This is the Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time. Usually, Lent would have begun by now, but this year it is late. Also, when we return to ordinary time in June, we usually begin with the 9th or 10th Sunday of the year, so poor number 8 rarely is celebrated. The readings for today are full of aphorisms. An aphorisms is an adage, or a tersely phrased statement of the truth. The first one the Lord mentions today has always seemed mysterious and fascinating to me, and reminds me of one of my favorite works of art. «Can a blind man act as a guide to a blind man. Will they not both fall into a ditch?» People cannot teach until they have learned. This is true in every aspect of life, but particularly in the Church. In the Catholic Church we are blessed with a teaching authority. This authority is often given the Latin word for teacher and called the Magisterium. The magisterium consists in the Pope, the Bishops, theologians and consultants. The duty of the magisterium is to set the course for us to relate our faith and morals to the evolving times. We take this for granted because most of us have always been Catholic and have always had the body of our faith presented in a rather neat package. But dogmatic statements didn’t just happen. They evolved over many centuries as the Church continues to grow in its understanding of itself. When, as all human beings, we have times of doubt, or times that we have difficulty understanding what we believe or why we believe, we have to go to books and knowledgeable people in the area. We also have to go to our knees and pray to Holy Spirit to help us grow in faith. The blind cannot lead the blind. That is why we have been gifted with the Holy Spirit. That is why we have the magisterium, and it would be very good if we had an attitude of deep respect and reverence before him. Today I ask myself, in the silence of prayer, how often I pay attention to the voice of the Pope and the bishops •AE

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Fr. Agustin Schedule for Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time

Saturday, February 26, 2022

11.00 p.m. Sacrament of Baptism for Sloan Elizabeth Perlman @ St. Peter Prince of the Apostles

 2.30 p.m. Sacrament of Matrimony for Luis and Yvonne @ St. Dominic (main Church)

3.45p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation @ St. Dominic (Confessional) 

5.00 p.m. English Mass @ St. Dominic

Sunday, February 27, 2022

7.00 a.m. English Mass @ St. Dominic

10.30 a.m. English Mass @ St. Dominic

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VIII Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo C)

En una sociedad dañada por tantas injusticias y abusos, en ambientes donde crecen las zarzas de los intereses y las mutuas rivalidades y donde brotan tantos espinos de odios y agresividad ¿Qué podemos hacer los cristianos para sanar un poco la convivencia social tan dañada? Quizá podríamos empezar por no hacer a nadie la vida más difícil de lo que ya es, viviendo de tal manera que al menos junto a nosotros la vida sea más humana y llevadera, tratando de no envenenar el ambiente con nuestro pesimismo, nuestra amargura y agresividad. Quizá podríamos crear en nuestro entorno relaciones basadas en confianza y cordialidad, desarrollando la capacidad de comprensión: que aquellos con quienes convivimos sepan que, hagan lo que hagan y por muy graves que sean sus errores, siempre encontrarán en nosotros alguien que los comprenderá y ayudará a mejorar. No despreciando nadie, ni siquiera interiormente, es un buen comienzo. El perdón podría ser otra fuente de esperanza en nuestra sociedad. Las personas que no guardan rencor ni alimentan de manera insana el odio o la venganza, sino que saben perdonar desde dentro, siembran esperanza en el mundo. Junto a esas personas siempre crecerá la vida. No se trata de cerrar los ojos al mal y a la injusticia; podríamos recordar las palabras del apóstol: «No te dejes vencer por el mal; antes bien, vence al mal con el bien.» La manera más sana de luchar contra el mal en una sociedad tan dañada en algunos valores humanos es hacer el bien sin devolver a nadie mal por mal[1] •AE

[1] Rm 12, 17-18

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