Saint Mary Catholic Parish
6853 S. Prince Street, Littleton, CO 80120 303-798-8506
Homilies Homilies
We Become What We Eat and Contemplate
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – June 26, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Let me read to you from this book about Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, "Mother had the grace in the later years, to have the Blessed Sacrament in her hospital room. She always wanted it with her. She had another heart failure in August, right before our eyes. A tube was put down into her lungs to assist her breathing and relieve the pressure upon her heart. Before the tubes were finally removed, the doctor said, 'Father, go home and bring that box to Mother.'...more>>
God Works in Human History
Pentecost Sunday
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – June 12, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we come to the conclusion of Easter time. Once again:
The Lord is Risen. Alleluia. Alleluia.
He is truly Risen. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The good news is that every Sunday is a little Easter. Every time we come to church on Sunday, it is like Easter Sunday.
What is almighty God trying to teach us and tell us with today's Solemnity of Pentecost?...more>>
To Know Jesus is to Know Heaven
The Ascension of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – June 6, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Easter; Happy Ascension Day. He is not only risen, the Lord went up to heaven.
Question: What is the difference between the Ascension of the Lord and the Assumption of Our Lady? Because the result is the same; both Jesus and Mary are in heaven. So why don't we use the same word? Why don't we say, "The Ascension of Our Lord" and "The Ascension of Our Lady"? Or, "The Assumption of Our Lord" and "The Assumption of Our Lady"? What is the difference?...more>>
What Do You Call God? What Does He Call You?
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – May 29, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Easter. Once again, Easter is not over.
The Lord is Risen. Alleluia. Alleluia.
He is truly Risen. Alleluia. Alleluia.
School may be over but Easter is not over.
First of all, I want to let you know that we will give a donation from our Stewardship Fund to all those who have been hurt by the recent tornados and floods. Some here have a connection with Joplin, Missouri. The Archdiocese has mandated a collection but we don't normally take second collections so we will give the money from our Stewardship Fund. I will let you know when we do that.
Today, we are a step closer to the Feast of the Ascension and to the Solemnity of Pentecost which is the coming of the Holy Spirit. You may have noticed that there is a lot of talking about the Holy Spirit in the readings. Actually, Jesus has promised us the Advocate, the one who pleads our cause, the one who intercedes and consoles us...more>>
Christ Our Good Shepherd
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – May 15, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
He is truly Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Today is the day of the Good Shepherd. Normally today the Holy Father ordains priests in the Vatican. There are different things we can say but I want to focus on two things. First of all, Christ is the Good Shepherd. Why? Because he, through his wounds, has healed us. He goes ahead of us and we follow him. He is the true shepherd because he has given up his life for me and for each one of us...more>>
The Reason for Our Hope
Easter Sunday
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – April 24, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
He is truly Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
First of all just 10 seconds to relax. I don't know if you had a good sleep today or not; if you have a toothache or not; if you have had an argument with your spouse or children today or not; if you were upset with the traffic or not; if you are tired or not; if you liked or did not like the music - let me tell you, we are here because of one reason. Jesus is risen from the dead and that is our hope. That is the reason for our hope.
Dante in his Divine Comedy speaks about, "The love that moves the sun and the stars...more>>
We Worship Him
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – April 3, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
How refreshing today's gospel. Isn't it true? If I were to ask you what miracle Jesus performed in today's Gospel - be careful, it's a tricky question. How many miracles do we have in today's Gospel? Two miracles. The first and most evident: the man was blind from birth and he could see. But Jesus' intention was much more than healing the blind man's eyes. He gave him sight again to prepare him for the second miracle. What miracle is this? Well, pay attention. When this really nice, humble, simple man was asked, "How is it that you can see?” he said, "He came to me and anointed my eyes and told me to wash and that's why I see."...more>>
Living Water
Third Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – March 27, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today the opening prayer for the Mass said, "Father, you have taught us to overcome our sins by prayer, fasting and works of mercy. When we are discouraged by our weakness, give us confidence in your love." At this point we are in the middle of our Lenten journey. It may happen that we are tired like Jesus himself today in the gospel. We read, "Jesus tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon." The idea is not to get discouraged but to ask for God's love to give us confidence...more>>
Temptation
First Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – March 13, 2011
My Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent. It is important to listen carefully to each one of the readings. I want to concentrate today's homily on the holy gospel according to Matthew. I will read from it again with a variation, "At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the Bahamas to have a wonderful time." Is that true? No. Do you remember how many years the people of Israel were in the desert? How many years were they searching for the Holy Land? Forty. They were fasting too. They had a long pilgrimage. How many days was Jesus in the desert fasting? Forty. The desert for the people of Israel was a place of temptation. They complained about many things; one of them was about not having food. They said it was better to be in Egypt because "at least we had food." And they complained to Almighty God.
So today we have here this first reminder. Lent is a time of temptation because...more>>
Faith or Deeds?
Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Javier Nieva, DCJM - March 6, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Do you know the life of St. Bruno? St. Bruno lived at the end of 11th century, the beginning of the 12th. He is an important saint. He was the founder of the Carthusians which is one of the strictest religious orders in the Church. What is interesting is one episode in a moment of his life - the true moment of his conversion. He was already a priest, he was already a "nice" guy but he had an experience which made him give up everything, go into total poverty and found this strict order of the Carthusians...more>>
Do Not Be Anxious
Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – February 27, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today's readings are especially interesting because they speak about trusting in God and letting the anxiety go. "Can a mother forget her infant? Can a mother be without tenderness for the child of her womb. Even should she forget, I will never forget you," from Isaiah. And also the Gospel, "Your heavenly Father knows what you need. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow." It does not say, "Do not plan things." It says, "Do not worry." When we have done our planning, we give everything to God. We all need to grow here. We are all in need of growth - especially in our culture which is so fast-paced and hectic...more>>
The Truth that Purifies
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – February 13, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The word of God is like a sword piercing our heart says the Bible. And Jesus came to give us life and that we may have abundant life. Today the Gospel is one of those gospels you do not want to have - especially as a priest because it is so clear that is show us how high the call of God is and how broken we are. All of us, except maybe the little children, because when we read this gospel it is like a painful reminder that we need salvation. All of us are included in some part of the Gospel - all of us, no exception. Have you ever seen, children, a navigator, a GPS, in a car? You enter in the zip code and the street number and then you follow the instructions, especially if you do not know the way. It tells you take your right, in 300 yards take a left. If you make a mistake it tells you, "Make a U-turn as soon as possible."...more>>
The Light of the World
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM – February 6, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“We are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.” How am I the light of the world? First of all I want to ask you to think about a light. Each one of us. Let's think about a light. You have already your thoughts? Who has thought about the sun? Or about a candle? About a light bulb? About a fire? About the stars? Many different images. I am proposing you one you do not expect because it makes no sense at first. A bicycle - with a light...more>>
Casting Nets and Mending Nets
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 23, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"Christ sent me to preach the gospel not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning."
Today you may or may not know, we had a meeting in the morning with almost 200 people with those who are single for different reasons - widowers, widows, divorced, never married - with the focus, "How do we live our Christian life?" One of the things that was said many times had to do with meaning - the meaning of our body, the meaning of our vocation, the meaning of our life, the meaning of God's plan.
And here you have in today's second reading, that apparently there is a way to empty the cross of Christ of its meaning. First of all, what is the meaning of the cross? What has God told us through the crucifixion of the Lord? Well, he has told us that he cares for us so much that he takes upon himself our infirmities and he heals us through his wounds...more>>
Encounter
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 16, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Could anyone summarize today's gospel with one word? There are many words but I am thinking of one. It starts with an E and then N and then C and then O. U. N. T. E. R. ENCOUNTER. There is an encounter. Between whom? John the Baptist and Jesus. When was the first time John the Baptist met Jesus? When they were still unborn, believe it or not. Mary went to Elizabeth and when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby John leapt with joy. He somehow recognized Jesus' presence. How is it possible that now the gospel tells us that John the Baptist was baptizing and he "did not know him?" I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’” How come? They were cousins. So what happened?...more>>
Beloved Sons and Daughters of God
The Baptism of the Lord
Father Jorge Aguera, DCJM - January 9, 2011
We are celebrating the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. We see John the Baptist - that's why he was called "Baptist" because he baptized people. What was that baptism about? Baptism is a rite that existed among the Jews but also among all religions. It's a religious rite that means renewal. You submerge, you plunge into the water and you come out of it a different person - a baptismal person. Baptism in Greek means "to plunge, to submerge." It was a rite of purification; a baptism of repentance. The Jews went to see John the Baptist because they wanted to get ready for the Messiah; the Messiah was about to come. They wanted to acknowledge their need of a Messiah; they wanted to acknowledge that they were not righteous people - that they needed a savior. It was a sign of conversion and preparation to receive the gift of the Messiah - to be ready for that.
That should be what we do when we come to Mass...more>>
What Star Am I Following?
The Epiphany of the Lord
Father Javier Nieva, DCJM - January 2, 2011
Did you know that today's feast, the Feast of the Epiphany, is in the Eastern Churches more important even than Christmas? They celebrate today's feast with more solemnity than Christmas. Not that they don't celebrate Christmas, of course they do; and not that we don't celebrate Epiphany. But they have a point with this. It is important to understand why the Feast of Epiphany is important. The Eastern Christians say that if Christ is not manifested, if Christ is not adored by people, if Christ is not known, and if Christ is not given to all the nations, what's the importance of his birth? Not a big importance. If he is not manifested in the Epiphany, his birth remains just a private thing for...more>>
God Rejoices in You!
Christmas Eve
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 24, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
First of all, Merry Christmas. I have spent the last 24 hours in silence in a retreat house preparing for Christmas, praying and thinking about what we celebrate. The house I was at had a little binder with the story of the house. It was founded by a priest here in Denver. His name was Fr. Roger Mollison. He was a pastor at different churches and at one point he was a pastor at St. Frances Cabrini Parish not far away from here. He was ordained in 1968. In 1998 he had brain surgery where they removed a benign tumor. A few months later...more>>
Prepare the Way through Silence
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 19, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
For a few weeks now we have been preparing for Christmas. If you remember right after Thanksgiving, all the radio stations were swamping us with carols. And yet there is something that is good about the preparation for Christmas but there is something we can still improve. We need to be patient. We want to see baby Jesus but guess what, the time has not come yet. It's a time to prepare before Christmas. We have few days. God has chosen a particular time and a particular place to reveal himself. We need to be patient. We need to understand the value of silence to prepare...more>>
Patience and Joy
Third Sunday of Advent
Father Javier O'Connor, DCJM - December 12, 2010
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is the third Sunday of Advent. We have the rose candle and vestments. We have heard “Rejoice!” and also the bells ringing. In someway they are preparing us for the big mystery of Christmas. It's like we are feeling that he is so near. You know that Advent has a penitential part. We priests wear purple because Advent is an indication of conversion. But today the Church invites us to wear rose because it is Gaudete, this time to rejoice in the Lord because he is coming. We have to ask the Lord. The opening prayer was about that - to experience this joy of salvation. We are going to talk about this today. What's the meaning of the joy of salvation because our joy - Christian Catholic joy - is not the normal joy...more>>
Prepare the Way through Repentance
Second Sunday of Advent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 5, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are in Advent. Advent is the time of the year when the Church invites us to prepare for Christmas. It's a time of preparation, as we have on our banner up there John the Baptist saying, "Prepare Ye the way of the Lord." Today’s readings speak about this precisely. They speak about a baptism of repentance and of a repentance with the Holy Spirit and fire. They speak about repenting. It says, "Prepare the way. Repent."
Now, we have children here too. It says, "Prepare the way for the Lord is coming." Think about the street full of snow and your grandparents are coming for dinner...more>>
Stewardship
Christ the King
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 21, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"When I am lifted up on high, I will draw all peoples to myself," says the Lord in the Gospel of St. John. Which is that moment when Jesus says he is going to be drawing everyone to himself? It is the crucifixion. We have a very nice visual at St. Mary's (the crucifix above the altar). "When I am lifted up on high, I will draw all peoples to myself." The moment of the crucifixion is the moment of the exaltation - not the way we think normally. We wouldn't say that to crucify someone is to exalt and honor and glorify anyone. And yet it is the way that Jesus himself is revealed as a King...more>>
13th Annual Veterans Day Mass
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 14, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“No one has greater love than the one who lays down his life for his friends,” says the Lord.
In his four months on the front lines in the United States' war with Korea, Fr. Kapaun distinguished himself as heroic and wise. He offered the Holy Mass on the hood of a Jeep, heard confessions in fox holes, helped bury the dead, and consoled the shell-shocked. When he was finally captured by the Chinese communists and held for more than 200 days in a brutal South Korean prison, he was a model of strength and courage for all his fellow captives. This is the testimony of one of them, "He made me fight to stay alive when dying was so simple. It was easier to die than to life in those days. Our captors didn't know quite how to handle the priest because he could not be scared, threatened, or humiliated. On the contrary, they feared this man who they couldn't break. They trembled at the control and influence he had with all the men. It worried them that this man could be so powerful with just his mild manner and soft speech whereas they resorted to screaming; threatening with all forms of sadistic torture and still couldn't influence us like this man of God."...more>>
Faith in the Resurrection
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 7, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The question about death and life, about resurrection. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Who are the Sadducees, do you know? They were a party of people who were very extreme in their thinking. They did not accept the resurrection. Some of those who do not accept the resurrection go to Jesus with a dilemma, "Jesus, a woman was married to a man and he died without children. According to the law the brother married her to give descendants to his deceased brother. The seven brothers died - all of them had been married to her." Now remember, the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection of the dead...more>>
Why the Saints?
The Solemnity of All Saints
Father Javier Nieva, DCJM - November 1, 2010
Nobody wishes to be alone in this life. From its first pages, the Bible confirms that "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." (Gen 2:18). And God created all the living and man’s partner, Eve.
From that moment, the human being, reflecting the imprint of God’s own Trinity, does not cease from looking for company. Not only from the romantic point of view, but also from the view of fellow travelers: friends. In them, we search the most basic experience in life: to love and to be loved, but friendship also enriches us in many other ways...more>>
The Lord Is Full of Mercy and Compassion
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Javier O'Connor, DCJM - October 31, 2010
Today on this beautiful day of celebration of the saints - the eve of All Saints - also today in America Halloween but in some ways for us it has a religious connotation. Today it is a secular feast but it comes from a religious context. We have to think about what's a saint? What concept of saint do we have? Today the readings stress one point that theoretically we know but the problem is practically it is difficult to live. Today the summary of all the readings is, "The Lord is full of mercy and compassion." We have to repeat it. "The Lord is full of mercy and compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness." This seems to be easy but it is difficult in our days; to really believe in the mercy and love of Christ. Today we have this beautiful passage of Zacchaeus that is so amazing - this encounter of Jesus with this sinner...more>>
The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 24, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord"
In the Vatican, there is a chapel, very famous, the Sistine Chapel where all the Cardinals gather together to choose the Pope when they have to elect the new Pope. That gorgeous chapel is covered with paintings by Michelangelo. It's beautiful - a lot of art and history. They used to have one particular piece of music that nobody could perform except in that chapel. And actually to make sure that nobody would perform it outside the chapel nobody was allowed to take the music sheets outside. The piece is the Miserere - one of the chants of the Church - "Lord have mercy."...more>>
Patience in Prayer
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Javier Nieva, DCJM - October 17, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning. Timothy Dolan who is the Archbishop of New York, wrote a book, "Priest for the Third Millennium." Actually it's the collection of some talks he gave to seminarians in Rome when he was the Rector of the American Seminary in Rome. He brings to that book a lot of stories from different sources and from his own ministry. He tells us in that book the story of a time in the early years of his priesthood when one day he was visiting a very old lady - 90 years old. It was shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall when communism fell. He visited this lady and after giving her communion he asked her to pray for vocations. This is the answer he got from her...more>>
First Homily - Gratitude
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Brady Wagner - October 10, 2010
As Father mentioned, my name is Deacon Brady Wagner and thank you so much for your warm welcome. It's a tremendous excitement and a joy to be here. I know that this is my first homily and they always tell us, "Know your audience." I figured you must be used to a Spanish accent by now so I stayed up all night last night working on it. But it didn't go over so well.
First I want to share two stories and then talk about the Scripture readings...more>>
Faith
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 3, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we have such beautiful readings. They all talk to us so directly. This is my question for you today: “What is faith?” Just think about it. Somebody comes to you after church today and asks, "Did you go to church?" "Sure." "Are you Christian?" "Sure - Christian, Catholic." "What is faith that people are ready to die for it? The martyrs. Why? What is the meaning of that? You are able to lose your life to keep your faith? It should be something powerful if people are ready to die for it. What is faith?"
Today, the Apostles say to the Lord, "Increase our faith."...more>>
God and Mammon
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 19, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we have lots of riches in the Gospel and the readings. First thing, may I draw your attention to the first reading, the letter of St. Paul to Timothy which is the quote we have in the prayer alcove with the candles. If you enter, you see an inscription there which says, "First of all I ask that supplication, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be offered for everyone." Every single time we enter the church and go to light candles, we read this passage - to constantly supplicate, pray, give thanks for everyone. If you go to Lourdes, France you will see the beautiful cave where Our Lady appeared. There are a lot of candles. If you go there, you can buy a candle. When you do, there is an inscription which says, "May the light of this candle be a sign of your prayer even when you are not here."...more>>
Liturgy: The Work of God's Mercy
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 12, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is probably 100 times that we have listened to the Gospel of the Prodigal Son. Yet there is always something new we can learn from it. Today's liturgy is about the mercy of God who is a Father and what that means in our lives. I am going to read you a quote from an article I read, "In his play The Humiliated Father, Paul Claudel depicts the suffering of Pope Pius IX during the siege of the Vatican in 1870. The Pope about to be made a prisoner speaks of a father who is wounded by the hatred of his children. In his dialogue with the humble Franciscan priest who had just heard his confession, the Pope says, 'Will they be any happier when they have no father? If I am no longer among them, with them, through whom will they be brothers? Will there come among them greater amity and love? Does a child ever grow up sufficiently to be able to do without his father? Can a father ever grow so old that he has no need of his children?'"...more>>
Discipleship
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 5, 2010
Today, Labor Day Weekend, we have this wonderful Gospel about discipleship. What would happen if you went to CU Boulder or School of Mines and the first day the teacher tells you, "If you don't hate even your own life, if you don't give up all your possessions, you cannot be my student. If you don't give away everything you have, you cannot study at the School of Mines." Probably what would happen at the School of Mines is that those students would hate the teacher - nothing else.
Jesus tells us today, "If you want to be my disciple, you should prefer me to everything and to everyone." This is somehow counter-intuitive...more>>
Humility
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - August 29, 2010
Good morning. Today we heard, "Humble yourself the more, the greater you are." And also, "God in your goodness you have made a home for the poor." Have you watched Indiana Jones in search of the covenant? Do you remember it? He has to go to many different places and at one point there is a very, very narrow pass between two big rocks. When he approaches the place, he discovers some dead people - skulls and skeletons. He is just about to enter when he thinks about the clue - only the humble will succeed. He wondered about the meaning of that clue. As he approaches that passage right at the last second he understands, "I have to bow before God!" He kneels just as a big blade flies over his head. Then he understands that all the others had died because they tried to enter walking upright. As they entered - fffft - their head were chopped off...more>>
What Time Is It in Your Life?
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - August 8, 2010
Romano Guardini was a priest who grew up in Europe - he lived in Germany - a very insightful writer. One day he was in Munich walking in the afternoon in a park and a little boy came to him and asked, "Father, what time is it?" And the priest said, "Oh! I don't have a watch but it should be around 3 or 4 pm because of the light. You can trust me. It's around 3 or 4." The boy went away, "Thank you!" Then this theologian and philosopher began to think about the question, "What time is it? What time is it?" It became obsessive to him. "What time is it in my life? I don't have a watch to see where I am in my life."...more>>
The Good Samaritan
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - July 11, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
First of all, a welcome to everyone, especially to Gregory Alexander, the new baby to be baptized. Also we welcome today Fr. Silvano. He is a member of the Missionary Fraternity of Mary. Today we are going to give on behalf of all the parishioners a donation to his mission from our Stewardship Fund. On top of that, if you want to further help his mission, which he will talk about later, you may do so. The parish will give a donation of $10,000 to his mission from our Stewardship Fund which is your money made up of your donations. We are happy to have Fr. Silvano here.
Who is my neighbor? It's that question the scribe asked Jesus...more>>
God's Dream for America
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - July 4, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Great projects always spring from great dreams. Big works always stem from high, big dreams. So let's take a look at the dreams we have as individuals and also as a country. The United States of America is a result of big dreams, of people who risked everything, who became Pilgrims, who made true today's gospel...more>>
America
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Jorge Aguera, DCJM - July 4, 2010
“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her…I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.” Isaiah 66:10, 12
In hearing these words, I can’t help thinking about America.
In the Gospel reading we hear how Jesus chose all nations to be his disciples. Seventy-two was for the Jews the number of the pagan nations. America, among them, has been chosen to follow Christ and to boast in his Cross as we hear in the second reading.
Once upon a time there was a group of pilgrims, of European people, who fled their country in search of an opportunity to live in freedom...more>>
Showing Love
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - June 13, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good Morning. First of all, I am going to start today a catechesis that will last a year and a half. Starting today I am going to introduce to you little by little the Third Edition of the Roman Missal which we will begin using in Advent of 2011...more>>
Living Hosts
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - June 6, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - today is the Solemnity of the Eucharist. Once upon a time in a little town, a mother brought her little son to the pastor asking him to include the little boy in the list of the First Communicants. But the boy was so little that the pastor wasn't sure about the catechism and the knowledge of the faith that the little boy had. The pastor asked the little boy, “So you want to take First Communion."...more>>
1 + 1 + 1 = 1
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 30, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We celebrate today the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. Our thoughts are not God's thoughts and our ways are not God's ways. That's why it's not so easy to enter into the mystery of the Trinity when we do it with out mind. God's thoughts are not our thoughts and God's time is not our time. You know the joke about the person who was praying and told God, "God, they told me that for you one dollar is like a million and one second, like an eternity. God, why don't you give me one dollar?" God replied, “Wait a second." So God's ways are not our ways...more>>
Receive the Holy Spirit!
Solemnity of Pentecost
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 23, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire." Acts 2:1-3
Today we celebrate the conclusion of Easter. Tomorrow is again Ordinary Time. Today is the Solemnity of Pentecost. Were you here in Denver, Colorado yesterday? Do you remember the wind we had? It was like a warning for all of us that the Holy Spirit was coming today in a particular way. There are some lessons we can learn from yesterday.
If you try to walk, run, or ride your bike against the wind, it's tough, isn't it?...more>>
Families of Bethany
Ascension of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 16, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday we had the great joy of receiving five new priests in the Archdiocese. They were ordained yesterday in the Cathedral. Five young men and it took almost three hours, but it's worth it, it is a whole life given to the Lord!
Today we have the Ascension of the Lord as the center of our liturgy. He went up to Heaven but He promised to be with us until the end of the world. The Gospel according to Luke says He led them out as far as Bethany, raised His hands and blessed them. As He blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to Heaven. Do you remember that Bethany is the place where Jesus had a big family and His friends?...more>>
The Peace of Christ
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 9, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
First and foremost, Happy Mother's Day together with Happy Easter.
God Creates a Woman
By the time the Lord made the woman He was into His sixth day of creation and working overtime. An angel approached the Lord and said, “Why are you spending so much time on this creature?” The Lord answered and said, “I'm making a woman who is to become the mother of all mankind so she should have some special features.” Feature #1 - six pairs of hands, five of them invisible. Feature #2 - three pairs of eyes, one visible pair in front, the second and third invisible in the back and the sides of her head. Feature #3 -...more>>
The Good Shepherd
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 25, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. God promised in the Old Testament that he was going to be the Shepherd of his people. In the book of Ezekiel, he complains against shepherds, leaders who were serving themselves. Therefore the Lord says, “I myself will become a shepherd.” What he promised then is fulfilled in the coming of Christ. What God is not able to do which is to die for his sheep is fulfilled because of the Incarnation. God is Almighty but God cannot die. So he became true man to be our true shepherd - our good shepherd - and therefore to be able to lead his sheep even unto death...more>>
Gone Fishing
Third Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 18, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Once again, Happy Easter!
Gone Fishing. That's what you see sometimes on the door. Gone fishing. (Don't expect to find me here.) Today Saint Peter did the same. He could be American. Gone Fishing. "I am going to go fishing. Who wants to come with me?"
At this point I am asking for some help. I am sure that some of the children here want to help me with the homily. Come on forward and sit down here...more>>
The Lord Is Risen!
Easter Sunday
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 4, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am assuming that some of you are Catholics, some of you are Christians, and some of you are maybe not even baptized. Today I want to tell you the Good News - the Lord is Risen! This is the way the Christian people greet each other for Easter. I say, "The Lord is Risen. Alleluia! Alleluia!" You should answer, "He is truly Risen, Alleluia! Alleluia!" Let's try it again. Pretend we are in a good Baptist church. They are not afraid of speaking aloud. "The Lord is Risen. Alleluia! Alleluia!" “He is truly Risen. Alleluia! Alleluia!"
What we are celebrating today is a dialogue of salvation. Our faith is a dialogue of salvation. The liturgy is an expression and a living dialogue of salvation. We have celebrated the Triduum. The Triduum is the three Holy Days - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday Easter Vigil. Each one of those days has a symbol. I am going to show you the symbol for each day...more>>
When the Hour Came
Palm Sunday of Our Lord's Passion
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - March 28, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is amazing to see how radical the change between the beginning of today's Mass and the following minutes could be. First we are acclaiming Christ as our King. We hold our branches and we welcome Him, we are singing out of joy, and twenty minutes later we are crying as we read the Passion, "Crucify Him, crucify Him"...more>>
Be Reconciled
The Fourth Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - March 14, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting the trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor 5:19)
How many times in your life have you listened or read the parable of the Prodigal Son? I believe we’ve heard this parable many times and we have the risk of taking the message for granted...more>>
Steal His Heart!
The Third Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - March 7, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
God is the most real and most serious reality in our lives. Who is God? What is His name? What does He think? What does He feel? What does He want?
Last Sunday we heard about the Transfiguration when Jesus was speaking with Moses and Elijah...more>>
Temptation
The First Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 21, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Once upon a time there was a college where all the devils had to go to get their Masters Degree in tempting human beings. There were two good friends and after their training they were sent to different places and after one year they went together to Mexico, to Cancun, and they were discussing where they had been sent. The one said “they sent me to a Monastery and I had to tempt this monk, a Friar, only him. That was my job. All I had to do was to tempt this Friar, this monk.” “How was it?” asked his friend. “Horrendous,” he replied...more>>
What Can Bring Us Happiness?
The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 14, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“What can bring us happiness?” many say. Those words are from Psalm 4 in the Bible. I'm going to repeat them again. “What can bring us happiness?” many say. Today the Lord goes and talks to all kinds of people. There were people from Tyre, Sidon, Jerusalem, Jews, pagans, followers of Him, people who didn't know Him and He comes to them with this idea of the Beatitudes. What is it that makes me happy? The Greek word for the Beatitudes is happiness. You are happy if you --, you are blessed if you --...more>>
Put out into Deep Water
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 7, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite gospels. Just to make things clear, this miraculous catch has nothing to do with the Super Bowl. I believe we all still remember that miraculous catch two years ago during the Giants game and, literally, that was a miraculous catch. When Eli Manning threw that pass and the player caught it we all wondered how he didn't break his neck while making that catch. The miraculous catch we speak of today is not that catch...more>>
Will We Accept the Invitation?
The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 31, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"Physician cure yourself!" How much does it hurt when we are rejected or when our friends and family members do not understand us? That is exactly what happened to Jesus. His friends were amazed on one side, amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth and they said “isn't this Jesus the son of Joseph?” So Jesus and Mary were close to believe how much it does hurt when we feel rejected, because at home they don't understand us. It hurts especially when the bullets are from friendly fire. Can you imagine Mary waiting...more>>
We Are God's Hands and Feet
The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 24, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Those are the words of Jesus when he went to the synagogue. Two weeks ago we had the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and we heard that the Father declared "You are my beloved son with whom I am well pleased” and the Holy Spirit was hovering above Jesus in the form of a dove. That is the beginning of His public ministry. So if he was anointed it was to bring good tidings and good news to the poor; to bring the good news of salvation...more>>
My Beloved Son
The Baptism of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 10, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
May I suggest that you listen to this CD? It is The Moldau, by Biedriech Smetana. It is the story of a wonderful river in Europe. You will soon understand the reason for my suggestion.
"You are my beloved Son. With you I am well pleased." In today's feast of the Baptism of the Lord we see how Jesus went to a river to be baptized. There were many men and women waiting in line to be baptized because all of them knew that the Messiah was coming...more>>
Happy and Holy Christmas
The Nativity of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 24, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
First and foremost - Happy and Holy Christmas.
Today I announce to you the birth of Christ. He is our Savior. He is the Lord.
Today’s first reading was speaking about a man bringing good news to Jerusalem. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings!"...more>>
Mary and Elizabeth
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 20, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Peace be with you!
Today, I want to speak about women because the Gospel speaks about women. It speaks about two women, probably the two most beautiful women we could ever think about - Mary and Elizabeth. They are beautiful because they are saints. Women are beautiful because they are God's creation. But the real beauty of a woman shines from within.... more>>
Prepare the Way
The Second Sunday of Advent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 6, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Last week, we thought about Advent as that mystery where the Lord comes. Furthermore, the Lord wants to enter into my heart, into my house. He is not only coming, he wants to break into my house. He wants to talk to me. He wants to save me... more>>
God Comes to Us
The First Sunday of Advent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 29, 2009
"The days are coming," says the Lord, "when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah."
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we start Advent. That's why we have the wreath and why we lit the candle. The Lord is coming.
If you go to Rome and go to see the Forum, you will see a lot of temples. There was a temple dedicated to a god whose name was Janus. He was the god of transitions. The god of the doors.... more>>
Christ the King
The Solemnity of Christ the King
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 22, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Speaking about the kingship of God always comes up. In one month we will come to adore him, like the three kings, as the King. "Are you the King of the Jews?" Today Pilate is the one asking Jesus if he is a king. There are different ways to see a king. Pope Pius XI instituted today's feast in 1925 which was the 16th century anniversary of the Council of Nicaea which took place in 325. The Pope wanted to stress the importance of that everlasting Kingdom.
The other kingdoms pass. I give you the example of Rome... more>>
All Gave Some. Some Gave All.
The Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 8, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We know that this is one of the ways we refer to the prisoners of war and missing in action. Today we see, by God's providence, the example of a widow who did the same. She gave all. "She from her poverty has contributed all she had. Her whole livelihood." Try to imagine for one second what we heard. The Lord went to sit down opposite the treasury. He observed how the crowd put money into the treasury - not just how much but how. The Lord is able to see the heart...more>>
Faith and Treasure Stewardship Form
Time and Talent Stewardship Form
The Saints
Solemnity of All Saints
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - November 1, 2009
“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate All Saints. A little boy was asked by his parents, "Who are the Saints?" The little boy answered, "The Saints are those who let the light shine through them." This little boy was thinking about the stained glass windows. For him the Saints were those who were on the stained glass windows…St. Elizabeth…St. James... more>>
Spiritual Blindness
The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Anthony Dudzik - October 25, 2009
Last Sunday we heard that Jesus asked James and John what they wanted from him. Today we hear Jesus ask Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”... more>>
Our Response to God's Gifts
The Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 18, 2009
“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
You may remember that last week we talked about God’s gifts and how God is the first one to give. He gives us life. He gives us faith, family, parish, friends, health, nice weather, freedom – the land of freedom and home of the brave we call the United States. All those things are gifts from God. I told you to go ahead and everyday think about five gifts God has given you. Now, is the time to step forward and think about the meaning of stewardship.... more>>
God's Gifts to Us
The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 11, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
There was an old woman who lived beside a stream in the mountains, the Himalayas. She was a divine soul. She carried her bread to eat in a sack. One day, as she sat by the riverbed, she noticed a big stone gleaming in the riverbed. This was no ordinary stone. It was a big, beautiful precious stone like nothing she had ever seen. She knew with this stone, she would have abundance and prosperity in her life. She put the stone in her sack... more>>
Marriage
The Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 4, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
One afternoon, according to an old Sufi tale, Nasruddin and his friend were sitting in a cafe, drinking tea and talking about life and love. His friend asked: “How come you never married?”... more>>
The True Meaning of Leadership
The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 20, 2009
"What were you arguing about on the way?" .
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“Last Sunday, the Lord asked Peter, and also each one of us, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." The Lord told him, "I am going to suffer." But Peter couldn't accept that and the Lord rebuked him, "Get away from me. You make me stumble. You are like Satan." Today they continue their way... more>>
Take Up Your Cross
The Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 13, 2009
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Let us try to connect today's gospel with last week's. Remember, the Lord healed the deaf man. Sometimes it's really hard to listen to his words. We don't find it easy to accept the message. We wish we were "deaf" like Peter today. First, let us imagine what happened. Second, a brief meditation on the cross. Third, a consideration about the relationship between faith and works according to the Letter of St. James.... more>>
Again, Jesus
The Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 6, 2009
"Again, Jesus."
Those are the first words of today's gospel. "Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee." Today I am going to speak about three points. The first, "Again, Jesus." Is there anything we can learn? ... more>>
Do You also Want to Leave?
The Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - August 23, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday, I had a chance to go to the hospital and the Lord, who is good, helps me to prepare homilies because today one of the topics is marriage - the second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians. Yesterday, I had a call. I went to the hospital and the person was very sick. He was in the ICU. The wife was there and was speaking about what the doctors were going to do. I anointed him and the nurse came. They were going to try surgery. In preparation, they wanted the nurse to remove all the man's personal objects. One of those things was his wedding ring... more>>
Living Bread. True Bread. Heavenly Bread.
The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - August 16, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have heard Saint Paul telling us, "Try to understand what is the will of the Lord." And in the Gospel, "My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink." How can we understand that? As we move on in the Ordinary Time, we are in the Twentieth Sunday, we continue our catechesis on the Eucharist. Once again today the Gospel has been taken from John chapter 6. Jesus is speaking to the crowds about the Bread of Life and his own flesh. Bread and flesh... more>>
Living Bread
The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - August 9, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
A couple of weeks ago, I thought about you quite a bit. I was in Spain and I had a chance to go with the other priests of my order to visit the house of 51 martyrs who died in 1936 around the first and second week of August. Killed just because of their faith. Why am I telling you this?... more>>
A Good Shepherd
The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - July 19, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am glad to be back. I have been some days with my family resting. Before that I shaved my beard. But I have to tell you a nice story. The day before I left, I still had my beard and I said Mass. It was 4:30pm. Well, it happened one parishioner was talking to another parishioner, "Isn't that nice. The new priest from Spain, he has even a better accent."...more>>
Being a Prophet
The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - July 5, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today the readings speak about the prophets. Is any one of you baptized? Please raise your hands. You are prophets. When we are baptized, we are prophets, kings and priests, the common priesthood of the faithful. Now to be a prophet is not easy...more>>
Fatherhood
The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - June 21, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
First and foremost, congratulations to all the fathers that are here present. We pray for you as well as those who are absent or deceased. Ernest Hemmingway wrote in a little book the story of a father and a son (he had them in Spain actually) who had a big fight. The boy left. The father was expecting him to come back but he didn't. After a few days, the father worried for his son, decided to put a little ad in the paper. The name of the boy was Francis and his nickname was Paco. So this father went to the paper and he wrote a little note. "Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana on Tuesday at noon. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Dad." That Tuesday at noon at the Hotel Montana, 800 Pacos showed up...more>>
Mediator of a New Covenant
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - June 14, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Dominic Tan was a Chinese Archbishop who was imprisoned for twenty-one years because of being a Christian. After five years of solitary confinement, they told him he had a couple of hours to do whatever he wanted. Five years in a room alone. What would he do? Would he take a hot shower? Would he prefer to change his clothes? Or maybe, just a long walk outside in the fresh air. He said to the jailer...more>>
An Absence, A Promise, A Presence
The Ascension of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 24, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. It is difficult to understand the mystery of the Ascension. It is a mystery we can define with three words - an absence, a promise, and a presence. It seems like a contradiction but we will see there is no contradiction...more>>
Remain in Me
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 17, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we are continuing the gospel we heard last week. As you all remember, it was about Jesus saying, "I am the vineyard and you are the branches." Eight times the gospel told us, "Remain. Remain in me. Otherwise you will give no fruit. Now today we continue that gospel...more>>
Health, Fruitfulness, and Beauty
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Deacon Anthony Dudzic - May 10, 2009
Today's gospel reading begins with the words, "I am the true vine." What we have here is Jesus telling us something about himself, telling us something very profound.
This is not the first time that Jesus tells us something about himself. In all of John's gospel Jesus tells, many times, something important about himself.
The first of these notable sayings is:...more>>
The Good Shepherd
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - May 3, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. On this Sunday we take another look to the Easter Paschal Mystery through the glasses of the Good Shepherd. The mystery of Easter is the mystery of Jesus' death and resurrection. Today we see why Jesus is the Good Shepherd...more>>
Merciful Love
Divine Mercy Sunday
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 19, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Peace be with you. That's what we heard today in the Gospel. We are still in Easter. Maybe we have forgotten because the day is not a sunny day. It is one of those days when you are feeling depressed - especially in Colorado because we don't have a lot of those. And yet we should again repeat that Easter proclamation, "The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!" "He is truly Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!" We cannot depend on our feelings. "For Christ has ransomed us with his blood and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our Eternal Father. Father, how wonderful your care for us. How boundless your merciful love. To ransom a slave you gave away your Son."....more>>
Christ Our Hope
Easter Sunday
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 12, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Lord is our hope. How beautiful today the words of the Sequence when Mary says, "Christ my hope is arisen." He is alive. God is alive. The disciples went to the tomb and they didn't find him. They only found the linen cloth. See, on Good Friday, the tabernacle was empty. It was sad. We took away all the images. No flowers, no white, the tabernacle was empty. Today we see that the tomb is empty. And the tabernacle is full. If the tabernacle is full, it's because the tomb is empty. Because the Lord is risen....more>>
The Lord Is Risen!
Easter Vigil
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 11, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!" I am going to tell you what you have to say now. You say, "He is truly risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!" I want to see the stained glass almost breaking...more>>
He Emptied Himself
Palm Sunday of Our Lord's Passion
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - April 5, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
There are many things we can say. When we read the Passion, it is so intense that we have two risks. One, to give up any effort. You do not know where to start. So the Passion comes before you and fades. The other risk is to try to pay attention to everything, grasp every single detail. That is overwhelming. You really do not know where to look. What to meditate upon. So it's better to just take one single point of view and ponder it in our hearts....more>>
Real Faith
The Fifth Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - March 29, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I mean those words - "dear" - and also - "brothers and sisters." Because we are brothers and sisters through baptism and you have been given to me as my responsibility to help each other to go to heaven. As we approach Holy Week, the drama increases. Today, the Lord went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast...more>>
Faith and Works
The Fourth Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - March 22, 2009
Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The reason the priest is wearing this rose chasuble is because, just for today, the Church quoting Isaiah 66 is anticipating the good news of Easter. At the beginning of the Mass, we could have read this antiphon, "Rejoice, Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice with her, you who mourned for her, and you will find contentment at her consoling breasts." (see Is 66:10-11) It is the Fourth Sunday of Lent, also called Laetare. Laetare means "rejoice" - the first word of the antiphon, "Rejoice, Jerusalem."...more>>
The Temple
The Third Sunday of Lent
Deacon Anthony Dudzic March 15, 2009Today is the third Sunday of Lent. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church has assembled the gospel readings for the season of Lent. And there is a reason for this.
The gospel readings for the last three Sundays show us a focus. They show us a place of "special encounter." In the first Sunday of Lent, it was the desert where Jesus was tempted. The second Sunday of Lent it is a mountain where Jesus was transfigured. And on this, the third Sunday of Lent, it is the Temple...more>>
Two Mountains, Two Fathers, Two Sons
The Second Sunday of Lent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - March 8, 2009
Today we go ahead in our particular pilgrimage towards Easter. Two mountains, two fathers and two only sons. That could be the summary of today's readings. We have heard the gospel of the Transfiguration. You remember last week, the first Sunday of Lent, was all about Jesus going to the desert and also going up to the mountain of the temptation to be tempted by the devil. We are blessed here in Colorado because we have a lot of mountains - the Rocky Mountains - and we know that the mountain is a place of special revelation. God's revelation takes place many times on top of mountains...more>>
A New Way
The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 22, 2009
Welcome today. I am sure you have been paying attention to these wonderful readings, especially to the first reading when it says, "I am doing something new. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19) The Lord is always bringing something new. He tells us, "In the desert I make a way." Now how many of you, when Lent approaches, are scared? "Lent is coming! I cannot eat candy. I have to be good again. But just for 40 days." It seems like a challenge. We don't want Lent to come. And yet, Lent, which is coming up, is a time when the Lord makes a way in the wastelands. It is a time of renewal. We sometimes feel like our life is in the desert. But, the Lord wants to make something new...more>>
Get Up and Walk
The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
Deacon Joel Paulson - February 22, 2009In today's Gospel reading, we will see how a good work by Jesus sets off a chain of events with the Jewish religious leaders that will eventually take Jesus to...more>>
A Clean Heart
The Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 15, 2009
I am sure you are all aware of the curse that it was to be a leper. Not only in Jesus' time, but today we still see how bad off we consider those who have that disease. I am sure you know about Fr. Damien, a priest from Belgium who went to Hawaii in the late 19th century. He went first to Honolulu, then to that little island called Molokai where lepers were...more>>
Suffering and Preaching
The Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 8, 2009
Let us link today's liturgy and gospel with last week's. Last week, the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary time, we saw that Jesus is the new Moses...more>>
Jesus: the New Moses
The Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - February 1, 2009
Jesus, when preaching, defined his mission and his very self with solemn words. "I am the bread of life." "I am the light of the world." "I am the way." "I am the truth." "I am the life." "I am the resurrection." "I am the good shepherd." "I am the...more>>
Conversion
The Conversion of Saint Paul
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 25, 2009
Today we are celebrating the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle. St. Paul according to the reading from the Acts of the Apostles addressed the people in these words...more>>
Come and See
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Joel Paulson - January 18, 2009
Today we enter into what the Church calls Ordinary Time. Last week we celebrated the Advent time when God breaks into our human condition and elevates mankind into a position that is a little less than the angels by becoming man. We gave glory to God...more>>
Place, Sign, Grace
The Baptism of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 11, 2009
Today we conclude the liturgical time of Christmas. It is the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. If we go back and think about the last 3 or 4 weeks, we will see that in Advent, we were awaiting for the coming of Jesus. And one of the Sundays of Advent, we thought about that desire we all have that God would be with us. We desire God to be with us. Recall Isaiah 64...more>>
Faith, Joy, Generosity
The Epiphany of the Lord
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 4, 2009
We all know that Christmas is a time when we travel. We see our families. We make an effort to be together as a family. So today, the three kings are those who are traveling. It is appropriate to think about...more>>
A Mother's Prayer
The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - January 1, 2009
Happy New Year. Holy New Year. Today is the first day of the year, as if it were the gate of a whole new period in our life. We Catholics enter the New Year with Mary. We call Mary the Gate of Heaven. Through this gate the Word of God became flesh. We do believe... more>>
From Bethlehem to Nazareth
The Feast of the Holy Family
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 28, 2008
We are still in Christmas. Today we celebrate the mystery of faith. The mystery of the Holy Family is a mystery of faith. The Lord Jesus grew in wisdom and became strong and the power of God was upon him. Today we go from Bethlehem to Nazareth. We are... more>>
Mystery
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - December 21, 2008
According to the dictionary, a mystery has different meanings, among them the following: more>>
Life in the Kingdom
The Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Joel Paulson - November 16, 2008
Today the Church in its wisdom has given us three readings that teach us how to live this life and the life to come in the Kingdom of Heaven.
What does it mean to a man to have a good wife? Her value is far beyond riches. more>>
To Caesar what belongs to Caesar,
To God what belongs to God
The Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 19, 2008
God is the Lord of History and he leads Israel though unexpected ways. After the people were unfaithful to God they were conquered and exiled to Babylon. But God gave freedom again to his captive people more>>
The Father and the Vineyard:
Becoming Good Stewards
The Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - October 5, 2008
Vatican II quotes Saint Augustine teaching that "God, the inspirer and author of both Testaments, wisely arranged that the New Testament be hidden in the Old and the Old be made more>>
The Last Will Be First, and the First Will Be Last
The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Joel Paulson - September 21, 2008
Today's parable is one of the most difficult for many in our society to understand. At first glance, it seems to fly in the face of justice and fairness as we know it. The parable describes the kind of thing that frequently happened at certain times in Palestine. The grape harvest ripened toward the end of September and then more>>
Funeral Mass for Brenna D. George
Father Alvaro Montero, DCJM - September 2, 2008
Dear Terry, Cara, Kendra and Carson,
Dear family, dear brothers and sisters,
Dear students and teachers,
Dear friends,
Peace be with you! Let me start today's homily with two quotes from the prophet Jeremiah. It is the Lord speaking more>>
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