My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

As Christians, we rightly proclaim who Jesus is: the Son of God, our Savior, crucified and risen. Yet it is possible to speak so often about Jesus that we fail to listen carefully to Jesus.

In this week’s Gospel, Christ reminds us that faith must bear fruit. Religious words and outward appearances are not enough. Our lives should gradually reveal mercy, patience, truthfulness, generosity, and love. We do not obey God out of fear, however. Saint Paul tells us that we have received the Spirit of adoption and may call God “Abba, Father.” We seek to do God’s will because we are beloved children learning to reflect the character of our Father.
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May our worship not end when the liturgy is over. May the Christ we receive in the Eucharist transform the way we speak, serve, forgive, and care for others. May the world recognize that we belong to Jesus not only because we call him “Lord,” but because his love is bearing fruit in us.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

Peace be upon you!
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This week, we have released a new faith formation video exploring why the Anointing of the Sick may be considered the sacrament par excellence of Christ’s healing ministry. This may be surprising, especially because the sacrament is sometimes treated as something reserved only for the final moments of life. Yet the Gospels repeatedly show Jesus drawing near to those who suffer, healing the sick, restoring dignity, and revealing the compassion of God through both word and touch.

At Saint Oscar Romero Ministries, we want to participate in this healing ministry of Christ. We are committed to praying with and for those who are sick, suffering, preparing for surgery, living with chronic illness, or carrying emotional and spiritual burdens. We also offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to those who request it. Through prayer, the laying on of hands, and anointing with oil, the Church asks Christ to bring strength, peace, forgiveness, healing, and hope.

This Sunday’s homily reflects on the demanding message found in Romans 6:3–11 and Matthew 5:20–26. Baptism is a beautiful entrance into the life of the Church, but Saint Paul reminds us that it is also a participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. In baptism, the old self is called to die so that a new life may begin. The Christian life is therefore not simply a matter of “praying, paying, and obeying,” nor can the kingdom of God be fully identified with any earthly church or institution. Our communities may point toward the kingdom, but the kingdom always transcends them.

Jesus also warns us not to dismiss the seemingly small sins of anger, contempt, and judgment. When we call another person a fool in our hearts, nurture resentment, or refuse communion, we wound both the other person and ourselves. Our own righteousness will never be enough, and we cannot save ourselves. Only God saves. Yet through grace, we can forgive as we have been forgiven and allow Christ to form within us a new pattern of patience, love, gratitude, mercy, and hope. As we celebrate the Eucharist, may we be transformed by what we receive and drawn more deeply into the healing and reconciling life of Christ.

Peace,
Rev. Ben

My sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ,
I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of fictional books or movies. For a long time, I saw them as somehow lesser. They tell the truth in an indirect way. And yet, now I find myself telling stories in my own head. These stories are perhaps far more real than what any non-fiction book can offer. I have had characters forming in my mind, characters who help me imagine what a church could be.

I rarely watch movies, but today I came across one I felt I had to watch: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. It made me think about the sadness and burdens we all carry. It made me think about how deeply we long for reconciliation, even though reconciliation often means facing the darkest parts of our own story.

I think of Peter in today’s Gospel, recognizing his own unworthiness. He had happily accepted the healing Jesus provided to his mother-in-law, but now, in the boat, Peter realizes that Jesus is asking something of him. Peter is afraid. He is unsure if he can let go. Many times in our own lives, we allow our failures, disappointments, anger, and sin to define us.

Jesus sees all of that. Reconciliation and forgiveness do not mean pretending those things did not happen. They mean that love sees everything and still calls us into relationship. Just as Jesus called Peter, who would later betray him, Jesus calls us too. We are imperfect, but the final end of the story is not about us. It is about what God does.

God reconciles us to himself.
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Peace,
Rev. Ben