Trees and other plants keep soil from eroding during heavy rains, floods, and windstorms. Plants provide shade – natural cooling that helps keep the ground retain cool life-giving water during hot days. What would happen if the trees on the hills were cut down? The mountains would be in ruin as the land erodes whenever there's a winter storm or becomes barren during the hot summer months.
Preparation is essential in life. Since the future is uncertain, we must always be prepared for unexpected events that may occur in the days ahead. We can never be sure what happened yesterday will be the same today or tomorrow. Perhaps you have known or at least heard about, someone who left to go to work but never returned home. Even though they repeated the same routine, we wish they could have known what would happen in advance. Yet, life itself is mysterious.
Those who had the privilege to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem know that millions of Christian pilgrims flock to this most sacred site each year. When I was there a few years ago, each pilgrim had only ten seconds to pass through the tomb where Jesus was buried and resurrected. While waiting for nearly one hour and a half, many thoughts popped into my mind: Do I have time to pray, take a picture, or the like? In other words, how much can I manage my ten seconds?
In the past few days, news networks worldwide showed the Halloween festivities tragedy in Seoul, South Korea, where more than 150 people were killed. A day later, a suspension bridge in India collapsed, killing at least 141 people. Tragedies like these always leave us with many questions: Why is life so fragile? Why were the victims not warned of the potential dangers? Could these disasters have been prevented? While we can't comprehend the mysterious reasons why such tragedies happen, we pray for those who were injured, perished, and the loved ones they left behind.
Today's gospel tells a story of a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree only to see Jesus, who is about to pass that road. Zacchaeus is short in appearance; more than that, he lacks a moral, ethical, social, and religious reputation. Therefore, climbing a tree alone is a decent reason. While the crowd perceives Zacchaeus as a traitor, a lack of moral standards, an obstacle, and a disgraceful man, Jesus sees something unique in this chief tax collector, an initiative to seek change. Thus, Jesus visits Zacchaeus's house.
Have you ever written a resume? An overview summarizes your previous employment experiences, skills, expertise, and accomplishments. If your resume can convince a prospective employer that you are one of the best candidates for a position, you are more likely to be called for an interview.
The Catholic Church in the United States observes October as “Respect Life Month.” During this month, faithful Catholics are reminded to pray, protect, and support the most vulnerable – unborn human beings – from conception to their natural death. We also pray and help pregnant mothers who believe they carry a person with dignity and life.
Carl Jung once told a story of a man who asked a rabbi, "How come in the olden days God would show Himself to people, but today, nobody ever sees God?" The rabbi responded, "Because nowadays nobody can bow low enough." It takes tremendous humility and courage to pay attention to the reality of our Creator in the universe.
Church history tells us many great stories of men and women who refused to compromise the Church's teachings and the Bible's standards. One of which was the prophet Amos illustrated in today's first reading. Israel's poor were mistreated as wealthy leaders stole their money. Those leaders worshiped their material wealth and power instead of God. Therefore, God sent Amos as a voice for the poor.
Growing up in a small town, I remember the neighbors were good at telling stories about others. I recall a middle-aged woman; for some reason, my neighbors did not want to associate with her. They gossiped about her and her son and would ignore her whenever they saw her. After a while, she moved away, and no one saw her again. It must have been challenging to move, but perhaps it was the best solution for her and her son.
All are invited to the closing of the Jubilee doors of the Chapel of the Annunciation by Archbishop Gomez at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel on Saturday, September 10, 2022
When I reflect on my life, I recall being invited to secular or religious public events, and I made excuses not to attend. I came up with various reasons and excuses to shy away from the invitations. I convinced myself that I wasn't good enough or would make mistakes and be judged by others. I reflect on all the missed opportunities because my emotions governed those decisions!
Frequent travelers know that most major airlines have various seating selections: First-Class, Business, or Economy. A section that became popular with many travelers is known as Preferred. The Preferred seats do not provide extra leg room, but they are closer to the front, which is easier to access when boarding and disembarking the aircraft. Passengers who want seats with extra space, early boarding, easy access, comfortable seats, privacy, or first-class services will pay higher fares. When we get a good seat that we didn’t pay to reserve, we know there’s a good chance someone will ask us to move!
I had a classmate who could not function well unless he was under external pressure. For instance, he waited until a couple of nights before his term paper was due to start doing the research! In those years, most students had no personal computers; they had to use their departments' computer labs to type their papers. One time the power at the school went blackout shortly before he could finish his research paper. The procrastinating pupil had only one option – to ask his professor for an extension. The professor responded: "Your delay is not my emergency!"
In life, some decisions require us to make trade-offs, even to renounce personal interests, family, or friends to achieve our ambitions. A man told me about his dispute with the rest of his family for several years. He insisted that when his family learned that he was considering and in the process of converting to Catholicism, they tried to convince him to change his mind. However, they failed to persuade him; they were furious. They saw it as a betrayal of the family, ancestors, and beliefs. They disowned him and decided to cut him off.
Imagine you are alone in the middle of a vast ocean at night. In the distance, you see a flashing light. You could have two different attitudes about the light. You could avoid risk, stay away, and just go wherever the ocean's current takes you – going with the flow of life. Alternatively, you might see the attractive glimmer of hope the light signals and make an effort to get closer to it.