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.
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 40)
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102125.cfm
Mother Laura (1874-1949) is the first canonized saint from Colombia. She founded a religious community of women missionaries dedicated to the indigenous and the marginalized. She worked to overcome racial discrimination. Sisters from her community work in 19 countries. Her tomb and shrine are in Medellín, Colombia. https://youtu.be/cDdniihKBzI?si=o1au-apDD3UwB6hj
Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." (Lk 12:13-21)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102025.cfm
Money might make the world go around, as Liza Minelli and Joel Grey sing in the old musical, Cabaret, but it doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. The question will not be where we invested our money . . . but where have we spent our lives. “The only measure of your words and your deeds will be the love you leave behind when you’re done” (Rev. Fred Small, Everything Possible-Todo Lo Posible, 1983). https://youtu.be/2tJ7kvJvqAM?si=EEv1VDM0Cezbc7OX
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 3:14-4:2)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101925.cfm
I am grateful for my grandmother and my mom. They taught me the faith and told me the stories of Jesus. Thanks to them I have spent 47 years in ministry as a priest. Today’s picture is from the day of my ordination, May 6, 1978, with Bishop Michael Begley, Nanny & Mom. https://youtu.be/WLdPoQnylnA?si=WfUSu81iJRkOEwvh
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ (Lk 10:1-9)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101825.cfm
The four gospels are anonymous. From the 2nd century the name of Luke was attached to the Third Gospel and its companion volume, the Acts of the Apostles. What we celebrate today is not so much a person, but rather the gospel itself. The author of Luke-Acts sees both volumes as “gospel.” https://youtu.be/_RJwPtzyA1w?si=mu1cd8oGuxr-Adh5
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. (Lk 12:1-7)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101725.cfm
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (d. 108) was not afraid. He followed in the footsteps of Saint Peter as bishop of Antioch and as a martyr in Rome. He wrote seven letters to various Christian communities that have come down to us. He compared his coming death by wild beasts to being ground like pure wheat for the Eucharist. Saint Ignatius was the first to use the term “catholic” to refer to the church. https://youtu.be/kw3XTnDjCg0?si=EoHSqWlqGQC1pFBX
