Ad Jesum per Mariam

Hearkening to God’s Music: A Christian’s Dance Dancing is an art that beautifully combines movement and music. At its core, dancing involves two essential elements: the steps we take and the music that inspires them. To dance well, one must first pay close attention to the rhythm, beat, and melody of the music. The steps should flow in harmony with the music, creating a seamless connection between...

The Immaculate Conception: Rooted in Faith, Fulfilled in Grace Today, we celebrate the profound mystery of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Lady. Although formally proclaimed as doctrine less than 200 years ago, its roots run deep in the ancient traditions of Christian faith and practice. This belief flows naturally from what we profess about Jesus Christ, for everything we affirm about th...

St. Nicholas: A Legacy of Faith and Generosity St. Nicholas, the revered Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, . . . . . . played a significant role in the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. This pivotal council resolved the Christological question of the divine nature of Jesus Christ and His relationship to God the Father. It affirmed that Jesus is both fully God and fully human—distinct yet inseparable....

Called to Compassion: Sharing Christ’s Message Through Deeds In the last several days’ readings, we hear about the prophecies . . . . . . which foretell that the blind will see, the mute will speak, the crippled will walk, and the deaf will hear. These miracles have been the focus of this week’s readings, and in the Gospel, we see Jesus fulfilling these promises. He restores sight to the blind, en...

St. Andrew the Apostle: First Called and the Lessons He Gives to the Church The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the Advent Season, . . . . . . a sacred time of preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. While it’s common to think that Advent begins by simply counting back four Sundays from December 25th, the Church follows a different tradition. Advent’s start is ac...

By Perseverance, We Secure Our Lives: A Christian Journey By your perseverance, you will secure your life. What is the ultimate goal of Christian life? Is it happiness? Perhaps happiness is a consequence, but it is not the goal! Is it eternal life? Again, while it may be a result, it is not the primary goal! Is it to love others? Yes, that may be a beautiful outcome, but it is still not the goal!...

Preparing for Jesus’ Arrival: Reflecting on the Advent Season We extend our heartfelt wishes . . . . . . for a blessed and joyful new liturgical year to everyone. This new beginning calls us to renew ourselves in how we live and grow closer to God. As we step into this liturgical year, we begin with the season of Advent—a time rich with meaning. Advent’s Meaning The word Advent originates from the...

Jesus’ Call to Vigilance: What Does “Stay Awake” Really Mean? Today’s Gospel recounts the parable of ten virgins . . . . . . waiting for the bridegroom’s return, each with lamps in hand. Five brought extra oil, preparing for the unknown length of the wait, while the other five did not. All ten eventually fell asleep. One striking irony in this story is how it ends: Jesus tells His disciples to “st...

The Presentation of Our Lady Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple, . . . . . . a celebration with a unique and somewhat debated history in the Roman Church calendar. Following the Second Vatican Council’s revisions, questions arose about whether to retain this feast. While it had modest significance in the Western tradition, it holds profound importance in the...

The God of the Living: Lessons from Jesus and the Sadducees: Preparing Now for Eternal Life We’ve all heard the phrase, . . . . . . “Life is too short; you better enjoy it.” We often use it as a reminder to embrace the fleeting moments of life—whether by traveling, tasting new foods, or seeking out experiences because, as the saying goes, “you won’t live forever.” But as Christians, as children of...

Discovering the Transformative Love of God In all circumstances, give thanks to the Lord. This timeless truth is exemplified in the story of a little boy who once asked a priest, “Am I going to meet God one day?” The priest confidently replied, “For sure, God will meet you one day.” A few years later, the boy was diagnosed with cancer, and doctors informed him he had only six months to live. Faced...

What Jesus’ Parable Teaches About Faithful Devotion In Luke 17, Jesus teaches His disciples about forgiveness. When Peter asks how many times, they should forgive those who offend them, Jesus provides an answer that challenges their understanding. In response, the disciples say, “Lord, increase our faith,” recognizing that forgiveness is a deeply difficult act. Jesus then offers them a powerful il...

Faith and the Second Coming of Christ Luke’s gospel, often referred to as the apocalyptic section, . . . . . . speaks about the future and the anticipated return of Jesus Christ. This second coming is eagerly awaited by those with faith, as faith is the first and essential requirement for this expectation. Such faith is nurtured through persistent prayer. At the end of today’s passage, a profound...

Jesus Tells Us: The One Who Loses His Life Will Save It! What Does He Really Mean? The Gospel that we have today is a continuation of what we read yesterday. Yesterday, the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him, When is the kingdom of God going to come? That was the question. And Jesus said, The kingdom of God cannot be observed. You won’t see someone who is going to announce that here it is or th...

What Happens When Jesus Comes and Completes The Work of Salvation? Today’s scripture reminds us of a fundamental truth: the heart’s ultimate disposition should be to rely on God above all else—before trusting in anyone or anything. Jesus, turning to His disciples, begins by acknowledging the reality of tribulation and turmoil. It’s as if He’s saying, “Don’t be surprised — things may get worse befo...

Eucharistic Revival Conference #5: Liturgy of the Eucharist This marks the final conference of the Eucharistic Revival series. In the previous session, we explored the Liturgy of the Word. Today, we transition to the Table of the Eucharist, and by the end of this conference, we’ll discuss the possible path forward. What potentially comes next? The answer lies in what the Church refers to as the Li...

Jesus Advises Us on Preparing for Our True Citizenship in Heaven In the first reading, St. Paul delivers a powerful statement. He says, “Our citizenship is in heaven”. This profound assertion suggests that while we live in this world, our ultimate life belongs to heaven. Our existence here is a preparation for that true and eternal citizenship. This perspective does not mean we should withdraw fro...

Jesus Tells Us What God Truly Desires In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of people placing their offerings into the treasury. Jesus takes His disciples, sits down, and observes the people making their contributions. Many offer substantial amounts. However, one widow steps forward and places two small coins—everything she possesses. We have all heard this story before, but what deeper message is...

St. Paul Tells Us to Put on the Armor of God: Why and When Should We Do That? Just as St. Paul spoke directly to the early Christians; he addresses the profound inner and outer battles in living the Christian faith. It’s not merely a struggle to live a good life, though that is part of it; rather, it’s a struggle against forces and influences beyond ourselves. St. Paul clearly warns that evil is n...

Entering Through the Narrow Gate: Jesus Shows Us The Path to Salvation! Today’s gospel recounts a moment when someone approaches Jesus with an important question: “Will only a few be saved?” Jesus responds, urging, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate. Many will try, but only a few will be strong enough to succeed.” This gate, Jesus explains, is not only narrow but will also close at some poin...

The Four Last Things – Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell The conference opens with the recitation of the Hail Mary. The closing words of this familiar prayer, “now and at the hour of our death,” provide a meaningful starting point for reflecting on The Four Last Things. In these simple words, we speak a profound truth: by praying for the hour of our death, we acknowledge a reality that extends bey...

Embracing Inclusive Love: Jesus’ Call to Selfless Giving Every good deed receives an award. But the question is, where does this reward come from? Blessed are we if we expect the reward to come from God! In the beginning of the Homily, we hear a story of a specific practice in a distant land. The practice is called “Secret” and is a very good illustration about rewards. Listen to more in the first...

Jesus tells us to Love your Lord God with all Your Heart, Soul and Mind . . . and Love Your Neighbor. What Does That Really Mean for Us? As you may know, many of the Shrine’s Masses are outdoors. After a bit of humor, the priest tells a story when he was based in Rome, he would hear a priest at a parish near his lodging always sing a Latin verse. It translates into English: I Believe In One God! W...

Eucharistic Revival Conference #4: Hearing the Word: Why the Gospel Matters in the Liturgy In our last three conferences, we began by exploring the principles of the liturgy. In our first week, we explored the church’s teachings on these principles, focusing on the idea of liturgical participation. This participation, we emphasized, must be active and conscious. We also discussed the “rule of pray...

What is God Telling Me During My Hardships? This week in the Gospel, Jesus tells us to prepare and to remain awake. We do not know the hour when the Son of Man will come. Today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to interpret the signs of the times. The Homily explains further. In the Homily we also hear of the destructive power of nature that impacted Africa. During this cyclone event many houses were destro...