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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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My dear sisters and brothers, today in Luke's Gospel we hear about Herod the Tetrarch. After the death of Herod the Great in 4 BC, the ancient Kingdom was divided into four parts with each part under the rule of a member of the Herodian family. A “Tetrarch” was a “ruler of a quarter” of the kingdom of Israel. Herod Antipas was the ruler of the region of Galilee and Perea during the time of Jesus and is the subject of the story we have just heard in the Gospel. Herod the Tetrarch is the one who beheaded John the Baptist.
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The first time I visited the Holy Land of Israel, we had our first Mass as a pilgrimage group in the town of Capernaum. The all-round glass Church is built above the place where tradition holds was Simon Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. The pastor of the place was a Ghanian Franciscan Friar, who knew our Congregation of Holy Cross very well and the good work it does in Ghana, especially in the schools.
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Our reflection focuses on the theme of reconciliation. Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us important principles to pay attention to when our relationships with others get damaged. The gospel has never been easy to live out, and the Lord’s teaching on reconciliation is one such teaching.
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In the year 2009, the Gallup Group released a study of the “happiest cities in the United States.” Boulder, Colorado with its beautiful vistas was number one, while Honolulu in Hawaii with its great tropical weather and laid-back lifestyle was number three. Tucked between these two big and beautiful cities was the little town of Holland, Michigan, which came in as number two. Many people were curious about what made little Holland one of the happiest places in the United States.
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Learn more about our faith | Love thy Neighbor
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. A couple of years back when I visited the Holy Land, we went to the old town of Ein Karem. This is believed to be the town where Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, lived. It is the town where Mary came to visit. It is in hilly country, and the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth is way up a hill. Below the hill is a well where Mary is believed to have gone to fetch water for home use.
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Different countries around the world have different animals or plants as their national symbols. The United States has the bald eagle – a symbol of strength, courage, immortality, and freedom. India has the peacock as its national bird – a symbol of grace and beauty. Haiti has the hibiscus as its national flower – a symbol of beauty and culture. Bangladesh has the water lily as its national flower – a symbol of birth, resurrection, purity, and majesty.
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