Monday of the 27th week, B. Gal. 1: 1-12; Ps. 110; Luke 10, 25-37. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

"Go and do likewise."

St. Paul reminds us this morning of the only Gospel worth to be proclaimed and lived. It is the Gospel of truth, mercy, and love. Indeed, the parable of Good Samaritan symbolizes the compassion of God for all. Jesus himself is the True Good Samaritan who came to save us, the wounded and abandoned sinners.  The true disciple of Christ is the one who shows mercy and compassion to everyone in need. Jesus says: "Go and do likewise." 

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Saturday of 26th week B. St. Faustine. Job 42:1-17; Ps.118; Luke 10:17-24.

The disciples returned filled with joy because of their successful mission. Out of divine mercy, Jesus had given them authority in order to extend his kingdom and to subdue Satan. Beyond the joy of working miracles, Jesus wants his followers to rejoice that their names are written in heaven. That should the happy ending of every disciple as symbolized in the Book of Job chapter 42. we too, if we repent and remain faithful to God and his Gospel , like Job, we shall receive the eternal reward.

St. Faustina, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Friday of the 26th week B. Job 38: 1.12-21; 40:3-5; Ps. 138; Luke 10: 13-16

"Repair my house"

St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian deacon who brought renewal to the Church through his decision to follow Jesus' words as literally as possible. Jesus told him: Go, Francis, and repair my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.”

Francis understood that the secret of true happiness is “to become saints, close to God.” Contrary to the people of Corazin and Bethsaïda in today's who reject Christ message, Francis is an example of faithfulness to God'word. He invites us today to open our ear to listen and to care for the poor and the creation. For Francis, the whole creation should live in harmony and in constant praise to God.

Let's all hear God's call to repair his house falling into ruin.

Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday of 26th week B. Job 19:21-27; Ps 26; Luke 10: 1-12.

Urgency of the Gospel

Jesus faithful to his Father is on his way to Jerusalem. He sees the urgency of having his message preached to the whole world. So he appoints the 72 themgives them instructions. Faithfulness, detachemnt, and total trust are key for this mission. No matter what, remain faithful to God and always feel the urgency of proclaiming Jesus to the world.

Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Wednesday of the 26th week B. Guardian angel. Job 9:1-16; Ps. 87; Luke 9:57-62.

We celebrate today our guardian angels. A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group, or nation. God is infinite love and perfect in all his actions. Job reminds us that God can never err. Let's praise God and give him thanks for all his deeds, especially for the gifts of our guardian angels who stand before him to plead our cause daily. Never fail to turn to your guardian angel!

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Tuesday of the 26th week B. Therese of Lisieux. Job 3: 1-20; Luke 9:51-56

Two important points to keep in today’s readings. First Job dares to talk to God frankly about his feelings about the suffering. That has befallen him. We must learn to talk to God frankly from our heart. Jean Pierre de Coussade reminds us that: “God instructs the heart not by ideas, but by pain and contradiction”  Secondly, Jesus in the face of the rejection of the Samaritans opposes  patience, tolerance and love. Are we not more often like John, inclined to revenge and fight back when faced with oppositions and rejections. Pray to be more patient in the midst of conflicts and adversity!

May St Theresa of Lisieux help us on our journey of the Faith

Fr. Georges sac

Monday of the 26th week B, St. Jérôme. Job 1:6-22; Ps. 16; Luke 9:46-50

Surrender unto God!

We read this morning from the first chapter of the book of Job written about the 5th c. AD. In spite of his righteousness, we can witness his loss and afflictions in all areas of his life: his farms, his children, his possessions, and his health, but his life. In the character of Job, the Bible depicts the situation of all innocent people who serve God faithfully yet still suffer atrocity, afflictions, unbearable pain, incurable disease, natural disasters, extreme poverty, etc.
In response to this mysterious question of his suffering, Job surrenders his life to God and gives praise.
Such an attitude of total trust can only be possible if we are having a childlike faith. Such is a humble, irrevocable faith in God required by Jesus if we want to be great!

Lord, I surrender myself to you in whatever situation that I find myself today!

Fr. Georges sac

Saturday of the 25th week, B. Ecclesiastes 11, 9 -12, 8 ; Ps. 89; Lk. 9:43b-45.

Acknowledge God while you are young!

Friends, Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) is correcting the attitude of the youth of all time. Most of the time, we use our youthness to do foolish things and our lives and even sometimes ignoring God and his power over us. Contrary to such an attitude, Quohelet invites us to rather acknowledge God’s omnipotence, his infinite love for us and grow in faith in order to stand firm when evil days will come. It is now time to allow the word of Christ to sink in our heart. Christ died for us so that we give our lives back to God. Are you still alive, whether healthy or sick! Pray, praise, worship, serve and do whatever that lies within your power to honor your Creator and Redeemer!

All heavenly powers, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Friday of the 25th week, B. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Ps. 143; Lk. 9:18-22.

Who do you say that I am ?

Jesus is inviting us to respond to the main question that every Gospel writer is trying to answer. Who is Jesus? By answering this question, we are answering the question of the identity of every believer.  Pope francis reminds us that: “the same identity card of a Christian should be the same in all respects as that of Jesus. And the Cross is what we have in common and what saves us.” For Pope Francis, “if each one of us is not willing to die with Jesus, to be raised with him, we do not yet have a true Christian identity”. Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God. His way of life must become ours.

All heavenly powers, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC 

Thursday of the 25th week, B. Ecclesiastes; Ps. 89; Lk. 9:7-9.

Vanity of vanity!

We begin this morning, reading from the Book of ecclesiastes. Quohelet, who wrote in the 3rd century before Christ, reminds us that everything in this world is temporary and meaningless if they don’t focus on God. “Nothing new under the sun and all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes1:9). Jesus Christ came to give meaning to our lives. Through the proclamation of the Good News, his life death and resurrection he gives everyone of us an opportunity to have eternal life. Yet, we often behave like Herode, who missed the opportunity to amend his life through the preaching of John the baptist. On the contrary, he beheaded him. For him just like for each of us, Jesus is the final opportunity, we must all seize in order to have abundant life.

All heavenly powers, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Reflection of the 25th Sunday, B. Prov. 30: 5-9; Luke 9:1-6

The author of the book of Proverbs reminds us of the reliability of God's promises. Because He is a true and faithful God, we must distance ourselves from lies and falsity.

The author also prays for sincerity and finally asks to be protected against poverty, so as not to fall into misery and indigence, but also against excessive wealth, because wealth can put a barrier and a means to take pride in it.

All heavenly powers, pray for us!!!

Tuesday of the 25th week, B.

Our true family

Jesus points out the true family. Anyone who does the will of His Father in heaven is His brother and sister and mother. Christ came to establish a new family based not on blood or tribe, or race or political affiliation but on faith and grace and above all in doing God's will. We are connected like family by the same faith, same hope, and charity.

Fr. Georges sac

Monday of the 25th week B. Proverbs 3:27-34; Ps. 14; Luke 8:16-18. St. Padre Pio.

Act rightly as a child of the light.

Jesus, in today's Gospel, insists on two important things: 1) Nothing is hidden that would not come to light. God knows and sees everything. So we must act justly by avoiding harming others and by helping those who are in need of our help (Prov. 3:27-34). 2) Jesus is also inviting us to be the light that shines before others. Our actions should bring God's glory and honor. We shall bring to others the hope and the joy of the Gospel. St. Padre Pio was indeed a great witness of hope and liberation for the Christians of our time. He was a lamp that enlightens us!

All heavenly, power, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Feast of St. Matthew. Eph. 4:1-13; Mt. 9:1-13

"Follow me."

We celebrate today, St. Matthew, the tax collector. In this calling, we celebrate the power of God's mercy while meeting with a collaborative soul. Matthew, as Levy, the tax collector, abandoned earthly wealth and dishonest practices to follow Jesus. By calling Matthew to follow him, Jesus summons every sinner to stay away from sin and earthly gain to receive a greater treasure. Matthew became one of the twelve apostles and wrote the first Gospel. He died a martyr’s death and inherited the treasure of heaven. Let's listen to Jesus: "Follow me."

All heavenly powers, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday of 24th week year B. 1 Cor. 15:12-20; Luke 8: 1-3

If Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain!

The resurrection is the Pilar of our Christian faith. If Christ is not risen from the dead, our preaching, our witnessing, and our redemption would have no meaning or no value. Without the resurrection, there would be no hope, no salvation, no coming of the Holy Spirit, no miracles, no healing, no reconciliation, no eternal life. This is the foundation of everything that we have believed about Christ and his Church. For Charles Colson, it is impossible that 12 men, in spite of tortures and persecutions even put to death, would have kept liying for 40 years. 

When your life losing direction, remember the resurrection is right the direction to follow!

All heavenly powers, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday of the 24th week, Year B. 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Ps. 117; Luke 7: 36-50

The tears of a sinner

In today's Gospel, two figures stand out: Simon, the zealous servant of the law, and the anonymous sinful woman. Simon represents those of us who spend most of our time judging others based on appearances. The sinfulful woman, through her actions, represents everyone who approaches the Lord with faith, sincerity of heart, and the recognition of him as our Lord and Savior.

Often, we behave like Simon. We love inviting Jesus in our lives, but we do not want to compromise anything about old ways of life: our pride and our self-sufficiency. Like the sinful woman who broughtout her tears, let's entrust ourselves completely to Jesus with love, faith and veneration. Inviting Jesus into our lives is our acceptance of repentance and salvation (1 Cor.15:1-15).

All heavenly powers, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Wednesday of 24th week in Year B. 1 Cor. 12: 31-13,13; Ps32, Luke 7:31-35.

Love is the solution!

What makes Christianity original from other religions is love. God is love and we must love one another. Anyone who does not love does know God (1 John 4:7-8). Paul reminds us that love is the key, the solution to all our problems. Our society is sick because there is no love. St. John of the Cross reminds us that: "At the twilight of life, we shall be judged on love". How much love do you have in your heart? Love always even when it is hard and never be afraid to love as Christ loved us. Such a love is of God's love. It disarms even the greatest enemy. The enemy can cause so much pain but love can never be defeated.

Lord increase my love!

Fr. Georges sac

Tuesday of the 24th week, year B. St. Robert Bellarmine. 1 Cor. 12: 12-14.27-31a; Ps. 99; Luke 7: 11-17.

St Luke, in this unique Gospel passage, highlights the identity of Jesus as the God of life and his virtue compassion towards the discouraged, the poor or the common people of the society. "Do not weep," he says to the widow, and he returns the young man to her. We, too, are invited not to weep but to trust in the Lord who can return our sad situations into a happy ending. As the Body of Christ, the Church, we are united with one another in our pains and joys, in our failures and in our successes. One bread, one body, one spirit in Christ!

Prayer: Lord, have compassion on us and help to be compassionate!

All powers of heaven, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday of the 23rd week Year B. 1 Cor. 8:1-13; Luke 6, 27-38; Ps. 139

Examination of conscience!

Psalm 139 invites us to a judicious examination of our conscience. David himself prays in these words: "Search me, my God, you will know my thoughts; test me, you will know my heart. See if I take the path of idols, and lead me on the path of eternity." This path to eternity consists, according to Paul, of avoiding hurting one's fellow human being and avoiding doing evil what is evil; It is an invitation to be merciful, compassionate and perfect like our Heavenly Father in heaven is perfect.

Mary Queen of Angels, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Wednesday in the 23rd week, Year B. 1 Cor. 7: 25-31; Ps. 44; Luke 6:20-26

Chastity!

Are you married, do not seek to divorce. Are you unmarried, do not seek to marry, says Paul.
St. Paul addresses the virtue of Chastity, which applies to all categories of christians. What is Chastity? It is restraining sexual activities outside marriage and within marriage, but with some limitations. It involves absolute and relative chastity, and both include temperance and the ability to control the desire for sexual pleasures. It is clearly in line with the beatitudes, for it focuses one's life on the values of God's kingdom. Let's develop the spirit of chastity through prayer, the sacrament and setting proper boundaries, guidance and traing the body in positive ways! Blessed are the pure in the spirit, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8).

Fr. Georges sac