Reflection of Father Moreno's Homily: August 21, 2011
The Holy Spirit guides us and leads us.
Tension was mounting, the loneliness was powerful and there was fearfulness.
Jesus is in the region where He leaves the Jewish world and enters the Roman world.
This is a metropolitan, cosmopolitan, Avant-garde, port city.
He is very conscious of the fact that He is heading on to the road toward Jerusalem, where He knows what awaits Him.At Caesarea Philippi He challenges the apostles and He challenges us also by asking the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
The apostles answer, “John The Baptist, Elijah The Prophet, Jeremiah.”
They say He is a Prophet. They are describing Jesus with what He does; His external words and acts of preaching the Good News of The Kingdom.
Who are you?
Father Moreno answers a priest, educated, Latino, Hispanic, Mexicano.How do people see you?
What do people say about you?Do they say: Christian, Catholic, a follower of Christ?
I am more than my job.
Who do you say I am?The answer to this question is the Key to Evangelization.
Catholics know Him personally, intimately, profoundly, deeply. He has entered our heart and we understand.
The Heart of the Gospel today is knowing The Heart of Jesus.
We must spend quality time with Him and we must experience Him.
We are challenged by The Gospel.Marriage is a good analogy of The Church and Jesus.
In a good marriage the husband and the wife make the time, make the effort, make sacrifices, and go out of their way to really and truly know each other.In order to know God we must not be preoccupied with the things of the world.
Is our spiritual journey on rock or is it on sand?Who is Jesus to us? Jesus is our heart.
We must give witness to our faith in Christ.Jesus is the One, our Hope, our Light, our Salvation, our Friend.
We must know The Word of God and The Word of God knows us.
The Father reveals His Love of Jesus through the Holy Spirit in our hearts.Jesus is God, not a Prophet.
We must go to The Father daily and ask Him to reveal Jesus to us.
When we proclaim Jesus as God, we become new people, with new desires, new hope and new life.
I am nothing without God.
We must seek humility and be humble of heart.The one who has the keys open the door.
His Throne is The Cross.
This week let us meditate on these two (2) questions:
- Who do people say I am?
- Who do you say I am?
After Mass, Father Moreno extended his heartfelt appreciation at the attendance of all those who went to The Legion of Mary workshop at La Quinta. He is planning future workshops.
He extended an invitation to all to attend the Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
He asked all the students starting school tomorrow in the public schools and all the college students to come to the front to receive a special blessing.
He reminded the congregation about the start of the school year, since we had been on summer vacation, about the law concerning no cell phone use in school zones and to be careful with students crossing the streets.
Father Moreno said the ending prayer which the Deacon says and Father turned apologetically to Deacon Padilla for him to say it and Deacon just said "Bye!"
