed and move freely 24 hours after the operation. 48 hours after surgery, I could have a conference call with the CEO of a large listed company. 72 hours after the operation, I could participate in video conferences with the Singapore and Hong Kong teams of a large investment fund. My clients couldn't believe I had just undergone such a major, life-threatening surgery. Everyone admires me. Even the doctors thought I was so fit, and fast, and my amazingly quick recovery was unbelievable! God's salvation is truly amazing!

All these unbelievable events and miracles are God and Our Lady giving me the grace of salvation. If not for their extensive salvation, I am afraid that I would have been in the valley of death. After experiencing this wonderful journey of salvation led and blessed by God and the Holy Mother, my views and attitudes towards life, especially my faith, have completely changed.

My friends often say that this time I "survived a catastrophe, there will be future blessings!" But I believe that my "surviving a catastrophe" this time is a "blessing from the Lord"!

Indeed, my experience may seem, in one respect, to be a great catastrophe or a misfortune. But it was a "blessing in disguise"! After these 40 days of a wonderful salvation journey, I fully felt the infinite salvation of grace, meticulous care, and unreserved support from God and Our Lady. What a blessing, what a blessing, for me, a very ordinary, ordinary Christian.

In the eyes of outsiders, this time the doctor successfully removed a huge brain tumor in my head. But, this time, it was God who managed to remove a huge "rock ladle" in my head that was too rational, very stubborn, and self-righteous! At the same time, God opened a bigger atrium and a bigger ventricle in my heart, and gave me a stronger heart valve, so that I no longer used "pure reason, pure professional knowledge, and an overly "stubborn and self-righteous" mentality to look at and understand God's will. On the contrary, God now allows me to do God's will with a more open and humble attitude, wholeheartedly, wholeheartedly, and wholeheartedly.

Another important change in my faith was my total trust and reliance on Our Lady. First, before the surgery, I held the hands of the statue of the Virgin and prayed in the hospital. I felt the warmth and comfort of the Virgin in my heart, which made me perform the extremely dangerous craniotomy without fear. After the operation, I prayed to God and recited the Rosary every day. The grace of God and the Holy Mother turned my brain cancer into a benign tumor, and my recovery progressed as fast as possible. At the same time, I did not have any sequelae of surgery and radiotherapy. So, I am very grateful to Our Lady for her infinite love and support during my most difficult time. Because of this encounter, now I have developed a good habit of reciting the Rosary diligently every day so that my body, mind, and spirit can be nourished by Our Lady and the peace she bestows every day.

Moreover, now I am more than happy to share with others the amazing journey of salvation that I have been through, I very much hope that through the sharing of my testimony for the Lord, the believers will increase their faith; at the same time, it will also enable non-religious members to know God's salvation and His gospel.

With the trust and support of Fr. Kim, on May 20th of this year, in the "Meeting in the Rose Garden" prayer music evening at the month of Mary's event in the chapel of Christ the King, for the first time, I used the story of my wonderful journey of salvation as the main theme. Testimonies were shared. There were more than 300 people, including priests, nuns, and brothers and sisters present that night. I felt very honored!

In the future, I am hoping to contribute to the evangelization work of different parishes. I think this is an opportunity, direction, and task that God has given me. Looking forward to the future, I will continue to use the golden verse of "Don't be afraid but believe" (Mark 5:36) as my motto in life, and strive to do a good job in the work God has given me and to be a good Catholic! 

My dear brothers and sisters, the heart of God can be moved because God is a person, not a force. This Christian truth shines through in today's Gospel. Jesus had a particular mission to accomplish during his earthly lifetime.

He was to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and lay the foundation of the Catholic Church. The parameters of this mission did not include Canaanites (ancestral enemies of the Israelites). And yet, Jesus makes an exception to these parameters after his encounter with the Canaanite woman.

She touched his heart because she had what Christ's heart most yearns for: love, faith, and humility. Her love comes across in her self-forgetfulness. She was so concerned for her daughter that she was even willing to make a humiliating spectacle out of herself, tagging along behind a Jewish rabbi in public, screaming to get his attention.

Her faith comes across in how she addresses Jesus. She calls him "Lord" and "Son of David." This shows that although she was a Canaanite, she knew about the Jewish religion and accepted God's promise to send a Messiah. And when he finally stops to listen to her, she falls on her knees and does him homage; she knows she is in God's presence.

She believed in Jesus, so much so, in fact, that Jesus himself compliments her on her faith! Her humility comes across in the way she makes her request. She didn't come to him burning with anger at God for allowing her innocent daughter to be tormented by demons.

She understood that miracles were undeserved gifts from God, just like existence itself. This humble attitude strengthened her, enabling her to absorb the Lord's initial rejection, and then come right back with another petition.

Love, faith, and humility: these are the ingredients for prayer that move the heart of God - a heart that can be moved, because God is a person, not a force.

St Therese Saves a Sinner

Is our own prayer characterized by that kind of love, faith, and humility? When St Therese of Lisieux was just 14 years old, before she had entered the convent, she and her sisters heard about a notorious criminal, a murderer, who was going to be executed.

His case was all over the newspapers at the time because he had led a lifetime of horrendous crime and was vocally defiant and unrepentant. As his execution date approached, Therese and her sister Celine began to pray insistently for his repentance.

They prayed rosaries and novenas and offered Masses. But up until the last day, he refused to see a priest. They kept praying. And not only did they pray for his repentance, but they boldly asked God to give them some kind of a sign that he had repented.

Finally, the execution day arrived. Even as they marched him out of his prison cell to the guillotine, he declined to speak to the priest. They strapped him to the plank and prepared the blade. Suddenly, with his neck already inside the guillotine, a wild look came into his eyes, and he blurted out, "A cross, a cross!"

The priest reached over and held his crucifix up to the criminal's face. The condemned man kissed the crucifix three times, to the utter shock of the spellbound crowd, and then calmly laid down his head. Therese's prayers had been answered.

Prayers offered with real faith are always answered, and we need to remember that whenever we pray - here at Mass included. God doesn't always answer them as we like, but he hears and responds to all of them with his infinite wisdom and limitless love.

The slightest movement of our hearts towards him inspires leaps and bounds in his heart towards us.

Pleasing Christ and Letting Our Hearts Be Moved

Jesus changed his specific plans because his encounter with the Canaanite woman fit into his overall plan - to overcome the power of the devil and win all hearts back to God. This should give us unbridled confidence as we, like the Canaanite woman, bring our needs to the feet of Christ.

Today he will become truly present under the appearance of bread and wine during this holy Mass. And when I [the priest] elevate the host after the words of consecration, all of us will be here on our knees giving homage to our Lord, just like the Canaanite woman.

When that moment comes, let's open our hearts to Christ, showing him as much love, faith, and humility as we can muster. Perhaps we can do that by praying - at that moment of the Mass - passionately for a loved one who is ill or separated from God, as the Canaanite woman did.

Perhaps our prayer will be more personal - asking God to strengthen us for our own struggles during this coming week. However we do it, let's give Christ the pleasure of knowing that we truly believe in him and trust that he can make the crucial difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

And then, when we return to the hustle and bustle of life during the rest of the week, let's make sure that we stay flexible enough to allow the needs of our neighbours to change our personal plans, whenever Christ's overall plan may require it.

Jesus never turns a deaf ear to the cries of our hearts. And so, we should never turn a deaf ear to the often-hidden cries of our neighbours. 

My dear brothers and sisters, at the beginning of today's Gospel, St Matthew tells us that Jesus went up into the hills by himself to pray. He had just finished a very long day teaching the crowds, healing the sick, and performing the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves.

Let imagine, at the beginning of that day he had received the news about John the Baptist's death. At the time, he had wanted to go off alone to reflect, pray, and mourn the loss of that great prophet, who was also Christ's cousin. But the crowds wouldn't let him.

Now we see that although he delayed his time of prayer out of compassion for the crowds, he didn't skip it altogether, even though he must have been exhausted. Now as the sun sets, he climbs up the mountain to pray. And he doesn't appear again until about 3 o'clock in the morning - six hours later. We know from other Gospel passages that Jesus frequently went off alone to pray.

Isn't that kind of strange? Jesus was God, true God from true God, as we profess in the Creed. So why would he have to dedicate large chunks of time to pray? Because he was also true man, the Word made flesh, born of the Virgin Mary.

Jesus had two natures, divine and human. And because he was human, he needed pray. Human nature is not meant to go it alone. As the Catechism tells us, "Man was created to live in communion with God, in whom he finds happiness." And no one can have communion with God without a life of prayer.

Today Jesus is teaching us to keep first things first; if he who is the Son of God needed time alone in prayer, only an arrogant fool would claim not to need some.

Peter's experience during the storm, which we just heard about in today's Gospel passage, is a beautiful parable about the role of prayer in our life.

He and the other Apostles were in the boat, crossing the Sea of Galilee. As the Apostles are crossing the lake, the weather goes bad, it halts their progress. The night progresses, the wind storm gets worse; they just can't seem to make any headway.

The Apostles suddenly see a human figure approaching, walking across the surface of the water, illuminated by the light of the moon reflected by the flitting clouds. They are scared out of their wits - they think it's a ghost.

But Peter takes control of the situation: he asks the mysterious figure to enable him to walk across the violent waves - only Christ could do something like that.

So, Jesus tells him to come, and Peter steps out of the boat; the other Apostles are in shock. But Peter takes one step, then another, and soon he too is walking across the surface of the stormy sea.

At first, he is overjoyed as he looks into the smiling face of his Lord and walks towards him. But then he feels the strong wind; he hears it howling; and the waves around him seem to get bigger.

They seem to threaten him, and he takes his eyes off Christ to look at them. And as soon as he does that - he starts to sink.

Prayer is keeping the eyes of our heart focused on Christ, so that his grace can bring us safely through life's storms. As long as our prayer life is strong, waves of temptation, discouragement, and sin can surge and billow all around us, but Christ will keep us safe.

Most of us don't live in monasteries, so what can we do to make sure our prayer life keeps growing, to make sure that we pray better at age 40 or 50 than we did at age 10?

Jesus himself has given us a secret weapon for growth in prayer: the Eucharist. Prayer is spending time with God, speaking to him about what matters to us and what matters to him. And the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity.

In the hustle and bustle of our busy, twenty-first century lives, we need a time and place where we can be sure to find Christ, 24/7 - something that's objective, not dependent on our moods or feelings.

That's the Eucharist: the rock-solid foundation for a healthy life of prayer. When we receive Holy Communion, when we gaze upon the Host at Mass, when we come and kneel before the Tabernacle containing the Sacred species, or when we pray in adoration before the Eucharist solemnly exposed, we are doing what Peter did as he stepped out of that fishing boat: fixing our gaze on Christ the Lord, cultivating our personal relationship with him - praying to the one whose love and grace gives meaning, direction, and strength to our lives.

This miracle of Jesus walking on the water takes place right after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. The two miracles have to do with bread and with Christ's body - just like the Eucharist.

Today, as Christ recommits himself to us in this Mass, let's recommit ourselves to a healthy life of prayer. Let's promise him that we will never let a day go by without coming to visit him, to speak with him heart-to-heart in the Eucharist, even if only for a minute, so that he can keep deepening our soul's communion with God, in whom alone we will find happiness. 

On November 01, 1950, Pope Pius XII issued the Apostolic Constitution "Munificentisimus Deus" which officially declared the dogma of the Assumption of Mary: "We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by God that the Immaculate Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven."

In using the phrase, "when the course of her earthly life was finished", the dogma leaves open the question of whether or not the Blessed Virgin died before her assumption. Many Catholics over the centuries believed she did not die, but just fell asleep. That is why they use the term "Dormition of the Theotokos". Still many others believe she died but was miraculously resurrected before being taken up to heaven. Both views may be considered valid and legitimate, but whether Mary had a physical death has not been dogmatically defined.

Death, in the strict sense as a consequence of punishment of sin, cannot be applied to the Blessed Mother. Being the Immaculate Conception, she is free from any stain of sin, original and personal. However, since her body is also of mortal nature, and in conformity with her Jesus, her Son, it is also subject to the general law of death. Pope St. John Paul II said that since she was united with her Son in His suffering on the cross, the logical conclusion is that she also followed Him through her own death as well, "so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son."

God, however, cannot allow her body to undergo corruption. The first reason is because she is free from all sins. And so her body is not subject to the consequences of sin, which includes physical death and corruption. The second reason is, her body is absolutely holy and perfectly pure, having been prepared by God from all eternity to bear and nurse the Divine Redeemer. God cannot allow such a perfect and most holy body, the "New Ark of the Covenant" that carried His Eternal Son, to suffer corruption.

Hence, her body, whole and intact, is taken up into heaven together with her soul. That is why, there is not a single a relic that is said to be of Mary's actual body. The dogma of the Assumption of Mary, together with that of the Immaculate Conception, naturally and logically arises from her role as Theotokos, the Mother of God.

We may ask: what does the Assumption of the Blessed Mother mean for us? The Preface of today's Mass answers this question: "Today the Virgin Mother is taken up into heaven to be the beginning and the pattern of the Church, and a sign of hope and comfort for your people on their pilgrim way."

Mary is the beginning of the Church, for from her came forth the Savior of mankind, Jesus her Son. And being the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus, she is also the pattern of the Church. As her children, we are expected to model ourselves after the example of her holiness and complete obedience to the will of God.

Secondly, she is the 'sign of hope and comfort' for all of us on our pilgrim way to our heavenly home. Mary's Assumption should be seen, not as abandonment, but an assurance of her unceasing motherly care for all of her children. Being now with God in heaven, she has complete powers to come to our assistance at all times. As Pope Benedict XVI said: "precisely because Mary is with God and in God, she is very close to each one of us. While she lived on this earth she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is actually 'within' all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God." The Catechism confirms this: "In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death."

Finally, the Assumption of Mary is a preview of our future glory. The Catechism states: "The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians." Mary has shown us that heaven is our final destination. In God's time, we will all share in the glory and victory of God's children in heaven.

Let us, therefore, strive to be close to Mary while we are still in this world. Pope St. John Paul II assures us: Our Lady "knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness. She always listens to us and, being Mother of the Son, participates in the power of the Son and in His goodness. We can always entrust the whole of our lives to this Mother." 

So what does St. Francis Xavier have in common with St. Dominic?

As we saw in the video from Fr. Isaiah, at the heart of each of these great saints was a true missionary spirit, such a love for God and His people that both desired to give themselves entirely to God and leave everything behind to follow Christ into foreign lands for the salvation of souls. And while St. Dominic didn't quite get the mileage in as St. Francis Xavier did, St. Dominic's missionary zeal was such an inspiration to St. Francis Xavier, a zeal that hearkens back to the sending out of the 72 by Christ Himself, that St. Francis Xavier chose to honor the founder of the Order of Preachers by offering his first Mass of Thanksgiving as a priest at the tomb of St. Dominic in Bologna.

As our mission grows, we are exceedingly grateful for the incredible spiritual support and ministerial collaboration of the friars, sisters, and nuns of the Order of Preachers as we labor together for the salvation of souls. Thank you and God bless you on this special feast day!

…Did you know??

A number of Dominican friars not only provide spiritual support to our mission, but they believe so strongly in it, they financially give from their poverty as well. They are among a number of priests, sisters, and other religious — Dominicans, Jesuits, Franciscans, Missionaries of Charity, and more who have taken a vow of poverty and yet still give what they can to help financially support our mission to evangelize the Gospel in Asia and beyond.

If you would like to honor their commitment and offer your own generous gift to support proclaiming Jesus Christ to the nations, we ask you to first pray, then click the button below. Thank you for doing your part to share the beautiful gift of our Christian faith with others!

Do you want to know more? If you want to support their mission, please contact Fr. Isaiah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact Sally at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. St. Francis Xavier Lay Missionary Society at P.O. Box 20211 Stanford, CA 94309-0211 USA 

A Glimpse of Glory

My dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate Our Lord's transfiguration, the moment where he gave his closest disciples a glimpse of his divinity and glory to help them for the ordeals of his Passion that were about to come.

Today's First Reading recalls the prophet Daniel's vision of one "like a Son of man" receiving a lasting dominion and glory from the "Ancient One," long before the Incarnation. This prophecy concerned the Messiah appearing before God the Father in glory.

Note the nuances of the language. He is "like" a Son of man. In prophetic language "Son of man" refers to human beings, yet this Messiah is "like" a human being. Christ is truly God and truly man: he is "like a Son of man."

The night his Passion begins, standing before the Sanhedrin, he quotes the passage of Scripture to identify himself as the Messiah, and the Sanhedrin condemns him for blasphemy, even though he has spoken the truth: "the high priest said to him, 'I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.' Jesus said to him in reply, 'You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.' Then the high priest tore his robes and said, 'He has blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard the blasphemy; what is your opinion?' They said in reply, 'He deserves to die!'" (Matthew 26:63–66)."

In today's Second Reading Peter recalls the experience he had on the mountaintop to remind the believers that the wonders of the Lord's earthly life we not just myths, but events.

The first listeners of Peter were familiar with the pagan gods that surrounded them and the myths that tried to fuel their existence in the minds of the pagan believers. Our Lord was not a myth: he was born in Bethlehem, lived in Galilee, preached the Kingdom through Palestine, and died on Calvary.

He was also Transfigured on a mountaintop and raised from the dead. There were eyewitnesses to both the Lord Transfigured and the Lord Risen. All believers are not just repeating myths, but handing on testimony, as the Apostles did.

In today's Gospel, the Lord reveals his divinity and glory to his closest disciples: Peter, James, and John. It's an event recalled in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In Matthew's account, the Lord's clothing becomes as white as light. John in the prologue to his Gospel described the Lord as the true light that enlightens every man. Christ is not only illuminated but illuminating.

The Lord is flanked by Moses and by Elijah to show that he is the culmination of the Law (represented by Moses) and the prophets (represented by Elijah). They converse with Jesus and show their deference to him. It's interesting that Peter says something to Jesus in "reply": Jesus doesn't seem to have said anything, but the scene speaks to Peter, and he struggles to formulate an adequate response in the face of so much glory. Maybe a shrine?

This gradually paints the portrait that Our Lord is not only worthy of glory but divine. He clothes don't just radiate light, but his face as well. The Messiah is not just an incredible man; he is God. If there was not already enough evidence of his divinity the voice of the Father booms from Heaven and declares Jesus to be his beloved and pleasing Son, worthy of their attention.

That's too much for the apostles, who fall prostrate in fear. Almost as soon as it happens it is over: Jesus gets them up, tells them not to be afraid, but also makes sure they will recount the vision to the others after he is risen from the dead. Even the Transfiguration is an event meant for everyone, not just a trusted few.

If the Transfiguration really happened, and it did, that may call for a Transfiguration of Our Lord in your own life. Is Our Lord just an amazing historical figure in your life, or is he God the Son, the Lord of life and history?

The human side of Jesus is perfect but insufficient. He gave us a sneak preview of his divinity and glory for a reason. Explore that reason this week and embrace him not only as a historical figure, but as a wise teacher, good friend, and Lord. 

All of us have special places in our life. Special places are memorable. But, what makes a place more than that? What makes a place sacred and holy? That is to say, what makes it set apart? What makes it somehow blessed? The sacred place is where we meet something beyond ourselves.

A church is holy because it is first of all dedicated to God. It becomes a place of meeting with God. In the church, holy things happen there. In the church, prayers have been offered. Weddings and meals have been offered. Even bitterness and anger have been offered. All those offerings make the actual, physical place holy. The actual physical place has provided the space for our human struggle to meet divine grace.

The first Christians did not build churches because for about the first three hundred years of Christianity Christians faced on and off persecutions. The Catechism says, "When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians construct buildings for divine worship" (CCC 1180). Building an identifiable building dedicated to the worship of the Christian God would have marked the places where they could be found to be arrested, tortured, and killed. Once Christianity was accepted and legalized in the Roman Empire, the construction of church buildings and the "conversion" of Roman civil basilicas into Christian places of worship followed shortly thereafter.

What exactly is a church building? The church building is more than just the place where Christians gather. The Catechism explains, "Visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ" (CCC 1180). The word "church" is used to describe both the Mystical Body of Christ and the building in which Christians worship and pray because a church is meant to be an icon, image, and representation of the Church and of all that the Church is called to be.

So what is a church? Canon law defines a church simply as "a sacred building designated for divine worship" (CIC 1214). The Catechism expands on this describing a church as "a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful" (CCC 1181). It also instructs that "this house ought to be in good taste and a worthy place of prayer and sacred ceremonial" (1181), and that a church "must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist" (1185).

A church building is not a multi-purpose space or another busy and noisy place among many. It is a building that has been built and set apart expressly for sacred things: for the celebration of the sacred mysteries, for the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacred Liturgy, for the worship and adoration of the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and quiet prayer in His Presence. In the busyness and craziness of our lives what a gift it is to have such a place.