When we recognize Jesus’ authority and His central role in the Great Commission, the task of making disciples becomes less daunting “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. “And Jesus came and said to them, …
Tag Archives: Jesus Christ
The promise of the Holy Spirit
“The Holy Spirit empowers us to love others as God the Son loves them“ The reading during the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is taken from the Gospel of John, where Jesus assures His disciples that if they love Him, they will obey His commandments. his statement highlights the inseparable connection between love for Jesus and …
Always love more
In front of contradictions, in the face of uncertainty and confusion, always love more “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. Love one another as I have loved you.” This is Jesus’s final message to his disciples. Love is the central …
The raising of Lazarus
“Those of us afflicted with a serious illness, as I am with stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized, are like Lazarus, our families like Martha and Mary.” The gospel reading of John 11:1-45 tells the story of Jesus’ miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. The passage begins by introducing Lazarus, a dear friend …
Faith as a decision and relationship
“In addition to cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, Christians are called to share that relationship with others” The importance of personal relationships with Jesus and discernment in the Christian life cannot be overstated. These are essential elements that ensure that we remain in alignment with God’s will for our lives and fulfill our mission …
How to be healed of our blindness
“We are all blind. But we can be healed through faith.” In tomorrow’s gospel, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Jesus meets a man who was born blind. His disciples asked if his blindness was a result of his or his parents’ sin, but Jesus said neither. He healed the man by putting clay on his …
Saved in hope
“Suffering is always charged with mystery, difficult to accept and to bear” Benedict XVI headed the Catholic Church and was sovereign of the Vatican City State from April 19, 2005 until his resignation on February 28, 2013. During his papacy, he left remarkable sermons and messages that elucidated human sickness and suffering and what it …
Transfigured in suffering
“Those of us who are sick and/or suffering, through faith, can be transfigured as the apostles were in the gospel tomorrow, the Second Sunday of Lent” Our Christian faith views suffering as an intrinsic part of the human experience due to the existence of sin and brokenness in the world. Nonetheless, it also holds a …
The Promise of the Transfiguration
“There will be light again.” The gospel this Second Sunday of Lent recalls a story familiar to all Christians – the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ in Mount Tabor. Mark writes sparingly about the event: “After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all …
Tony La Viña 