Rembrandt and a Young Filipina

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 Young Jew as Christ, Rembrandt 

Rembrandt and a Young Filipina

Article by Fr Seán Coyle

The author is a member of the Missionary Society of St Columban who spent most of his life as a priest in the Philippines and now lives in Ireland. He blogs at Bangor to Bobbio [https://bangortobobbio.blogspot.com/ ]

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Fifteen or so years ago Letty (not her real name) came to Holy Family Home for Girls, Bacolod City, when she was around 14. She was from a remote mountainous area in the large island of Negros in the central Philippines. She had been referred there by the social worker in her municipality because she had been sexually abused. Holy Family Home is run by a wonderful group of religious sisters, the Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family, whose main mission is to girls and young women in troubled situations. Most of those in the home in Bacolod, which houses between 30 and 40, have experienced abuse, nearly always from someone they knew. Most come from a background of poverty. Some are there simply because of that. The girls attend the local public elementary and high schools, within walking distance. There is a house in the city proper for girls taking third-level or vocational courses. All girls are given professional care.

I became involved with Holy Family Home when I was invited to celebrate Mass there on the feast of the Holy Family after Christmas 2002, a few months after I had returned to the Philippines from a two-year stint in Britain. I felt rather nervous because of what had come to light in Western countries about the abuse of minors by priests and religious. However, I got a very warm welcome from the girls and from the Sisters and professional staff.

I gradually became more and more involved and eventually began to celebrate Mass at the Home on Sundays and on feast days. One Sunday I brought with me a very poor black and white copy of Rembrandt’s Young Jew as Christ. During my homily I had it passed around, as it was related to the gospel of the day. After Mass Letty came to me and asked if she could keep the copy. Of course, I gave it to her.

Later I decided to give Letty a proper copy of the painting and had one made during the week. I also bought an inexpensive wooden frame and brought the framed picture with me the following Sunday. When I gave it to Letty I asked her what had drawn her to it. He looks so human, she answered.

A note on the website of Web Gallery of Art, where I found the painting, says, The sitter of the painting is a young Jew evicted from Spain and settled in Amsterdam in the neighbourhood of Rembrandt.

I doubt that Letty had ever heard of Rembrandt and Rembrandt, whose father was Protestant and his mother Catholic, would have known very little about the Philippines. But his portrait of a young Jew expelled from Spain made Jesus so human for a young girl on the margins of society in the Philippines nearly 400 years later.

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You Can Make It!

Article by Myra Guca - Link HERE

I think everyone has “those” Moments. Sometimes they come up at 4:00 on any given Tuesday when we least expect them, when we wonder, “Am I going to make it?” Not just make it through a health challenge .. and that is immense. Not just through a troubling incident in a relationship …and that is heartache. Not just through a financial challenge .. and that can feel desperate .. But make it as a spiritual being, and come through, into our own. That sense of being OK with God and OK with ourselves.

I don’t know how we get through the things we get through. When I look back at my own life experience there were times I got through things that right now I don’t know how I did it.

Mary Kay Ash, who founded a tremendous empire, said, “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” It is a matter of personal decision, believing that. Don’t be discouraged if some people ~ even people who say they love you ~ say that you’re not going to make it, because they don’t know.

For some crazy reason, you begin to realize that you’re going to make it; you must make it. Maybe, the tension of getting through difficulties helped bring you to the point of realizing there’s got to be more. It is a decision point. It means that we have got to step out on faith when it may not look like we have anything to stand on.

I love the story of Peter, who steps out on the water, and for a few steps he’s going all right – then he looks down. He sees the storm and the waves and starts to sink. He cries out, “Help me, I’m sinking!”
Do you know what that’s like? I do.

We know that immediately, Jesus reached for his hand and pulled him up. Well, this is what I love. When I think I’m out of faith and out of ideas, out of time, out of possibilities and out of dreams that moment arrives when a hand reaches out for me. I hear, “You’re going to make it. In fact, you have made it. Let me guide you.”

How does it come to us? I don’t know. We have to remember that we’re not alone. I think that’s a big part of it.Like that senior spirit who says to the seaman climbing to crow’s nest for the very first time, “Don’t look down. You can make it.”

 

The whole Universe is pulling for us we when let it.

Hell

Article by Father Francis Maple OFM Cap - Link HERE

Mark 9: 38-43, 47-48

I was once giving a parish Mission and I remember knocking on the door of one home. The moment I entered I sensed a very unhappy, cold atmosphere.Something wasn't right. If I spoke to the husband, the wife didn't exist. If I spoke to the wife, the husband didn't exist. You could sense that there was no communication between them. There was a coldness and hostility. After being with them for 15 minutes I decided to move on to the next Catholic home. The husband saw me to the door and said, "Father, do you ever preach on Hell?" I said, "I do." "Then whenever you preach on Hell in the future always use the example of my wife and I, because in this house there is no love. It is a living Hell. We live our separate lives under one roof. We just can't stand each other's company. We cook our own meals and eat on our own. I have my own living room and bedroom and she has hers. We decided to live like this for the last twelve years. We agreed that going through a divorce is too much trouble. I tell you, Father, living like this is like living in Hell. So when you next preach on Hell use us as an example because there is no love in our home. That is precisely what Hell is! There is a complete breakdown in our relationship."

That man went to the heart of the matter of Hell when he said it was a place where no love exists. I have heard some Catholics say there is no Hell. How can a loving God create such a place? We Catholics must believe that Hell exists. Jesus Himself refers to its existence when He says, "Fear Him, (meaning God,) who has power to cast body and soul into Hell." Hell is the home of Satan and his fallen angels. Is there anyone else in Hell? We just don't know, but Jesus in His parable of the Sheep and Goats warns us that we could find ourselves in Hell if we don't love. He described the sending of those to Hell in these words, "Depart from Me into the fire of Hell prepared for the devil and His angels." Those words indicate that there has been a complete breakdown in people's relationship with God and their neighbour.

What is Hell like? No one knows exactly, because no one has ever come back from Hell to describe it for us. Jesus speaks of Hell in terms of everlasting fire. It is not the fire we see at a barbecue or a bonfire.That fire could not afflict the soul, which is a spirit. To be thrown into fire causes extreme pain and fire is mentioned to indicate the extreme suffering one will experience in Hell. The real excruciating suffering in Hell is the pain of loss. The pain of loss is the eternal separation from God, which constitutes the worst of Hell's suffering. The persons in Hell know that the only Person who can make them happy is God and yet they hate Him. Hell is being fully aware that God is waiting for us with open arms and we can never be with Him through our own fault because we have rejected Him. It is similar to the ache in the heart of lovers who are separated. All they want is to be with each other, but this is impossible. That pain is nothing compared to the pain of never again being able to love and possess God.

There has to be a tremendous loneliness in Hell, hating God, hating everyone and hating yourself. It is no good thinking if your friend goes to Hell that you will be able to enjoy each other’s company and console each other. You will be hating each other, wishing you could just turn back the clock and be given another chance to love God and your neighbour. My Mum used to tell us, in Hell there is a clock, which ticks and says, "Forever and ever! Forever and ever!" No picture can paint the reality of Hell. May God forbid anyone of us going there!

I love this illustration of the difference between Heaven and Hell. A man dies and was first shown Hell. He saw everyone sitting at a sumptuous banquet with the finest food and drink, but was surprised to see that everyone was starving. Then he noticed a weak man trying to feed himself. He couldn't, for the forks, spoons and knives were all six foot long and he couldn't get the food to his mouth. Next he was shown Heaven and there he saw exactly the same scene, a sumptuous banquet. But here no one was starving. He noticed when anyone was hungry the person opposite just picked up their spoon and fed them. In Hell there is only hate and selfishness, but in Heaven there is only love and thoughtfulness.

To deserve to go to Hell, we must have broken our relationship completely with God. To commit any mortal sin requires three conditions to be present. These are, one, that the sin must be of grave matter. The second condition is that you know it is a serious offence against God, and the third condition is you deliberately commit the sin.

Supposing you were to die the next day after missing (Sunday) Mass and without repenting, then according to moral theologians, those who die in mortal sin will go to Hell for all eternity. 

But my own personal thought is that this would be unlikely to happen because to be condemned to Hell for one failing seems too harsh a punishment! For missing Mass once on Sunday does not necessarily entail a complete breakdown in our relationship with God. However, the danger is that having missed Mass without good reason once, it will be easier to miss again and again, and then again…until not going to Mass becomes a “normal” part of life as God’s Commandments are forgotten which, in time is likely to lead to a complete breakdown in the relationship. That is why it is not okay to miss Mass even on the odd occasion. 

I think of a life as a tree. If a tree leans in one direction when it dies it will fall in that direction. It is not going to fall in the opposite direction. So, too, with our lives. If all the time we are leaning towards God, very likely, with God's grace we shall fall into His arms when we die. But if our lives never point to God, it is very likely that when we die we shall die in enmity with God.

If you want to avoid Hell make sure you have in your heart love for God and your neighbour. Remember that each of us is one of God's children. He never wants to lose any and would never send anyone to Hell. If someone goes there it will be because of the life which that person has chosen to live. Should we go to Hell it must break His heart. Knowing this a prayer I like to say very often is, "Heavenly Father, do not consider what we truly deserve, but forgive us our sins and lead us all to Heaven to be happy with You forever."

Wink and a Nod

“Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” 

(Isa 49:16)  

 

Article by Myra Guca - Link HERE 

"Your leg is scary."
....My granddaughter's face reflects a curious mixture of revulsion and awe, as she regards the vicious scars peeking through my poolside cover-up.

"Hmmm, I guess you're right." 

I've become so accustomed to the unsightly visage ... so adept at concealment that her candor wasn't so upsetting, as it was surprising.

I suppose everyone regards their external scars with certain propriety. Each tells a story ... yet hopefully, we've the good sense to keep our mouth shut (lol) and move on!

When I stop to regard my own so-called flaws, I'm humbled by Another, whose palms and feet were so horribly violated, all in the name of Love. 

... and I remember what Pastor Chris wrote a few years back in the church newsletter regarding his father's final illness:

"As he sat in his family room looking out into the backyard, 3 deer wandered in and grazed.  Being the photographer that we was, he snapped off a couple pictures just before seeing them bound off. 

After looking at the pictures later, he noted that one of the deer had been wounded in the side.   He shared this story, as he was facing his own end-of-life issues, feeling this was God reminding him of His presence in his life. 

He told our family that the three deer were symbolic of the Trinity:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that the wounded deer represented Jesus and His wounds from the Cross. 
As he told us this story, he gave thanks to God for the 'wink and the nod', reminding me that you're always here with me."

This is a powerful time when we are reminded of His presence in our lives ... not just one day, but throughout our whole lives.

Continue to Expect

 

Article by Barbara Mims - Link HERE 

This year many people are saying it’s been unusually cold. That is especially true for my area which is widely known for its sub-tropical climate. We’re used to wearing cropped pants, short sleeves and flip flops most of the year. 

Due to the dire forecasts, local TV stations have instructed us to cover our more vulnerable outdoor plants with breathable fabrics (not plastic) and to leave them on for several days, not just for the overnight hours during the freeze warnings. 

We have done that. Since it’s also been very windy, it’s taken the two of us to get the bushes covered and to secure the fabric with clothes pins to the branches. 

After a week of this, the weather is finally warming up. Now it’s time to remove those coverings. That has proven to be a harsh revelation as to the effectiveness of trying to protect our landscaping.  At least 3 of our bushes are looking not only poorly, but possibly dead. 

Last year a family member advised us to not be too hasty declaring the demise of the bushes. She said we might be surprised in the coming weeks to see that after a careful pruning, there might be signs of renewed growth at the base of the plant. She was right!

I am reminded of Philippians 1:6 which says, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

While our bushes may, or may not, come back to life, the people for whom I pray for a renewed interest in and a dedication to the Lord are definitely not a lost cause.  God finishes what He has started, and His word does not result in emptiness. 

Isaiah 55:11 tells us God’s Word does not return to Him void but accomplishes what He pleases, and it prospers.

I John 5:14-15 tells us if we ask Him anything according to His will, He hears us and we will have those requests. 

What a promise that is! We must pray and believe that God will open the hearts of those who have been frozen to the invitations of the Holy Spirit. 

My faith is bolstered as I think on these things!

 

Salt of the earth

 

Sermon by Father Jonathan E Moore for the 

Fifth Sunday of the Year 2026

Dear friends, here's my reflection for the fifth Sunday of the year, 2026, and I'm meditating this morning a little on just one phrase from the gospel, “you are the salt of the earth”. Now it's said that the eminent Victorian physicist Michael Faraday, when lecturing at the Royal Institution, used to begin by saying, gentlemen, first of all, I will tell you what I'm going to do, then I shall do it, and then I shall tell you what I've just done. This technique is still recommended to teachers and preachers.

If you say the same thing slightly differently three times, the average human listener has more chance of remembering what you've said. One of my favourite icons is that of Christ the Teacher. Jesus was the best of teachers and preachers, so we need hardly be surprised to find Him in Matthew's fifth chapter employing exactly the same technique in his great Sermon on the Mount, where first of all he announces the values of God's Kingdom in the Beatitudes, then tells us what living those values will make us, salt of the earth and light of the world.

He then finishes with more detailed and practical examples of how we live the Kingdom's values, transforming both the world and ourselves too. But for today, we just concentrate on one of those two powerful images, salt.

Last year I was called back to the local surgery after a blood test because the level of sodium in my blood was far too low.

I was told to go away for a fortnight and eat lots of salty things like peanuts and crisps and all the things you shouldn't really be eating. I did as I was told and two weeks later the sodium was back to an acceptable level. These days salt is on the food fanatics blacklist, but eating too little is as dangerous as too much.

Salt is necessary for life, which explains why it was often used as currency in past years. Roman soldiers were often paid in salarium, their word for salt, from which we derive the word salary.

Seventy years ago when I was a child in rural Lincolnshire, few people had a fridge at home, let alone a deep freeze.

Meat and vegetables such as runner beans were preserved in salt. I well remember the taste of home-cured meat and salty beans. My sodium levels must have been off the clock back then.

Salt both flavours and preserves. When Jesus calls us salt of the earth, He is telling us that lived Kingdom values enhance the quality of human life, both our own and that of those around us. Kingdom values will preserve us and our society from moral decay, whatever the prevailing climate in the world around us.

It might also be good for us to remember, labourers in the Lord's vineyard as we are, that salt is a very good weed killer and is effective in getting rid of some garden pests too. Now, those of you who know me will generally expect me to need no excuse for diving back into the Old Testament. There is in the book of Leviticus, a salt is prescribed as part of all animal and grain offerings to the Lord.

In Exodus, it's included in the recipe for sacred incense. And after the exile in Babylon, Ezra needed to remind the Jerusalem priests of the need to use salt with all of their temple offerings. Salt stands as a powerful symbol of faithfulness, purity, incorruptibility and loyalty to the covenant.

Our faith, Jesus teaches, should not be just outward show, but a reality permeating every aspect of our lives, sustaining and strengthening our commitment to God and neighbour. Jesus then issues a stern warning about salt losing its savour. This is especially applicable to the present day.

I think there exist two temptations for Christians living in this post-Christian society. The first is what I like to call chameleon Christianity, by which I mean we change our colours, the strength of our moral attitudes to suit present company. And this is bad enough.

But there's a worse one, and that is what I call camouflaged Christianity, where we keep those kingdom values hidden just in case they might offend someone. In both cases, we stand to lose our ability to preserve and to transform. Our world needs the distinctive witness of Christian love, mercy and justice.

Being salty means being willing to stand out, to challenge injustice, to call others to a higher standard, even when it is unpopular or uncomfortable. This is a daunting prospect, but let's remember that Jesus never means us to do this alone. He speaks of Christian life as a Kingdom, not a hermitage.

The image of salt reminds us that our faith is to be lived in community, where we support and encourage each other. As Christ's body on earth, we gather in worship and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, drawing strength from Christ and the Church, nourished and sent forth to be the salt of the earth, daring to be His presence in the world. Amen.

God bless you.

NOTE: You can find more sermons from Father Jonathan in his books entitled "With Him ... in Him" published on AMAZON. Please click HERE 

God's Glory

 

Introducing a wonderful song sang by Martha and Danny Orlando - Link HERE

God's Glory 

I've gone where the hopeless go, the dead end of a broken road
And I've learned there's a place so low you can't see your way out
Been stuck in a ditch so deep, thought it might be the end of me
But I'm still here and there could only be one way how

My life is a God story
Gotta tell the world what He's done for me
Miracle on miracles that only He could do
I'm proof that we're all only one prayer away from a testimony
There's only One getting all the glory
My whole life is a God story (God story)

From beginning to the end, from who I was to who I am
I can see His fingerprints on every single page
Now the story I love to tell
Is the story of the One who brought me back from hell
From "all wrong" to "it is well", and all I can say

Is my life is a God story
Gotta tell the world what He's done for me
Miracles on miracles that only He could do
I'm proof that we're all only one prayer away from a testimony
There's only One getting all the glory
My whole life is a God story, God story

From death to life, from blind to sight
This is my God story
From lost to found, from then to now
I'll tell you how, God story
Who brought me through from old to new
It's a true God story
Ain't hard to see the change in me
Could only be a God story

My life is a God story
Gotta tell the world what He's done for me
Miracles on miracles that only He could do
I'm proof that we're all only one prayer away from a testimony
There's only One getting all the glory
My whole life is a God story

The only Jesus

 

 Article by Martha Jane Orlando - Link HERE 

Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

Pastor Wallace tells us the story of two death-row prisoners.  One is a black man jailed for killing a white man.  He despises all whites with a passion.  The other is a white man imprisoned for killing a black man.  He harbors a vehement hatred toward black people.

During his trial, the white man miraculously comes into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is transformed.  Changed forever.  When he is placed back in prison, he finds that his cell is now right beside that black man who hates whites.

Every evening, a courtesy cart is wheeled through the prison.  Inmates are allowed to choose one item from the cart.  The first evening the white man is there, he selects an apple and hands it promptly to the black man.  The latter accepts it, takes a huge bite, chews it up, and throws the pulp into the white man's cell.

The next night, the white man offers the black man a pack of chewing gum.  The black man puts a piece into his mouth, chews it noisily, then spits it into the white man's cell.

This routine goes on day after day after day.  Until, of course, the morning dawns upon the white man's scheduled execution.  No family comes forward to claim the body.  He is placed in a cheap pine box and buried on the prison grounds.

The only people in attendance at his funeral are the chaplain, two prison trustees, and the black man to whom he had shown kindness.

When the short, yet solemn, service concludes, the chaplain turns to go.  The black inmate taps his shoulder.  When the chaplain turns around, he sees tears streaming down the black man's cheeks as he points to the grave site.

"That was the only Jesus I ever knew."

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We run into people from all walks of life as we commute to our jobs, shop for groceries, go to the gym, or engage in any number of public activities.  Any one of these strangers may never have read the Bible nor set foot in a church.  For us as Christians, each encounter with another person is an opportunity to witness to our faith.  Are we being polite?  Courteous?  Kind?  Are we lending a helping hand in time of need?  Are we radiating the light of Christ?  Shining His infinite generosity and goodness toward others?

Think about it . . .

You might be the only Jesus someone ever knows.

Prayer:  We pray, Father, that we can shine the light of Jesus into this dark world through what we say and do, and in the kindness we show to others.  Remind us as we go through our days that we might be the only Jesus someone will ever know.  Amen.