Blog Archives - Holy Angels - Woodbury, NJ

Friday, 4th Week of Lent

3/31/2017

Today’s Gospel
John 7:1-2,10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee;
He did not wish to travel in Judea,
because the Jews were trying to kill Him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.

But when His brothers had gone up to the feast,
He Himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,
"Is He not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, He is speaking openly and they say nothing to Him.
Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
But we know where He is from.
When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from."
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as He was teaching and said,
"You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent me."
So they tried to arrest Him,
but no one laid a hand upon Him,
because His hour had not yet come.

Reflection
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus and the apostles in Judea for the Feast of the Tabernacles. Jesus initially remained in secret because He knew the Pharisees wanted to kill Him. But then He put aside His intention of secrecy and began preaching to the large crowd of Jews gathered from all over the land of Israel.

Why does Jesus do this? Because God’s ways are higher than our own. Jesus may have wanted to remain a secret and avoid drawing attention to Himself, but God wanted Him to take advantage of the opportunity to spread His message to the crowd. Jesus acted out of obedience and with confidence because He knew it was all part of God’s greater plan and that His hour had not yet come. He set aside any human fear He might have had and acted as His Father wanted.

Think of your own life, do you restrain from acting charitably, courageously, or living your faith boldly because of fear? Maybe instead you tried to force your own will or was so focused on yourself that you got distracted from God’s plan. Due to our human nature it is natural for us to want to control things or to act in a way that is comfortable for us. Jesus did not do what was comfortable and safe, but Hw surrendered to God’s will. Today, pray to be more like Jesus in surrendering your fear, trusting God, and following how He is leading you.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Thursday, 4th Week of Lent

3/30/2017

Today's Reading
John 5:31-47

Jesus said to the Jews:
"If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.
But there is another who testifies on my behalf,
and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.
You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept human testimony,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.
Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.
But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
and you do not have his word remaining in you,
because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.
You search the Scriptures,
because you think you have eternal life through them;
even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life.

"I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.

I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another
and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:
the one who will accuse you is Moses,
in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses,
you would have believed me,
because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?"

Reflection
Jesus is confident in His mission and lays everything out there for the Jews to either accept or discard. “I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me." Jesus explains over and over again that He is the one about whom the prophets wrote, the one for whom John the Baptist was preparing the way, all of scripture has prepared the Israelites for this moment but in their pride, they refuse to accept it. We find ourselves in this same boat at times.

Too often we fall back on our knowledge of scripture, our degrees, our good works, and how much we know about the faith. This is not what Christ wants from us. Jesus wants a relationship. He wants us to believe in Him. He is the truth. He is the way. He is the life. Everything points to Him. We focus too much on the things we do, the books we read and the charitable causes to which we are dedicated. While these are great things to have in our life, it is not the most important. How is our personal relationship with the resurrected and living Christ? How often are we just sitting and speaking with Him? This is what Lent is all about.

Let us take some time to bring into focus our priorities; why are we doing the things we are doing in our life? Let us read the scripture understanding that it is speaking of the person of Christ. Let us do our good works recognizing we are serving the person of Christ. Let us give, love and serve knowing that it is Christ who loved and served first. Today, spend 10 minutes in silence, at the end of those 10 minutes, speak to Jesus from your heart asking Him to once again become the center of your life and the motivation for all that you do.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Wednesday, 4th Week of Lent

3/29/2017

Today's Reading
Isaiah 49:8-15

Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.

Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts His people
and shows mercy to His afflicted.

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.

Reflection
Today’s first reading reminds us that although we may forget about God, God never forgets us. The prophet Isaiah is writing to the Jews in Exile reminding them that God has not forgotten them. He will restore them to their land and they shall want for nothing. He did not forsake them and He does not forsake you.

How often do we pray to God and grow impatient and frustrated when our prayers are not answered right when we want them to be? This can make us feel as though the Lord has forgotten about us. We pray and seek, but God does not respond. He never fails to answer prayers. Remember, “No” is an answer too. We so easily forget that God is all knowing all powerful and we must place all our trust in Him and His perfect timing.

Despite life’s circumstance or our own failures and weaknesses, we have a God who is all loving and merciful who desires to be united with us. There will be many ups and downs in life, many unknowns and much suffering, but there is great peace in knowing that we are not alone. God is with us through it all. We hold steadfast to His promises that, “the LORD comforts His people and shows mercy to His afflicted.” His love for us is infinite and He will not forsake us. He will never forget us and He holds us in the palm of His hands. Today, spend 15 extra minutes in prayer thanking God for His presence and love in your life.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Tuesday, 4th Week of Lent

3/28/2017

Today's Reading
John 5:1-16
There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, He said to him,
"Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered Him,
"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
"It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me,
'Take up your mat and walk.'"
They asked him,
"Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because He did this on a sabbath.

Reflection

In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. What a miracle! In this scene we can see how the healing waters of Bethesda foreshadow the healing powers found in the sacraments. There is true grace and healing that comes from the sacraments. May we use this time of Lent to receive them as much as possible so we may be strengthened in our own faith and healed of the wounds within us. Just like those in the reading who sought physical healing, we too are in need of healing in our own lives, whether that be physical, spiritual or emotional. In order to be healed, we must bring our wounds to the feet of Jesus.

The miraculous healings performed by Jesus are signs of the complete healing that takes place. God’s healing is always that of the whole person. The key element in this passage is when Jesus asks the man: “Do you want to be well?” We must open our hearts and dispose ourselves to the healing that Jesus wants to give or we cannot begin to receive it. This man had waited for a very long time but because of his patience and faith, he was ready to accept what Jesus wanted to freely give him.

When Jesus sees the man in the temple, He reminds him that he must go forth having been healed and sin no more. When we experience the healing power of God’s mercy, we must also make a firm promise not to fall back into our old ways and for this we rely on the healing transformation that has taken place, which is the strength of Christ. Our hope is in Christ who has come to heal us of all that prevents us from accepting His love. Today, in prayer, ask the Blessed Mother for the grace to have your heart opened so that you may be ready to receive the healing power of Jesus’s love into your soul.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Monday, 4th Week of Lent

3/27/2017

Today's Reading
John 4: 43-54
At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in His native place.
When He came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him,
since they had seen all He had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then He returned to Cana in Galilee,
where He had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to Him and asked Him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
"Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."
The royal official said to him,
"Sir, come down before my child dies."
Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live."
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
"The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon."
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
"Your son will live,"
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Reflection
Jesus is always giving us signs and working wonders, but we often do not acknowledge them, for we think they came from another source. When we do not receive what we expected, we claim that God does not care about us, or even exist. In our pride, we are convinced we know what is best and God should act only as we see fit. How often do we want Him to wow us with what we want, but then want to be left alone from what He asks of us? It is only when we believe and allow the Lord to open our eyes, that we are able to see the miracles He is continuously working around us and through us. Seeing strengthens our belief, but believing is what makes us see.

The man in today’s Gospel went far out of his way, from Capernaum to Cana in pursuit of Jesus. He must have possessed such faith in Jesus, or why would he have left his suffering son? If those in his household did not believe, would they have been upset he left or think he was foolish? Because he had the courage to go anyways, he becomes a great example for us. He believed, he asked, and he received.The man had no proof that his son had been healed, but he returned home as Jesus told him. Only on his way, does he learn his son was healed at the precise hour Jesus said. Jesus could have chosen to heal the child at any time, but He chose a time that would lead to further conviction, not just for the man, but for his entire household.

In our own lives, God’s perfect timing sometimes results in an immediate response and other times it may take some time before His Power is made manifest, but it is always when it is best. If we do not believe God has responded to our prayer, then we should first ask Him what it is He desires to show us. Today, instead of praying out of selfishness, let us ask the Lord to mold our desires to His. When we do this, we will always be satisfied with His response, for His will becomes our own. If we seek Jesus, regardless of what suffering we may be called to endure along the way, there will always be peace, joy, and strength from a greater good.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

4th Sunday of Lent - Blind Man from Birth

3/26/2017

Today's Gospel
John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

As Jesus passed by He saw a man blind from birth.
He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,
"Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" — which means Sent —.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
"Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?"
Some said, "It is, "
but others said, "No, he just looks like him."
He said, "I am."

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
"He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see."
So some of the Pharisees said,
"This man is not from God,
because He does not keep the sabbath."
But others said,
"How can a sinful man do such signs?"
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
"What do you have to say about Him,
since He opened your eyes?"
He said, "He is a prophet."

They answered and said to him,
"You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?"
Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
He found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
He answered and said,
"Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jesus said to him,
"You have seen Him, and
the one speaking with you is He."
He said,
"I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped Him.

Reflection
Mary Jean Jones is a wife to her husband Trevor and a mother to her son Shepherd. Just this month, they welcomed their newest baby girl Reagan into their family with joy. Mary Jean graduated from Ave Maria University in 2011 with her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and Theology. She also pursued post Baccalaureate Studies in Art in Florence, Italy.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Saturday, Annunciation of the Lord

3/25/2017

Today's Reading
Hebrews 10:4-10
Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins. For this reason,
when Christ came into the world, He said:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then He says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Reflection
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, or you could say the Feast of Jesus’ conception. The second reading comes from Hebrews and gives the reason for the second person of the Trinity becoming man interpreted through Psalm 40, today’s Responsorial Psalm. The Word of God became man to do His Father’s will; this was His delight!

Sometimes we think discerning God’s will is just about vocations, or we think God is not speaking to us and we get confused as what to do. Let’s talk about doing God’s will. Yes, sometimes God dramatically speaks to us or guides us towards a life-changing decision. But every day we can do His will. Start with the fact that we are Catholics. We follow God’s will when we follow the lead of Mother Church in living out our faith in daily life, avoiding sin, and praying. Then we all have family responsibilities and acts of love and mercy to show to our family members. Jesus tells us to forgive always. If you are consecrated, God’s will is manifested in your rule, constitutions and through your superiors. Even if you are in a temporary state of discerning your vocation, God’s will is to give your extra time in volunteer work and to live in right relations with others. Your job also manifests God’s will to you: to fulfill your duties with due diligence and attention, to study when you are a student, to nurture when you are a housewife and to treat your co-workers with respect.

God’s will is manifested to us every day in multiple ways and the more we listen in prayer and request His presence throughout the day, the more we will be accustomed to the way He guides us. Today, spend an extra ten minutes in prayer listening to the ways that God is leading you. Let us start being more attentive to God’s will in our lives.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Friday, 3rd Week of Lent

3/24/2017

Today’s Gospel
Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than He.
And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your
neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that He answered with understanding,
He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

Reflection
Today, Jesus is reminding us to set our priorities straight: first God, then others, and last, yourself.
First, "The Lord our God is Lord alone!" We must put God first and love Him with everything we have. This must be our number one priority. But how often do we put other things before God in our every day lives? Our lives become busy and so we put off our prayers, Mass, or our Lenten sacrifices because we do not have the time or the energy. Let this Lent serve as a time for us to re-evaluate our priorities and make time for God, put Him at the top of your list. When we give God our time as an expression of our love, we care for ourselves and our loved ones not only in our present life, but for our eternal one as well. Everything stems from our love of God and God’s love for us.

Then,“you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We should treat others the way that we would like to be treated, with the dignity given to them by God; we should love others as He loves them and as He loves us. Putting others interests before ours allows us to see the world in a much wider perspective.

Last, yourself. You may ask, if I am preoccupied caring for other’s needs, who will care for me? The answer is simple: God will care for you. God knows that it requires great trust in Him for us to put our all into caring for others and worshiping a God we cannot see. We must remember that it is the child-like who enter Heaven, those who trust that God the Father will provide for them. Today, put all of your trust in God and re-prioritize: God first, then others, and lastly yourself.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Thursday, 3rd Week of Lent

3/23/2017

Today’s Gospel
Luke 11:14- 23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, He drives out demons."
Others, to test Him, asked Him for a sign from heaven.
But He knew their thoughts and said to them,"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the
finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger
than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the
spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."

Reflection
Demons are a big part of the Gospel narrative. Many of us Catholics seem to be hesitant in admitting the presence of Satan or demons and become a bit uncomfortable when we hear someone preaching on the existence of the devil. However, we cannot deny, even if we cannot fully understand, that there is a spiritual reality all around us. We like to believe in angels but shy away of our belief in demons, which in fact, are angels as well. We see throughout our history, beginning with Jesus in the desert, this spiritual battle we have with Satan. Wherever we may find ourselves on the spectrum of belief, we must rededicate ourselves to the cause of Christ. We must not be divided because as Jesus says, “every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste.” This is true for Satan as it is for God.

Lent is a time for us to once again recognize the presence of the spiritual reality that is all around us and recommit ourselves to the building of the Kingdom of God. We know that in every war, both sides bring their weapons. We cannot become complacent in our spiritual lives and think that there is no need to fight. Put on the armor of God, pick up the weapons of prayer and good works and accept the grace that will give you the strength to fight the daily temptations that you face. We have nothing to fear but let us not become comfortable.

Take the time today to pray at least one decade of the sorrowful mysteries, asking for the strength to battle the demons in your life and recommit yourself to being a true disciple of Christ, willing to do what it takes to build the kingdom of God here on earth.

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net

Wednesday, 3rd Week of Lent

3/22/2017

Today’s Gospel
Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to His disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Reflection
In today’s Gospel. Jesus tells us "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law.” In our day, the law is too often viewed as a set of rules and guidelines. This understanding of restriction is often passed on to our faith. But our faith is so much more than that. Scripture, Tradition and the Sacraments are guides which aid us in discovering what we truly desire and help us to obtain it. Man was designed to seek the good, and the ultimate good is God.

How often do we fill our lives with things of the world that we think will make us happy but are not good? When God is the only one who is going to truly fulfill our hearts deepest desires. A relationship with Him is the key to true happiness and fulfillment in life. Lent is the perfect time to work on that relationship and grow closer to our Lord. May we take advantage of this time to grow in holiness.

Today, reflect on what may be distracting you. What things are we using to fill ourselves up but are really distracting us from our true good? Once we have identified them, let us turn back to what the Church teaches and how and why it came to this teaching. If we do not know what is taught regarding the things we identified as “distractions," then take the time today to find out what the teaching is and why. Then teach it to others, for "whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

All content is created by "Array of Hope". If you would like to directly receive all of the content created by this ministry you can sign up at www.arrayofhope.net