Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

title: Proclaim The Gospel
date taken: 01.26.08
location: San Francisco, a hill overlooking the Marina Green

From Today's Gospel:
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."


commentary: Maaan, look at all those people. I am writing this post in advance, and hopefully if things happen as they should I would have attended the West Coast Walk for Life again this year (yesterday). That picture is from last year's walk. I think it's a beautiful picture, and a beautiful reminder of God's presence in our time, and in the Bay Area. Many people would consider San Francisco as hostile territory to hold a Walk for Life celebrating the sanctity of all human life, especially with the city's unabashed reputation for being a pro-choice town. BUT still, 23,000+ showed up to show their support for LIFE. How apropos as we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul this weekend, and his jubilee year. He went and proclaimed the gospel to hostile territory as well. Maybe hearts were changed last year, and scales dropped off eyes. Maybe the same happened this year. Whatever the case may be, we still continue to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time:

title: Body
date taken: february 18, 2008, 1:30am
location: Kaiser Hospital, Vallejo, California

From Today's Second Reading:
Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body

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The Baptism of Our Lord

title:Thirst
date: 07.21.08
location: Melbourne, Australia

From Today's Responsorial Psalm (Option 2):
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.

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The Epiphany of Our Lord

title: Gather
date: July 19, 2008
location: Sydney, Australia
Photo Taken by: Angela Rubang

From Today's First Reading:
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

commentary:
I remember walking up this hill on our pilgrimage walk to Randwick racecourse, and the song "gather us in" was running through my head. The rich and the haughty, lost and forsaken, the proud and the strong, the meek and the lowly. That was the emotion of that day. All - every nation, every tribe - were coming to meet Christ, and as we did also at WYD 2005... "We come to worship Him".

Just like in today's feast, the feast of the Epiphany... the Feast of the 3 Magi.

If we encounter Christ like the magi, humbly, and in worship, and our lives will change... Like the magi did, we just might find a new route HOME - living our lives "by another way".

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