Id
Associate Pastor: Fr. Dickson Saviour
2352 SAINT RAYMOND AVE
BRONX, N.Y. 10462
(PARKING AT ZEREGA AND GLEBE)
( 718 828 2380) / b265@archny.org
www.santamariaparish.us/
February 10th 2019 –5th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10 de Febrero del 2019-5º Domingo de Tiempo Ordinario
Holy Masses in English:
Weekdays: 7:00 a.m.
8:15 a.m. After Mass, Daily Adoration for an hour to the Holy
Eucharist & 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 8:15 a.m.
Vigil Mass Sunday—5:00 p.m.
Sunday : 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 12 Noon
Bible Reflection on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Confessions Monday 5pm-7pm Saturday 4pm-5 pm
La Santa Misa en Español:
Idente Youth Teens —6th-12th Grade
Fridays 4:30 p.m.—6:00p.m. Adoración Eucarística todos los días de 8:45am—9:45am
Idente Youth Kids— 3th—5rd Grade Jueves: 7:00 p.m. Domingos: 9:15 a.m.
Saturdays 11a.m.-12p.m. Bodega Teens Reflexión sobre la Biblia los jueves: 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Sr. Yerania (631)772-9612 Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm
Confesiones Lunes 5pm-7pm Sábado 4pm-5pm
www.identeyouth.us Identeyouthusa Bodegateensnyc
Communal Celebration of Anointing of the Sick St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of
This Sunday, February 10, 2019 affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged
At each of the 8:00a.m.,9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings,
Noon Masses. All persons sixty-five years or older, persons happy marriages, love, lovers, plague,
with chronic illnesses or pain, or persons with a prospective travelers, and young people. He is
surgery or terminal illness can be anointed. **Remember represented in pictures with birds and
that we should also be in a state of grace before we receive roses and his feast day is celebrated on
this holy sacrament. February 14.
Celebración comunal de la unción de los enfermos San Valentín es el santo patrón de
Este Domingo, 10 de Febrero de 2019 las parejas afianzadas, apicultores,
En cada una de las misas de 8:ooa.m., 9:15 a.m., 10:30 parejas comprometidas, epilepsia,
a.m. y 12:00 mediodía. Todas las personas de sesenta y cinco desmayos, saludos, matrimonios
años o más, personas con enfermedades crónicas o dolor, o felices, amor, amantes, plagas,
personas con una posible cirugía o enfermedad terminal viajeros y jóvenes. Está
pueden ser ungidas. ** Recuerde que también debemos estar representado en imágenes con pájaros y rosas y su fiesta
en un estado de gracia antes de recibir este santo sacramento. se celebra el 14 de Febrero.
The Greek young man Damon once asked the Delphic oracle: Who has the greatest treasure on earth? Where can it be
found? The god’s answer was: You have possessed it for a long time. You will find it before your door. He hurries home
and finds his friend Pythias standing there. My dear friend, he says, the greatest treasure is here. Come in a hurry. Half of
it belongs to you! They dig everywhere deep into the night. No treasure appears. Finally, Damon throws down his shovel
and exclaims: What an idiot am I! He embraces Pythias and says: You are the greatest treasure. Could I want more?
2. Consequently, God sends us forth as fishers of men. When we discover who our neighbor really is, we change our behavior
radically. While walking at Balmoral, Queen Victoria of England got caught in the rain. Calling at a cottage, she was grudgingly
offered a worn-out umbrella. She went on her way and the next day a personal assistant in a splendid coach returned the umbrella. As
the personal assistant left, he heard the owner say: If I had known who she was, she could have had my best umbrella.
For example, when Jesus met blind Bartimaeus, the crowd think the poor man should be quiet. We probably would have too, the
same way we interrupt those whose disturb or contradict us and avoid the troublesome ones. But Jesus does not see people like that:
He see us all as the children of our Father in heaven. Even more, He asks the crowd to participate with him in a new way of seeing and
treating others. Call him here, says Jesus. Bring him to me, that he might be healed of his blindness and that you might be healed of
yours as well.
Peter had witnessed how Jesus healed his mother-in-law and many who were sick. But observation is not sufficient. He was not yet
ready to be more than a disciple of Jesus. He saw the miracles, but was not converted from within, because it was not his personal
conversion. Now, though he trembles, he is willing to put out into the deep. We are to take risks and Peter was invited to do just that.
He was asked to go beyond discipleship, to be an apostle in the proclamation of the kingdom, knowing that it would not be his
strength but the power of God. From that experience, he knew the Holy Spirit would work through him.
Authentic listening to God in prayer is similar to authentic listening to another person. If we stop, take a moment to focus
and be aware of the other person and be truly open to them, we are well on our way to listening to what they have to say. In
true listening we receive not only information, but an invitation to share sorrows and joys, projects and
dreams. God calls us many times throughout our life trying to free us in order to love and be more available to others.
Usually, He does not explain the details, but simply wants our wholehearted yes, because little do we know what are
blessings on the other side of our obedience. The world says, seeing is believing. God says, believing is seeing.
Perhaps the following story might seem childish, but I think it sends the message we are talking about:
A man walked into a store and he found Christ behind the counter. He asked: What do you sell here? Christ replied: You name it. The
man said: I want food for all, good health for kids, that there be peace between us, and abortion to cease. Gently Jesus answered:
Friend, I do not sell finished products here, only seeds. You must plant them and water them. I will do the rest.
Am I missing God’s calls? He calls us when we are in pain, in happiness, in solitude, or with hundreds of people. God calls us many
times a day, and oftentimes we miss those calls because we ignore them, intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes we are just deaf
to the call, but other times we try to ignore it.
Saint Peter teaches us today that there are two virtues we need to set us free from our deafness. The first is honesty. As long as we go
on denying and rationalizing, we can never really hear. The second is humility. As long as we are arrogant and proud, we can never
really accept who we really are and the pathetic situation we got ourselves in. Why did Peter call himself a sinful man, were it not for
the fact that he was too presumptuous in his knowledge? Indeed, he came to the realization that human knowledge alone cannot
grasp the mystery of life: For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength
(1 Cor 1:25).
God calls us to follow him today just as certainly as Jesus called Peter, James, John or Paul. His call to us is more than an invitation.
His call throughout history is one of command; sometimes subtle and gentle and sometimes violent.
Let us dedicate our efforts to be aware of His concerns, His affliction. The answer to this state of prayer is a new level of filial
consciousness that is more in tune with God’s ever-abiding love: we are heirs; we are entrusted with an always new mission. St
Francis of Assisi heard the voice of God when the Lord spoke to him in a wooden crucifix. St Francis heard the words of Jesus:
Francis, you see that my house is falling down; go and repair it for me. And Francis answered simply: Willingly, Lord. As usual, it
was an emergency.
3. He calls us when we are up and when we are down. Then he carries us. God often calls us when we are running errands,
doing the mundane chores of life, when we are in the midst of our daily routine. When we least expect it, we are required for a new
mission.
Perhaps we are already truly working for Him and for His people. Yet, in spite of so much energy and time invested into it, we
experience only opposition, failure, disappointment and frustration…and He calls us for a new mission…or to change the way we carry
out our usual old mission: Throw the nets again!
Another times, God calls us when we are in the midst of our academic, professional, artistic, emotional, worldly successes.
He also calls us when we are tired and worn out and feeling not at all qualified. He calls us then, and he tells us not to fear. And then
he fills the nets of our lives with more than enough fish to remind us that he will give us more than we need if we just trust in him and
follow his calling. It might not be easy to follow Jesus. It might not be where we saw ourselves going. We might not be confident in
our skills or our call all the time. But it is much harder to walk without hearing that call.
He calls us when we are sinners. And there is more: He wants our help in building the Kingdom. Matthew was collecting taxes for the
Romans, the hated occupying power. Many people would have looked upon Matthew as a traitor to his own people. But Jesus calls
him, not just to repent, but to become an apostle. Jesus does not wait until we are perfect to call us to a mission.
God calls us when we are in asleep. Jesus called Peter when he fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane and Paul was called on the way
to Damascus as he was asleep internally. When we are awakened to this call, we would realize our own call to profess our priestly
nature.
God always bless our efforts to respond. Sometimes it is the blessing of holding the hand of a sick person. and sometimes it is the
blessing of entering into another’s sadness and grief. Those blessings are indeed as great as a fisherman’s boat overflowing with fish.
Most of times we only recognize some blessings in hindsight. They are graces, privileges, sometimes bathed in tears… but they are
always there.
The Ecclesiastes says: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (9:10). Why should God show me his will for the
future if I am not doing the will of God in the present?
We are conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware, and are
providentially wrapped for us by God in what others may consider a small thing.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator
operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying
nothing. As the orange sunrise light would start to show at the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now." We
drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway
that passed under a portico. Two nurses came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her
every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already
seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said. "You have to make a living,"
she answered. "There are other passengers." Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave
an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind
me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I did not pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if
that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had
honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
Por ejemplo, cuando Cristo se encontró con el ciego Bartimeo, la gente pensaba que el pobre hombre debería estar callado.
Probablemente también nosotros reaccionaríamos así, de la misma manera que interrumpimos a aquellos que nos molestan o nos
contradicen y evitamos a las personas problemáticas. Pero Jesús no ve a las personas así: nos ve a todos como los hijos de nuestro
Padre celestial. Aún más, le pide a la multitud que comparta con él una nueva forma de ver y tratar a los demás. Tráiganlo aquí, dice
Jesús. Tráiganlo, para que sea curado de su ceguera y para que ustedes también se curen. Pedro presenció cómo Cristo sanó a su
suegra y a otros muchos enfermos. Pero observar no es suficiente. Todavía no estaba listo para ser más que un discípulo de Jesús.
Vio los milagros, pero no se convirtió interiormente. Ahora, aunque tiembla, está dispuesto a remar mar adentro. Se nos llama a
tomar riesgos y Pedro fue invitado a hacer precisamente eso. Se le pidió que fuera más que un espectador, más que un oyente; fue
llamado a ser un apóstol en la proclamación del Reino, sabiendo que no lo haría con sus propias fuerzas sino con el poder de Dios.
Por esa experiencia, supo que el Espíritu Santo obraría a través de él. La auténtica escucha de Dios en oración es semejante a la
escucha verdadera de otra persona. Si nos detenemos interiormente, tomamos un momento para centrarnos y ser conscientes de la
otra persona y estar verdaderamente abiertos a ella, estamos en el buen camino para escuchar lo que tiene que decir.
En la verdadera escucha recibimos no sólo información, sino también una invitación a compartir tristezas y
alegrías, proyectos y sueños. Dios nos llama muchas veces a lo largo de nuestra vida tratando de liberarnos para amar y estar
más disponibles para los demás. Generalmente, no nos explica los detalles, sino que simplemente quiere nuestro sincero sí, porque
poco sabemos que bendiciones hay al otro lado de nuestra obediencia. El mundo dice: Ver es creer. Dios dice: Creer es ver.
Quizás la siguiente historia pueda parecer infantil, pero creo que transmite el mensaje del que estamos hablando:
Un hombre entró en una tienda y encontró a Cristo detrás del mostrador. Le preguntó: ¿Qué venden aquí? Cristo respondió: Lo que
necesites. El hombre dijo: Quiero comida para todos, buena salud para los niños, que haya paz entre nosotros y que acabe el
aborto. Con suavidad, Jesús respondió: Amigo, aquí no vendemos productos acabados, solo semillas. Debes plantarlas y regarlas.
Yo me ocuparé de lo demás.
¿Estoy perdiendo llamadas de Dios? Él nos llama cuando estamos en medio del dolor o de la felicidad, en soledad o entre cientos de
personas. Dios nos llama muchas veces al día, y muchas veces perdemos esas llamadas porque las ignoramos, intencionadamente o
sin intención. A veces sucede que estamos sordos a esa llamada, pero otras veces intentamos ignorarla.
San Pedro nos enseña hoy que necesitamos dos virtudes para liberarnos de nuestra sordera. La primera es la honestidad. Mientras
sigamos negando y racionalizando, nunca podremos escuchar. La segunda es la humildad. Mientras seamos arrogantes y
orgullosos, nunca podremos aceptar quiénes somos realmente y la situación patética en la que nos encontramos. ¿Por qué Pedro se
llamó a sí mismo “hombre pecador”, si no es por el hecho de que era demasiado presuntuoso en su conocimiento? De hecho, llegó a la
conclusión de que el conocimiento humano por sí solo no puede comprender el misterio de la vida: Porque la locura de Dios es más
sabia que la sabiduría humana, y la debilidad de Dios es más fuerte que la fuerza humana (1 Co 1:25).
Hoy, Dios nos llama a seguirlo con la misma certeza con que Cristo llamó a Pedro, Santiago, Juan o Pablo. Su llamada es más que una
invitación. Su llamada a lo largo de la historia es un mandato; a veces sutil y suave y otras violento.
Dediquemos nuestros esfuerzos a ser conscientes de sus preocupaciones, de su aflicción. La respuesta a este estado de oración es un
nuevo nivel de conciencia filial que está más en sintonía con el amor eterno de Dios: somos herederos, se nos confía una misión
siempre nueva. San Francisco de Asís escuchó la voz de Dios cuando el Señor le habló en un crucifijo de madera. Francisco escuchó
las palabras de Jesús: Francisco, ves que mi casa se está cayendo; Ve a repararla para mí. Y Francisco respondió simplemente: Con
gusto, Señor. Como de costumbre, se trataba de una emergencia.
3. Dios nos llama cuando estamos bien y cuando estamos mal. Luego, nos arrastra. Dios a menudo nos llama cuando
estamos haciendo mandados, haciendo las tareas mundanas de la vida, cuando estamos en medio de nuestra rutina diaria. Cuando
menos lo esperamos, nos propone una nueva misión. Quizás ya estemos realmente trabajando para Él y para su pueblo. Sin embargo,
a pesar de tanto esfuerzo y tiempo invertido, sólo experimentamos oposición, fracasos, disgustos y desengaños... y Él nos llama para
una nueva misión... o para cambiar la forma en que llevamos a cabo nuestra antigua y habitual misión: ¡Lanza las redes de nuevo!
Otras veces, Dios nos llama cuando estamos en medio de nuestros éxitos académicos, profesionales, artísticos, emocionales y
mundanos.
También nos llama cuando estamos cansados y agotados y no nos sentimos capacitados. Nos llama entonces, y nos dice que no
temamos. Y luego llena las redes de nuestras vidas con pescados más que suficientes para recordarnos que nos dará más de lo que
necesitamos si confiamos en él y seguimos su llamado. Puede que no sea fácil seguir a Jesús. Puede que no sea donde pensábamos ir.
Es posible que no siempre tengamos confianza en nuestras habilidades. Pero es mucho más difícil caminar sin oír esa
llamada.
Nos llama cuando somos pecadores. Y aún más: Lo que quiere es nuestra ayuda para construir el Reino. Mateo estaba recaudando
impuestos para los romanos, la odiada potencia invasora. Muchos considerarían a Mateo como un traidor a su propia gente. Pero
Jesús lo llama, no sólo para arrepentirse, sino para convertirse en un apóstol. Cristo no espera a que seamos perfectos para llamarnos
a una misión.
Dios nos llama cuando estamos dormidos. Jesús llamó a Pedro cuando se quedó dormido en el huerto de Getsemaní y Pablo fue
llamado a Damasco mientras estaba internamente dormido. Cuando nos despertemos a este llamado, nos daremos cuenta que es para
despertar nuestra naturaleza sacerdotal.
Dios siempre bendice nuestros esfuerzos para responderle. A veces es la bendición de tomar la mano de una persona enferma. y
algunas veces es la bendición de compartir la tristeza y el dolor de otra persona. Esas bendiciones son realmente tan grandes como la
barca de un pescador rebosante de peces. La mayoría de las veces solo reconocemos algunas bendiciones “en retrospectiva”. Son
gracias, privilegios, a veces bañados en lágrimas... pero siempre están ahí.
El Eclesiastés dice: Cualquier cosa que tu mano pueda hacer, hazlo con todas tus fuerzas (9:10). ¿Por qué debería Dios mostrarme su
voluntad para el futuro si no estoy haciendo su voluntad en el presente?
Estamos inclinados a pensar que nuestras vidas giran en torno a grandes momentos. Pero, en los grandes momentos, a menudo
estamos desprevenidos, y están envueltos providencialmente por Dios en lo que otros pueden considerar algo muy pequeño.
Luis Casasús
Superior General de
los Misioneros Identes
Pro-Life Against Abortion