Parish Blog

Dear Parishioners,

Today, the Gospel presents for our consideration a “famous” assertion from Jesus Christ: “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” (Mt 22:21)

We would not be able to properly grasp the meaning of this sentence without bearing in mind the context in which Jesus said it: “The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.” (Mt 22:15) But Jesus understood their malice. Thus, Jesus’ reply is a calculated one.

Dear Parishioners,

When I was a layman, I recall that one of my Pastors decided to put a watermark on the parish’s official letters and documents. The watermark said, “Protecting the Word made flesh.” I didn’t realize then that God would call me to be a priest, but now that I am one, I realize that, yes indeed, a major part of my role as a priest is to “protect the Word made flesh.”

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus explains the history of salvation for the third time in a row to the priests and Pharisees: a story of God's infinite love for his people and their stubborn unfaithfulness. Christ uses a parable to write an autobiography of his death and resurrection.

The owner of the vineyard sent his own Son to the tenants with the hope that they would at least respect and receive him. Yet, the temptation was irresistible:

Dear Parishioners,

The parable of the two sons is very direct and to the point. “A father had two sons.” The difference between the two brothers can be paralleled to two prominent attitudes of ancient Israel: those who considered themselves as good people who didn’t need conversion, and those who knew that they were sinners and wanted to change.

Dear Parishioners,

As you may know, our Youth Ministry program is expanding this year and adding two new ministries to serve our families and young people. Starting September 13th, Fraternus and Fidelis are meeting weekly at the parish. These ministries are an opportunity for us to walk alongside our parents and support them in the important job of forming their children in the faith.

Dear Parishioners,

The Our Father includes two petitions that are fundamental for the life of a Christian: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus answered Peter’s question about the limits of forgiveness with a parable about two hearts: the heart of the king, representing God “rich in mercy” who forgives and forgets all our debts; and the heart of the unjust servant who chokes his debtor without an ounce of compassion.

Dear Parishioners,

In our Gospel for today, Jesus reminds us of something crucial and fundamental: we are all brothers and sisters. We do not show our love for our neighbor by kind, praising words alone, but also, when necessary, with words of encouragement or even correction.