Called to be the People and Disciples of God

Readings: 1^st: Ex 19, 2-6a; Ps: 99, 2. 3. 5; 2^nd: Rom 5, 6-11; Gos: Mt 9, 36—10, 8

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

On this eleventh Sunday of ordinary time, the Church reminds us of our call by God. This call can be understood in two ways; first, through God’s covenant with Israel. God chose and called us to be his people. Second, through Jesus Christ the new covenant, God called us to be his disciples. So, God made us his people and reconciled us in Christ Jesus. God called us, each by name, to be a people consecrated to him.

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In today’s first reading, we see the first part of our call. This reading tells us about one of the most famous covenants of God with his people in the Old Testament, the Sinai Covenant. Through it, God made Israel his people and offers to guide them toward a great destiny, and his people offer obedience.

If the people are faithful to their promise, they will forever be the sacred people, God’s possession. If they fail due to their human destiny, God will not abandon them but will continue to search for them. This is God’s way of acting. Although we fail, God never abandons us. Therefore, the saying is wise: “To err is human; to forgive divine.”

As humans, we always fail in our part of our covenant with God. Like the Israelites in the Old Testament, we are quick to say, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” (Exodus 19:8). We are quick to say yes, we believe and will be faithful to our covenant. However, most times, we fail. Despite this, God never abandons us. He continues to be faithful to his covenant.

In today’s second reading, Paul reminds us of how God continues to be faithful to us through his only Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation: “What proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Through the sacrifice of Christ, we are constantly reconciled with God. So, God never abandons us because he chose and called us to be his people.

The second aspect of our calling is to be Christ’s disciples in a world quickly losing life’s meaning, in a world where many feel abandoned, helpless, and hopeless. This call and mission were born from mercy and compassion for a dejected and abandoned world. Hence, today’s gospel tells us, “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Therefore, as Christians, each of us has a unique call. By virtue of our baptism, God chose and called each of us by our new name, as he called his twelve apostles today, to help our abandoned world. This is a special call and invitation to lift and save our dejected world from ruins. It is a call to be faithful shepherds to one another. As God and his Son continue to show us mercy and compassion, we must also show mercy to one another, especially to those who have failed or erred in one way or the other.

Finally, our call had a unique purpose and message. Today, Christ sent his disciples with specific instructions. “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons.”

Is Christ discriminating? No! Indeed, Christ came to save the world. However, our call and mission must start from somewhere. We must start this mission with ourselves. It must begin in our homes, families, and communities (mission ad intra). Later, the mission can be extended (ad extra) to others. Through this, Christ reminds us that Charity begins at home. This is important because we must first become God’s people before becoming God’s disciples.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, let us pray to God to keep us faithful to his call to be his people and disciples.

Peace be with you!

Maranatha!

Llamados a ser el Pueblo y Discípulos de Dios

Lecturas: 1^ra: Ex 19, 2-6a; Sal: 99, 2. 3. 5; 2^da: Rom 5, 6-11; Ev: Mt 9, 36—10, 8

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

En este domingo, la madre iglesia nos recuerda nuestra llamada por Dios. Esta llamada se puede entender de dos maneras. Primero, a través de la antigua alianza con Israel, a ser su pueblo. Secundo, a través de Jesucristo, la nueva alianza, Dios nos llamó a ser sus discípulos.

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En la primera lectura de hoy, nos vemos la primera parte de nuestra llamada. Esta lectura nos habla de una de la más famosa alianza de Dios con su pueblo, la alianza de Sinaí. A través de ella, Dios hizo Israel su pueblo y ofrece guiarlo hacia un destino grande, y su pueblo ofrece obediencia.

Si el pueblo es fiel a su promesa, será para siempre el pueblo sagrado, la posesión de Dios. Si fracasa en su destino, humano, Dios no lo abandonará, sino que lo seguirá buscando. Esta es la forma de actuar de Dios porque ama a su pueblo. Aunque le fallamos, nunca nos abandona. Por eso, es sabio el dicho: “Es humano fracasar, es divino el perdonar.”

Como humanos, fallamos en nuestra parte de nuestra alianza con Dios. Sin embargo, como los israelitas, nos apresuramos a decir: “¡Todo lo que el Señor ha dicho, haremos!” (Éxodo 19:8). Tenemos prisa a decir sí, creemos y seremos fieles a Dios. Sin embargo, de muchas maneras fallamos. A pesar de esto, Dios nunca nos abandona. Él sigue siendo fiel a la alianza.

En la segunda lectura de hoy, Pablo nos recuerda cómo Dios continúa siendo fiel a nosotros a través del sacrificio de su Hijo, Jesucristo, para nuestra salvación: “Y la prueba de que Dios nos ama está en que Cristo murió por nosotros, cuando aún éramos pecadores.” A través del sacrificio de Cristo, somos constantemente reconciliados con Dios.

El segundo aspecto de nuestro llamado es ser discípulos en un mundo que pierde rápidamente el significado de la vida, en un mundo donde muchos se sienten abandonados, impotentes y sin esperanza. Este llamado y misión nacieron de la misericordia y la compasión por un mundo desamparado. Por eso el evangelio de hoy nos dice: “al ver Jesús a las multitudes, se compadecía de ellas, porque estaban extenuadas y desamparadas, como ovejas sin pastor.”

Por lo tanto, como cristianos, cada uno de nosotros tiene un llamado único. En virtud de nuestro bautismo, Dios escogió y llamó a cada uno de nosotros su nuevo nombre, para ayudar a nuestro mundo desamparado. Este es un llamado especial a levantar y salvar nuestro mundo en ruinas. Es un llamado a ser verdaderos hermanos a unos a otros. A medida que Dios y su Hijo continúan mostrándonos misericordia y compasión, también debemos mostrar misericordia a unos a otros especialmente a aquellos que frascaron de una manera u otra.

Finalmente, nuestra llamada tiene un propósito y un mensaje único. Hoy, Cristo envió a sus discípulos con instrucciones específicas. “No vayan a tierra de paganos ni entren en ciudades de samaritanos. Vayan más bien en busca de las ovejas perdidas de la casa de Israel.

¿Está discriminando Cristo? ¡No! De hecho, Cristo vino a salvar al mundo. Sin embargo, nuestro llamado y misión debe comenzar desde algún lugar. Debemos comenzar esta misión con nosotros mismos, en nuestros hogares, familias y comunidades (misión ad intra). Luego, podemos extenderla a otros (misión ad extra). A través de esto, Cristo nos recuerda que la caridad comienza desde el hogar. Esto es importante porque primero debemos ser el pueblo de Dios antes de ser discípulos de Dios.

Por eso, queridos hermanos, oremos a Dios para que nos mantenga fieles a su llamado a ser su pueblo y discípulos.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranata!

Pip: Corpus Christi, bread that outlasts the desert, and a feast that took a pope to make universal — canicecnjoku brings the solemnity into focus this week.

Mara: That’s right. The posts cover the Eucharist as both spiritual nourishment and the source of the Church’s unity — the same homily delivered in English and in Spanish for the Corpus Christi solemnity.

Pip: Let’s start with what the Eucharist actually is and why it matters.

Eucharist: Bread, Body, and Divine Presence

Mara: The question at the center of Corpus Christi is this: what does it mean for God to remain present with us, and how does the Eucharist answer that question across time, from the desert to the Mass?

Pip: The English homily, “Homily For The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Year A,” sets the frame directly. The gospel reading is the spine, and Christ’s claim is unambiguous: “I am the living bread. The bread that I shall give is my flesh — if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.”

Mara: That claim was scandalous enough that disciples walked away and Romans accused early Christians of cannibalism. The homily doesn’t soften that history — it names it, then pivots to what distinguishes the Eucharist from the manna in the desert.

Pip: The manna sustained Israel physically, and they still died. The Eucharist, the argument goes, sustains spiritually and permanently. That’s the real typological break the homily is drawing.

Mara: And the first reading from Deuteronomy does the setup work. Moses reminds the people: “He humbled and fed you with manna. Do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you water and fed you with manna in this dry place.” The Eucharist is positioned as the fulfillment of that same sustaining love, now extended to the soul.

Pip: So the logic runs: physical food, manna, Eucharist — each a step deeper into what it means for God to nourish his people. The stakes aren’t ceremonial; they’re about what actually keeps a person alive in the fullest sense.

Mara: The homily also names a second focus — the Church itself as the Body of Christ. Paul’s second reading grounds the community dimension: unity across people, races, and nations through sharing one Body and Blood. The Spanish homily, “Homilía para la Solemnidad de Corpus Christi, Año A,” covers the same ground and adds that when the Eucharist is given to the sick, it carries the name viaticum — food for the journey — which sharpens the image considerably.

Pip: Viaticum is a word that does a lot of quiet work. It reframes every Mass as a provision for travelers, not a reward for the arrived.

Mara: The homily puts it plainly: we go to Mass not because we are worthy, but because we always need God’s love and mercy — and those come through the Eucharist.

Pip: Which is also how the feast holds together its two foci — presence in the bread, presence in the gathered community — without one swallowing the other.

Mara: Corpus Christi itself has a history worth noting: it originated in France in the mid-thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. The solemnity is old, but the homily treats the question it raises as permanently unsettled — worth returning to every year.

Pip: The kind of question that doesn’t close, which is probably why it keeps generating homilies in two languages.

Mara: The thread running through everything here is sustenance — what it means for God to feed his people across every kind of desert.

Pip: And whether the meal changes you or just fills you. That tension is worth sitting with until next time.

Dios Permanece Con Nosotros, A Por La Santa Eucaristía

Lecturas: 1^ra: Deu8: 2-3.14-16; Sal:147; 2^da: 2Co 20: 16-17; Ev: Jn 6: 51-58

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Hoy celebramos la solemnidad del cuerpo y sangre de Cristo o “Corpus Christi.” Se comenzó en Francia en la mitad del siglo dúo trece, y fue extendido a la iglesia entera por el Papa Urbano IV en 1264. Esta fiesta, se enfoca en dos manifestaciones. Primera, en la Santa Eucaristía como el cuerpo y la sangre de Cristo. Segunda, en la Iglesia como el cuerpo de Cristo.

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En el estudio de la nutrición humana, los siguientes dichos son verdades: “eres lo que comes”, y una buena comida nutre el cuerpo. Mientras que la comida física que comemos nutre el cuerpo, la comida espiritual nutre nuestra alma, la prepara y preserva para la eternidad. La Santa Eucaristía, como el cuerpo y la sangre de Cristo no solo hace el alma cabe de morar en sano cuerpo, sino que también lo hace caber de aparecer en antes Dios.

 En la primera lectura, Moisés recuerda sus hermanos de como Dios los cuidaba por nutrir y sostenerlos en el desierto: “les Humilló… les alimentó con el maná… No olviden al Señor su Dios, que en este lugar sin agua les trajo agua y les alimentó con maná…” Por esto, Dios demostró su amor y su capacidad a sostener su pueblo elegido físicamente y espiritualmente. En nuestro tiempo, Dios nos ha dado la Eucaristía para nuestro alimento espiritual. Por lo tanto, la Eucaristía es el “Sacramento de la salvación universal”.

En la segunda lectura, Pablo nos recuerda la unidad de la iglesia a través de compartir en un solo cuerpo y sangre de Cristo. Durante la celebración eucarística, personas, comunidades, razas y naciones están unidas ya que comparten en el cuerpo y sangre de Cristo. Por lo tanto, en cada Misa se llama nuestra atención a la presencia real de Cristo en la Eucaristía.

En el Evangelio de hoy, Cristo sucintamente proclamó: “Yo soy el pan de vida. El pan que Yo les daré es mi carne… Si no comen la carne del hijo del hombre y beben su sangre; no tendrán vida en ustedes.” Fue a causa de esta verdad que algunos de sus discípulos le abandonada pensando: ¡este dicho es duro…! (Jn 6:61). Además, los romanos (ca. 64-313 D.C.) acusaron los cristianos de canibalismo. Como dijo Cristo, su cuerpo es verdadera comida, y su sangre verdadero vino. Aunque es una tipología del maná que los israelitas comieron en el desierto (y todavía murieron), es diferente porque como Cristo dice: “Quien come el cuerpo y bebe la sangre del hijo del hombre nunca morirá.”

Por lo tanto, la Eucaristía sostiene nuestra vida espiritual, mientras que la comida humana y el maná que los israelitas comieron, sostiene nuestra vida física y mortal. Nos da la gracia de sentirse perdonado y estar dispuesta a perdonar a los demás. Vamos a Misa, no porque seamos dignos. Más bien, porque siempre estamos en necesidad de la misericordia y amor de Dios. Éstos vienen a través de la Eucaristía.

La Eucaristía afecta la vida de nuestras comunidades cristianas. Es a través de la Eucaristía que recibimos nuestra identidad y misión como iglesia. Providencialmente, Dios la hizo disponible a nosotros para alimentarnos en nuestro viaje espiritual. Por lo tanto, cuando se administra a los enfermos, se llama “viáticos (comida para el viaje). A través de ella, Dios sigue a permanecer con nosotros.

Finalmente, el foco secundario de esta solemnidad está en el cuerpo de Cristo presente en la iglesia. La iglesia es llamada el cuerpo de Cristo debido a la íntima comunión que Jesús comparte con sus discípulos. Cristo expresó esta unidad mediante el uso de la metáfora del cuerpo, en la que él mismo es la cabeza. Esta imagen ayuda a mantener en foco a la unidad y la diversidad de la iglesia. Así que, durante cualquier celebración eucarística, Cristo se hace disponible a nosotros, nos atrae a sí mismo y nos une uno con el otro.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranatha!

God Abides with Us, Through the Holy Eucharist

Readings: 1^st: Deu 8: 2-3.14-16; Ps 147; 2^nd: 2Cor 20: 16-17; Gos: Jn 6: 51-58

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ or “Corpus Christi.” It originated in France in the mid-thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. This feast focuses on two manifestations: the Holy Eucharist as the body of Christ and the Church as the body of Christ.

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In the study of Human Nutrition, the following statements are very factual: “You are what you eat” and “good food nourishes the body.” While the physical food we eat nourishes the body, spiritual food nourishes our soul, prepares, and preserves it for eternity. The Eucharist, as the body and blood of Christ, not only makes the soul fit to dwell in a healthy body but also makes it fit to appear before God.

In the first reading, Moses reminded his brethren of how God took good care of them by nourishing and sustaining them in the desert: “He humbled and fed you with manna. Do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you water and fed you with manna in this dry place.” Through this, God demonstrated his love and ability to sustain His chosen people physically and spiritually. In our time, God has given us the Eucharist for our spiritual nourishment. Hence, the Holy Eucharist is the “Sacrament of universal salvation.”

In the second reading, Paul reminds us of the church’s unity through sharing in the one Body and Blood of Christ. During the Eucharistic celebration, people, communities, races, and nations are united as they share in the Body and Blood of Christ. Hence, at every Mass, our attention is called to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

In today’s gospel, Christ succinctly proclaimed: “I am the living bread. The bread that I shall give is my flesh…if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” It was on account of this truth that some of his disciples deserted him thinking: “This saying is hard…!” (Jn. 6:61). Also, the Romans (ca. 64-313 AD) accused Christians of cannibalism. Christ said His body is real food, and his blood is true wine. Though it is a typology of the Manna that the Israelites ate in the desert (and still died), it is different because, as Christ says: “Whoever eats the body and drinks the blood of the Son of Man will never die.”

Hence, the Eucharist sustains our spiritual life, while our human food and the Manna that the Israelites eat sustain our physical and mortal life. It gives us the grace to feel forgiven and to be ready to forgive others. We go to Mass not because we are worthy. Instead, these come through the Eucharist because we always need God’s love and mercy.

The Eucharist affects the life of our Christian communities. It is from it that we receive our identity and mission as a church. Providentially, God made it available to us in order to nourish us on our spiritual journey. Hence, when administered to the sick, it is called “viaticum (food for the journey). Through it, God continues to abide with us.

Finally, the secondary focus of this solemnity is on the Body of Christ as it is present in the Church. The Church is called the Body of Christ because of the intimate communion which Jesus shares with his disciples. Christ expressed this unity by using the metaphor of a body, in which Himself is the head. This image helps to keep in focus both the unity and the diversity of the Church. So, during any Eucharistic celebration, Christ makes himself available, draws us closer to himself, and unites us with one another.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!

Pip: The Most Holy Trinity — three persons, one God, and approximately zero adequate human words to explain it. Fr. canicecnjoku is here anyway, and he gives it a proper go.

Mara: Both homilies this week land on the same solemnity: Holy Trinity Sunday, Year A. One in English, one in Spanish — same readings, same mystery, two languages reaching toward the same unreachable thing. Let's start with what the Trinity actually asks of us.

Holy Trinity Homilies

Mara: Trinity Sunday falls just a week after Pentecost, and the question the homily opens with is the one everyone quietly has — how does three-in-one actually work, and why does it matter outside of a creed?

Pip: The English homily goes straight to the Catechism for the spine of the answer. Here is the passage it quotes directly: "The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the consubstantial Trinity. The divine persons do not share one divinity among themselves, but each is entirely God. The divine persons are distinct from one another. God is one but not solitary."

Mara: So the upshot is that the Trinity is not a math problem to solve but a communion to enter. Distinctness and unity held together — that is the claim, and it is the reason the doctrine has weight beyond theology class.

Pip: The homily grounds that claim in the readings before it reaches for abstraction. Moses on the mountain — obedient, humble — wins God's relenting. Paul closes his letter with what the homily calls a trinitarian formula.

Mara: And that formula is quoted directly: "The grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Paul uses it to close multiple letters — First Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians — because the formula does work. It invokes a unified action from three distinct persons.

Pip: Then the Gospel lands the practical point. "God sent his son so that through him the world might be saved" — not as a transaction, but as the Trinity reaching outward, seeking fellowship with us.

Mara: The Spanish homily, "Homilía del Domingo de la Santísima Trinidad, Año A," covers the same arc but adds a phrase worth sitting with: the Trinity is "la familia en cuya imagen podemos construir nuestra propia comunidad humana" — the family in whose image we build our own human community.

Pip: Which reframes the whole thing. The Trinity is not an abstract ceiling to admire. It is a floor plan.

Mara: Both homilies close on that note — that a divided family lacks the fellowship of the Trinitarian God, and that the invitation of Trinity Sunday is to close that gap.

Pip: Mystery and community, then — two words that keep pulling toward each other across both texts, in both languages.

Mara: What stays with me is that both homilies treat the Trinity as a live question, not a settled answer — something to be lived, not just confessed.

Pip: Same mystery, two languages, one direction. Next time, we'll see where the readings take us.

Glory Be To The Father, To The Son And To the Holy Spirit, Amen!

Readings: 1st: Ex 34, 4-6.8-9; Ps. (Dan 3, 52-56); 2nd: 2Cor 13: 11-13; Gos Jn 3: 16-18

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Today, just a week after Pentecost, the holy mother church celebrates the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Today’s celebration is a song of praise to God, who has called us to share in this mystery. Two concise prayers and blessings include: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you,” and “May the Almighty God bless you the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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These are called trinitarian formulas. In these, the Trinitarian God unites to perform the function for which they are being consulted. Paul knew this and so constantly employed this formula in concluding most of his letters (1 Cor, 16, 23; 2Cor 13, 14; Gal 6, 18; Phil 4, 2).

The first question that comes to mind at the first encounter with the doctrine of the Trinity is: “Three Persons in One God, how could that be? Indeed, it should provoke such a question. However, this question becomes meaningful if only one could humble oneself and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten him through the church.

Hence, the Church teaches that:“The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the consubstantial Trinity. The divine persons do not share one divinity among themselves, but each is entirely God. The divine persons are distinct from one another. God is one but not solitary. Father, Son, Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are distinct from one another” (CCC253-255, p.82-83).

In the first reading, we see the obedience and humility of Moses before God. This humility won him the favor of God. Here also, God proved that he is indeed a Father. This is because, although He was not happy with the ways of his people, He relented his anger. So, because of the prayer of Moses, he forgave them.

 In the second reading, Paul encourages us to “be united and live in peace.” He concluded with his usual benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” In this, Paul shows great interest in the unity of the Christian community.

In order words, by invoking the Trinitarian fellowship on them, he wishes that they emulate it and be united in heart and soul as the Most Holy Trinity. A divided family lacks the fellowship of the Trinitarian God and needs to give it a chance.

Today’s gospel is very popular: “God sent his son so that through him the world might be saved.” This sending is one way through which we share in the Trinitarian Community. They keep coming to us to unite and make us be like them. They continue to seek fellowship with us because they wish that we be united as they are.

Human words cannot perfectly explain this divine reality and mystery of the Trinity. So, no terminology or formulation is adequate to communicate it. We need God’s enlightenment and grace to comprehend the trinitarian mystery and theology. Nevertheless, the Christian faith is trinitarian, and every Christian needs to partake fully in this mystery.

Finally, the Trinity is not an abstract theological concept. Instead, it is a reality that is to be believed and lived. The Trinity is someone to whom we pray, but it is also a community, the communion of three in one, the family in whose image we build up our human community. In appreciation of this fellowship and communion, let us praise the Most Holy Trinity:“Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!

Gloria al Padre, al Hijo y al Espíritu Santo. ¡Amén!

Lecturas: 1^ra: Ex 34, 4-6.8-9; Sal. (Dan 3, 52-56); 2da: 2Cor 13: 11-13; Ev: Jn 3: 16-18

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

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Hoy, apenas una semana después de Pentecostés, la santa madre Iglesia celebra la solemnidad de la Santísima Trinidad. La celebración de hoy es un canto de alabanza a Dios, que nos ha llamado a participar de este misterio. Dos oraciones y bendiciones concisas incluyen:“La gracia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, el amor de Dios y la comunión del Espíritu Santo sean con vosotros;” y “Que el Dios Todopoderoso le bendiga, Padre, Hijo y el Espíritu Santo. ¡Amen!

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Se llaman fórmulas trinitarias. En estos, el Dios trinitario se unen para realizar la función para que se consultan. Pablo sabía esto y así, constantemente emplea esta fórmula para concluir la mayoría de sus cartas (1 Co, 16, 23; 2 Co 13, 14; Gal 6, 18; Filipenses 4, 2).

La primera pregunta que viene a la mente en el primer encuentro con la doctrina de la Trinidad es: ¿Tres personas en un Dios?, ¿cómo podría ser? De hecho, debe provocar una pregunta. Sin embargo, esta pregunta se convierte en significativa si solamente uno podría humillar sí mismo, y pedir al Espíritu Santo que lo ilumine a través de la iglesia.

Por lo tanto, la Iglesia enseña que: “La Trinidad es una. No confesamos tres dioses sino un solo Dios en tres personas, la Trinidad consubstancial. Las personas divinas no comparten una divinidad entre sí, pero cada uno de ellos es Dios todo y entero… Las personas divinas son realmente distintas entre sí. Dios es único, pero no solitario. Padre, hijo, Espíritu Santo no son simplemente nombres que designa las modalidades del ser divino, pues son realmente distintos entre sí” (CIC 253-255, p.82-83).

En la primera lectura vemos la obediencia y la humildad de Moisés delante de Dios. Esta humildad lo ganó el favor de Dios. Aquí también, Dios demostró que él es un padre. Esto es porque, aunque él no era feliz con las acciones y manera de la vida de su pueblo Israel, se cedió su ira. Por lo tanto, debido a la oración de Moisés, él los perdonó.

En la segunda lectura, Pablo nos anima a “permanecer unida y vivir en paz”. Concluyó con su bendición característica: “La gracia del Nuestro Señor Jesús, el amor de Dios y la comunión del Espíritu Santo este con todos ustedes.”En este sentido, Pablo muestra un gran interés en la unidad de la comunidad cristiana.

En palabras de orden, invocando la comunión trinitaria, él desea que lo emulamos y estar unidos en el cuerpo y el alma como la Santísima Trinidad. Una familia dividida hace falta la comunión del Dios trinitario y necesita dar esa comunión una oportunidad.

El Evangelio de hoy es muy popular: “Dios envió a su hijo para que por medio de él podría salvar el mundo”. Este envío es una manera a través de cual compartimos en la comunidad trinitaria. Siguen llegando a nosotros, nos unen y nos hacen ser como ellos. Siguen a buscar comunión con nosotros, porque desean que seamos unidos como ellos son.

Palabras humanas no pueden explicar perfectamente esta realidad divina y el misterio de la Trinidad. Así, terminología o formulación no es adecuada para comunicarlo. Todo lo que necesitamos es la iluminación de Dios y su gracia, para poder comprender el misterio trinitario y su teología. Sin embargo, la fe cristiana es trinitaria, sobre todo, y es muy importante para todos los cristianos a participar plenamente en este misterio.

Finalmente, la Trinidad no es un concepto teológico abstracto, en cambio, es una realidad que debe ser creído y vivido. La Trinidad es alguien a quien oramos, pero también es una comunidad, la comunión de tres en uno, la familia en cuya imagen podemos construir nuestra propia comunidad humana. En la apreciación de esta fraternidad y comunión, demos alabanza a la Santísima Trinidad: Gloria al padre, y al hijo, y al Espíritu Santo. ¡Amén!

La paz sea con ustedes ¡

Maranatha

Un Nuevo Pentecostés: ¡Ven Espiritu Santo, ven!

Lectura: 1^ra: Hch 2: 1-11; Sal: 103: 24-34; 2^da: 1Co 12: 3-7.12-12; Ev: Jn 20: 19-23

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

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Hoy es el domingo de Pentecostés. Pentecostés es una fiesta que ocupa una posición muy importante y prominente en la historia y el calendario litúrgico de la iglesia. Esto es porque sirve como puente entre Pascua y tiempo ordinario del año.

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La primera lectura de este domingo narra la historia de cómo Cristo finalmente cumplió su promesa a sus discípulos, que obedecieron fielmente su mandato: “¡No dejan Jerusalén hasta que el abogado viene!” (Hch 1, 5). De la perspectiva de esta lectura, por lo tanto, la celebración de hoy es una recompensa por el fiel obediencia y constancia en la oración.

Es importante tener en cuenta que uno de los mejores aspectos de esta fiesta que es muy incomprendido y abusado es el don de lengua. Es importante que prestamos atención a las enseñanzas de Pablo sobre el tema de regalos y lenguas en 1 Co 12 y 14. Es un don gratuito de Dios y no viene a través de aprender y practicar.

Quienquiera habla lenguas falsas es tanto blasfemando contra Dios y cometiendo sacrilegio. Es decir, el pecado contra el Espíritu Santo. Este don fue dado a los Apóstoles para ayudarlos difundir el Evangelio a diferentes personas que se reunieron de todas las Naciones para escucharlos: “Ahora eran hombres devotos que viven en Jerusalén… cada uno desconcertado para oir estos hombres hablando en su propia lengua las maravillas de Dios.” No fue dado a ellos para aumentar su ego, o para sus propios intereses personales o egoísmo. En cambio, fue dado a ellos con el fin de edificar la iglesia y para transmitir el mensaje de la vida eterna a otros.

En la segunda lectura de hoy, Pablo hace una declaración muy importante: “nadie puede decir ‘Jesús es Señor’ a menos que está bajo la influencia del Espíritu Santo.” Lo que esto significa es que es Dios mismo que nos permite a través de los dones que hemos recibido hoy para reconocer el señorío de Cristo. Reconociendo el señorío de Cristo era una tarea difícil para Satanás porque, el Espiritu Santo lo dejó.

Lo obvio es que cuando Pablo usa la frase “Jesús es el Señor”, él no simplemente refiriéndose a la declaración literaria del señorío de Cristo. Lo que él significa es, que Jesús es el Señor de la vida. Para lograr esto, se necesita la convicción del Espíritu Santo.

Decir que Jesús es el Señor es vivirlo, y para tenerlo realmente como el Señor vivo. Sólo aquellos que están guiados por el Espíritu Santo verdaderamente son hijos de Dios (Rom 8, 14). Es el espíritu que recibimos hoy, que nos ayuda proclamar el señorío de Cristo: “Ustedes han recibido el espíritu de la filiación, y por él, clamamos Abba Padre. El Espíritu da testimonio con nuestro espíritu que somos hijos de Dios”(Rom 8, 15-16).

En el Evangelio de hoy vemos el Dios trinitario en la acción, cada uno haciendo y cumpliendo su acción, y aún unidos. Funcionaron como si fueran involucrados en una carrera de relevos, donde cada uno entregó la batuta a otro. Sin embargo, a pesar de ello, ninguno de ellos fue pasiva en cualquier momento. Jesús dice, “como el padre me envió así yo lo voy a enviar, reciben el Espíritu Santo”.

El Espíritu Santo que recibimos hoy viene en ninguna manera a reemplazar a Cristo. Más bien, él ha venido a ayudarnos a alcanzar lo que él ayudó a Cristo alcanzar. Por lo tanto, el mismo Espíritu nos da el poder para testificar al señorío de Cristo. Es un nuevo Pentecostés, por eso imploremos al Señor: “Envía tu espíritu Seño, y renueva la faz de la tierra. 

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranatha!

A New Pentecost: Come Holy Spirit, come!

Readings: 1st: Acts 2: 1-11; Ps 103: 24-34; 2nd: 1Cor 12: 3-7.12-12; Gos: Jn 20: 19-23

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

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Today is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is a feast which occupies a very important and prominent position in the Church’s history and liturgical calendar. This is because it serves as the bridge between Easter Season and Ordinary Time of the year.

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The first reading of this Sunday tells the story of how Christ eventually fulfilled his promise to his disciples, who faithfully obeyed his command: “Do not leave Jerusalem until the advocate comes!” (Acts 1, 5). From the perspective of this reading, therefore, today’s celebration is a reward for faithful obedience and steadfastness in prayer.

It is important to note that one of the greatest aspects of this feast that is grossly misunderstood and abused is the gift of tongue. It is important that we grasp Paul’s teachings on the issue of gifts and speaking in tongues in 1 Cor 12 and 14. It is a gratuitous gift from God and does not come through learning and practicing.

 Anyone who speaks false tongues is both blaspheming against God and committing sacrilege. That is, sin against the Holy Spirit. This gift was given to the apostles to aid them spread the good news to different people who gathered from all nations to listen to them: “Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem…each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language about the marvels of God.” It was not given to them to boost their ego, or for their own personal or selfish interest. Instead, it was given to them in order to edify the church and to transmit the message of eternal life on to others.

In the second reading of today, Paul makes a very important statement: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” What this means is that it is God himself that enables us through the gifts we have received today in order to recognize the lordship of Christ. Recognizing the lordship of Christ was a difficult task for Satan because, the Holy left him.

The obvious fact is that when Paul uses the phrase “say Jesus is Lord”, he is not simply referring to the literary pronouncement of the lordship of Christ. Rather, he means is, making Jesus the Lord of one’s life. To achieve this, one needs the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

To say Jesus is Lord is to live it, and to actually have him as the lord of one’s live. Only those who are being led by the Holy Spirit are truly sons and daughters of God (Rom 8, 14). It is the Spirit that we receive today, that will therefore prompt us to proclaim the lordship of Christ: “You received the spirit of sonship, and by him, we cry Abba Father. The spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom 8, 15-16).

In today’s gospel, we see the Trinitarian God in action, each doing and completing His action and yet united. They operated as though they were involved in a relay race, where each handed over the baton to the other. However, in spite of this, none of them was passive at any moment. Jesus says, “as the Father sent me so I am sending you, receive the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit we received today has in no way come to replace Christ. Rather, He has come to help us achieve what he helped Christ achieve. Therefore, the same Spirit empowers us to move out in order to testify to the lordship of Christ. It is a new Pentecost, so we implore the Lord: “Send forth your spirit Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!