Saint Joseph

Sleeping St. Joseph

Saint Joseph had providential dreams twice, which of course happened when he was sleeping:

 First during the announciation to St. Joseph Our Gospel today tells  us how the angel of the Lord announces to st. Joseph through the angel in his dreams that the child conceived in the womb of Mary is the Son of God (Matthew 1:19-25)

the second is during the Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-15)

We know that in this season of Christmas, the Nativity is never complete without the man God chose to be a foster father to Jesus. With much obedience and humility, Saint Joseph had taken Jesus wholeheartedly, and carried the biggest responsibility of a father the world has ever seen. The Sleeping Saint Joseph teaches us important life lessons that we can reflect on. As an ordinary Catholic, how can we relate with his story and learn from it?

1. When there’s nothing else you can do, it’s not too bad to just sleep! That is, to sleep as you rest in the Lord.

Sometimes, there comes a point in our lives when we are too lonely or burdened with problems, or conflicted with making very important decisions that we almost give up. We feel like there’s nothing we can do anymore and that no resolution awaits our misery. It drains us to think of ways to get through until we find ourselves exhausted and sleep becomes a temporary escape. But perhaps, to sleep is not too bad, if we do so by faithfully resting in God’s merciful embrace. That is, to entrust to God in prayer our fears, pains and struggles just as Saint Joseph restfully did.

Saint Joseph wanted to quietly leave and divorce his wife Mary, as he did not understand beforehand that she conceived her Son through the Holy Spirit. In the Gospels, we find him dreaming. An ordinary man like us, Saint Joseph did sleep with worries in his heart. But as we know, he was also a “righteous man,” so we expect that he did not only sleep, he surely must have had rested in God by prayer. When we are at our lowest or powerless about certain situations, we must humble ourselves and pray.

Let me share with you this simple self-composed prayer I wrote a while ago:

“God Almighty, I come before You faced with many difficulties. I surrender everything to you with faith. As I fall asleep, let me be comforted with Your peace and the Motherly love of the Blessed Virgin. Please give light to my situation and help me through as You bless me once more with another day in You. Amen.”

2. At times, it’s better to sleep, than to talk!

Remember the common saying that arguing couples should not sleep without solving their issue? Probably it isn’t completely true. When we are emotional, our actions and reactions can get carried away. If we discuss things over while we’re in the heat of a tensed moment, we might say something that we don’t mean at all. When hurtful words are blurted out and unwise things are done, it won’t be easy to take those back.

This can also happen when we force ourselves and we force it on God to solve our problems overnight. When we’re up at night and starting to rant at God of our frustrations and cares, then it’s time we sleep, rest and pray, and let God do the talking! It is by resting in the Lord, by listening to Him in prayer, that we feel His loving presence direct us and overcome the noises in our lives. Let us remember the Sleeping Saint Joseph who, in the silence of his restful dream, heard God’s calling for him and understood His Divine plan. Remember though that angels don’t just appear in somebody’s dreams. In the Bible, they only appear to people like Saint Joseph in his dreams, when God sends them from Heaven for a very important message. While we are most likely not to see an angel appear in our dream, if we do earnestly pray before we sleep each day, we might wake up with God’s inner voice in our hearts clearly telling us what we’re supposed to do.

3. Give your faithful confidence and obedience to God as you awaken from your “sleep”!

Our trials can seem as if they are the longest nightmares that we’re trapped in. But one day, we can suddenly feel God calling us to rise and directing our hearts what to do and where to go. It is like waking up from the darkest night of our souls and like Saint Joseph, we must trust in God and never doubt His aid. Saint Joseph had no idea what would happen next after his dreams, but he didn’t complain at all. He did exactly what he’s told to do, which was to take his wife Mary and name the Child “Jesus,” and left Bethlehem, headed to Egypt at once. To all of us, Saint Joseph is an example of holiness, obedience and faithful confidence in God, without the blabbing and questioning that we are so often tempted to do at present.

4. Wake up from your “sleep” and respond to God’s call, quickly and timely!

Many Catholics, including myself, claim that we live a righteous life at peace with God. However, it is only during challenging times that we can ever prove ourselves where we stand in God. “Do I still love God even I have so many sufferings?” “How much am I willing to sacrifice for the sake of God and my faith?” “Am I willing to live a moral life, even my situation makes it hard to do so?” When trials arise, we might be too focused on the hardship and the sadness they bring that we fail to answer swiftly to God’s call. On the other hand, there are times when we’re too happy in life that we only see what’s fleeting, the material things. We act so slow that we miss out on the opportunity to serve God and the chance He is giving us to follow as He leads.

Saint Joseph carried the weight of the Holy Family, right from the very start all the way to the Nativity of Jesus. Waking up from his dreams, he didn’t waste any time and fulfilled what God wanted him to do at the very moment he was told to.

Let us be all-ears to the call of God! He is awakening our faith and renewing our spirit. Let us welcome the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus to our home this Christmas just like Saint Joseph kept them deeply in his heart. We must take on our own special roles in life, say, as a husband and father, or a nun on a mission, and do it as a service to the Lord. As the Sleeping Saint Joseph reminds us, we bear our crosses during the day and before our sleep in the silence of the night, we must intently and restfully be with God in prayer!

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

In all cultures, the tower represents all the historical landmarks. Eiffel Tower. 

1st reading talks about the powerful symbol of the Israelites: the Tower. This popular historical event, a myth, is known for three things;

1. It was a beautiful symbol of Unity. They spoke one language, unity of purpose 

2. Brick-making technology: Is people were highly talented people who contributed many architectural works and were competitive with the Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures. 

3. They are known for trade. They were good at trade and migration. diaspora trade, exported to other cultures. olive, wine.

What is wrong? The sin is here; the Sin of Pride & competing with God. “We will make a name for ourselves”. The people of Babel sought to “make a name for themselves” without acknowledging God. They wanted to compete with God. Their unity was based on human ambition, not divine purpose. True unity must be centered on God, not on personal pride or selfish goals.

• Adam and Eve, Cain, wicked people at Noah, models of unfaithfulness… 
• Abraham changed the world? A person of faith and Abraham shows his faithfulness. 

 Earlier in Gen 11:4, the people at Babel were saying, “Let us make a name for ourselves”. But now God is telling a person, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

When we try to make our name great, often, that becomes a failure. Let us make God’s name greater; It is God who does, denying yourself is not an option; demand,  

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4):

The usual question of the students; Adam and Eve had only two Sons; Cain and Abel. Abel was killed. How come the generation grew with the only presence of Cain?. It does not mean that there was only one society living after their exit from the Garden. God would send providence every time according to the need. 

The theme of the Fourth chapter of Genesis is the first murder takes place in humanity, Abel was killed by his own brother, and he gave the reason it was God. He was pleased with the offering of Abel, not Cain. Cain becomes jealous. Jealousy leads to anger, and anger leads to murder. 

In the time the book of Genesis was written, there were two traditions, agricultural and shepherd traditions, that were living nearby, and they had tension among them. Cain was working on the land, and Abel was taking care of the sheep. Even the priestly tradition was part of the Shepherdic tradition because the Priestly/Leviticus tradition believed that blood offerings were pleased to God, 

God is warning Cain, that sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master» You can control the demon.

Cain killed Abel in the field, in his land, supposed to be his agricultural land, leaving his blood on the land. 

God says, «What have you done! Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 

In Hebrew damim means, blood in the plural, the bloods of your brother, whenever you take away a life, you become responsible for all the blood of humanity, because You are insulting the one who gave his breath, created life, 

In all the ethnic traditions, murder is the gravest sin. 

Sin alienates us—from God, from others, and ourselves.

The most violent year was the time of Jesus, the war between Jews and Romans many poor people were killed. 

Time of Herod, many children’s blood was thrown down, and women were killed, according to historians, 

Jesus says no sign will be given to the generation that wage a war. 

Yet, God does not abandon him. Instead, He places a sign on Cain—not as a punishment, but as a mark of protection. This shows that even after sin, God’s mercy remains.

If you don’t end the war, the war will end us, In war, there is no winner, we are all losers. 

BLESSED CLARE BOSATTA

HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF BLESSED CHIARA

• Today’s young people often want to display “Instagram strength”—the number of likes and views they want to show others. But this is only an external strength.
• There is also an “inner power”—the internal strength of people, especially those who spend less time on social media and more time developing real skills and depth. Blessed Clare Bosatta is known for this inner power.

1. மென்மையான இதயம், சிங்கத்தின் வீரம்!

Who is truly strong? Today, we celebrate the feast of a young woman who was once rejected as “unfit” to enter a religious order. Yes, she was rejected from the first Canossian convent because she was considered weak.

In a world obsessed with physical fitness and “muscle” energy, Blessed Clare Bosatta reminds us that a lean body can hold a giant spirit. It is not the body you train, but how you train the soul to meet God and serve the poor.  Don Guanella believed that உடல் பலத்தை விட மன பலமே பெரிது—inner strength is greater than physical strength. What truly makes a person beautiful is the strength of the mind and heart.

When Don Guanella learned that Sister Chiara had resolved a difficult situation before the judge of Dongo regarding rumors about the Pianello Lario Hospice, he admired Clare and said, “How much honesty in that little soul!” He felt that Clare had a gentle heart with the bravery of a lion. That was her strength.

Our value is not defined by our “fitness” in the eyes of people, but by our faithfulness in the eyes of God. Don Guanella looked at Sister Chiara with admiration and saw a mysterious soul like a “dove,” yet also like an “eagle”: gentle, yet capable of soaring to great heights. Today, we care so much about physical health, but often ignore or criticize inner health. Yet this inner strength is the true power seen in most of the saints.

2. முழுமையான அர்ப்பணிப்பு – Surrendering to God is the real victory!

Chiara’s greatest strength was not her own plan, but her radical obedience. She desired a quiet, hidden life, yet she was sent to the busy mission in Dongo. She cried, she struggled, but she said “Yes.”

Wherever Don Guanella sent her, she gave her whole heart, even in suffering. We live in a world that says: “my life, my choice, my privacy.” But Chiara shows that true freedom is found in the sacrifice of the heart. When she stopped resisting God’s will, her soul caught fire. God does not need your ability; He needs your availability.

Even while dying of a contagious disease, Clare’s focus remained on others. She memorized the names of the poor and the children, refusing to let others serve her.

She proved that you do not need muscles to carry another’s burden—you only need a heart, and that heart must be given fully to God.

3. Prayer and Sacrifice

Another essential quality that Don Guanella saw shining in Sister Chiara and in all his first sisters was constant prayer, with complete trust in Divine Providence.

Don Guanella once asked, “What are these daughters doing?” And he answered, “They pray.” Sister Chiara animated this spirit of prayer from morning to evening for the sake of the Institutes. The house itself became a place of continuous prayer.

Don Guanella personally experienced the power of this prayer. For example, he attributed the successful purchase of land for his first house in Como to their prayers. Chiara lived a profound “mystical suffering” that even Don Guanella found difficult to guide. She did not seek comfort at any cost; she sought God at any cost.

Dear brothers and sisters,  today, we run away from pain. But Chiara moved toward suffering because she saw the face of Christ in it. She shows us that a simple smile and a kind word can become the greatest miracles of a holy soul.

Feast of Blessed Clare, Manila, April 20, 2023

The Lion-Hearted Soul

1. The Mystery of the Call (Ang Misteryo ng Pagtawag)

Sister Chiara received an extraordinary grace, but holiness is always a collaboration. God traces the path, but it is up to us how we respond. Her life was short—only a few years (28) —but she gave her life and soul completely before the "branches" could even fully grow.

Vocation is often a surprise. Sometimes we think we know where we are going, but God continuously calls in mysterious ways. Minsan akala natin sarado na ang pinto, pero may binubuksan palang bago ang Diyos. (Sometimes we think the door is closed, but God is actually opening a new one.)

The Hour of Mercy: For Guanella, it took around twenty years after his priesthood to arrive at the hour of mercy. For Clare, the whole life she waited. From age 13, she sought consecrated life. The Canossians said "No" due to her health and withdrawn personality.

The Shift: We join religious life with many motivations, but we must orient them toward only one person: God. Vocation is not about our rules or our comfort; it is about recognizing the Divine Call as it is gradually revealed.

2. Who is Truly Strong? (Sino ang Tunay na Malakas?)

• In our community of Servants and Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, we often look at physical size/strength. A superior told me if you want to be a missionary, you should have a perfect body.
• Clare was known for her physical frailty. She was rejected because she was "unfit." It is hard to accept refusal. The natural human response is to say, "No, I will prove I am fit! We want to take it a challenge to perform better next time. 

But Clare did not fight with her fists; she fought with her spirit. Ang bawat buhay, kahit ang pinakamahina, ay isang regalo. (Every life, even the weakest, is a gift.) Don Guanella saw this "delicacy of soul" and realized that while her body was thin, her soul was like a lion.

3. Spiritual Health Over Physical Power

A healthy body does not always keep a healthy soul. Clare focused on spiritual health, creating a vibrant soul that no one could harm or destroy.

Suffering as Charity: She lived her sickness with transparency. Even with a contagious disease, she refused to be served. Instead, she served others through her concern, remembering the names of every child and beneficiary in Como.

Strength in "I Cannot": In the 19th century, submission was expected, but Clare took it to a divine level. To say "Hindi ko alam" (I don't know) or "Hindi ko kaya" (I am not able) is not a sign of failure. It is the highest form of humility—the Fiat of Mary.

4. The Angelic Soul: The Crystal Soul

Don Guanella compared her to the great mystics like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Why? Because she was like water—clear and transparent. Walang bahid ng pride. (Not a single drop of pride, said Guanella, his spiritual director)

A soul agitated by pride goes astray, but a transparent soul like Clare’s allows the light of God to pass through perfectly. She proved that you do not need a "macho" body to carry the heavy cross of Christ; you only need a soul that is willing to say "Yes."

Homily, DSMP Manila, March 20, 2022

Ang Tunay na Lakas: The Strong Soul of Blessed Clare Bosatta

Sino ang mas malakas dito? Who is stronger? We often focus on those who develop their physical frame—the "macho" or the "pogi." We tend to assume that thin people are soft, weak, or sick. But physical strength is tangible; you see it grow with proper training. Willpower is invisible, yet it governs everything. Mas madaling palakasin ang katawan kaysa sa kalooban. (It is easier to strengthen the body than the will.) A good soul may lead to a healthy body, but a healthy body does not always guarantee a healthy soul.

1. Weakness as a Gift (Ang Kahinaan bilang Biyaya)

Blessed Clare Bosatta was defined by physical fragility. After eight years with the Canossian sisters, she was rejected. They told her she was unfit for religious life because of her withdrawn personality and weak health. The Temptation of Pride: Most would react with anger to prove they are "fit." But Clare did not do like that.  She understood that every life, no matter how humble or weak, is a gift. Don Guanella described her as having a "delicacy of soul," yet possessing the "strength of a lion." Strength is not about being "fit" in the eyes of the world; it is about a vibrant spirit that no rejection can destroy.

2. Prayer as the Life-Force (Panalanging Walang Patid)

Don Guanella noted that Sister Chiara was the "life" of the house because of her prayer.

Trust in the Providence: Her prayer wasn't just words; it was the engine that allowed Don Guanella to perform miracles, like acquiring the first house in Como.

For Clare, obedience was simply prayer in action. She learned the meaning of sacrifice not through grand gestures, but through the daily "yes" to God’s grace.

3. The Mandate to Pray and Suffer (Ang Misteryo ng Paghihirap)

In the Guanellian charism, prayer and suffering are inseparable from charity. Without them, our work becomes mere social activity.

Service in Sickness: Even when her body was failing, Clare refused to be served. Kahit mahina ang katawan, nag-uumapaw ang kanyang pagmamahal. (Even if the body is weak, her love overflows.)

Compassion in Isolation: When she had a contagious disease, she wanted others not to enter her room - not out of fear, but to protect the community. She remained focused on the names of the poor and the children, even in her agony.

4. Transparency and the "Fiat" (Katapatan at Pagpapakumbaba)

Clare was like crystal—pure and transparent. Her strength lay in her ability to be humble. She had the Power to say to God and men "I Don't Know": To say "I am not able" or "I do not know" is not weakness (many times we think it is a shame); it is the highest form of humility. We need the courage to say the truth about oneself. 

Reflection for the faithful: Do not fear your physical limitations/inabilities/ the rejections of the world. Like Blessed Clare, remember that ang biyaya ng Diyos ay sapat sa iyong kahinaan. (God's grace is sufficient in your weakness.) Are you training your body more than your soul? Seek the "delicacy" of Clare, which is the only strength that can move mountains.

Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4: 35-41

Mark 4: 35-41

In today’s Gospel passage, we read about Jesus calming the storm. When we look at the Gospel passage in the context of Mark’s Gospel, the section of parables ends and here begins the section of miracles (signs or wonders). 

There are three types of miracles (healing miracles, exorcism miracles and miracles over nature). This extraordinary miracle and mighty act indicates that Jesus had power over nature. 

Moreover, this passage can also be taken as a parable. Jesus sleeps here. This is the only place where it is mentioned Jesus slept, another place, Jesus rested for a while. In this case, Jesus sleeps with a pillow. Natutulog si Hesus na may u’nan. ‘Sleep’ refers to ‘death’ or ‘absence’. After Jesus’ death or ascension, Mark’s community faces many problems. Their boat ride was not pleasant. They felt the absence of God. Through this incident, Mark encourages his community. Sino sa inyo ang nakasakay sa bangka? Jesus still cares for us even when he has left us (and has fallen asleep). We can face any adversity in His presence (and absence).

A) Continue to travel, not to stop: At the beginning of the Gospel passage, sinabi ni Jesus sa mga alagad, “Tumawid tayo sa ibayo.” “Let us go across to the other side.” Jesus invites the disciples to be always in movement. With care, he leads them there. When we become frozen by life’s events, Jesus invites us to “go across to the other side.” We must get up often and go to the other side. Keep moving forward, successful people do not have time to worry,  

The first reading gives an example of not worrying, but putting faith in God, the best model is Abraham. Isaac is questioning the father, “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Let us continue to travel, God will provide on his part, he will not abandon us, Keep moving forward, successful people do not have time to worry,  

b. In their fear, the disciples cry out: ‘Teacher, we are about to die!’ what should we do? the young man in the Gospel was asking different in Mark 10:17, ‘Lord, we are going to live! What should I do?’ both are life but different levels, There is no place for death in God’s presence. PUSJ members, Lord help us to prepare for death, Mark says that there was a great storm and brings before us two situations: one, the peaceful situation. In that situation, Jesus is sleeping with a pillow in the boat. The second is the opposite, fear situation. The disciples are terrified and frightened. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” They see Jesus as just a teacher (Rabbi). Here we see the concern of Jesus. First, he makes the storm calm. Then he gives hope to his disciples. First, he removes their painful situation. 

Jesus gets up and rebukes the sea. ‘Peace, be still!” is the formula for exorcism rebuke. Jesus calms the sea with the same words. Because, for the Jewish people, the sea was considered a place of demons. Jesus continues to rebuke his disciples: ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still not believe?’ Jesus rebukes them for their lack of faith. That is, they refused to believe that they could not die when Jesus was with them. This is their lack of trust. These questions were not asked just by looking at the disciples. Each of us who reads this text is asked. You and I must answer these two questions individually. The answer to the question, “Who sleeps in a boat and rebukes the wind?” depends on the answer we give.

Mark 1:29-39

Continuous temptation!

We think Jesus was tempted only in the desert. After healing Simon’s mother-in-law and many others, Simon and the others interrupt His prayer with an urgent plea: “Everyone is looking for you!” They invite Him to stay where He is, among those who already appreciate His presence and miracles. This scenario highlights a subtle but powerful temptation: to remain in the comfort of the familiar.

1. The temptation to stay in the familiar:

“Everyone is looking for you!” – the disciples’ words sound both flattering and reassuring. It’s always tempting to remain in places where people already know us, congratulate us, love us, and applaud what we do—be with like-minded people. I did regency in GH, mabait sila, I want to remain with them, But Jesus discerns that this can become a snare, keeping Him from His larger mission.

Jesus responds, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns (Tyre and Sidon, synogogues), so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” His answer shows He refuses to settle for popularity or comfort. Instead, He looks to the larger horizon of God’s will.

Avoid risks: In economics, there’s a principle called the “loss aversion fallacy.” We naturally avoid risks because losing something we have feels worse than the joy of gaining something new. Spiritually, this manifests when we fear stepping into the unknown or giving up our comfortable routines—even if doing so could bring greater fruit or deeper union with God.

We see this “loss aversion” in the parable of the talents (cf. Mt 25:14–30). The third servant buries his talent rather than risking it. He clings to the security of keeping what he has—yet he ends up losing it anyway. In our own lives, how often do we bury our gifts and remain in spiritual comfort zones simply because we are afraid of what lies beyond?

3. Jesus the High Priest: merciful and faithful

The first reading (cf. Heb 2:14–18) reminds us that Jesus, our High Priest, was like us “in every respect,” tempted as we are, yet without sin. He was merciful to the people He served and faithful to God’s plan. That faithful obedience required constant discernment—choosing the Father’s will over human praise or personal comfort.

Summing up, Jesus knew the subtle temptation of settling in a place where people cheered for Him. He overcame it by choosing the Father’s mission over personal comfort. As our merciful and faithful High Priest, He understands our own struggles with fear and complacency. Today, let us ask for the grace to follow Him into the unknown—beyond our routines, beyond our fears—trusting that God’s plans far surpass any temporary comfort we might cling to. Then, like Jesus, we will fulfil our true calling and experience the joy of doing the Father’s will.

New Teaching with authority

New Teaching with authority in Today's Gospel Mk 1:21-28;  

Today's Church needs a new way of evangelization according to the needs of the modern and present church. The Popes of different times published different texts according to the issues and problems of their time. The Jubilee year asks for a new way of teaching. 

Teaching with learning; sharing thoughts, teaching without speaking, teaching through actions, testimonies, the limit of giving a sermon in 7-10 minutes, 

Teaching puts attention on the word of God, not our own way of exhibiting ourselves, scribes teaching focused on their respect, Jesus’ name of Jesus, glorify, when i was in USA, when i was in francis, when i met Pope, 

Teaching keeps the sin away: the common enemy is the sin not individuals,