16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Generosity opens to God’s rewards

july 20, 2025 | 16th sunday in ordinary time, Year C

Genesis 10:1-10A; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42

Dear brothers and sisters, this Sunday, we learn a lesson on generosity and welcoming. Martha welcomed Jesus at Bethany and offered him a wonderful meal. Mary welcomed him by opening her heart and listening to his words. Martha and Mary invite us to balance service with attentiveness to Jesus. We need to recognize the value of both practical acts and spiritual nourishment in hospitality. For St. Augustine that is true Christian hospitality, which is a natural result of a heart transformed by God's love. Such a heart is always eager to welcome others into a spiritual and physical home. Are we welcoming Christians?

Hospitality opens to God’s rewards

In the first reading from Genesis 18:1-10a, we discover the importance of hospitality and openness to strangers. Abraham was sitting by Terebinth of Mamre when he saw three men standing nearby. He welcomed them generously by offering them great hospitality. “Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree.” And Abraham asked Sarah, his wife, to prepare a wonderful meal for them. The three visitors turn out to be divine messengers, who finally gave Abraham and Sarah a special blessing. "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son." Caring for those in need is core biblical teaching. No wonder Jesus himself says: “For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). God's presence is found in unexpected places and in ordinary encounters. Abraham is teaching us today that giving and kindness can lead to blessings and positive outcomes. Our faith allows us to believe that God rewards those who demonstrate generosity, whether through financial giving, acts of service, or other forms of kindness. St. Paul advised the Community of Corinth: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). Generosity opens the door to both material and spiritual blessings. Our generosity is our way of laying up treasures in heaven. How do we welcome others, especially those who are not from our family?

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo SAC

Living the Gospel: Rejoicing in Hardships

In today’s second reading, St. Paul speaks of “rejoicing in his sufferings.” How hardship can help us strengthen our faith. We came across different forms of hardship, such as infertility and frustration with others. In Genesis, Sarah faces the hardship of infertility. As time passed, she struggled to believe that God’s promise of a child would be fulfilled. Yet, through this hardship, Abraham and Sarah’s faith was tested and grew stronger.

Hardships can help us to trust in God’s promises. The Gospel story of Martha and Mary includes the hardship of frustration. Martha is frustrated with Mary for not helping her with the work. Jesus gently reminds Martha that Mary has chosen the better part by sitting and listening to Him. This teaches us that in our frustrations, we need to focus on what truly matters.

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo SAC

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

“And who is my neighbor?”

july 13, 2025 | 15th sunday in ordinary time, Year C

Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Psalm 69; Colossians 1: 15-20; Luke 10:25-37

In a world more and more characterized by indifference, individualism, greed, selfishness, prejudices, tribal and ethnic and inter-state violence and wars, today’s Gospel reflects on the famous story of a man who fell victim to robbers and was beaten, stripped and left half dead. The priest and the Levite saw the man but passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler came upon the man and was moved with compassion. He transcended the religious, social and cultural barriers; took care of the victim and treated him with mercy. Who is the man left half dead? Who is my neighbor?

The Samaritan, the unlikely neighbor

The Samaritan was the least likely person to be a neighbor. Jews hated Samaritans due to religious and ethnic differences, coupled with historical tensions. Samaritans were seen as a mixed-ancestry group with a heretic form of worship distinct from mainstream Judaism. (2 Kings 17:24-41). So he was excluded in the definition of the neighbor as requested by the scholar of the law (Leviticus 19:18). Yet, he is the only true neighbor to the victim on the road. We are all called to have compassion on anyone to be their true neighbors. St. Thomas Aquinas defines the “neighbor” as anyone we encounter and to whom we extend our goodness and our generosity for God’s sake. St. Elizabeth of Trinity calls every human person as: “holy ground”. This means that everyone we meet is a “vessel of God’s love and presence”.

What about if we were the man who was left half dead?

In this parable, we are the man who was beaten on the road and Jesus is the Good Samaritan, the one who stops by our side to heal us. Just as this man would have died if the Good Samaritan would have passed, so would we have perished by sin and its effects represented in the story by the robbers as well as the wounds in the body of the man. These wounds of mortal and venial sins often require serious attention on our part. We must approach Jesus who pours out the precious blood flowing from his cross to forgive us just as the Samaritan poured out the oil and wine on the wounds of the victim. Christ left us in his Inn, the Church, and the priests are his Innkeeper who would continue his mission of healing and forgiveness until he comes again. Christ, like the Samaritan in the story, also bandages our wounds with his own bleeding flesh and restores our dignity of being children of God. The oil represents the Holy Spirit that we need for strength on our spiritual journey. This parable echoes the power of the grace that Christ has entrusted to his Church to continue in his name the healing of the “man left half dead”: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:23). He handed two silver coins to the Innkeeper with the instruction, “Take care of him. If you pay more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back” (Luke 10:35). What an incomprehensible love!

Jesus in this parable exposes our own prejudices and self-righteousness. Jesus is the True Good Samaritan who saves our lives. But we are all invited to emulate his love in our daily lives.

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZGO SAC

Living the Gospel this Week. What is Moral Law?

“If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the Law”

The words of Moses from the first reading from Deuteronomy 30:10, inspired me to speak about what is commonly known as Moral Law, that is, a set of religious law like canon law, or natural law or divine Law, which not necessarily set down by legislation. Moral law comes from God as a gift to guide us in choosing what good and avoiding harm. This law is already written in our hearts. It is not just a set of rules. By following moral law, we grow closer to God and live in ways that respect others. Moral Laws help build a just and loving community.

The core question that could help each of us act morally is "How will my actions affect others, and are those effects aligned with the Common Good and God’s will?”

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Proclaiming the Kingdom of God

july 6, 2025 | 14th sunday in ordinary time, Year C

Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9

In his Encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis wrote:

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.” Jesus in today’s gospel is sending out 70 disciples to proclaim his kingdom to the world. By appointing the 70, Christ extends his ministry to the wider world, encompassing all nations, as 70 represents the all descendants of Noah. The image of mother here suggests that God is the ultimate source of our comfort. “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble” we can read in Psalm 9:9 and David continues, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4) . In today’s gospel Jesus invites all of us to become laborers of the Gospel. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers of his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves” (Luke 10: 2-3). We are all part of this mission.

How to bring the Good news of Christ

Jesus himself insists on the urgency of simplicity and detachment from material of the disciples in their mission. “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals”. The disciples would rely on God's provision. Do we rely on God in our daily lives? St. John Chrysostom believes that detachment spoken by Jesus is about learning to prioritize one's relationship with God above all else. This includes a conscious effort to loosen one's grip on worldly attachments. When I left my family, this was a hard thing to do. When I had to choose between taking 9 years to become a priest with no assurance of any salary or safety versus becoming high Commissioner of the police while I still had a year at the university, was even a tougher decision to make. But I felt from Jesus, a very strong calling to bring his Good news to the world. I had to learn to prioritize the values of the kingdom and the priority of the power of the cross of Jesus Christ that St. Paul is talking about in the second reading. Paul is inviting you and I to preach the cross of Christ, which sets us free from the world’s bondage and gives us a new identity in Christ. Bringing Christ to the world is our universal mission. Perseverance in being good and doing good are important in this journey. (Cf.Gal. 6)

What is the Message we are to bring to the world today?

The message that we are to bring to the world is Jesus’ message. “The kingdom is near”. How near are you to God's kingdom? Yes, dear friends, In the name of Jesus, we are to bring the message of peace, restoration and rejoicing, newness and God’s comforting presence as we heard in the first reading. “I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent...As mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13). According to the second Vatican Council, we are invited to become agents of the missionary church. How do I bring the gospel of peace, love and reconciliation in our families, churches, communities and cities today? Remember always, you are among the missionaries of God’s kingdom! For Mother Teresa this Missionary work consisted in fostering peace and serving those in need.

Happy Sunday to you All.

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZGO SAC

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”! (Mt 16:16)

june 29, 2025 | solemnity of saints peter and paul, Year C

Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 34; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18; Matthew 16:13-19

Dear friends, I’m grateful to God and to All, on this June 29 as it marks my 17th priestly anniversary, which always falls in the celebration of Saints Peter and Paul. I’m so honored that God chose this day to ordain me a priest of Jesus Christ. Today, we continue to profess the same Faith that Saint Peter professed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”

Keeping the Faith by Teaching – St. Peter.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, the Faith we profess today is a gift of God. Down the ages, this gift has spread around the world through the ministry and witness of the Apostles and their successors. Peter was the first to profess it on behalf of us all. Christ gave him a special mission of being the visible foundation on which he would build his Church: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt. 16:18). Peter’s role is further defined by Jesus giving him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The image of the key suggests authority. The nature of that authority is expressed in terms of binding and loosing. This refers to the teaching authority of the Church. Jesus entrusted to Peter, the mission of interpreting with accuracy, his teaching to avoid believers deflecting from the truth. Peter as the Bishop of Rome would have to teach, preserve the Faith and the unity of the Holy Catholic Church. We all have this unique responsibility of handing over the true Catholic Faith.

Keeping the faith by Preaching – St. Paul

While today’s Gospel refers to Peter’s role of teaching, the second reading makes reference to the role of Paul as a preacher: "The Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the word fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it" (2 Tim. 4: 17). Paul indeed was the great preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire. He preached it for the last time in the city of Rome where like Peter, he was martyred for his faith in Christ. Paul reminds us of the race that each of us is to undertake: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7). Keeping the faith was not an easy thing for Paul as well as for Peter.

They both faced persecutions, imprisonments, criticism, dangers of rivers, dangers of robbers, attacks of their own people, dangers of Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, perils in sea, and facing false believers (Cf. 2 Corinthians 11:26; Acts 12).

Keeping the Faith the Faith today

Keeping the faith was not easy Peter and Paul and it does not come easy for any of us. Paul was very much aware that he needed the Lord more than his own efforts. I see that in my priestly vocation and my daily life. The Lord always stands by me to give me power as he stood by Paul; he always sends his angel to rescue me from evil as he did with Peter in today’s first reading. We are all invited to keep the Faith by offering a courageous witness of fidelity to Christ and his Gospel. Let's get to action. Please pray for me on this 17th anniversary of my ordination for guidance, renewed zeal, and deeper relationship with God and faithfulness in his service.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

Happy feast of St. Peter and Paul

Living the gospel this week. The Holy Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life,” (CCC 1324). The Eucharist Is Not a Symbol (Read John 6 thru this week. Repeat from vs 53-58)

After the Corpus Christi, I promised to give some reflections on the Eucharist. Jesus says: “I’m the true bread” (John 6:33), which suggests that Jesus is substantially present - body, blood, soul, and divinity in the holy Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we eat the body of Christ and drink his blood. That is the Real presence that we also worship in the Blessed Sacrament during adoration. This is the simple way to understand this. After the consecration, the external characteristics or “accidents” of the bread and wine endure without change; we can see their aspects like color, size, shape, or any other observable feature. However their substance (their underlying reality or essence) changes into the body of Christ while the taste and appearance remain unchanged.

Take 15 minutes each day this week to pray asking Jesus to open your heart to his loving presence in the Eucharist!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Corpus Christi Sunday (Year C)

The Real Presence of Christ

june 22, 2025 | corpus christi sunday, Year C

Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23; Luke 9:11b – 17

The feast of Corpus Christi is the celebration of the real presence of Christ. It began in 1246 by Bishop Robert de Therese of Liege who was inspired by St. Juliana's vision about the need for a special celebration of Eucharist. It was made universal by Pope Urban IV in 1264.

Eucharistic Miracle

The real presence of Christ in Eucharist is truly a great mystery of our faith. The Catholic Church has recognized over 130 Eucharistic miracles. I would like to share with you the one which happened on April 28, 2001. The miracle took place during a Eucharistic adoration at St Mary’s Catholic at Chirattakonam in India. Fr. Johnson Karoor, the pastor noticed three stains of blood on the host during the exposition of the Blessed sacrament, which he shared with the congregation. After a few days, the dots had formed a clear image of a human face. Fr. Karoor asked an altar server to confirm his observation, and the server also noticed the image of a man. The image was documented with photographs after Mass. The Archdiocese of Trivandrum verified the event, with Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselice writing about the occurrence. The Vatican approved this miracle in 2001, according to some sources. The monstrance containing the miraculous host is preserved at Mary’s Catholic Church at Chirattakonam in India. Speaking about that miracle, Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselice said: “For us believers what we have seen is something that we have always believed. If our Lord is speaking to us through a sign, he certainly needs a response from us”.

Corpus Christi, a call to transformation and holiness

As we celebrate this Corpus Christi, The Church reminds us of the need of Eucharistic adoration.

“No one eats this flesh unless he first adores it”, says St. Augustine. He is our High Priest, the True King of Peace, our Savior and redeemer, who delivered us from our sins and death (Genesis 14:18-20). We worship him. He is our food and drink. He gives himself to us. “This is my body that is for you”; “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (1 Corinthians 11:11-26). Come to him with trust and as St. John Marie Vianney said: “Bring your problems to the Lord in the Church before the tabernacle.”

The Eucharistic presence of Jesus challenges us to be holy and merciful as St. John Chrysostom said, God freed us from all our sins so that we can be invited to the Eucharist, the antidote against death. Every real encounter with Christ in the Eucharist leads us to a new mission and every mission invites us to seek him, to love, to adore him and to serve him. O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Happy Corpus Christi

Living the Gospel This Week.

As are celebrating the Corpus Christi, I deem it necessary to take a few weeks to address some concerns regarding the Eucharist. I will try to answer one question every week.

Q: Does the bread cease to be bread and the wine cease to be wine after consecration?

A: Yes. In order for the whole Christ to be present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—the bread and wine cannot remain, but must give way so that his glorified Body and Blood may be present. Thus in the Eucharist the bread ceases to be bread in substance, and becomes the Body of Christ, while the wine ceases to be wine in substance, and becomes the Blood of Christ. As St. Thomas Aquinas observed, Christ is not quoted as saying, " This bread is my body," but " This is my body" (Summa Theologiae, III q. 78, a. 5).

When we receive the consecrated host, we truly receive the body and the blood of Christ. So, Believe, Trust, Surrender and worship. (Please visit Jesus in the adoration chapel at least once during the week)

Happy Corpus Christi Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Trinity Sunday (Year C)

The Mystery of the Holy Trinity, Father – Son and Holy Spirit

june 15, 2025 | trinity sunday, Year C

Proverbs 8: 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16: 12-15

Dear friends in Christ, According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life.” (No. 262). God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How can we understand this profound mystery?

Understanding the Trinity

Understanding the Trinity is very important as it makes our worship possible and our faith stronger. Any wrong understanding of this doctrine makes everything else wrong, such as the cross, our salvation, our relationships, our purpose, our calling, our prayer, our theologies and any form of teaching on God and the created world. The revealed truth of the Trinity has been at the very root of the church’s living faith (CCC 249), by means of baptism, catechesis, liturgical greetings (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:13). It becomes clearer that God has revealed himself as one but in three persons: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5). The CCC could not be more explicit by saying "Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal" (CCC 266). Our knowledge of the Father sent the Son (John 3:16), and the Son who revealed the Father and the Spirit who unites the Father and the Son and brings them into our hearts (Cf. Romans 5:5)

The Trinity as the Center of our existence.

How we define God shapes everything in our life. If we think of the Trinity as one single person, who plays three different roles, we delve into confusion. Believing God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God in three people helps us to understand that Jesus is pointing us to the Father, the source of life; that Holy Spirit who draws and connects us to Jesus. In this we begin to know the Father as our Creator, The Son as our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete who walk alongside with us. This enables us to stop seeking for false peace but fall in love with the true power of God’s love. Our prayer is no longer a vague idea, but a relationship with the Father who created me out of love and the Son who redeems me and the Holy Spirit who empowers and sanctifies as the true breath of God. The realization of the Holy Trinity in our daily lives is so tremendous; it helps our prayer get stronger, our cross get deeper and our faith becomes real and alive; our community lives in harmony and unity in spite of our differences. With the celebration of the holy Trinity, we are invited to build good relationships of love, dignity, equality, communion, justice and peace. Yes, God is one in essence and three in persons without neither confusion nor separation. All three are equally and eternally and fully God. Each person contains the fullness of divine nature. Yet, there are not three gods, but one. No division, no separation, no confusion. The Trinity should be the model of our communities, churches and families today.

Happy Trinity Sunday

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Living the Gospel this week. The fruits of the Holy Spirit

As we get back to the ordinary time, It is important for us to yield the fruits of the paschal mysteries that we had celebrated. St. Augustine said the fruits of the Holy Spirit are a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within a person. They are a sign of spiritual maturity and a true love for God.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 1832 states that, the fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity.

Can you examine yourself this week by asking yourself if you bear each of these fruits. How do I live my chastity? Am I a joyful and peaceful person? Am I faithful, modest, patient, kind or gentle or generous? Pray for the grace to bear that you are lacking and to grow and strengthen others.

Happy Sunday of the most Holy Trinity!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Pentecost Sunday (Year C)

They Were All filled with the Holy Spirit

june 8, 2025 | pentecost sunday, Year C

Exodus 19:3a-8a, 16-20b; Psalm 104; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39

Background of the feast of Pentecost

God has been unveiling his plans for the world in chronological order through the ancient Jewish feasts. Jesus was crucified on the feast of Passover, when lambs were offered as an atoning sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus, is the true Lamb who died in order to take away the sins of the world (Cf. John 1:29). Jesus died and three days later he rose from the dead. The day of the resurrection happens to be another day in the Jewish calendar: the feast of “first fruit”, which is the feast of the harvest, on which the Jewish will present the first fruit to God in order to thank him. He is indeed “the first fruit from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20). The next feast in the Jewish calendar is the feast of Shavuot for the feast of weeks, which we are celebrating today as Pentecost, meaning fifty. The feast of Pentecost or Shavuot in Hebrew was celebrated for 7 weeks following the feast of the harvest of the “first fruit”. The Jews celebrate it for two reasons: 1) They commemorated the gift the Law that Moses received in Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-24). 2) They wanted to celebrate the end of the wheat harvest by offering at the temple two loaves of wheat bread made with yeast (Leviticus 3:16-17), which represents God’s acceptance of his sinful people. The two loaves according to the Church’s Fathers would also symbolize the harvest of new believers (Jews and Gentiles).

People of the new Pentecost

As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost today, we commemorate the birth of the church. “Today,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “we have reached the mountain top of everything good. We have arrived at the capital city of all our feast”. On this day, the prophecies of the Old Testament (Isaiah 66; Ezekiel 37; Joel 3) come to pass. John the Baptist could not have been clearer: “After me comes the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 3:11). Today's first reading recounts the new Pentecost by telling us that: during Pentecost, all the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke in diverse languages, astonishing a multinational crowd in Jerusalem as each heard God’s wonders in their own tongue. This is the fulfillment of the words of prophet Joel, “I will pour my spirit in all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28) We are these sons and daughters, young men and old who have been baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit, who should now have an influence in our lives. His presence in our lives helps us lead the life of God, a life with God, a life for God, a life of love and truth, a life of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation. That is the goal of our Christian life-to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, come into my heart and fill the hearts of the faithful and renew the face of the earth!

Jesus I trust in you,

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this week. Mission of the confirmed

After the ascension of the Lord, we enter the immediate preparation of the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. I’m interested to reflect on the Mission and witness the confirmed person. According to the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, “Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.” … With confirmation, the Holy Spirit helps the confirmed person to be at the loving service of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit bestows seven gifts – wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and the fear of the Lord assisting the confirmed person in their mission of witnessing. “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8)

How do I live my confirmation status?

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Ascension Sunday (Year C)

Ascension gives us Hope!

june 1, 2025 | ascension sunday, Year C

Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53

Dear brothers and sisters, 40 days after the resurrection, we celebrate today, the ascension of the Lord into heaven. We celebrate this ascension after the death of Pope Francis and the election of a new Pope, Pope Leo XIV. It is the year of the Jubilee of hope. Such a hope is a source of renewal, strength and a guide for the future. The ascension of Christ is our hope, a source of renewed faith, invites us seek forgiveness, and focus on spiritual life, with the motto "Hope does not disappoint" (Romans 5:5)

Hoping in the things of heaven

The Ascension into heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ invites every human heart to ascend with him. In other words, the ascension invites us to set our hearts on things of heaven just as Christ is now seated in heaven. (Cf. Colossians 3:1-4). The ascension encourages Christians to focus on spiritual values and priorities rather than worldly ones. Do we focus on life after death?

Singers of Hope in this desperate world

The ascension of our Lord into heaven encourages us to become witnesses of the Good news:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Friends, Through his Ascension, we are to become singers of hope in a culture marked by individualism, rage, abuse, of the helpless, chronic diseases, selfishness, injustices, hunger, despair, violence, discrimination, hatred and greed in order to sing the melody hope, love, mercy, peace, justice and reconciliation. The ascension invites us to become signers of hope in our Church and in every area of our life where there is darkness.

Our final hope is heaven as St. Augustine teaches that the Ascension of the Lord is not a separation from humanity but a fulfillment of his mission. While Christ ascended alone, we, as believers have ascended with him through our union with Christ. Even being now in heaven, Christ remains permanently connected with us through his powerful and loving spiritual presence.

“I will be with you always till the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20)

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this week. The Effects of the sacrament of confirmation

Many candidates received confirmation last week, May 28, 2025. The question we ask is what happens when one is confirmed?

In its no. 1302, the Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that, the sacrament of Confirmation is the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. There are five important effects:

1) Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace: - it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!"

2) It unites us more firmly to Christ;

3) It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;

4) It renders our bond with the Church more perfect;

5) It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross

(CCC. No. 1303).

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

The Guidance of the Holy Spirit

May 25, 2025 | sixth sunday of easter, Year C

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; John 14: 23-29

As we approach the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the Liturgy of the Church begins to focus our attention on the promise of the Holy Spirit and its role in our lives. Jesus in today’s Gospel tells his disciples that, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in his name, will teach them everything and remind them of all that he told them. The Holy Spirit will continue God’s presence in our lives and in the Church and he will also be the principle of unity in diversity.

The Holy Spirit as the Guide of the Church.

In the first reading from Acts 15, we find the description of the Council of Jerusalem (49-50 AD). It was convened to resolve a major dispute. Should gentiles who converted into Christianity, be required to observe Jewish customs, particularly circumcision?

The Holy Spirit as the was there

We see that, as the Apostles were about to make important decisions, they rely on the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s guidance was crucial in resolving issues and uniting the early Church. The Holy Spirit provided clarity and direction, helping the apostles stay true to Jesus’ teachings, which is: salvation is through grace and Faith in Jesus Christ and not by a mere observance of rules and rituals. At the same time, this gathering of the early church teaches us that true unity is not about erasing differences but embracing diversity under shared principles of peace and mutual respect. The Gentiles are not forced to be circumcised, but they are gently invited to believe in Jesus Christ while refraining from immorality and avoid certain practices that can cause scandal in the church. What are the contradictory practices to the faith that I need to avoid?

Lessons of Peace and Unity

This passage of the Acts of the Apostles invites us to seek peace and unity by using dialogue and listening to each other. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we become apostles of peace who seek unity even in the face of longstanding divisions. In this way, Christianity is about becoming bridge builders instead of wall builders. The Holy Spirit continues to guide us and Christ’s church today, especially in this challenging era. Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit so that we can find the strength and wisdom needed to make good decisions. Let us trust in the Holy Spirit to lead us, just as it led the apostles, and continue to guide the Church in truth and unity.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, guide us and fill our hearts with your love. Help us to follow your will and stay true to Jesus’ teachings. Be our comfort and strength in all we do.

Amen.

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Living the Gospel this week. The anointing with Sacred Chrism

In this month of May, our parish has been blessed with very important and powerful events, these include our children's first holy communion, the May crowning by the CCW and by our youth and our children. Coming up soon on this same month of May, the sacrament of confirmation for our candidates. During the celebration of that sacrament, there will be one of the most beautiful rites, the anointing of the candidates with sacred Sacred Chrism by the Bishop. What is its meaning for us? According to the Compendium of the Catholic Church, “The post-baptismal anointing with the sacred chrism in confirmation … is the sign of consecration … those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ” (CCC, no. 1294). This beautiful gesture of anointing symbolizes the gift of the Holy Spirit. It seals the person and empowers them to live out their faith boldly. The anointing with the sacred chrism, consecrates, that is setting the person apart for a special purpose and mission in the Christian life. The Sacrament confirmation, what a beautiful gift of God to us!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

You are my disciples, if you have love for one another

may 18, 2025 | fifth sunday of easter, Year C

Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145: Revelation 21:1-5A; John 13:31-33A, 34-35

Dear brothers and sisters, on this 5th Sunday we read from the farewell discourse of Jesus in the Gospel of John, where Jesus reminds us of love as the testament that he gives us. “In this they will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. Jesus entrusts us the responsibility to manifest to the world our identity. Love defines us as Christians.

Love is a mark of our Christian identity.

Pope Francis reminded us that the aim of the Church is to proclaim Jesus Christ, whose life was a life of self-giving love. St. Luke tells us that “He went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). In the first reading from the Book of Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas revisited cities to bring the Good news of love to all Jews and non-Jews. Discipleship is characterized by perseverance and joyful dependence on God‘s grace even in times of adversity and hardship. To be a Christian is to live by love, Such a love conquers all things, endures all things and that never fails (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13). To be with God is the ultimate purpose of love for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Our identity is love and our love for others should help them to glorify God. Jesus himself said: “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” Keep loving in order to bring others to heaven. Heaven is the aim of love.

Encourage others to love by your way of life

In John 13:34, Jesus instructs us to love one another. Showing love by example is the beginning of a new heaven, a new earth. It is love that makes all things new. Love creates new relationships, new families where forgiveness conquers hatred; where peace conquers violence in all its forms; where the power of the gospel transcends our failures, our sadness, our griefs and our deaths into the new life of the resurrection. We need to build a society where the love of Christ is our way of life. “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35) By fostering such a culture of love, we destroy any other culture that is distancing us from God and from one another. “Behold, I make all things new”. (Rev. 21:5A) Being Christ’s disciples is to accept this newness of life as the apostles did went Jesus called them (Mt. 4:18-22); as Zacheaus did (Luke 19:1-10), as Paul did (Acts 9; Acts 22; Acts 26), as Mary Magdalene did (Luke 8:1-3). Love is the key to peaceful and harmonious communities. Love calls us to be imitators of Christ! Theresa of the Child Jesus invites us to do this through her “little way”, which is doing everyday small actions motivated by love.

Jesus I trust in you

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this week. Supporting Each Other in Love - “Working together”

On this 5th Sunday of Easter, Year C, we hear that, Paul and Barnabas called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. This reminds us of the importance of supporting each other in our faith journeys. The early Church, as seen in Acts, shows us how believers helped one another. This support was crucial in building a strong and united community of believers.

Stewardship: How can I help build up a strong and united community in my Parish? Think of your talents, your time, your treasure.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Good Shepherd and vocations Sunday

may 11, 2025 | fourth sunday of easter, Year C

Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100; Revelation 7:9, 14B-17; John 10:27-30

Dear friends, today we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday also known as “World Day of Prayer for Vocations” I invite our parish community to pray for vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life so that we may have more good shepherds to lead, feed and protect the Catholic community. By living an exemplary Christian life, we can all foster vocations. Parents should pray and also foster vocations by living their Christian values. Parents should give to their children encouraging words about our Catholic Church, the missionaries and their pastors. May Jesus, the Good Shepherd, send more laborers into his vineyard!

“I’m the Good Shepherd”

The image of the good shepherd provokes a deep impression in almost all cultures across the world. “The Lord is my Shepherd”, declared David in Psalm 23. In the Old Testament, the image of the Shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people. The Book of Exodus, the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel see God’s care and protection of His people to that of a shepherd.

“He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against His breast and leading the mother ewes to their rest” (Is 40:11).

For those leaders who portray selfishness and greed and an unloving attitude, the prophet warns them like in Jeremiah 23:1: “Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of My pasture to be destroyed and scattered." And Ezekiel 34:2: “Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock.”

In the New Testament, Jesus makes three claims of Himself to affirm that he is the Good Shepherd. He listens, leads and loves his sheep. He is the Good shepherd because 1) He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice: Just as the Palestinian shepherds knew each sheep of their flock by name, and the sheep knew their shepherd and his voice, so Jesus knows each one of us, our needs, our merits and our faults. He loves us as we are. 2) He gives eternal life to his sheep by dying for them... Through the sacraments, Jesus gives us life. 3) Jesus as the Good Shepherd loves and protects his sheep by placing them in the loving hands of his Almighty Father. The Good Shepherd indicates the special loving relationship with Jesus Christ and us his disciples. To an extent, we all invited to become good shepherds and good sheep, good leaders and good followers.

Happy Vocation Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this week: Becoming good shepherds:

Following the example of Jesus, everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is a shepherd. Hence, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials, etc. are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. Parents must be especially careful of their duties, thus giving their children good examples through the way they live their Christian lives.

Am I a good shepherd? A good sheep? A good follower?

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Third Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Lands of the Rehabilitation

May 4, 2025 | third Sunday of Easter, Year C

John 21: 1-14

Dear friends, Easter is a time of restoration and rehabilitation. The power of divine mercy is the actual source of our rehabilitation. Last Sunday, we saw the Risen Christ’s rehabilitation of the faith of Thomas, the apostle. This Sunday, he rehabilitates Peter who needed forgiveness not only from the Lord but also, he needed the grace to forgive himself after what happened on the night Jesus was betrayed (John 18: 15- 27). Although Peter was a very sincere disciple who was ready to die for Jesus, he could not escape the trap of the weakness of the flesh. Jesus himself had warned him earlier in the garden to pray because

“the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41)

Peter’s experience of guilt can be ours

We can all imagine that the pain of Peter’s denial stayed with Peter even after the resurrection. The fire of coals that was there at the night of the betrayal is also there today at the appearance of Jesus on the lake of Tiberias. This represented Peter’s failures, his shame and his mess. We all have those moments in our lives. We all have people, places and situations that we mess up with and bring us so much shame, guilt and regret. Usually, this brings up a lot of pain in us. Jesus is coming back to Peter to rehabilitate him and reassures him with his own words:

“My grace is sufficient.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9).

Jesus comes to heal us in the darkest place of our regret and weakness. In our times, our guilt and great regret, the Risen Christ rehabilitates, recreates and renews us.

Invitation to a conversation with Jesus

In the process of rehabilitation of Peter’s joy, personality and vocation, Jesus invites him to one-on-one dialogue after breakfast. This is the meaning of love. This is the meaning of Easter, a place or a land of beginning again where all mistakes and all sins are forgiven. This is the land where all brokenness is restored. In his conversation with Peter, Jesus ask him three times, just as he continues to ask us every day, the most important question of our existence:

“Do you love me?”

Jesus is asking of us as he asked of Peter a total sacrificial type of love; a love that is giving without counting the cost; a love that forgives without counting how many times; a love that is laying down his life for his friends. It is only through such a love that we could be able to follow Jesus as he says:

“Follow me”, “Feed my lambs”, and “tend my sheep”.

Living the Gospel this Week. "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church" (Mt. 16: 18)

This Sunday offers us an opportunity to reflect on the Ministry of St. Peter as the Bishop of Rome. The "ministerium petrinum" or the Chair of St. Peter, is the service proper to the Bishop of Rome, which is exercised in collaboration with the college of all Bishops. As the Vicar of Christ, the Pope acts as Christ's representative, in guiding, governing and sanctifying the Holy Catholic and apostolic Church on earth. The Pope has the responsibility to preserve the deposit of Faith and doctrines and morals handed unto the Church by Christ. Let's pray for a faithful and dynamic Vicar of Christ in our Church.

Prayer: Lord, of all wisdom, send your Holy Spirit to guide the Cardinals in their choice. May they select a Pope who will be a faithful witness to your truth and a shepherd of Your Church in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Fr. Georges BIDZOGO sac

Divine Mercy Sunday (Year C)

Immeasurable Mercy

April 27, 2025 | Divine mercy Sunday, Year C

Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 118; Revelation 1:9-11A-19; John 20:19-31

Dear brothers and sisters, every second Sunday of Easter, we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday. It was established by St. John Paul II in April, 2000 during the canonization of Maria Faustina Kowalska who received in the 1930s, the message on the immeasurable Love God has for us. On St. Faustina's message taken from her Diary, #699, we read:

“On one occasion, I heard these words: “My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.”

Mercy Sunday

We may summarize the divine Mercy message using the ABCs.

A – Ask for His mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer, confess our sins, and ask for His mercy for ourselves, our loved ones, and the world. “The soul should not hesitate to ask for God’s unfathomed mercy, even if they feel their sin are great” (Diary #163)

B - Be merciful: God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. This means extending love, forgiveness, and compassion to everyone just as the lord recommended us: “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy (Mt. 5:7) or again; “Truly, I say to you whenever you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to Me.” (Mt. 25: 40).

C - Completely Trust in Jesus: We should trust in God's mercy, knowing that His graces are available to those who trust in Him. The more we trust, the more we receive. St. Faustina said that the cause of our spiritual falls is that we rely too much upon ourselves and too little on God’s mercy (Diary 1488). Yet God’s mercy is greater than our sin. She said that: “Trust is the only vessel with which we draw graces from the Divine Mercy”

Jesus, I trust in you

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Easter Sunday (Year C)

Easter Sunday

Children of the Resurrection

Paul tells us just as he told the Corinthians:

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

This is the crown or the victory of Christ's death, the resurrection. We are children of the resurrection.

Transformed lives

At the resurrection, everything is transformed. Peter’s words in the Acts of the Apostles bring transformation in the lives of his audience. Many were baptized and received the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus. The Book of Acts reminds us that we are pascal witnesses. We are the resurrection people.

Raised with Christ

Easter is about a new life in Christ. For St. Paul in the second reading, since we have been raised with Christ, we must set our hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Easter is the opening of heaven and eternal life for all who follow Jesus' way of life. St. Paul once again, is asking us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Simply, when we accept to live like Christ and to die with him, our life is already hidden with Christ in God.

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)

The truth about Easter is that, we are not overcome by evil but we overcome evil by love and by doing good like Christ. Easter invites us to practice God’s works of mercy. Whenever we practice charity, Christ's face is seen brightly from our faces. We are children of the resurrection!

Prayer: Lord, Jesus, You have risen from the dead and are gloriously triumphant! Draw me in, dear Lord, to Your suffering and death so that I may also be drawn into the glory of Your Resurrection.

Christ is risen, indeed, he is truly risen. Alleluia.

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion (Year C)

Where is God?

april 13, 2025 | palm sunday of the lord’s passion, Year C

Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:1-23:56

In today's passion of our Lord, we reflect on the reality of our own suffering. God's silence in the face of Jesus' suffering is as shocking as it is in the situation of our world. Where is God when so many horrible and evil things are happening in our world? The cry of Jesus' prayer (Ps 22) helps us to understand 4 important lessons.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

1) Expressing our frustrations to God is normal.

In the midst of our problems, doubts, and uncertainties, it is normal for us to question God or to express our frustrations and confusion to God. When a poor man called the Lord heard him. We know God is good, but at the same time, in our frailty, we must cast all our cares on God. Isaiah, in the first reading, expresses his faith in the God whose help can not fail. 2) Obedience and humility.

God does not give us the answer to why things happen they are happening in our

world or in our own lives because knowing will not make us feel any better. However, God remains in control of his plan of salvation. He invites us to obedience, humility, and service after the example of Christ. (Phil 2:1-11)

3) Silence is not absence.

The silence of God is not to be confused with his absence from our lives. God is rather working great things behind the scenes. Dear friends, when we can not trust God’s hand, we can fully trust his heart.

4) Jesus feels with us.

Jesus understands our pains. We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our pains. Hebrews 4:16- 20. God is not indifferent to the actual situations of our world, but he is at work and leading things together in Christ. Let's us pray:

"Lord, when I feel Lost, let me not forget that you're my way. sometimes I feel alone and far from You. Assure me of your presence. When life is hard, and I don’t know what to do. I cry out, wondering if you hear me. Help me trust that You are always near, Lord, Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, I trust in you

Living the Gospel this week. Greater love for Easter. John 15:13

How do I make my Holy week meaningful with my family this year?

With the celebration of the palm Sunday, we enter into the Holy week. This week can be challenging. Here are some ways to help you make it meaningful and holy.

Sit down as a family to prepare for Holy Week. Involve all who live with you into the preparations. Don’t just give them the jobs you dislike.

Set time aside for common prayer by reducing the time of your social media. Take time to read and share the Good News of the Passion with your family. Divide into at least 5 to 6 parts. Or else watch the passion of the Lord together.

Find time for the sacrament of reconciliation that helps you to seek forgiveness and to forgive others.

Pray the stations of the cross, especially on Friday. Make time for the celebrations of the triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday night Vigil or the proper Easter Mass on Sunday).

Remember: "Greater love had no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Fr. Georges sac

5th Sunday of Lent (Year C)

Go and sin no more!

April 6, 2025 | 5th Sunday of lent, Year C, John 8:1-11

The story of the woman caught in adultery helps us to experience God's mercy once again on this fifth Sunday of Lent. While Jesus is clearly showing that he did not come to condemn us, he also challenges us not to sin anymore. What does this mean for us?

1) Jesus has power over sin

“Sin no more,” first of all, magnifies Jesus' power over sin. By dying, Jesus destroyed our death and by rising, he restored our life. Paul writes in Romans 6:6-14: “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him...For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin. Therefore, reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions... For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace.”

2) An invitation to holiness

"Sin no more" is also an invitation to holiness. Forgiveness of sin is indeed a call to walk in the newness of life that Jesus provides by his grace (1 Peter 2:24). The sacrament of reconciliation is not given to make of us swines of iniquities, but children who lead a holy life worthy of the Gospel. God's mercy offers us the grace to be transformed more and more into the image of God (Lamentations 3:22-23, 2 Corinthians 3:18).

By the sending the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to fight sin, resist temptations and lead a holy life.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Living the Gospel this week. How Do We Resist Sin?

As we are getting close to the Holy week, let us look at ways that could help us resist sins and regain the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12)

As a reality, which is always before us (Ps 51:3), we need God's grace to overcome sin.

Most saints have insisted on the grace of regular confession of our sin as one good way to resist and conquer sin (James 5:16).

We fight sin through the power of God’s Word like Jesus in the desert (Mt 4:1-11). We learn to apply the Scriptures to our lives daily. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Ephesians 6:10-20).

We can resist by fleeing from temptations as Joseph did, literally running away from it (Genesis 39:1-23) and pursuing righteousness and holiness through constant prayer. Let's always remember the biblical advice from the Apostle James: "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Happy 5th Sunday of Lent!

Fr. Georges sac

4th Sunday of Lent (Year C)

No place like home. Return to the Father.

march 30, 2025 | 4th sunday of lent, Year C

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, (9a); 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

The Fourth Sunday of Lent, known as the Laetarae Sunday invites us to rejoice and to taste the bounty of the Lord. We rejoice because our fasting is almost over and we are approaching the glory of Easter. The parable of the prodigal Son of this Sunday is the reason for our rejoicing as it foreshadows the infinite love of the Father who welcomes us, forgives us our sins and restores us to the dignity of the children of God. By closely watching both the younger and the older son in today’s parable, we could be able to find our right position in the heavenly Father’s house.

We are sons of the Father in spite of our iniquities

The request of the younger son helps us expose the materialistic attitude, the breaking of ties that can and relationships that can occur in our families. If the culture of Jesus' time could allow a child to ask for his inheritance before his father dies, the latter should make the decision to divorce his father and not return to the family. This seems to apply to our society today in a different way. Many young people are abandoning their parent’s house just because they wish to live a different type of life. Parents are being used just as a chauffeur or as a source of money etc. So like this younger son, we harm the ones who love and care for us, our faithful Father, who always celebrate our return if we repent. What a wonderful habit, to go to confession frequently!

The Father saw him and embraced him and kissed him. He gave him the best robe and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Then, he killed a fatted calf to celebrate his return and the reconciliation of the family. Paul urges us to be reconciled with one another (2 Cor. 5:17-21)

Are strangers in our Father’s house?

Unlike the Father who chose to forgive his younger son, the older brother not only refuses to forgive and to show mercy to his brother but also he is not ready to celebrate his return and enjoy the family retrouvaille. He is angry and has never considered himself as a son but as a servant. God on the contrary, would like us to feel at home with him and to behave as heirs of his inheritance. To the older son, the Lord says: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

The true joy of a child of God is not about how much we serve him daily, but how deep we are in relationship with him daily. Our awareness as heirs of his household determine our commitment to love and to take care of his vineyard. Which of the characters are you like? Are you the younger son who sinned and needs mercy? Are you the father who offers mercy and complete reconciliation? Are you the older son who refuses to forgive and to rejoice?

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this Week.

Be reconciled with God

Paul in this Sunday’s second reading, tells us that through Christ, God reconciled the world to Himself. We are called to be reconciled with God and others.

In his apostolic exhortation “Reconciliation and Penance”, St. John Paul II writes:

“To speak of reconciliation and penance is for the men and women of our time an invitation to rediscover, translated into their own way of speaking, the very words with which our savior and teacher Jesus Christ began his preaching: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel," (1) that is to say, accept the good news of love, of adoption as children of God and hence of brotherhood.”

Who do I need to reconcile with in my family? At Church? Within my community? Will I try to make the first step this week and finalize the process before the Holy week?

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

3rd Sunday of Lent (Year C)

Take off your sandals!

march 23, 2025 | 3rd sunday of lent, Year C

Exodus 3:1-8a,13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12; Luke 13:1-9

After his experience in the desert and at mount Tabor, the encounter of Moses and God at Sinai and Jesus’ message in today’s Gospel of Luke 13:1-9, invite us to repentance. This is the goal of Lent.

Repent

Lent is indeed a season of grace inviting us for repentance in order to make it to the joy of Easter with Christ. Jesus is clear with us in today’s Gospel:

“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”.

Tertullian (155 – 220 AD) one of the Fathers of the Church teaches us that God grants us pardon by means of our repentance even though our sins have brought death penalty. Prophet Ezekiel in his Book, reminds us that God

“have no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he should return from his evil ways and live.” (Ezekiel 18:23).

Our God is a kind and merciful Father (Ps. 103) who always gives us a second chance so that we can bear fruits. The parable of the fig tree illustrates appropriately our relationship with God. We are the fig tree planted in God’s vineyard and he expects good fruits from us every day. In his faithfulness and patience, God feeds us with his word, nourishes us with his sacraments and fills us with the power of his Holy Spirit for repentance. We are truly saved by repentance and faith. As Paul Washer said:

“The evidence of salvation is changed life, a changing life”.

Lent as a Time of purification

Today's first reading as well Moses cannot enter the holy ground, where the Great I ‘AM dwells. He needs to take off his shoes (Exodus 3:16). The time of Lent is inviting us to remove any dirty sandals that we are wearing: the sandals of resentment, of grudges, of selfishness and greed, corruption, untruthfulness, of lies, of gossip, of the lust power and of the flesh. We need to remove everything that is destructive to our journey to Easter. Maybe there is a great need in our lives to stay away from people and things that cause distractions and friends who manipulate us. Taking off our sandals will demand a kind of spiritual detox: sanitizing and sanctifying any area of our lives that needs purification. This Sunday invites us to take off our sandals for a humble approach to the divine. St. Augustine reminds us that this is an act of humility and reverence in the presence of God.

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this Week. Bearing good fruits Galatians 5:22-23

God is expecting us to be fruitful. The letter to the Galatians speaks of two kinds of fruits. The fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit. May the Lord grant us the grace to bear the fruits of love, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control during these 40 days of Lent. Jesus says to us:

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:18).

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

2nd Sunday of Lent (Year C)

The Sacraments and our Transformation

march 16, 2025 | 2nd sunday of lent, Year C

Genesis 15:5-12,17-18; Philippians 3:17–4:1; Luke 9:28b– 6

Lent is about transformation and holiness; Indeed the transfiguration of Christ revealed him as the Son of God who will suffer, die and rise on the third day. So the disciples should be comforted and strengthened by Jesus’ divine glory so that they could face the upcoming trials. We need the Holy Spirit to help us achieve this goal. Three spiritual experiences of transformation of Abraham, Paul and Jesus in today’s readings can enable us to envisage the power of transformation of the sacraments in our lives.

The transfiguration of Jesus helps understand our “transfiguration” in the Holy Mass as the source of our strength. In each Holy Mass, the bread and wine we offer on the altar become “transfigured” or transformed (transubstiated) into the living Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the crucified, risen, and glorified Jesus. Just as Jesus’ Transfiguration was meant to strengthen the apostles in their time of trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of Heavenly strength against temptations, and for our Lenten renewal. After receiving holy communion, last Thursday, I observed the joy and the transformation on the faces of the homebound that I visited.

Each time we receive one of the Sacraments, we are transformed: For example, Baptism transforms us into sons and daughters of God and heirs of heaven. Confirmation makes us temples of the Holy Spirit and warriors of God. By the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God brings back the sinner to the path of holiness. Fr. Anthony de Mello tells the story of such a metamorphosis in the prayer life of an old man. “I was a revolutionary when I was young and all my prayer to God was: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change the world.’ As I approached middle age and realized that half of my life was gone without changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change all those who come in contact with me; just my family and friends and I shall be satisfied.’ Now that I am old and my days are numbered, I have begun to see how foolish I have been. My one prayer now is: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change myself.’ If I had prayed for this right from the start, I should not have wasted my life.”

The Transfiguration of Jesus offers us a message of encouragement and hope: In moments of doubt and during our dark moments of despair and hopelessness, the thought of our own transfiguration in Heaven will help us to reach out to God and to listen to His consoling words to Jesus: “This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased — listen to Him!” and so share the glory of His transfiguration.

Prayer: Lord, guide us to live as citizens of heaven, focusing on Your glory. Open our hearts to Your grace in our lives. May we reflect Your love and light to the world. Amen.

Living the Gospel today: Living as Citizens of Heaven. Philippians 3:20

On this 2nd Sunday of Lent, St. Paul’s invites us to live as citizens of heaven. He urges us to follow his example. This reminds us to focus on our heavenly home and not just on earthly things. Let’s fix our eyes on eternity. Let’s prioritize our spiritual life. We should seek to grow closer to God each day through spiritual exercises. Does my way of life give honor to God and shows my hope in God’s promises?

Reflect on these words of St Augustine: “The heavenly city, which is the focus here, is characterized by a pursuit of eternal happiness and the society of saints, while the earthly city is marked by the pursuit of earthly pleasures and self-glory.”

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

1st Sunday of Lent (Year C)

In the midst of temptations, trust in God

march 9, 2025 | 1st sunday of lent, Year C

Deuteronomy 26:4-10; 91; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4: 1-13

Lent is a very special season. A period of time like no other in the year when we get a chance to make a real change in our life, a time when we can dive deeper into biblical teachings, prayers, ideas, concepts, and doctrines. The more this begins to take roots in our lives, the more we begin to grow into a profound relationship with God and better our relationship with one another. On this first Sunday of Lent, we focus on temptations and how to overcome them.

What is temptation?

Temptation is here taken to be an incitement to sin whether by persuasion or by the offer of some good or pleasure. The Catechism of the Catholic Church sees temptation as an attraction, either from within oneself or external forces, to act contrary to right reason and God’s commandments. We are tempted every day because the devil always tries turn our attention away from Jesus and God’s kingdom.

Types of temptations

The temptations that we go through are the same that Jesus experienced thousands years ago. We are often tempted like Jesus on physical needs, that is, things that our body needs (food, water and pleasures).

“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

Jesus is teaching us through this temptation that our dependence on God is more important than our dependence on material.

“Man does not live with bread alone, but every word that comes from God’s mouth.”

How about if we focus on our relationship with God by using the word of God as our Master weapon.

Our daily experience shows the temptation of power and superiority. The temptation of pride and excessive search of power can be very dangerous as it can lead jealousy, using unchristian means to destroy, eliminate or suppress others. It gives rise to pride and violence in all its forms. Our devotion and love for God must come before our self-seeking ambitions.

The temptation of idolatry, that is a psychological temptation to give into false security and false idea of self-control and self-sufficiency. St. Augustine tells that, we can overcome all these temptations today by imitating Jesus. Let’s stand strong against temptations in our lives. Yes indeed, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve”. Amen.

Living the Gospel this week: Time, Trust and Surrender

In the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy 26:4-10, the Israelites offer their first fruits to God, showing their trust and gratitude. They recognize that everything they have comes from Him. What a powerful example of trust to imitate.

In Romans 10:8-13, Paul encourages us to trust in Jesus for our salvation. Believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths shows our faith. In our pilgrimage of faith, our trust in God’s promise is essential. During this Lent, please open your heart to God’s promises in your life!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC