God is Always Involved in Our Lives
Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River marks the beginning of His public life and ministry. We can use the story of Jesus’ baptism to reflect upon every beginning we embark on or new conditions and changes that are taking place in our lives. We all have different circumstances as we begin the year 2021. Some…
God Cares About Our Transformation, Not Our Past
A father was trying to teach his young sons the evils of alcohol. He put one worm in a glass of water and another worm in a glass of whiskey. The worm in the water lived, while the one in the whiskey curled up and died. “All right, sons,” asked the father, “what does that…
A Voice of Hope: Breast Cancer Survivor Shares Challenges and Rewards on the Road to Recovery
by Riezl Banilao-Catacutan, RN March 26, 2019 was a frightful day in my life. That morning, I was heading to the hospital to get the result of my confirmatory excision biopsy that was done almost a month earlier. As you could imagine, the time in between was filled with uncertainty, trying to figure out the…
Come (Burdened and Anxious) to Jesus
Scripture Readings July 5th, Sunday During the time of Jesus, it was a common practice to put a yoke to an animal; usually, a mule or a camel harnessed to do the work in transporting agricultural products to different villages. As you can imagine, it was a heavy burden for a creature to pull massive…
Each Day Begins a Quest to Become a New and Better “You”!
The new wine of Jesus’ ministry calls for new wineskins, which means a new way of life in keeping with the good news that He proclaims. Jesus’ message calls for renewal and transformation. Each day is a day to try something new so that we become better persons. It’s time to look at the old…
Doubts May Help Us Grow in Faith
Scripture Readings July 3rd, Friday, Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle The apostle Thomas’ first reaction when he met Jesus was that of doubt that He rose from the dead. It earned him the nickname, Doubting Thomas. However, his story actually ended up with an expression of great faith to the Lord, as he said,…
Giving Opens the Way to Abundance
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back (Luke 6:38). Giving bears enormous returns and rewards. But, the act of giving is already a…
Dads are a Gift from God
by Rick Gonzalez One of the things I am most proud of in my life is fulfilling the role of a father. This is not an easy task in this day and age where everything seems to be upside down. I have been self-employed as an architect since I was 27 years old. My father…
The Serenity Prayer
We experience uncertainties as to where our world and our personal lives are heading. We are confronting the Coronavirus pandemic, which seems to be lingering for a while. Cases all over the world are rising each day. On top of this health scare, we also have seen the fresh outbreak of injustice, divisiveness, and animosity.…
Just Take the First Important Step Forward
Nike has the slogan that says, “Just Do It.” This sounds like a good mantra, especially for those who may still feel stocked because of not knowing the point of where and how to start something. Yes, it is true; the most challenging part of life is to start. But once we throw the ball…
Working Too Hard is One of People’s Many Regrets in Life!
While work is vital to sustain our needs and demonstrate our God-given potentials, working too hard for the sake of money to support an extravagant lifestyle may be a source of regret in the future. Working too hard is over committing and spreading yourself thin, like grabbing every opportunity as if there is no tomorrow,…
Be Confident About the Future
Amid our struggles and uncertainties, sometimes we may be tempted to think, is there much of a future for us? However, there is one thing that makes us confident about our future. There is one thing we know that despite trials and hardships, our road to the future will still be bright. God’s unconditional love…
Jesus, the “Good Shepherd” Gently Moves Us Through Life’s Dark Valleys
The image of a shepherd tending sheep takes on a powerful meaning that depicts our relationship with God. The shepherd is genuinely interested in his flock. Let us understand a little bit about sheep by comparing them to a farm animal that is familiar to us (especially in Florida— a cow :-). Cows are rather…
Amid the Pandemic, St. Ann Place Opens 7 Days a Week to Feed the Homeless
by Fr. Dennis Gonzales, Parocial Vicar, St. Ann Church, West Palm Beach As the COVID pandemic hit the country, which prompted authorities to institute lockdown and social distancing, there is one particular sector of our society that has been hard hit by this entire condition: our homeless brothers and sisters. While many of us may…
Embracing Our Crosses is the Gateway to Easter Joy
There is still always a reason to celebrate Easter amid worldwide somber. Easter joy is not dependent on us and our situation. It is dependent on God. What we believe on Easter is not only that Jesus has risen from the dead. God has plans to do the same for us—to raise us and lead…
The “Walk to Emmaus” is Also Our Walk
“We had hoped that He (Jesus) would be the one who was going to set Israel free (Luke 24:21).” This statement captures the sentiment of the two disciples while they were walking along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Defeat. Discouragement. Despair. They were afraid and bewildered over what happened to Jesus on Good Friday. Jesus…
We Do Not Suffer Alone, or in Isolation
A sense of loss brought about by illness and death is undoubtedly a difficult emotion to bear. We usually find consolation from our grief in being able to personally bid goodbye to our loved ones and see them during their last moments in life. However, this situation has changed amid the Corona virus pandemic…
Finding Hope in Difficult Times
Like Joseph in the Old Testament, We are Put into a Pit; Like Him, May We Also Hold Firm on Our Hope We are entering another day of uncertainty with the Corona Virus scare. As we go farther on, maybe our questions, apprehensions, and concerns for the future are also intensified: What will happen to…
“We Stayed At Work for You, You Stay at Home for Us”
Before I was ordained a priest, I worked as a nurse, and I know what it means to be in the frontline. Healthcare workers are always directly involved with the task of caring for the sick, not only in times of crisis but also in times of our celebrations. Many may not realize it, but…
The Two Sides of the Coin in the “Corona Virus” Lockdown
On the front side of the coin are the faces of those who are in the place of privilege who might welcome the lockdown in the comfort of their homes. They have abundance. Their refrigerators are full and their boredom is easily relieved with Netflix and modern electronic communication devices. They are those whose jobs…
Where and How We Spend our Time May Define Our Character
Every person, rich or poor, famous or unknown, have more or less 15000 minutes a day, 170 hours in a week, and 8,800 hours in a year. Time is one of life’s most significant values. We all must exchange a tremendous amount of precious, never- to- be recovered time for everything we do. Yes, absolutely…
Coincidence is God’s Providence: A Man Traces the Tomb of His Oblate Missionary Brother in Unexpected Circumstances
By Fr. Dennis Gonzales We all have stories that put a smile on our face every time we share or remember them in our quiet moments. When we find the thread that ties the story together, we tell ourselves, “Now I understand why that happened.” I call those stories providential. They manifest God’s presence in…
When Shall We Call for a Priest to Administer the “Last Rites”?
My phone rang at 2 in the morning. A gentle voice on the other line spoke with occasional pauses to hold back tears. She first apologized for making the call in the wee hours of the morning. Then she continued by politely asking if I could go to the hospital. A family member in the…
Wisdom is Supreme; The First Thing To Do is to Acquire Wisdom
There is a famous saying that goes, “Put the first things first.” If God appears and tells you that He will give you whatever you ask from Him, what is the first thing that comes into your mind? I asked this particular question to several people. The general consensus was health, peace, and a kind…
Thoughts for Those Who are Grieving from the Loss of a Loved One
A message that our departed loved one might want to share with their grieving family: It is time to go back to the side of my loving Father and Creator. Although there is great sadness in your heart, let me go to experience the eternal peace and happiness with God. I ask you to see…
Discovering Blessings through Adversity
by Robert Gekle Soon after treatment of my cancer, a real challenge emerged—loss of physical control over my body. As a former lifeguard (20 years before the surf) and a collegiate tennis player, I was in pretty good shape at 65. However, as I aged, I became rounder (220 lbs. 5’11”) and developed hypertension. However,…
Love Conquers Fear
I would like to share with you a note from Robert Gekle, a resident of Vero Beach who finds interest in this blog: Dear Father Dennis, I read with great interest about your new ministry. We met one Sunday morning in Saint John of the Cross. I sat with you and you told me that…
God Exceeds Our Expectations: A Lesson from the Epiphany
There are times that we fail to meet our expectations in life, which causes disappointment, and at times, hopelessness. You may have carefully prepared for your retirement to be financially secure to live comfortably. However, something went wrong with your investment portfolio. You ended up working beyond the retirement age. You expect that you spend…
Setting the Tone for a Blessed Great Year!
Beginnings usually set the tone and direction of every task. For instance, the first note in a song sets the tone that provides the rhythm of the entire song. If the music leader or the organist gives the wrong cue, the whole song may be in disarray. As we begin the new year, it is important…
Count Your Blessings: Living a Life of Sufficiency is Key to Gratefulness
A Reflection on the Widow’s Mite (Mark 12:41-44) It was said that there were large trumpet-shaped receptacles outside the Temple in Jerusalem into which people could drop their offerings. Remember that they only used coins on those days. They did not have checks, envelopes or on-line giving system! Those making vast offerings of coins could…
What is the Best Gift for Our Elderly Parent?
There were three brothers who were successful in life and were financially well-off. They tried to outdo each other on the present for their mom, who was celebrating her 90th birthday. The eldest gave her a big house. The second, a luxury car with a driver to take mom to places she wanted to go. The…
True Greatness Comes From Serving Others
A Franciscan, Dominican and Jesuit priests were discussing and debating the greatness of their communities while they were walking. Suddenly, an apparition of the Holy Family—Joseph, Mary and Jesus appeared in front of them. They wanted to show off the best way to acknowledge the Holy Family. The Franciscan immediately fell on his face and…
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick Demonstrates God’s Healing Power
Question: My daughter, who was 50 years of age, became deathly ill, spent six weeks in the intensive care unit, then entered hospice to die. When death was imminent, a nurse finally found a priest to administer last rites. (It was a Jewish hospice, and they weren’t used to calling a priest.) By that time,…
Do You Want to Know What Freedom Means? Live A Simple Life!
One day, a person told me that he had just been released from prison. He served his jail term of five years. He said that he was at a loss as to where to place himself in the world. The world had changed so much. It had many demands. He had been working in a…
Is It Ok to Have Doubts About the Faith?
by: Fr. John D’Mello We are living in a culture of “over-belief”. We are often too gullible, we believe everything that comes down the pike; the more weird the news, the better. I know people who believe in crystal balls, people who believe in magic pyramids, people who believe in palmistry and astrology, but there…
Laughter is the Best Medicine!: A Collection of “Really Funny” Jokes!
There was a man who had worked all of his life and has saved all of his money. He was a real cheapskate when it came to his money. He told his wife just before he died to take all his money and place it in the casket with him. His wife promised him to…
Faith, Patience, and Perseverance are Keys to Overcoming Adversities
One of our usual family activities when I was a kid growing up in the Philippines, was growing different kinds of plants in our backyard. We would water them every day and shade them until they were able to withstand natural environmental forces. We noticed that all the plants, except one, would grow into mature…
An Act of Kindness is a Demonstration of a Genuine Faith
There are several Gospel stories of people helping to carry the sick to Jesus to be healed. One such story is related in the Gospel of Matthew where a group of caring individuals brought a paralytic to Jesus (Mt 9:1-17). This image of reaching out to others in need reflects the real attitude of the…
We Should Turn to God Not Only When We Are Desperate, But Also When We Are Prosperous
When we are in a difficult situation and are desperate for an answer, we tend to do something, which we have not done in the past, or which did not even cross our mind. I heard a story of a couple who sold their wedding rings because of an urgent financial need. There are those…
Do You Want to be Happy? Be Humble: A Lesson from John the Baptist
The humility of St. John the Baptist may shed light to a society where there is widespread attention given to self-gratification, self-interest, prestige and material possessions. John’s examples may help remind us of our real purpose in this world. We are called to be persons for others. Pride and self-gratification may just generate despair. John…
Understanding Grief Helps in Coping with Loss
Besides my own experiences with loss, I also encountered many people who went through the pain of loss in my work and ministry in healthcare. I saw the process of grief described in textbooks in actual situations. Loss is a part of life because life is changing. Life on earth has a beginning and an…
Overcoming the “Wrong Guilt” of Placing Mom or Dad Into a Nursing Home
Our parents play a significant role in our lives. One way of showing our love and gratitude to our parents is to take care of them in our homes when they get older and are unable to take care of their own needs. Many cultures find the opportunity to care for elderly parents as a…
We Should Focus on Our Daily Needs: A Reflection on the “Lord’s Prayer”
The Lord’s Prayer is known as the paradigm of Christian prayer. It begins by addressing God as “Our Father.” It is an invitation for all of us to implore the Divine life to share in our lives and in the world. Jesus wants His followers to see themselves as loving children of God. He invites…
Our Lives Always Have a Sparkle of Hope
Florence May Chadwick was an American swimmer who was the first woman ever to cross the English Channel both ways in 1950. On the 4th of July 1952, Florence, then 34, had set her goal at being the first woman to swim the 26 -mile distance between Catalina Island and Southern California coastline, just two…
Embarking on Something New Helps Discover Our “Best Self”!
There is a scientific claim that our body undergoes cellular renewal at various rates every single day. As our body renews itself in the physiologic level, we also need to renew other aspects of our life, including our attitude towards ourselves, others, the world, and God. Renewal helps us see a different perspective of the…
Healing Means Finding “Inner Peace” Amid Sufferings
by Fr. Dennis Gonzales At the end of the second year of our studies and formation at the seminary, we are sent to different hospitals for our clinical pastoral education (CPE). CPE is part of the seminary curriculum that offers training to future ministers to provide pastoral and spiritual care to individuals and families who…
Don’t Be Afraid to Leave Your Comfort Zone!
One of the Biblical narratives that took place around the Sea of Galilee was when Jesus appeared to the disciples. They were terrified upon seeing Jesus walking toward them on the lake. They thought He was a ghost. They only calmed down upon knowing that it was Jesus who told them that it was Him.…
HELPING FAMILIES PROJECT 