Love for the Poor

Living The Gospel This week. Love for the Poor

In line with today’s reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in no. 2443 teaches that, God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them: "Give to him who begs from you, do not refuse him who would borrow from you"; "you received without pay, give without pay.” It is by what they have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones. When "the poor have the good news preached to them," it is the sign of Christ's presence.

Then, it continues in no 2444,

"The Church's love for the poor . . . is a part of her constant tradition." This love is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes, of the poverty of Jesus, and of his concern for the poor. Love for the poor is even one of the motives for the duty of working so as to "be able to give to those in need." It extends not only to material poverty but also to the many forms of cultural and religious poverty.

The sign of the cross.

Living the Gospel this week. The sign of the cross.

Just a quick reminder this week about the power of the sign of the cross. Some of us have been shy to do the sign of the cross in public places or even in some other circumstances. If only you consider this simple sign to be the shortest but the strongest expression of your faith, you will change your attitude.

First, the sign of the cross is our profession of our Faith. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is our identity.

Second, the sign of the cross is our protection. It is our weapon and our shield against the enemies.

Finally, the sign of the cross is a short form of prayer. Let’s not be ashamed to do the sign of the cross. It is the sign of our salvation. It is a sign of love, which always demands sacrifice. No wonder St. John Paul II said: “Do not be afraid, then, when love makes demands. Do not be afraid when love requires sacrifice”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus, I trust in you.

Fr. Georges roger Bidzogo sac

Discipleship is living like Christ.

Living the Gospel this week. Discipleship is living like Christ.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once told her sisters, "We must become holy not because we want to feel holy but because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us." This is true discipleship. It focuses on being fully transformed by Christ. Knowing the life of Mother Teresa and her community, we can understand discipleship is living the life of Jesus through the service to others, particularly the poor, and through faithful action rather than just feeling. She is inviting us this week to be a living offering to Jesus. "Give your heart to God, deliberately, knowingly, willingly. It belongs to Him. " Discipleship means total surrender and ownership of one's life to God's will.

1) Surrender your life to Jesus - Adoration

2)Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior

3) Pray to the Holy Spirit for help.

4) Obey like Mary and "do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5)

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Jesus I trust in you!

Humility Prayer

Living the Gospel this week. Humility Prayer

On this 22nd Sunday in ordinary Time year C, we focus on Humility as a path to greatness. Pray this week asking God, the grace to let go of your need to be admired and the center of attention in everything. Dear friends, by experience, I know it is hard to put God first when we are focused on ourselves. So this week, by the power of the Holy Spirit, pray and ask for God to help you get rid of the self-centeredness which gets in the way of discipleship. By asking God to help us be humble, we can better follow Jesus and live more generously and compassionately.

Theresa of Avila speaking of humility wrote: “Humility ‘persuades the Lord to give us all what we want from him’; humility ‘conquers everything’; humility is truth; it is only through the growth in humility that we measure our progress in spiritual life.” (Way of Perfection 16:1-2)

Jesus, I trust in you

Penitential Rite

Living the Gospel this week. Penitential Rite

Dear brothers and sisters, the penitential rite is an important part of the sacrifice of the Mass. Christ was sent to the world to save us from the power of sin. From the Old Testament, there are practices of individual and public confession for communal and serious offenses (Nehemiah 9:1-3; Psalm 51; 32:5). The new testament insists on repentance and confessions (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9). During the penitential rite, we are invited to call to mind our sins. Although the penitential rite lacks sacramental efficacy, we believe that all the venial sins are forgiven through the penitential rite.

Jesus, I trust in you

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Posture, Song

Living the Gospel this week. Posture, Song

We usually begin the Mass by inviting everyone in the congregation to stand as a sign of respect and the posture of the resurrection. Christ is risen. “We pray standing” as Tertullian once said. Standing is the posture of Christians at prayer which expresses our attentiveness to the Word of God and our readiness to carry it out in our daily lives. We mainly stand particularly during the Gospel reading, the Creed, and the General Intercessions as active engagement in the liturgy. We often begin our Mass by singing together to unite our voices in a common word. This processional hymn is a way to unify the congregation, prepare them for the worship, and focus their attention on the great mystery about to be celebrated. It signifies that, we now have started our great mystery of Faith, and symbolically unites the faithful as one body in Christ. Let’s all form a worshipping and welcoming community. Please consider 5 minutes before Mass begins, welcome the person next to you and prepare yourself to join our worshipping community every Sunday!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Happy 20th Sunday

What is the Eucharist?

Living the Gospel: What is the Eucharist?

We return this week with the understanding of the Mass. The Mass is not merely a meal which reminds us of the last Supper, but a thanksgiving of praise to God for our salvation in Christ. It is directly our sharing in the paschal mystery (Death and resurrection of Christ). It is the true meal, prepared by Christ himself in order to gather us around him at his own table as friends. At the table Christ gives us himself as true food and true drink. “My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink” (John 6:55). Speaking of the Eucharist, St. John Marie Vianney said: “We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives”.

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Ownership of Goods

Living the Gospel: CCC. 2402

(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

This article of the Catechism speaks of the universal destination and private ownership of Goods. Its stipulates that, in the beginning, God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. [Cf. Gen 1:26-29] The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race.

However, the earth is divided up among men to assure the security of their lives, endangered by poverty and threatened by violence. The appropriation of property is legitimate for guaranteeing the freedom and dignity of persons and for helping each of them to meet his basic needs and the needs of those in his charge. It should allow for a natural solidarity to develop between men. [226, 1939]

Happy 18th Sunday.

Fr. Georges Bidzogo SAC

New Life in Christ

Living the Gospel: New Life in Christ

In this Sunday’s second reading from Colossians 2:12, St. Paul writes:

“Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”

The second reading this Sunday implies the transformative experience where one is now reconciled with God through faith in Jesus Christ. This means total and radical change of identity and way of living. Do I still live the same life like when I was not yet a baptized Catholic?

Please consider the follower as a result of your new identity:

1) You have a new type of relationship with God.

2) Your life is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who is now your Director.

3) Your life has a purpose and a meaning – you have something to offer to the world.

4) You are now a beacon of hope and witness to God’s love and mercy.

5) You are not alone on this journey but united in a loving and strong community of Faith. These are brothers and sisters, who love and pray for you. That is, the Church.

6) You are now invited to live a life of obedience to Christ and service to his Church.

St. Augustine says our new life in Christ, must take into consideration the outward transformation of our actions as well as an inward renewal of the heart and mind.

Fr Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Rejoicing in Hardships

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

What is Moral Law?

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

The Source and Summit of the Christian life

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

Regarding the Eucharist

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

The fruits of the Holy Spirit

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

Mission of the confirmed

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

The Effects of the sacrament of confirmation

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

The anointing with Sacred Chrism

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

Supporting Each Other in Love - “Working together”

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

Becoming good shepherds

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

"You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church"

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