Zechariah 9.9-10・Ps. 145.8+9, 10+11, 13ab+14・Romans 8.9.11-13・Matthew 11.25-30 Based on our readings the previous week, there are radical demands in following Jesus. To be called a Christian disciple someone cannot be serving God and be longing for material possessions and/or be obsessed with many things of this world at the same time. While we have considered family as the basic unit of the society, we learn from last Sunday`s Gospel about Jesus saying that “anyone who prefe

2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16A ・ Ps. 89.2+3, 18+19 ・ Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 ・ Matthew 10:37-42 Within the so-called ordinary time in our church calendar, I used to be so especially amazed described in awe, and in tremble perhaps, considering the theme of our bible readings we have today. It may be my self-centeredness picking-up pieces of a priestly life I`ve been enjoying for almost two decades now. I intend to share with you a brief story of my priestly life and vocation hoping that yo

Jeremiah 20.10-13 ・Ps. 69.14, 17+18, 34+35 ・ Romans 5.12-15 ・ Matthew 10.26-33 We can consider Sundays in ordinary time as a specific period in our Church calendar when we are invited to look further at ourselves and the disciples of Jesus. During the seasons of Lent and Easter we reflect on the last days of Jesus’ life, His passion, death and resurrection. During Advent and Christmas, we reflect on the coming of Jesus and His presence among us. While during those major seaso

Exodus 19.2-6a ・ Ps.100.1+2,3ab,5 ・ Romans 5.6-11・Matthew 9.36, 10.1-8 Serve the Lord joyfully, be sent, and proclaim the Good News to All. Our last three or four consecutive Sunday ( liturgy )liturgies must have brought to a Holy Spirit-driven proclamation of the mystery of our faith. The previous Feasts and Solemnities, their respective liturgy of the Word (readings) as well, have well conveyed and presented to us several events about Jesus after the Resurrection. Moreover,

Deuteronomy 8.2-3, 14b-16a・Ps　147.12+13,14+15, 18;19・ 1 Corinthians 10.16-17・ John 6:51-58 Let us actively participate in the Mass Reconcile with other parts of the Body, piously approach the altar,and receive Jesus in the form of bread Our readings today tackle about our Mass celebration, about the true Body of Christ in the form of bread that we receive during communion, and also about Christian community as Body of Christ. We remember with thanksgiving all what God has don

Exodus 34.4b-6, 8-9・Addendum to Daniel, Azariah 29,30+31+38・2 Corinthians 13:11-13・ John 3:16-18 Our vocation in the most ordinary days of our lives We are now on 2nd week (9th Week in the Ordinary Time in our Church calendar) after 7 weeks of Easter Season. While I wish to emphasize to maintain our enthusiasm in reflecting on the Word of God even after a somehow rigid and overlapping themes of Lenten season and Easter Season, weeks in the ordinary time in our liturgy indeed

Acts 2.1-11・Ps. 104.1b+24, 29;30,31;34・1 Corinthians 12.3b-7,12-13・John 20.19-23 Counting the days from Easter Sunday, today is the 50th day, and is called Pentecost Sunday. The role & power, and the gifts & fruits of the Holy Spirit (all these are necessary to understand deeper as preparation in receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation) empower each one of us to share the message of Jesus Christ to the world. So it will indeed help our recollection/reflection today if we reco

Acts 1.1-11・Ps 47.2+3, 6+7, 8+9・Ephesians 1.17-23・Matthew 28.16-20 　　　　　　　 On the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, we commemorate the day that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. Our feast today takes over the 7th Sunday of Easter, counting today (Sunday), as the following Sunday 40 days after Easter. Our First Reading today talks about the period right after the Resurrection, Jesus appearing to His disciples (1) teaching about the Reign

Acts 8.5-8, 14-17・ Ps. 66.1+2+4,5+9,16+17・ 1 Peter 3.15-14・ John 14.15-21 Today, we may be sharing about an overlapping themes for the Solemnity of the Ascension and that of the Pentecost Sunday celebration. The three-fold dimension of our faith, which will be further emphasized three (3) weeks after as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, is the closest conclusion we can have to these overlapping themes. The theme is about Jesus returning to the Father

Acts 6.1-7・ Ps. 6. 1-7・1 Peter 2.4-9・ John 14.1-12 Today we continue to reflect on how the Apostles and the first disciples of Jesus worked together in proclaiming the Word of God. The proclamation of the Word of God that was spread wide was brought about by their faith in the Risen Christ intensified by their enthusiasm and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Their belief in Jesus who is fully identified to the Father freed them from worry and doubt, a freedom that eventually l

Acts 2.14a, 36-41・Ps 23. 2+3, 4, 5, 6・１Peter 2. 20b-25・Jn 10.1-10 For long years in our church`s life, we have considered “serving the community” as each one's calling through baptism. By becoming members of Christian Community, we are being called to take specific roles for our respective communities. Some others are called to serve other communities too, going beyond race and culture. To be able to serve through leadership for example is indeed a gift, for not all

Acts 2. 14, 22-33・ Ps 16. 8, 10, 11・1 Peter 1. 17-21・Luke 24. 13-35 The Acts of the Apostles generally talks about Jesus' disciples proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus. Our first reading talks about the Resurrection of Jesus as a sign of God's love. The love of God frees Jesus from the eternal death condition. We rely on the story of His disciples who we consider as the first witnesses of Jesus ministry, passion, death and resurrection. Our generation responds by living

Acts 2.42-47・Ps 118. 1＋2, 16+17, 22+23・1 Peter 1. 3-9・Jn 20. 19-31 We Catholics worldwide celebrate the Feast of the Divine Mercy for more than 20 years now. With thankful heart, ours is always a celebration of the Divine forgiveness and Divine mercy. These divine forgiveness and divine mercy bind us to Him (Christ) and so we too become forgiving and merciful. First Reading : The first apostles of Christ continued to spread the teachings of Jesus. The believers and followers

Acts 10.34, 37-43・Ps 118.1-2, 16-17, 22-23・Col 3.1-4・Jn 20.1-9 Happy Easter to all. The abundance of God`s grace has brought us this far in depicting the image of the Cross as an entry into glory for those who believe in Him (Jesus, the Christ) like us. We all find real meaning of our faith through the entry of Jesus to glory (the Resurrection). Indeed our faith is deeply rooted in the Resurrection of Jesus. Just as His disciples, who were once silent and paralyzed because o

Matthew 21.1-11・ Isaiah 50.4-7・Psalm 22.8+9,17+18, 19+20, 2+24・Philippians 2.6-11・Matthew 27.11-54 We have prayed together during our previous Sunday Masses for those who will be baptized on Easter Vigil mass. We all tried to understand our previous readings in the context of our Baptism. For the catechumenate, it is more in the context of their prayerful anticipation of what will they receive. We learnt from the teachings of Jesus to really listen to His words, repent and li

Ezekiel 37.12-14・Ps.130.1+2, 5+6, 7a+8・Romans 8.8-11・John 11.3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 Today is Fifth Sunday of Lent. We have in our Mass today the last of the three special prayer intention for Adult Christian Initiation. As we come closer to our Holy Week liturgy, we continue to pray together for and with the candidates for Baptism, and together find encouragements amidst realities in human living. At this point of our Lenten reflection on the Passion & Death of Jesus, we ta

1 Samuel 16.1b,6-7,10-13a・Ps 23.2+3, 5, 6・Eph. 5.8-14・Jn 9.1-41 Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent. In today`s Mass, we offer the second of the three special prayer rites for Adult Christian Initiation. We continue to pray that they may find both the best time and conducive atmosphere to deepen their relationship with God as they start to embrace Christian living. Fourth Sunday of Lent is also called “Laetare Sunday” (Sunday of Rejoice – 喜びの主日). We rejoice because the abundan

Ex 17.3-7・Ps 95. 1+2, 5+6, 7+8・Rom 5.1-2, 5-8・John 4.5-12 Today is the Third Sunday of Lent. We come to Church today and these coming weeks before Easter with our prayer intentions for those who will be receiving the Sacrament of Baptism on Easter Vigil Mass. A short reading from the book of Exodus today talks about the instruction of the Lord to Moses as a response both (1) to the complaint of the people to him (to Moses) regarding insufficient water to drink for themselves,

Gen 1-4a・ Psalm 33.4+5, 12+13, 20+21・ 2 Timothy 1.8b-10・Matthew17.1-9 A very important moment in the relationship between Jesus and His disciples is the moment when His disciples are able to recognize that Jesus aside from simply being their Teacher, is the Christ, the Savior, and expected Messiah of Israel. Another important moment in their relationship is the moment (faith at stake) when Jesus started informing them that their Teacher (He Himself), the Messiah they have ful

The Bahay-San Martin Prayer Partner and Vocation Renewal Support Initiative (The Bahay-San Martin Association, a non-stock, non-profit association) I wish to introduce a group-initiative that was established way back 2017. We called it San Martin Prayer Association since its establishment. We renamed it to Bahay-San Martin Association two years later. I personally have chosen St. Martin de Porres of Lima Peru to be our group's Patron Saint. We are aiming at imbibing the char