August 28, 2024 St. Augustine.

Cultivating an interior life

In St Augustine’s Confessions, we can read:

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you. You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things that you created. You were with me, but I was not with you.”

St. Augustine’s words are an invitation to “cultivate an interior life in order to find what you are looking for,”

"Our life is the most precious ‘book’ that is given to us. Failing to read it is failing to discover God's miracles in our personal lives.

St. Augustine of Hyppo, pray for us!

Tuesday 27, 2024. Mt. 23:23-26.

Interior Cleaning

 “Cleanse first the inside of the cup…”

 We should tend to our souls and make sure the intentions behind our actions are holy motivations. We need to check our heart frequently so that we can work with purity of intention. Sometimes, we work only to present an appearance to others, to appear virtuous and holy, but inside, we are filled with negative judgments, such as lack of charity, love, forgiveness, and purity. Virtue comes from within the heart of a person, where the Spirit dwells and inspires as he wills. We need to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and follow his lead.

Fr Georges sac

Feast of Bartholomew. Rev.21: 9-14; Ps144; John 1:45-51.

Come and see

Very little is known about Bartholomew or  Nathaniel, “a name that means God has given.'" 

He is doubtful that Jesus' origin who is from Nazareth. God's freedom surprises our expectations. God is sometimes found where he is least expected."

We need to become like Phillip, who invited Nathaniel to meet Jesus personally: ‘Come and see!’ he said. May we all help others to have a living experience with Christ Jesus so that they come to the profession of the faith. Our witnessing is very important for the exposition of the Catholic faith.

 St.  Bartholomew, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Friday of the 20th week year B. Ez. 37:1-28; Ps. 107; Mt. 22:34-40

Dry Bones shall live!

The vision of the dry bones of prophet Ezekiel represents the deep crisis and hopelessness of Israel due to their exilic conditions. They are like separated dry bones in a deep valley. Yet,
this crisis will lead to renewal. God to whom nothing is impossible will restore his people and bring them back to their land. It foreshadows the experience of the glory and resurrection to come.
Whatever hopeless situation and condition that we find ourselves in will always have a resurrection point. Never give up for God will never give up on you! Love and have hope!

Immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday of the 20th week year B. Ex. 36:23-28; Ps. 51; Mt. 22:1-14.

A new heart!

The people of Israel have sinned by delving into idolatry. they lost their freedom, their land, their peace, and joy of God's children. The prophet Ezekiel makes a powerful promise according to which, there will soon be a restoration. God will do something new in their lives (Rev 21:5). He will give them a new heart. Jesus fulfilled this promise through his death and resurrection.
That love that springs forth from a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5) are indeed the true sign of the wedding garment which God requests from everyone who is freely invited to partake at the eternal banquet.

Immaculate the heart of Mary, pray for us!

Wednesday of the 20th week, year B. Ez. 34:1-10;Ps 22; Mt. 20: 1-16.

Called to be good shepherds

Jesus is the model of the true shepherding as promised by God to humanity (Jer 3:15). When parents, teachers, priests, bishops, the Pope, and civil leaders live up to their responsibilities of charity according to their states of lives, they become shepherds after the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John10:1-11).
Lord, make me trustworthy, sincere in my relationships and totally committed to love and to care for others as Jesus did. Shepherdship is about loving like Jesus would love.

Immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Tuesday of the 20th week in ordinary Time. Ezekiel 28:1-10; Ps Deut 32; Mt 19:23-30

I kill and I make alive

The prince of Tyre in the Book Ezekiel, Emperor Nero, king Nebucadnezar, many other kings, philosophers, scientists, and so many of us, because of our intelligence, wisdom, power and wealth or so called freedom often think that, we have become not like God but “gods”. This illusion misleads and misguides our world today. God reminds us of his uniqueness in being, in power, in creating, in actions, in time and in space as he is the only true, omnipotent, irresistible, Almighty and everliving God. God affirms his uniqueness: I kill and make alive; I wound and heal (Deut.32:39) There is only one God who can do all things. There is no other. We are all creatures. Let’s put aside our pride and any other relationship that tries to overtake the space of God in our lives and in our world!

O, Immaculate Heart of Mary teach us how to love God above all things!

Fr. Georges R. BIDZOGO SAC

Reflection of Monday of the 20th week year B. Ez. 24: 15-24; Mt.19:16-22.

Sell them, and give them to the poor!

The young wealthy and pious man wishes to become a disciple of Jesus. In spite of great desire, he became sad at the end because his wish is confronted with Jesus 's request of detachment from material wealth, which includes our generosity towards the poor. True discipleship consists of putting the kingdom of God above all. One must be ready to give up everything or to use whatever they own for its sake. It is not enough to know God's will but to go forth with God's will even when this might be hard. A true disciple is not just about keeping the laws but to be a good Samaritan who takes care of his neighbor. It is a matter of a change of mind and attitude; yes, discipleship with Jesus is a change of heart!

Happy New week

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Saturday of the 19th week in Ordinary Time B. Ez. 18:1-32; Ps. 50; Mt. 19:13-15.

Personal responsibilities!

The Lord says in today's first reading that: "I will judge each of you according to their conduct." We must stop the finger pointing of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). The children of Israel were reminded not to keep hiding behind the sins and mistakes of the ancestors. Without neglecting the circumstances that can influence our behavior and our situations in life, we must remember every day that God will judge each of us individually according to what we have done with the life, the children, the family, the community he has given us. Yes, "God will bring every work to judgment" (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday of the 19th week. B. Ez. 16:1-63. Mt. 19:3-12.

Today, Jesus deals with the question of indissolubility of marriage. We must always remember that he created them male and female (Gen. 1:27; 2:24). The word unchastity that he uses in the Gospel refers to illegal marriages. The separation of couples sometimes permissible for grave reasons does not permit any of the parties to contract a new marriage. This reaffirms the faithfulness in marriage love. In spite of some difficulties surrounding marriages, sacramental marital life portrays the fidelity and joy of loving like God loves.

Pray for healing in marriages today!

Fr. Georges sac

Solemnity of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 1 Ch. 15:3-4. Revelation 11:19- 12:6, 10 Luke 1: 46-55

Mary, Mother of the new world

Today our Mother, the Church celebrates the day when, our mother Mary was taken into heaven body and soul at the end of her earthly life. That is the Assumption. This is for us a day of joy, for God has won; Love has conquered over death. For late Pope Benedict XIV: “We have a Mother in heaven. And the Mother of God, the Mother of the Son of God, is our Mother.” Our salvation is total, body and soul.  Mary is the first definitively saved following Jesus.

God is Mighty and Great

Today’s Gospel, the “Magnificat” portrays the true life of Mary. In the assumption, we celebrate the life of Mary who “magnifies” the Lord and “proclaims God’s greatness”. Yes God is great even too Great that he can intrude on our freedom, our vital space. Mary was open to this possibility. She was not oppressed but raised and expanded. Contrary to our Mother Mary, most of us like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), the prodigal son (Luke 15) we often think that God does not give us our freedom; he restricts the space in our lives. We want to be independent or autonomous without God. But we always end up becoming slaves of our illusions. Mary teaches us that accepting God's greatness in our lives automatically opens us to his holy will and his divine splendor becomes ours. This necessitates a life of prayer which gives sense and directions to our public and personal lives.   

Loving and living God’s Word

Mary was “at home” with God’s word. The word was made flesh in her; she lived on God’s word, she was penetrated by God’s word. This endowed her with the inner enlightenment of wisdom. Loving the word of God like Mary would help us think with God and think well. If we allow the word of God to speak to us as it spoke to Mary, we too will live well and speak well. This can give us valid criteria to judge all the things of the world. We will become prudent, wise, good, strong, and courageous and endowed with God’s strength to resist evil and foster good in the world. Mary, through her Assumption, speaks with us, speaks to us, and invites us to know the Word of God, to love the Word of God, to live with the Word of God, to think with the Word of God. Let’s cherish God’s word in our liturgy and in our daily lives. Mary opens the word to our lives and makes it present in our lives. Mary’s story, Mary’s song, is ours too, calling us as ordinary human beings to stay into a loving relationship with God through his word. She is the Mother of the new World as she is the new Eve and we become a new creation as we are born in Christ, Jesus her Son. (2Corin 5:17).

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC 

August 14, 2024. Maximilian Kolbe. Ezekiel 9: 1-7; 10, 18-22; Mt 18:15-20.

A martyr of love

We celebrate the feast of the Franciscan priest and Polish martyr, St. Maximilian Kolbe, founder of Militia Immaculatae. He was 47-year-old when volunteered to die in place of a stranger, Franciszek who was a husband and a father of two sons in 1941. St. Kolbe was arrested in February 1941 on charges of aiding Jews and the Polish underground and was imprisoned in Warsaw.  He was deported to the death camp of Auschwitz, Poland. He was forced to the most humiliating jobs, such as carrying dead bodies to the crematorium. The priest and the others were locked up in the "starvation bunker" without food and water for two weeks. During that time, he led the prisoners in prayer and he remained the only survivor. To end his life, the authorities decided to use a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Before dying, he pronounced the two words, “Ave Maria” and was canonized by St John Paul II on October 10, 1982 who stated this about him: “Death suffered for love, in place of the brother is a heroic act of man, through which, together with the new Saint, we glorify God.” 

“Lord, have mercy on your people, Lord, forgive us for so much cruelty”.

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Tuesday of the 19th week. Year B. Ez 2:8-3:4; Ps 119; Mt 18:1-5.10.12-14.

Eating the scroll

Ezekiel is asked to eat the scroll and then speak to the house of Israel. In Revelation 10:8-11, John is asked to eat the small book, or the scroll. In both cases, the scroll represents the special mission for the Lord and word of God himself, which is the principle of life. It is our guiding principle and the food of our souls. We must not only not hear it, but assimilate it in our lives and become one with the word. The word must become our daily bread. In our daily menu, the word should always be first our main food. If we become humble, receptive and ready to learn like little children, the word of God will transform our lives. The kingdom of God is opened for us. No one should perish. Amen.

Our Lady of the assumption, teach us humility!

Fr. Georges R. BIDZOGO SAC

Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. 2 Cor. 9:6-10; John 12:24-26

Die and bear fruits!

While preaching on the feast of St. Lawrence, St. Augustine said: 'Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.' Diying the true process to life. Lawrence understood this, and he acted on it. In his life, he loved Christ; in his death, he followed in his footsteps." After sharing his life generously with the most vulnerable, he was roasted alive under the persecutions of Valarian around 258AD. Serving the most vulnerable is the true wealth of the Church.

Immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us.

Fr. Georges sac

Friday of the 18th week B. St Bénédicta of the cross. Na. 2:1.3; 3: 1-7; Mt. 16:24-28

The cross is our victory!

Today, Jesus is teaching us on the essence of Christianity. The cross, though painful and horrible, leads our victory. There is a cost to pay for following Jesus.
Discipleship is a free choice of Jesus's type of life. It is not an easy way to live because it's not about self-fulfillment but self-denial and readiness to die for others. It is about giving even when we are not sure to receive back. It is always about loving even when we are not loved; pardoning even when we are not pardoned. That is the meaning of the cross of Christ, which leads to freedom, peace, and victory. The cross of Christ lead to victory over sin and death for it is the triumph of God’s love. Are you willing to lay down your life as Jesus did? Jesus is asking you: would you lay down your life down for me?

St. Edith Stein, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Jer 31:1-7; Mt 15:21-28

Everlasting love

The finality of the denounciations of prophet Jeremiah against his people is salvation. God's remains faithful to his project for man. "I have loved you with an everlasting joy."  God does not give up on us. God is eternally faithful to  his words. He cares for us all pagans and Christians alike. Thank God for his infinite love and mercy (Ps118).

Immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us!

Tuesday of August 6, 2024. The Transfiguration. 2 Peter 1, 16-19; Ps. 96;Daniel 7:9-14; Mark 9:2-10

Experiencing the closeness and glory of God

All the synoptic gospels tell us about the transfiguration. During this event, Moses and Elijah appear talking to Jesus as they did with God at Horeb in the Old Testament. We are invited to experience God’s presence in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who fulfills the Law and the Prophets. God’s speaking in the cloud symbolizes his glory fully manifested in the person of Jesus Christ whom we should listen to. May we ask for the grace to recognize Jesus as the presence of God in our world. Are we willing to listen to him especially in difficult moments? Transfiguration is the paradigm of change and transformation. May the presence of Christ at the eucharist change and transform us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO sac

Monday of the 18th week. Dedication of the Basilica of Mary Major. Jer. 28:1-17;Ps118; Mt 14:13-21.

Mary, Mother of God

There are four principal basilicas in Roma, St. Mary Major, St. Peter, St. John Lateran, and St Paul. Built in the 5th century, Mary Major honors Mary under her title as “Mother of God and the church”. The emphasis for this title was on divinity of Christ. Jesus, although he was incarnated, was divine. For our salvation, we must have faith in him like Mary. He is our living bread as stated by himself in the Gospel. Mary, trusted God even in the midst of uncertainties, we are invited to walk through the storms and on the water of life with confidence. Life is a journey of faith, by Mary’s help, let us walk it in total trust in Jesus!

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Saturday of the 17th Week B. Jer 26: 11-16.24; Mt 14:1-12.

 Beware of the influence Satan.

 The first reading shows  the rejection of God's words and the decision  to kill Jeremiah because his denounciation of all injustices and corruption.

In the Gospel, Philip's wife, Herrodias, her daughter, and King Herod represent sinful attitudes of hatred, vanity, corruption, and greed. John Baptist raised his voice among them.

Like Jeremiah, John Baptist ended up alone in a dark prison cell because of his fidelity to his prophetic mission. He will be beheaded.

Both Jeremiah as well as John would have chosen comfort and security, but they decided to give meaning to their lives by giving it up for the truth and for others. 

Brothers and sisters, our life dies and withers if we do not give it up for Jesus, the love of others, justice, and peace.

Our Lady of victory. Pray for us!

Happy weekend!

Fr. Georges sac

Friday of 17th week in Ordinary Time Year B. Jer. 26:1-9, Mt. 13:54-58

Lack of faith!

Are we not victims today of the lack of trust in God? Jesus, in today's passage, is returning to his hometown, where the people's lack faith in him just because they thought they knew who he was: the son of the carpenter. This prevented them from witnessing the full extent of Jesus' miraculous power.
Our world is the way it is because we are no more faithful to God's word and plans like the people in Jérémiah' s time as well as Jesus's hometown's people. Faith is key to our relationship with God because it pushes us to act on his word with confidence.

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us!

Fr. Georges sac