These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. (Mk 4:21-25)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012926.cfm
It’s always good to be generous with others, using lots of mercy, lots of forgiveness, lots of compassion. Today is my friend, Father John Schneider’s 43 anniversary of ordination. And I was there 43 years ago, and I remember the care he showed for his mom who attended his ordination in wheelchair. Today's picture is from Father John's visit to Colombia in 2024. Ad multos annos! https://youtu.be/Hlu8XZn4f5Q?si=7D3NkRFsl6qMzmpb
Jesus added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." (Mk 4:1-20)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012826.cfm
The best theologians are third graders—they always ask the right question, “Why?” The why questions lead us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was a theologian and a poet. He teaches us to use our brains for God, or as Jesus says, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." We still sing the hymns he wrote. https://youtu.be/fhOWed1xY68?si=IIwdD4sRbYVRBKO1
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 24)
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012726.cfm
The Scriptures remind us that in a world of dictators, it is the Lord who is the King of Glory. Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which honors all the victims of the Holocaust of Nazi Germany. The day recalls the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Red Army in 1945. After World War II, the world said, "Never again!” As the old song says, the Nazis have never really vanished, they come out of the woodwork in every generation, and the struggle to protect our vulnerable brothers and sisters continues. https://youtu.be/j1VL-y9JHuI?si=izdLX7uWpMMhxFwH
I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. (2 Tim 1:1-8)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012626.cfm
As the faith of Timothy’s grandmother and mother is recalled, I remember the faith of my own grandmother and mother. They were my first and best teachers in the faith. Thanks to their teaching and example, I am celebrating 48 years as a priest. https://youtu.be/WLdPoQnylnA?si=zmN_XMKtNZJOe2Wk
Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. (Mt 4:12-23)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012526.cfm
Today we celebrate the Word of God. As Jesus calls the first disciples, the Lord calls us in the middle of our daily lives to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and to bring healing to others. We are not angels, we are not saints, but we are on the Way with Christ. I remember meeting Peruvian Father Gustavo Gutierrez who asked the challenging question: How do we preach the gospel of life to people who only know death? https://youtu.be/nXcKJdOD6yY?si=urRm2d1jpCSMiNIf
