Dear Family!

Peter’s whole life is a symbol of the church in itself. Peter was to encounter Jesus with the persuasion of his brother Andrew. He was to make known the revelation which has been given from above, that Jesus was the Christ. He was to get himself in a difficult and opposing position with Jesus on account of being very earthly in heart and mind. He was given the commission to lead the group of the apostles and gets his name and meaning of life changed by Jesus. Peter was set to betray Jesus and was to weep and repent later on to be encouraged by Jesus to tend His sheep.

Dear Family!

Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother, which, this year, is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Karl Rahner, a famous theologian calls the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary a Day of Hope. What hope? It is the hope that someday eternal life may be ours. Mary not only assures us of eternal life through her intercessory power, but Mary stands with us now to strengthen us in the virtue of hope especially when we feel the worst.

Dear Family!

Reflection:
There will always be uncertainties in life as you probably felt it at times in your lives. The personalities we meet in the readings are all and nothing but personalities who faced uncertainties all their lives. Elijah’s uncertainty is all about his prophetic role. In the Gospel, the Apostles unwillingly agree to get into the boat as they were enjoying the privilege of Jesus’s friendship - they got special recognition from the people. For Jesus, a ‘special recognition’ is given to you when you are found worthy at the time of challenge, trial, and tribulation.

Dear Family!

Every pope has a Papal Motto that highlights the pope’s focus or his pastoral concern over the church. Pope Leo XIV’s papal motto is In Illo Uno Unum which could be translated as ‘In the One, we are one’. This phrase comes from a writing by Saint Augustine about Psalm 127. Pope Francis’ motto on his coat of arms, “miserando atque eligendo” is taken from a homily by Saint Bede, which could be translated as “having mercy, Jesus called him.”

Dear Family!

Saint Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologica wrote, “There are many sciences dealing with different areas of reality, but only one wisdom. Structurally wisdom is itself a science, drawing conclusions from premises; but what is peculiar to wisdom is its power to judge about everything including its own premises. So, it is a more perfect virtue than science.” In our Abrahamic Family of religions, ‘Shalom’ (Solomon) or ‘Peace’ is always associated with Wisdom. We are blessed to be showered with God’s wisdom that longs for true peace.

Dear Family!

The ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Testaments have different views on the ‘Reign of God’. At the time of Jesus, the Old Testament concept of a ‘reign of God’ that was imminent, terrestrial, political and centered on ‘Israel’ and in ‘Jerusalem’, but the New Testament as a whole brings about the radical change, where the idea of a heavenly, eternal kingdom makes its appearance. (‘The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible’ - a PBC document)’.

Dear Family!

Reflection: The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the scriptures affirm the profound destiny of the material world and man. “The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, “so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just,” sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ.” (CCC 1047)

Dear Family!

Reflection: The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents to us Christ’s whole life as a mystery (CCC 414-521). In CCC 517 we read, “Christ’s whole life is a mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above all through the blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work throughout Christ's entire life: