The Good Word

The lectionary readings for the Memorial of St. Juan Diego Cauhtlatoatzin help to show us why he was chosen by our Lord to receive such a gift from Our Lady. St. Paul begins the First Letter to the Corinthians:  “Not many of you were wise by human standards,   not many were powerful,   not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,   and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong…”  Juan Diego was not expecting anything special to happen to him as he was walking from his home to the Franciscan mission station for religious instruction. As his route passed by the hill at Tepeyac in the Sierra de Guadalupe Mountain Range, he encountered the Virgin Mary, who revealed herself to him as the ever-virgin Mother of God. He was instructed to request from the bishop that a chapel be erected in her honor so that she might relieve the distress of those who call upon her in their need.  The bishop, as might be expected, did not initially go along with the plan. Bishop Juan Zumarraga asked Juan Diego to come back another day so the bishop would have time to reflect upon the request. Returning home, Juan encountered the Virgin again and announced the failure of his mission. Juan suggested the Blessed Mother ask someone of more importance to speak to the bishop, but she insisted that it was he, Juan Diego, that she wanted for the task. Juan returned to the bishop the next day, which was Sunday, December 10th, 1531. The bishop then asked Juan for some proof that this apparition was truly from heaven.  Juan returned immediately to the hill at Tepeyac, and the Virgin met him again. She told Juan to return to the bishop and she would provide the proof needed. Overnight, however, Juan Diego's uncle's health had deteriorated to the point where Juan felt he had to get a priest to administer the sacraments. It was two days later that the Virgin met him on the road and gently admonished him for not trusting in her intercession. She instructed Juan to climb to the top of the mountain and bring her back some of the flowers that were growing there. He found the flowers, even though they were not in season and were not expected to be found on the rocky outpost where normally cactus and shrub only grew. He gathered them into his mantle and brought them back to Our Lady. She arranged the flowers and Juan set off to find the bishop. When he was allowed into the bishop's presence, he opened the mantle of his cloak and when the flowers dropped out, what remained was an impression of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady of Guadalupe.  In the words of the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Our Lady “is the friend who is ever concerned that wine not be lacking in our lives. She is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands our pain. As mother of all, she is a sign of hope for peoples suffering the birth pangs of justice…As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God's love.” The words of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego after he missed their meeting due to his uncle's illness could be addressed to everyone privileged to know her : “My youngest son, what is the matter? Do not let it disturb your heart. Am I not here, I who have the honor to be your mother?”  Advent Blessings,Fr. Kevin MacDonald, C.Ss.R.  

(Mateo 18:12-14)Queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo Jesús,Les doy la bienvenida a "LA BUENA PALABRA", nuestro podcast diario en el que los Misioneros Redentoristas de la Provincia de Baltimore comparten la Buena Nueva de Jesús. Soy el Padre Manuel Rodríguez, redentorista, de la Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro en Brooklyn, Nueva York. Hoy es el 9 de diciembre del año 2025. Estamos en la temporada de Adviento. El Evangelio nos presenta al Buen Pastor que deja a las noventa y nueve para buscar a la oveja perdida. Esta imagen es perfecta para este momento del año, porque el Adviento no es solo nuestra espera por Dios: es la certeza de que Dios viene a buscarnos primero.Todos, en algún momento, nos alejamos un poco de Dios y de la comunidad: sea por cansancio, distracciones (por ejemplo, el consumismo de este tiempo), preocupaciones diversas o por el pecado. Pero el Señor no se resigna. Él sale a nuestro encuentro, se acerca a nuestras oscuridades y nos llama por nuestro nombre. Eso es la Navidad que se acerca: un Dios que nos busca y no nos deja solos.Jesús dice que el Padre del cielo no quiere que se pierda ni uno solo de estos pequeños. En Adviento, esta verdad nos invita a dos cosas:1. Primero, dejarnos encontrar por Dios, permitir que Él cure nuestras heridas, renueve nuestra esperanza y anime nuestro regreso a nuestra familia y comunidad.2. Segundo, buscar también a quienes están lejos: un hermano triste, un familiar herido, alguien que no se siente digno, un enfermo o un envejeciente que se siente solo. Me hace pensar en varias personas que durante toda la semana no reciben ni una sola visita, excepto el Ministro de la Eucaristía, quien les lleva a Jesús en la hostia todos los domingos, y en la alegría que sienten con esta visita, especialmente al escuchar el toque a la puerta o el sonido del timbre. El Adviento nos pide tener un corazón que no se acostumbra a la ausencia de nadie. Tanto debemos entristecernos por la ausencia de un ser querido en nuestros encuentros familiares.Que este tiempo nos prepare para recibir al Dios que viene a cargarnos sobre sus hombros y a traernos de regreso a la alegría.Amén.

This reflection was originally published in 2022. While the Redemptorist's title, location, and the specific days and dates mentioned may no longer align, the reading and reflection remain just as relevant today!

Una Vida Edificada en Cristo Cuando una familia me pide venir para bendecir su casa este es el evangelio que siempre leo para ellos. Porque una familia que oye y ama las palabras de Jesús tiene su casa, mejor dicho, tiene sus vidas puestas sobre la persona, el amor y sobre todo las palabras de Jesús. Hace tiempo mi amigo Padre Bill Gaffney, ya con el Señor, Padre Bill promovía el llamado Entronazimiento del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Al final de unos días de enseñanza sobre la persona y sobre las palabras y el amor de Jesús hubo el entronazimiento a la imagen del Sagrada Corazón de Jesús en un lugar de la casa de la gente. Pero lo mas importante del entronazimiento no fue tanto la imagen del Sagrado Corazón, hermoso como fuera sino el hecho que la familia hizo del interior de su casa o de su apartamento UN LUGAR SAGRADO DE FE Y DEL AMOR PARA DIOS. Fue el entronazimiento un compromiso firme y sagrado de mantener el interior de su casa o de su apartamento un lugar donde fe en Dios y la vivencia de sus mandamientos no se lastimaba nunca, ni por nada ni nadie.  Nada de drogas! Nada de pornografía. Nada de malas palabras ni odio ni insultos. Fue cuestión como dice el evangelio de hoy de todos en la casa y todos que fueran a entrar la casa de mantener sus vidas, sus palabras y sus conductas sobre la roca que es la persona de Jesús. Jesús cuya primera venida recordamos durante este tiempo de Adviento y cuya segunda venida esperamos dentro de nuestras casas entregadas a sus palabras y a sus hermosas promesas.Para enviarme comentarios:tdeely7352@hotmail.com

PALABRAS HERMOSAS DE JESÚSQuiero hacer comentario sobre lo que Jesús nos dice hoy cuando dice esto: Podrán dejar de existir el cielo y la tierra, pero mis palabras no dejarán de cumplirse". El domingo próximo  empezamos el tiempo de Adviento.. tiempo de esperanza . Por eso quiero que oigan unas palabras que dice Jesús en la última Cena. Con todas las guerras y confusión y temor que vive el mundo en estos días quiero que es bueno que oigamos unas palabras que Jesús dijo poco antes de enseñarnos su gran amor en la cruz. Espero que esas palabras de Jesús, como él mismo nos dice, se vayan cumpliéndose en estos días en mi vida y en la tuya también:”Si yo, su señor y maestro he lavado sus pies uds. deben lavarse los pies los unos de los otros”…..”Yo les he dado un ejemplo para seguir para que lo que he hecho yo uds también deben hacer”…..”Les doy un mandamiento nuevo: ámense los unos a los otros”….. “Como yo les he amado, así uds. deben amarse los unos a los otros”….”Así todos sabrán que uds. son mis discípulos, si tienen amor los unos para los otros”… “Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, la Verdad y la vida”…… “Nadie viene al Padre sino por mi”. ……”Quienquiera tiene mis mandamientos y los obedece es quien me ama”……”Y quienquiera me ama el Padre le amará y yo le amaré y me revelaré a él”…….” Quiero yo que  estas palabras de Jesús sigan siendo vivas en la vida mia y  en la tuya y que vaya siendo nuestro mundo de un lugar de menos guerra, odio y rencor y que sea un lugar que  refleja mejor cada día el Dios amoroso que lo ha creado y quien lo ama tanto.Se me quieren enviar un comentario:tdeely7352@hotmail.com

Publicado originalmente en 2022.

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time INovember 21, 2025 – Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary  Hello and welcome to the Word, bringing you the Good News of Jesus Christ every day from the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. I am Fr. Karl Esker from the Basilica of our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn, NY. Today is Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our reading today is taken from the holy gospel according to Luke. Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.The gospel of the Lord. Homily The celebration of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary began in Jerusalem in the 6th century and then slowly spread through the Christian world. The story does not come from the Bible, but is based on a third century document that tries to fill in the blanks in the lives of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, that are not told in the Gospels. It is a devotional work and can be fanciful at times. The story of Joachim and Ana presenting Mary in the Temple in Jerusalem at three years old is based on the Old Testament account of Samuel's presentation in the Temple and expresses the truth of Mary's giving herself in service to God. This brings us to today's readings, where in the gospel, we hear of Jesus' cleansing of the Temple by driving out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” Once he had restored the sacred space of the Temple, Jesus began to teach the people there. The first reading from the first book of Maccabees has a similar message. After Judas and his brothers had driven out the pagan invaders who had profaned the Temple, they purified and rededicated the Temple, so that sacrifices could once again be offered to God. This is the origin of the feast of Hanukkah, which the Jewish people celebrate to the present day. From this we see the necessity of a sacred space where the faithful can safely gather to worship and offer prayers to God. Of course, our heart is the first sacred space, where we offer ourselves to God in obedience to the commandments of love of God and love of neighbor. But it is difficult to love our neighbor if we do not first pray for and with our neighbor. And in the busyness and noise of our daily lives, we need churches and temples to help us create the space where our hearts feel the presence of God and find the peace to speak to God. The presentation of Mary teaches us that she learned at an early age to open her heart to God and participate in the sacred space that was the Temple. This forms the basis for her receptivity to the message of the angel in the annunciation and her response: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Just as Mary learned as a child to respond to God's calling, the children of our Christian community need to do the same. How do we bring up children to recognize God and revere the sacred spaces? One way is for parents to teach them their prayers and to pray with them. Another is for the children to accompany the family to church from the time they are little. Mary grew up in a devout and faith filled family. Today's children should have the same opportunity. May God bless you.Fr. Karl E. Esker CSsRBasilica of our Lady of Perpetual HelpBrooklyn, NY