May 2025 – St. Juliana Catholic Church

Sign Language / Lenguaje de señas

John’s Gospel speaks about the signs of Jesus. Signs point us to something, or in this case, to Someone – God incarnate. John says, “A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.” These signs gave people hope, and we Christians are called to be a people of hope. But are we?

Perhaps we are like Philip. When Jesus asked him how to feed the multitudes, Philip saw an impossible situation. “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough.” He could see no way to solve the problem and wanted to send the people away. Out of sight, out of mind. We are like Philip when we see the impossibility of the situation and throw up our hands. There is violence, war, broken families, addiction, oppression and abuse, hate and injustice. We are suffering and see no light at the end of the tunnel. We may despair because we fail to consider that God can do the impossible.

We might, instead, be like Andrew. He, too, saw an impossible situation: thousands of people and not enough food. Yet Andrew didn’t surrender to hopelessness. He saw a boy with five loaves and two fish, not enough to feed the crowd, but Andrew brought it to Jesus anyway. It’s as if he said, “This isn’t enough food, but maybe you can do something with it.” And of course, Jesus performed a miracle, multiplying the loaves and fish so that the multitudes were fed with food left over.

Andrew and Philip face the same problem. Andrew was the one who sees something small and leaves room for God to work. He hoped in an impossible situation.

Every day we face impossible situations. It may be that God has called you to serve Him in a way you feel unqualified for. It’s out of your comfort zone and you don’t have the necessary skills. Philip would say, “It’s impossible. I can’t do it.” Andrew would say, “I have so little ability. What can you do with my inadequacy?”

God desires to show us signs of love during the difficulties of our lives. He calls us to hope when faced with the impossible. Do we believe that God (and only God) can fix this? Do we trust in God or do we whine about the impossible? Do we frantically try to fix things ourselves? Do we have hope during times of trial? Is that hope in God rather than in ourselves?

John tells us that Jesus had the people recline so they could receive His bounty. Sometimes we are called to sit and receive rather than grasp. God is always present. God always loves. God’s perfect timing will bring an end to all suffering.

Watch for God’s signs. The five loaves and two fish that were pitifully inadequate by themselves, through the power of God, were multiplied to bring abundance to all. Hope in God and wait for His response.

St. Andrew and St. Philip, pray for us!

Contact the author

El Evangelio de Juan habla de las señas de Jesús. Las señas nos señalan algo, o en este caso, a Alguien: Dios encarnado. Juan dice: “Lo seguía mucha gente, porque habían visto los signos que hacía curando a los enfermos“. Estos signos dieron esperanza a la gente, y nosotros los cristianos estamos llamados a ser un pueblo de esperanza. Pero ¿lo somos?

Tal vez seamos como Felipe. Cuando Jesús le preguntó cómo alimentar a las multitudes, Felipe vio una situación imposible. “Ni doscientos denarios de pan bastarían para que a cada uno le tocara un pedazo de pan”. No veía ninguna forma de resolver el problema y quería despedir a la gente. Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente. Somos como Felipe cuando vemos la imposibilidad de la situación y nos damos por vencidos. Hay violencia, guerra, familias rotas, adicción, opresión y abuso, odio e injusticia. Estamos sufriendo y no vemos la luz al final del túnel. Podemos desesperarnos porque no consideramos que Dios puede hacer lo imposible.

En cambio, podríamos ser como Andrés. Él también vio una situación imposible: miles de personas y muy poca comida. Sin embargo, Andrés no se rindió a la desesperanza. Vio a un muchacho con cinco panes y dos peces, no lo suficiente para alimentar a la multitud, pero Andrés se los llevó a Jesús de todos modos. Es como si dijera: “Esto no es suficiente comida, pero tal vez puedas hacer algo con ella”. Y, por supuesto, Jesús realizó un milagro, multiplicando los panes y los peces para que las multitudes se alimentaran y hasta sobró comida.

Andrés y Felipe enfrentaron el mismo problema. Andrés fue el que vio algo pequeño y dejó espacio para que Dios actuara. Tenía esperanza en una situación imposible.

Todos los días enfrentamos situaciones imposibles. Puede ser que Dios te haya llamado a servirlo de una manera para la que no te sientes preparado. Está fuera de tu zona de confort y no tienes las habilidades necesarias. Felipe diría: “Es imposible. No puedo hacerlo”. Andrés diría: “Tengo tan poca capacidad. ¿Qué puedes hacer con mi incompetencia?”.

Dios desea mostrarnos signos de amor durante las dificultades de nuestra vida. Nos llama a tener esperanza cuando nos enfrentamos a lo imposible. ¿Creemos que Dios (y sólo Dios) puede solucionar esto? ¿Confiamos en Dios o nos quejamos de lo imposible? ¿Tratamos frenéticamente de solucionar las cosas nosotros mismos? ¿Tenemos esperanza en tiempos de prueba? ¿Esa esperanza está en Dios y no en nosotros mismos?

Juan nos dice que Jesús hizo que la gente se reclinara para que pudieran recibir su generosidad. A veces estamos llamados a sentarnos y recibir en lugar de aferrarnos. Dios siempre está presente. Dios siempre ama. El tiempo perfecto de Dios pondrá fin a todo sufrimiento.

Esté atento a las señales de Dios. Los cinco panes y los dos peces que eran lamentablemente inadecuados por sí solos, a través del poder de Dios, se multiplicaron para traer abundancia a todos. Espera en Dios y espera Su respuesta.

¡San Andrés y San Felipe, rueguen por nosotros!

Comunicarse con la autora

Colleen Orchanian is a podcaster, blogger, and spiritual director who desires to help others have a more profound encounter with God. She is the author of three books: Nearer My God to Thee, Times of Grace, and Lingering with God. Her podcast is Food for Thought (Spiritually Speaking). You can learn more at ColleenOrchanian.com.

Feature Image Credit: Royal Danish Library, Public Domain, art.diocesan.com/stock-photo/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand-18634/

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post Sign Language / Lenguaje de señas appeared first on Diocesan.

St. Athanasius, doctor of the Church

Feast date: May 02

Catholics honor St. Athanasius on May 2. The fourth century bishop is known as “the father of orthodoxy” for his absolute dedication to the doctrine of Christ’s divinity.

St. Athanasius was born to Christian parents living in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 296. His parents took great care to have their son educated, and his talents came to the attention of a local priest who was later canonized as St. Alexander of Alexandria. The priest and future saint tutored Athanasius in theology, and eventually appointed him as an assistant.

Around the age of 19, Athanasius spent a formative period in the Egyptian desert as a disciple of St. Anthony in his monastic community. Returning to Alexandria, he was ordained a deacon in 319, and resumed his assistance to Alexander who had become a bishop. The Catholic Church, newly recognized by the Roman Empire, was already encountering a new series of dangers from within.

The most serious threat to the fourth-century Church came from a priest named Arius, who taught that Jesus could not have existed eternally as God prior to his historical incarnation as a man. According to Arius, Jesus was the highest of created beings, and could be considered “divine” only by analogy. Arians professed a belief in Jesus’ “divinity,” but meant only that he was God’s greatest creature.

Opponents of Arianism brought forth numerous scriptures which taught Christ’s eternal pre-existence and his identity as God. Nonetheless, many Greek-speaking Christians found it intellectually easier to believe in Jesus as a created demi-god, than to accept the mystery of a Father-Son relationship within the Godhead. By 325, the controversy was dividing the Church and unsettling the Roman Empire.

In that year, Athanasius attended the First Ecumenical Council, held at Nicea to examine and judge Arius’ doctrine in light of apostolic tradition. It reaffirmed the Church’s perennial teaching on Christ’s full deity, and established the Nicene Creed as an authoritative statement of faith. The remainder of Athanasius’ life was a constant struggle to uphold the council’s teaching about Christ.

Near the end of St. Alexander’s life, he insisted that Athanasius succeed him as the Bishop of Alexandria. Athanasius took on the position just as the Emperor Constantine, despite having convoked the Council of Nicea, decided to relax its condemnation of Arius and his supporters. Athanasius continually refused to admit Arius to communion, however, despite the urgings of the emperor.

A number of Arians spent the next several decades attempting to manipulate bishops, emperors and Popes to move against Athanasius, particularly through the use of false accusations. Athanasius was accused of theft, murder, assault, and even of causing a famine by interfering with food shipments.

Arius became ill and died gruesomely in 336, but his heresy continued to live. Under the rule of the three emperors that followed Constantine, and particularly under the rule of the strongly Arian Constantius, Athanasius was driven into exile at least five times for insisting on the Nicene Creed as the Church’s authoritative rule of faith.

Athanasius received the support of several Popes, and spent a portion of his exile in Rome. However, the Emperor Constantius did succeed in coercing one Pope, Liberius, into condemning Athanasius by having him kidnapped, threatened with death, and sent away from Rome for two years. The Pope eventually managed to return to Rome, where he again proclaimed Athanasius’ orthodoxy.

Constantius went so far as to send troops to attack his clergy and congregations. Neither these measures, nor direct attempts to assassinate the bishop, succeeding in silencing him. However, they frequently made it difficult for him to remain in his diocese. He enjoyed some respite after Constantius’ death in 361, but was later persecuted by Emperor Julian the Apostate, who sought to revive paganism.

In 369, Athanasius managed to convene an assembly of 90 bishops in Alexandria, for the sake of warning the Church in Africa against the continuing threat of Arianism. He died in 373, and was vindicated by a more comprehensive rejection of Arianism at the Second Ecumenical Council, held in 381 at Constantinople.

St. Gregory Nazianzen, who presided over part of that council, described St. Athanasius as “the true pillar of the church,” whose “life and conduct were the rule of bishops, and his doctrine the rule of the orthodox faith.”

Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1 Acts 5:34-42

A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,
stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
and said to the Sanhedrin, “Fellow children of Israel,
be careful what you are about to do to these men.
Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important,
and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed,
and all those who were loyal to him
were disbanded and came to nothing.
After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census.
He also drew people after him,
but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
So now I tell you,
have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.
For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
They were persuaded by him.
After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,
they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (see 4abc) One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Matthew 4:4b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

St. Joseph the Worker / San José Obrero

Click here for daily readings

I grew up attending St. Joseph Church and School. Going to Catholic school from first through ninth grade gave me countless incredible and faith-filled memories. One memory in particular stands out regarding today’s feast day, St. Joseph the Worker. Each year during the days prior to this date, we all felt the pressure of testing. Once we had completed our tests, our Pastor would call a general assembly for all students. We would gather in the cafeteria, buzzing with so much excitement and anticipation of what was to come that we were wiggling in our seats. Father would enter the room and tell us that we had all performed well on our subject tests, that he was proud of us, and after a dramatic pause announce: “You all have earned the day off on St. Joseph the Worker Day.” Then the entire room would erupt with shouts and applause.

Back then, I didn’t reflect on my relationship with St. Joseph or my subject testing. It was simply a wonderful day off filled with the joy of knowing I had earned it.

While on Earth, Jesus learned the values of hard work and rest from his earthly father, St. Joseph. St. Joseph exemplifies what it means to work diligently for the Kingdom of God. Jesus, both divine and human, labored alongside St. Joseph helping with the daily tasks and chores essential for their livelihood. St. Joseph was a great model of obedience and Jesus learned from his example. Our labor here on earth is an act of obedience to the will of God as well.

One of the optional readings for this feast states, “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24) We can ask St. Joseph, head of the Holy Family, for guidance and help to live this out.

We learn the significance of the divine connection between God and His Son through the earthly example of St. Joseph and his relationship with Jesus. Today’s Gospel states “For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.” (John 3:34) Jesus will guide us through the Holy Spirit.

This is our time to work in the fields. We must never forget that our Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us,’ will be by our side as we serve the Kingdom of God, just as He was for St. Joseph. God’s presence is closer than we think.

St. Joseph the Worker, guide and protect us like you did your Holy Family. Your gentle and steadfast lessons are what we need now as we struggle towards the Kingdom of God. May your fatherly touch bring us the peace and joy that only comes through our Lord, Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.

Contact the Author

Crecí asistiendo a la Iglesia y la Escuela de San José. Ir a la escuela católica desde primero hasta noveno grado me dio innumerables recuerdos increíbles y llenos de fe. Un recuerdo en particular se destaca con respecto a la fiesta de hoy, San José Obrero. Cada año, durante los días previos a esta fecha, todos sentíamos la presión de los exámenes. Una vez que terminábamos nuestros exámenes, el párroco convocaba una asamblea general para todos los estudiantes. Nos reuníamos en la cafetería, tan llenos de emoción y anticipación por lo que vendría que andábamos inquietos. El párroco entraba y nos decía que todos habíamos hecho bien en los exámenes, que estaba orgulloso de nosotros y, después de una pausa dramática, anunciaba: “Todos se han ganado el día libre en el Día de San José Obrero”. Y toda la sala estallaba en gritos y aplausos.

En ese entonces, no reflexionaba sobre mi relación con San José ni sobre los exámenes. Era simplemente un maravilloso día libre lleno de la alegría de saber que me lo había ganado.

Mientras estuvo en la Tierra, Jesús aprendió los valores del trabajo duro y el descanso de su padre terrenal, San José. San José ejemplifica lo que significa trabajar diligentemente por el Reino de Dios. Jesús, tanto divino como humano, trabajaba junto a San José ayudándolo con las tareas y los quehaceres diarios esenciales para su sustento. San José fue un gran modelo de obediencia y Jesús aprendía de su ejemplo. Nuestro trabajo aquí en la Tierra también es un acto de obediencia a la voluntad de Dios.

Una de las lecturas opcionales para esta fiesta dice: “Todo cuanto hagan, háganlo de buena gana, para agradar al Señor y no a los hombres, sabiendo que el Señor les dará la herencia en recompensa. El amo a quien sirven es Cristo” (Colosenses 3,23-24). Podemos pedirle a San José, cabeza de la Sagrada Familia, orientación y ayuda para vivir esto.

Aprendemos el significado de la conexión divina entre Dios y Su Hijo a través del ejemplo terrenal de San José y su relación con Jesús. El Evangelio de hoy dice: “Aquel a quien Dios envió habla las palabras de Dios, porque Dios le ha concedido sin medida su Espíritu” (Juan 3,34). Jesús nos guiará a través del Espíritu Santo.

Este es nuestro momento de trabajar en los campos. Nunca debemos olvidar que Emmanuel, que significa “Dios está con nosotros”, estará a nuestro lado mientras servimos al Reino de Dios, tal como lo estuvo con San José. La presencia de Dios está más cerca de lo que pensamos.

San José Obrero, guíanos y protégenos como lo hiciste con la Sagrada Familia. Tus lecciones suaves y firmes son lo que necesitamos ahora mientras luchamos por el Reino de Dios. Que tu toque paternal nos traiga la paz y la alegría que solo viene a través de nuestro Señor, Jesucristo, ahora y por siempre. Amén.

Comunicarse con la autora

Marti Garcia’s passions are her retired life and growing deeper in her Catholic faith. Marti is a Sacristan/EM, facilitates small groups, and assists as a First Communion Catechist for parents. Being a parent educator and writer for 35 years, she recently published a children’s chapter book on Amazon, The Ladybugs. You can find her at her blog: MartiGarcia.org, or thewaterisshallow.com, or her cohost podcast, findingacommonthread.com, which is coming soon.

Feature Image Credit: Author Unknown. Public domain. art.diocesan.com/stock-photo/holy-family-21583/

The post St. Joseph the Worker / San José Obrero appeared first on Diocesan.