The Authority of Jesus

01-28-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The description of a future messenger of God fits any prophets in the Old Testament. Yahweh grants the request of the office of the prophet as the mediator between God and the people. But God will also send a final prophet, the eschatological prophet of the end times. Some see Jesus as the fulfillment of the eschatological prophet. The early Christian community saw Christ as the final prophet.

God knows not all people can dedicate themselves totally to Him. Thus, He respects the different states of life, married life, and unmarried state. For consecrated persons, it is ideal to be single because they would worry less about temporal things. They can exclusively offer themselves to the Lord with all heart and soul. But a married person, on the other hand, will be preoccupied with many other temporal things, plus their responsibilities towards wife and children.

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Discipleship

01-21-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The 1st reading tells us how God shows infinite mercy even to a pagan nation, as long as they repent their deeds and believe His messenger (Jonah). The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah and repented and showed sincere acts of penance: The people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast, and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. (Jon. 3:5)

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2nd Sunday in the Ordinary Time: The Lamb of God Jn 1:3542

01-14-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

John the Evangelist uses the theme of the Lamb of God a lot in his Gospel and the book of Revelation. For John the Baptist, Jesus is the Lamb of God. The symbolism of the lamb as an innocent sacrifice originated in the Old Testament. In the Temple liturgy, they sacrifice an innocent lamb as a holocaust or burnt offering. The burnt offering stresses the victim's character of the offering. The lamb symbolizes an innocent, harmless, and endearing sacrifice depicting the Savior, the Lamb of God. The prophets use these unique characteristics of the lamb to refer to the Messiah, the Christ.

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Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

01-07-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The Solemnity of the Epiphany reveals the Divine plan of salvation of the world not limited to the Jews but opened to all humanity. God manifested or revealed Himself (Epiphany) as the Savior Jesus Christ to the Gentile world represented by the Magi or the Three Wise Men from the East. God revealed His plan, first to the Jewish people and veiled from the rest of the world. But in the fullness of time, God bared that the Gentiles are also part of the mystery of the redemption of the human race. Salvation is no longer exclusive to the Jews but for all.

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Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

12-31-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Things to Treasure in Our Heart

To be part of a family is one of the greatest blessings anyone should be THANKFUL. Every child is a blessing, a gift from God, and a gift from His creative nature. As soon as the baby is born, some parents already have high hopes and dreams for their children. Extended families, especially the grandparents would play and make wishes of how and who the child would be (future). Whatever our dreams for our children, may we not forget to create an atmosphere so they may grow to be strong, full of wisdom, the fear of the Lord instilled, and nourished by the word of God and the values of the Kingdom.

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Encounter with Jesus

12-24-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The first time I had a real encounter with Jesus came unexpectedly. I was in my last year of engineering studies when I met the Gen Youth group of the Focolare Movement. Their smile, the joy they radiate, and their genuine concern for one another impressed me enough to inspire me to change my life. For one, the way I see the world and how I want to live my life. The more I got to know their charism, the more excited I was to try it. The movement espouses the charism of UNITY the prayer of Jesus That all may be one(Jn. 17:21)and embracing Jesus forsaken: In my life, my brothers and sisters, and in every moment. I relearned the spirituality of how to love God, others, and myself.

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Third Sunday of Advent: Pointing Our Light to Jesus

12-17-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the eighties (80s), every time we entered a movie house, there was usually an usher/usherette with a flashlight who led us into the dark movie house and pointed us to our seats. Notice that the usher/usherette does not beam the light to his/her face but to the steps as we go up the balcony and eventually toward our seats. In the same way, John the Baptist gave us an example of how we are to testify by focusing the light on Jesus, who is the LIGHT.

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2nd Sunday of Advent: John the Baptist: Identity and Mission

12-10-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Every time we hear the name of John the Baptist, we associate him with his identity and mission: He is not the Messiah but the precursor, the herald, the one who is to come and prepare the way of the Lord. Today, we hear in the Gospel how busy, dedicated, and diligent he is in his mission to Prepare the way of the Lord and make straight His path.

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1st Sunday of Advent: Waiting Intently for the Lord

12-03-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Waiting is part of everyday life. We wait at the doctor’s office, dentist, supper market, and restaurants, and for the traffic light to turn green, in line at gasoline stations, communion lines at the church, etc. There is hardly any place to go where people do not have to wait. People wait for their favorite season or holiday to plan to travel and visit family, take some vacations, go on a pilgrimage, and others to make a move to another place, etc.

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The Solemnity of Christ the King

11-26-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

The Solemnity of Christ the King reminds us that Jesus, and He alone, is our Lord and King. People who lord it over other people and who love to act like the mighty boss should remember that at the end of this life, on judgment day, we will be judged not by our success, power, wealth, or influence but by how much we extended mercy and compassion toward one another.

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Talents and Blessings

11-19-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the Gospel today, Jesus reminds us that God gave talents to all of us. No one is without talent, but we need to discover, develop, and put to good use whatever talent we have received. In Scripture: Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. (Mt.5:15)Talents, like lighted lamps, are not to be hidden and put to waste but must be developed and shared. At the right time, we will be accountable for all our God-given talents.

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Are you Ready?

11-12-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Jesus tells His disciples the story about the ten (10) virgins. Five were wise, bringing extra oil, while the others were unprepared. It is better to have more than less in life and in love. Be prepared when the storm comes: whatever comes, and the surprises in life. The Benedictine motto Ora et labora can also mean: To do our best and let God take care of the rest.

In the parable, Jesus warns us to be alert and awake, watchful and vigilant, for we neither know the day nor the hour when the Lord is coming. It may sound a little bit morbid, but it’s prudent to be always ready, for the Lord can call us at any time. When that happens, we have to pass our papers, finished or not yet finished.

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Jesus is Love

11-05-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Jesus is a sign of LOVE. He is not concerned with His image, unlike the scribes and the Pharisees who have taken the seat of Moses. Jesus avoided titles and seats of honor. In many instances, He asked recipients of His healings and exorcisms to keep secret the miraculous deeds God granted them. Jesus was the sign of the LOVE of the FATHER to everyone. He worked in the ministry without any tag or brand, discriminating none by race, color, religious and political affiliation, status in life, and others. By His MERCY, LOVE, and COMPASSION, He became the sign of God, LOVE.

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