Master of the Antwerp Adoration, The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, oil on panel, Particular collection.

This Sunday we begin the deep dive into the Sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. This is the chapter on the Eucharist. John 6 begins with the multiplication of the loaves and fish. What again? The multiplication of loaves and fish is the only Gospel miracle found in all four gospels and is actually found twice in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. So, we come upon it quite frequently in our liturgies. Anyway, I would like to focus on the gathering of the fragments.

Unlike the manna, the fragments were not to be thrown away. They came from God. This happens in our churches every time we celebrate Mass. Bread and wine are consecrated, not blessed, but consecrated. They become the Eucharist, the Body and the Blood of the Lord. Once the physical elements are transformed, they remain the Body and Blood of the Lord. We place the consecrated hosts in our tabernacles because this is still the Lord. We bring the Body of Christ to those who cannot join us at Mass. We pray before the Body of Christ in our tabernacles. The Eucharist is not merely a liturgical action during the Mass. It is Jesus. He is really present in the consecrated species, the bread and wine. We believe that this is really and truly the Body and Blood of Christ. To leave the Catholic Church for another faith is to reject the gift of the real presence of Jesus Christ as Eucharist. Once a person is brought into the mystery of the Eucharist, that person cannot leave this mystery. It would a rejection of a great Grace given when that person became Catholic or entered that stage of life when he or she could come to an understanding of what we Catholic believe about the Eucharist. How great is our God? God is so great that he has found a way for all of us to attend the eternal Passover. How great is our God? God is so great that he leads us into his presence and feeds us his meal. How great is our God? He is so great that he has found a way for each of us to join the disciples at the Last Supper, or what is really the First Supper, the First Supper of the Kingdom. How great is our God? He is so great that He has created billions and billions of people in the world, and, yet, has found a way to treat each person as an only child. How great is our God? He is so great that He loves every person as though each of us were the only person He ever created.

When we receive communion, we are present at the Last Supper, the First Supper, the Banquet of the Lord. When we receive holy Communion, we enter into the intimate union with God that Jesus came to earth to provide. How much our God cares for us! He has found a way to nourish our spiritual lives. His very Body and Blood keeps us strong. He gives us the strength to proclaim his Kingdom.

So, we need to ask ourselves at communion time: «What am I doing?» Am I just following the crowd? Hopefully not. Am I receiving some sort of blessing? Hopefully, we realize that holy Communion is much more than a blessing. What is it that I am doing when I receive holy Communion? I am receiving the Food that God provides. I am being nourished with the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us ask the Holy Spirit for a deeper appreciation and a deeper reverence for the Great Gift of Love that is the Eucharist • AE

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St. Joseph Catholic Church (Dilley, TX) • Weekend Schedule

Fr. Agustin E. (Parish Administrator)

Saturday July 27, 2024.

5.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

6.00 p.m. Santa Misa.

Sunday, July 28, 2024

8.00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

8.30 a.m. Holy Mass.

10.30 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation.

11.00 a.m. Holy Mass

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XVII Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo B)

Campbells Soup Cans (1962) del norteamericano Andy Warhol en el Museo Tate Modern de Londres

Criticamos con facilidad y rapidez al mundo contemporáneo porque pensamos que son otros los que tienen la culpa de todo. Los verdaderos culpables se encuentran ocultos tras el sistema, son las multinacionales, los políticos de ciertas naciones poderosas. Si ellos son los culpables, nosotros somos inocentes. Sin duda, hay culpables y hay, sobre todo, causas de los males e injusticias, pero hay también una culpa que está como diluida en toda la sociedad y que nos toca a todos. Hemos interiorizado personalmente un tipo de cultura que nos lleva a pensar, sentir y tener comportamientos que sostienen y facilitan el funcionamiento de una sociedad poco humana. Pensemos, por ejemplo, en esta sociedad de consumo en la que vivimos. Podemos estudiar lo que significa objetivamente una economía de mercado, la producción masiva de productos, el funcionamiento de la publicidad y tantos otros factores, pero podemos también analizar nuestra actuación, la de cada uno de nosotros. Si yo me dejo modelar por la sociedad de consumo, esto significa que valoro más mi propia felicidad que la solidaridad; que pienso que esta felicidad se obtiene, sobre todo, teniendo cosas más que mejorando mi modo de ser; que tengo como meta secreta ganar siempre más y, para ello, tener el mayor éxito profesional y económico. Esto me puede llevar fácilmente a considerar como algo normal una sociedad profundamente desigual donde cada uno tiene lo que se merece. Hay individuos eficientes y dinámicos que consiguen un nivel apropiado a sus esfuerzos, y un grupo numeroso de personas poco hábiles y nada trabajadoras que nunca conseguirán un nivel digno en esta sociedad.

A partir de aquí organizamos nuestra actividad y relaciones de manera inteligente. Naturalmente, valoramos la amistad y el compañerismo, la convivencia familiar y el círculo de amigos. Apreciamos, incluso, los gestos de generosidad y la ayuda al necesitado. Pero hay que saber calcular. No hemos de perder nunca de vista nuestro propio interés y provecho. Hay que saber dar de manera inteligente, ayudar a quien un día nos podrá corresponder. Olvidamos aquel “dar hasta que duela”, que solía repetir Madre Teresa.

Podemos seguir echando la culpa a otros, pero cada uno somos responsable de este estilo de vida poco humano. Por eso es bueno dejarnos sacudir de vez en cuando por las palabras y las obras de Jesús. El relato de la multiplicación de los panes que escuchamos este domingo en el evangelio -el décimi séptimo del tiempo ordinario- es un signo mesiánico que revela a Jesús como Aquel que viene a alimentar al pueblo, pero encierra también una llamada muy específica: una invitación a que cada uno pongamos nuestro esfuerzo, nuestro tiempo, nuestro talento, lo que cada uno pueda hacer y dar, aunque sólo sean cinco panes y dos peces • AE

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¿Qué vamos a leer?

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Jeremiah prophesied a day when the leaders would be wise and just, a day when people would look at their king and proclaim, «The Lord is our justice.” Usually when we hear the term «justice» we think of court cases. We refer to justice as a decision that safeguards the rights of all people. Biblical justice is much deeper than that. Biblical justice describes a way of life that reflects the presence of God. Biblical justice is based on faith in God resulting in a particular way of acting. Biblical justice refers to integrity.

Now there’s a word that we do not hear a lot, at least not in the public forum. Integrity. The word integrity means to be whole, complete. A person with integrity is a person of sincerity, a person’s whose actions are a natural reflection of his or her interior. A person with integrity has a firm hold on the truth. He does not create truth. He respects truth. What qualities, then, should we look for in a leader? Today’s readings answer this question: 1) a leader must be capable of uniting the people in truth, as St. Paul tells the Corinthians, and 2) a leader must be both strong and compassionate, as the Lord Jesus was. When we think of leaders, we naturally tend to think about those in the highest echelons of authority: the Holy Father, the leaders of the Church, the president, the leaders of governments throughout the world. But leadership does not stop here. Through the sacrament of marriage, husbands and wives assume the responsibility of leading their spouses and their children to God. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, deacons, priests and bishops assume the responsibility of leading in word and sacrament. By the grace of the sacrament of confirmation we are all given the responsibility of being leaders in the Church. The leadership we all share in as confirmed Catholics is directly related to the leadership entrusted to the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday. When the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit spoke through them and they proclaimed Jesus Christ. This is an area where we all need help. We are all tempted to compromise with a society that has rejected Christ. Or, at least, we are tempted to keep quiet when others are attacking the faith. We need to pray for each other that we be compassionate while never deserting the Truth that is Christ. So, today we pray for all leaders: in the Church, in the world, in our families, among our ordained clergy, and among all the confirmed. We pray that we and all leaders may combine the Christ-like characteristics of being strong and compassionate. We have to be people of integrity. We have to have the courage to demand the truth in our own lives as well as in the lives of all we love. People need leaders to show them the love and the compassion of Christ. They need leaders who have a firm hold on integrity. They need us to be those leaders. We can do this. We must do this. The prophet Jeremiah said, “A day is coming when people will say, ‘The Lord is our justice, our integrity.’» That day is upon us. Jesus is with us. Jesus is yearning to be reflected in our lives. He is calling us to be the people we can be • AE

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St. Joseph Catholic Church (Dilley, TX) • Weekend Schedule

Fr. Agustin E. (Parish Administrator)

Saturday July 20, 2024.

5.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

6.00 p.m. Santa Misa.

Sunday, July 21, 2024

8.00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

8.30 a.m. Holy Mass.

10.30 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation.

11.00 a.m. Holy Mass.

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XVI Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo B)

La escena está cargada de ternura. Llegan los discípulos cansados del trabajo realizado. La actividad es tan intensa que no encuentran tiempo para comer. Y entonces Jesús decide llevarlos a un sitio tranquilo a descansar.

Los cristianos olvidamos hoy con demasiada frecuencia que un grupo de cristianos no es sólo una comunidad de oración, reflexión y trabajo, sino también una comunidad de descanso y alegría, aunque no siempre ha sido así. Las frases que siguen no son de ningún teólogo progresista. Están redactadas allá por el siglo IV, por aquel gran Obispo poco sospechoso de frivolidades que fue Agustín de Hipona: «Un grupo de cristianos es un grupo de personas que rezan juntas, pero también conversan juntas. Ríen en común y se intercambian favores. Están bromeando juntas y juntas están en serio. Están a veces en desacuerdo, pero sin animosidad, como se está a veces con uno mismo, utilizando ese desacuerdo para reforzar siempre el acuerdo habitual. Aprenden algo unos de otros o lo enseñan unos a otros. Echan de menos, con pena, a los ausentes. Acogen con alegría a los que llegan. Hacen manifestaciones de este u otro tipo: chispas del corazón de los que se aman, expresadas en el rostro, en la lengua, en los ojos, en mil gestos de ternura»

Tal vez, lo que más nos sorprende hoy en este texto es que san Agustin mencione a unos cristianos que saben rezar pero saben también reír. Saben estar serios y saben también bromear. Y es que la Iglesia aparece ¡tantas veces! grave y solemne. Pareciera que los cristianos le tenemos miedo a la risa, como si la risa fuera siempre signo de frivolidad y falta de responsabilidad ante los problemas. Quién no recuerda aquella escena de la película «El Nombre de la Rosa». Sin embargo hay un humor y un saber reír que es signo más bien de madurez y sabiduría. Es la risa del creyente que sabe reír porque sabe relativizar lo que es relativo, sin dramatizar sin necesidad los problemas. Es una risa que nace de la confianza última de ese Dios que nos mira a todos con compasióm y ternura. Una risa que distiende, libera y da fuerzas para seguir caminando. Esta risa une. Los que ríen juntos no se atacan ni se hacen daño porque la risa verdaderamente humana nace de un corazón que sabe comprender y amar, de un corazón que se sabe bajo la mirada amorosa de Dios • AE

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lEcTUrAS dE vEraNo

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¿Escuchar & Leer?

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Today’s second reading, from the beginning of the Letter to the Ephesians says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”

Paul is not speaking about himself. He is speaking about us. God has chosen us. Like Amos, we have been chosen to be prophets. We need to prophesy. A prophet is someone who proclaims the truth. We need to proclaim the Truth of Jesus Christ. Like the Twelve we have been chosen to drive out demons, What demons? The demons of fear, of deceitfulness, of materialism, of pagan values, the demons of sickness, of psychological, mental, and physical ills. We have been called to tell the truth that all that matters is Jesus Christ. This is how we prophesy. We listen closely to the Lord. We hear his voice in the Word of God, the Bible. We hear his voice in the proclamation of scripture in the homily. We hear his voice in the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church. And, particularly, we hear his voice within us when we receive the Eucharist and in our prayer life. It is His voice that roars. It is His message that we must proclaim. We are not called to proclaim our own message. We are not to use religion for our own ends. No one should use religion, as sadly some have, for their own personal gain. There is nothing new about people using religion to proclaim their own message. Jesus spoke about this in the Sermon on the Mount when he told his disciples not to be like the hypocrites who make a great show of saying their prayers and donating money so all could see them. The Lord is asking us to proclaim his message, not the message of some internet site. There are some people who have their own agendas. They transfer their upset with themselves upon others. There are internet sites that are in constant attack against the Holy Father, the Bishops and anyone who does not joining their radical view of the faith. Christ did not call us to oppose His Church. He called us to proclaim its truths. We have been chosen to proclaim not our own message or the message of others, but to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ.

The message of the Lord, the Gospel, is the good news that we are loved by Jesus Christ. It is good news that He forgives us and that He is with us. The second reading is so beautifully comforting. God has chosen us for love. We are to proclaim the love of Christ mainly by being people of kindness. The world needs us to be prophets of the truth. So many people have lost their grip on truth. So many people choose to believe whatever they want, even if that means denying reality. When Pilate asked, “Truth, what is truth?” He was reflecting a cynical world that had lost its way. He could not even recognize the truth when it stood before him! We have been chosen by God to be prophets. We are valuable to the Lord. We have worth. We are people he has called to live in His Love and to spread His Love. May we be prophets of His Truth • AE

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St. Joseph Catholic Church (Dilley, TX) • Weekend Schedule

Fr. Agustin E. (Parish Administrator)

Saturday July 13, 2024.

5.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

6.00 p.m. Santa Misa.

Sunday, July 14, 2024

8.00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation

8.30 a.m. Holy Mass.

10.30 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation.

11.00 a.m. Holy Mass.

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XV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo B)

Cuando en la Iglesia se habla de la necesidad de una nueva evangelización. ¿Qué queremos decir exactamente? ¿Qué hemos de cambiar? ¿Cuál fue realmente la intención de Jesús al enviar a sus apostoles a evangelizar? El relato de Marcos deja claro que solo Jesús es la fuente, el inspirador y el modelo de la acción evangelizadora de sus seguidores. Estos actuarán con su autoridad. No harán nada en nombre propio. Son enviados de Jesús. No se predicarán a sí mismos: solo anunciarán su Evangelio. No tendrán otros intereses: solo se dedicarán a abrir caminos al reino de Dios.

El punto de partida para entender y luego impulsar una nueva evangelización es purificar e intensificar una relación con Jesús. No hay otro camino. No habrá nueva evangelización si no hay nuevos evangelizadores, y no habrá nuevos evangelizadores si no hay un contacto más vivo, lúcido y apasionado con el Señor. Sin él haremos todo menos introducir su Espíritu en el mundo.

Al enviarlos, Jesús no deja a sus discípulos abandonados a sus fuerzas. Les da su autoridad, que no es un poder para controlar, gobernar o dominar a los demás, sino su fuerza para expulsar espíritus inmundos, liberando a las personas de lo que esclaviza, oprime y deshumaniza a las personas y a la sociedad. Los discípulos saben muy bien qué les encarga Jesús. Nunca lo han visto gobernando a nadie. Siempre lo han conocido curando heridas, aliviando el sufrimiento, regenerando vidas, liberando de miedos, contagiando confianza en Dios. Curar y liberar son tareas prioritarias en la actuación de Jesús. Darían un rostro radicalmente diferente a nuestra evangelización. Cuando en nuestra conducta hay reclamos, reproches, drama, no estamos caminando por el camino trazado por el Señor, camino en el que solo habríamos de llevar bastón, sandalias y una túnica. No necesitamos más para ser testigos de lo esencial.

Sin recuperar este estilo evangélico no lograrermos una nueva evangelización. Lo importante no es poner en marcha nuevas actividades y estrategias, sino desprendernos de costumbres, estructuras y servidumbres que nos están impidiendo ser libres para contagiar lo esencial del Evangelio, con verdad y sencillez. En la Iglesia hemos perdido en muchos lugares ese estilo itinerante que sugiere Jesús. A ratos no sabemos acompañar a las personas, nos agarramos al poder que hemos tenido, y nos enredamos en intereses que no coinciden con el reino de Dios. Necesitamos, en menos palabras, una conversión real, y sobre todo una profunda relación de amor con el Señor, ¿A qué estamos esperando? • AE

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¿Qué vamos a leer y qué vamos a oir?

En el mes en el que la Iglesia celebra la fiesta de nuestro padre San Ignacio de Loyola

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In today’s second reading, from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, we heard that he was fighting what he called a thorn in the flesh. Three times he begged the Lord to remove this from Him. But all he heard was the Lord saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” What was it that was upsetting St. Paul so much? People have speculated over the years, but we have no way of knowing exactly what it was. Whatever it was, it was significant for Paul. It could not have been something as minor as a speech impediment. It was something far more personal and more severe. Whatever it was, it probably kept him awake at night. It is troubling for us to think that the great St. Paul had a major personal problem. Even in our cynical age, we still want to turn our saints into perfect little plastic statues. But people are not perfect, and even the greatest of the saints were people like you and me, continually fitting the temptation to sin. The voice of the Lord told Paul that His Power is made perfect in weakness. It was clear to Paul, that whatever success he had proclaiming the Gospel only occurred because God was working through him.

St. Paul was certainly not a spiritual introvert. He did not just focus on himself and ignore all who are around him for the sake of his spiritual life. Actually, no follower of Jesus Christ can be self-centered. We are not Buddhists. We are not Scientologists. We are Catholics. We are Christians. The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be listened to and must be proclaimed. We all have a tendency to be so bogged down with our own conception of what the minister of the Lord should be like that we miss the Word of God. We hear the priest and deacon preach about the scriptures, but we cannot get past his humanity. We say, “This priest who talks about being kind and charitable, does not appear to me to be very kind.” But truth is truth, whether it is proclaimed by a saint or a sinner.

It is easy for us to be so mired in the humanity of the proclaimer that we refuse to listen to the proclamation. St. Paul was told that Christ’s power is made perfect in his weakness. St. Paul realized that it was God working through him that brought so many people to the faith. Christ’s power also works through us. We really do not have the right to deny our responsibility to the Lord. We may think that we are not good enough to talk about the Lord, but we are good enough. He makes us good enough. We have to remember that the positive effects of what we say come from the Lord, not from us. So, we come before the Lord today and say with St. Peter, St. Paul and so many of the saints, “I am sinful, I cannot do your work” and Jesus says, “Yes you can. My power will work through you in ways greater than you can ever realize. My power is made perfect in your weakness.” • AE

St. Joseph Catholic Church (Dilley, TX) • Weekend Schedule

Saturday July 6, 2024

5.00 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation – Fr. Agustin E.

6.00 p.m. Santa Misa – Fr. Agustin E.

Sunday, July 7, 2024

8.30 a.m. Holy Mass – Fr. Agustin E.

11.00 a.m. Holy Mass – Fr.  Agustin E.

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XIV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo B)

Jesús no tenía poder cultural como los escribas. No era un intelectual con estudios. Tampoco poseía el poder sagrado de los sacerdotes del templo. No era miembro de una familia honorable, ni pertenecía a las elites urbanas de Séforis o Tiberíades. Jesús era un «obrero de la construcción», de una aldea desconocida de la Baja Galilea. No había estudiado en ninguna escuela rabínica. No se dedicaba a explicar la Ley. No le preocupaban las discusiones doctrinales. No se interesó nunca por los ritos del templo. La gente lo veía como un maestro que enseñaba a entender y vivir la vida de manera diferente.

Según el evangelista, cuando Jesús llegó a Nazaret acompañado por sus discípulos, sus vecinos quedaron sorprendidos por dos cosas: la sabiduría de su corazón y la fuerza curadora de sus manos. Era lo que más atraía a la gente. Jesús no era un pensador que explicaba una doctrina, sino un sabio que comunicaba su experiencia de Dios y enseñaba a vivir bajo el signo del amor. No era un líder autoritario que imponía su poder, sino un curador que sanaba la vida y aliviaba el sufrimiento.

A aquellos hombres y mujeres de Nazaret no les costó mucho desacreditar a Jesús. Neutralizaron su presencia con toda clase de preguntas, sospechas y recelos. No se dejaron enseñar por él, ni se abrieron a su fuerza curadora. Jesús no pudo acercarlos a Dios, ni curar a todos como él hubiera deseado. Y es que a Jesús no se le puede entender desde fuera. Hay que entrar en contacto con él, y dejar que vaya introduciendo poco a poco en nosotros cosas tan decisivas como la alegría de vivir, la compasión o la voluntad de crear un mundo más justo. Dejar que nos enseñe a vivir en la presencia amistosa y cercana de Dios. Cuando uno se acerca a Jesús, no se siente atraído por una doctrina, sino invitado a vivir de una manera nueva.

Por otra parte, para experimentar su fuerza salvadora, es necesario dejamos curar por él: recuperar poco a poco la libertad interior, liberamos de miedos que nos paralizan, atrevemos a salir de la mediocridad. Jesús sigue hoy imponiendo sus manos, y curan quienes creen realmente en Él • AE

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¿Qué vamos a leer?

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