“Who are you?” “What are you?” “Are you the Prophet?” “Who are you so we can give an answer to those who sent us?” These are the inquiries posed by priests and Levites to John the Baptist in this Sunday’s Gospel for the Third Sunday of Advent. They are attempting to ascertain if John is…
The overarching message of Advent is one of hope. However, hope can only emerge through the commitment and willingness of individuals to change their ways, to undergo a deeper conversion of the heart that enables them to embrace generosity, love, and forgiveness. Therefore, a significant theme of Advent is the conversion of hearts. This conversion…
“Father, I love your article this Sunday, but I’m sorry that you have to write and remind us of the problems of the world all the time,” a concerned parishioner told me. I appreciated her affirmation, but her remark made me reflect further on the conflicts, wars, divisions, corruption, and lack of good leadership present…
God has created each of us for a purpose, grounded in Christian principles of knowing, loving, and serving Him. But He didn’t stop there; He has endowed us with many gifts to fulfill that purpose. He has given us a mind, a body, and a spirit to live out our calling in life. And at…
It’s not only that we long for God; we also thirst for and seek His wisdom to guide us in all the challenges of our lives. We pray to God to help us make right choices and decisions as we lead our families, churches, and communities. I earnestly hope that our nation’s leaders do the…
It’s the month of November when we experience the changing of seasons marked by the onset of cold weather, falling autumn leaves, and shorter days. If you’re like me, you’ll take these somber days as opportunities to reflect more deeply on life and our Christian faith, spending more time in quiet prayer, spiritual reading, and…
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) wrote the iconic lines that begin with “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” These words resonate with many people, as love is the language of our souls and represents our deepest longing. We were created to love and be loved. According to a myth, when God formed…
WE warmly welcome our newly ordained auxiliary bishop, Most Reverend Albert Bahhuth, the Episcopal Vicar of the San Fernando Region, to our parish. It brings us great joy to have him with us this Sunday to celebrate Mass and bless our new Pre-K classrooms. Bishop Albert is no stranger to many in our region, as he…
Greetings! I am blessed and happy to be back from leading a Holy Land pilgrimage. I am happy because my group and I arrived home safely after nearly being caught in the middle of the Israeli-Gaza war. We left Israel for Dubai a few days before the initial Hamas attack. However, like everyone else, I…
We’re not all “finished products”; we’re all in the process of growing in maturity. Everyone struggles with a “shadow” — the unconscious, repressed, and often darker aspects of one’s personality that we consciously or unconsciously reject. This “shadow” can often result in a wide range of emotions, impulses, and traits that may include aggression, selfishness,…
“What’s the secret to happiness?” a friend of mine asked his Japanese friend, who is a professor of Japanese literature in Hawaii. “Ganbatte kudasai,” the professor answered, adding, “It means ‘please persevere’.” Upon hearing this insight from the Japanese professor, I realized how much sense it made. Perseverance, or not giving up, is the key…
Seeing parents bring their children back to our parish school last Tuesday filled me with joy. It was delightful to witness new parents and students becoming part of our school ministry and family. We sincerely welcome them. As I looked at the joyful faces of the parents, I couldn’t help but think about the immense…
Our First Reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7) states: “My house shall be a house of prayer for all people.” These words are placed at the front of Incarnation Church and the main entrance door of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. For, indeed, our mission is to welcome all people…
“Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?” These are King Solomon’s words in today’s First Reading (1 Kings 3:5; 7-12) that relate well with every pastor or leader’s genuine intentions as they navigate the…
Incarnation is blessed! Our parish is vibrant, faith-filled, and active. Many people have returned to in-person Mass after the pandemic. New ministries have sprung up; old ministries have blossomed. Our liturgies inspire us, and the school ministry thrives with new students. We have exciting plans to evangelize our children, youth, and young adults, thanks to…
Greetings! It’s summertime! I hope you’re enjoying it! It’s that time to go on vacation with family and friends, watch some good movies, relax in the backyard, read a fascinating book, tend the garden, go to the beach, or walk around the neighborhood to enjoy feeling the sunny weather and seeing the beautiful plants and…
Greetings! It’s our annual Carnival in our parish, a weekend of fun, community building, and getting to know our neighbors here in Glendale. We pray for its success! It’s our time to delight in each other’s company, eat and drink together, and allow our youth and children to enjoy the rides safely. Let’s remember that…
Yes, it’s how many of us raised in the Catholic Church refer to the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christi: Corpus Christi. We celebrate and profess the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; every time we approach the altar to receive Communion and the priest or the extraordinary minister of the Eucharist…
Let’s celebrate! Hieu Nguyen, who we adopted as our seminarian and spent his parish internship and diaconate year with us, is now an ordained priest! We witnessed his journey to the priesthood when we listened to his homilies and saw him interact with and minister to parishioners. Indeed, Fr. Hieu Nguyen is God’s wonder! His…
AS I attended the First Mass of a newly ordained priest, his words during his homily impressed me. He said: “New vestments, new chalice, newly ordained priest. These are all things that will fade away, and yet what we are reminded by the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord is that while most things…
“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit!” “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (From Acts 1:1-11) A Blessed Ascension Sunday!…
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” —Jn 14:21 This Gospel passage reminds me of the Funeral Service Vigil I led for a 98-year-old mother last week. Her family…
“I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 4:6) These words of Jesus are some of his famous words. They speak of our fundamental Christian belief that the way to the Father is Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, for Jesus and the…
The Gospel on this Third Sunday of Easter (April 23) is full of emotions: the disciples looking downcast and filled with sorrow as they stopped on their way; their surprise and agitation at learning that the “man” who joined them in their walk did not have a clue about what happened to Jesus; their disappointment…
Greetings! We’re still in Easter! But Easter is not just a one-day celebration. It goes on until the day of Pentecost when we celebrate the full impact of salvation on the world and the outpouring of God’s life. And so, we still greet one another with Happy Easter! What amazed me last Sunday (April 9)…
“It’s a given,” I told someone last week. “It’s a given that when you’re a leader, you’re bound to suffer.” “Then why should I be a leader?” this person remarked. “Well, if you want to make a difference in people’s lives, if you want to make positive changes in the society or the community, then…
THIS Sunday’s (January 22) Gospel presents Jesus’ intimate but challenging way of following him as his disciples. As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. He told them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of…
A close friend asked me what one word I could think of to describe my wishes this New Year. I told him that I don’t have one word but two words: one for my well-being and one related to my ministry as the pastor of this parish. For my well-being, I think of the word…
A CHARMING legend about the birth of Jesus relates that the shepherds hurried to the stable with their gifts. Each one brought what he had, some brought fruits of their labor, others some precious itBut as they were all presenting their gifts there was one shepherd who had nothing to give. He was so extremely poor; he…
Everything in life takes time to grow, flourish, and bear fruits. It’s true in any relationship, whether it’s marriage, family, or friendship. It’s also true in community and nation-building, Healing also takes time. Any doctor would tell us this hard truth. Even friends mention this to us when we lose someone dear with the comforting…
