Pastors Desk 03-04-18
In today’s Gospel reading we hear about Jesus cleansing the Jerusalem temple by driving out all the money changers, merchants, animals and the birds. What events happening in the temple infuriated Jesus to take this extreme step? A) The merchants selling animals and...
Pastors Desk 02-25-18
There is a mysterious story in 2 Kings that can help us understand what is happening in the transfiguration. Israel is at war with Aram, and Elisha, the man of God, is using his prophetic powers to reveal the strategic plans of the Aramean army to the Israelites. At...
Pastors Desk 02-18-18
An Arab fable tells of a miller who was startled by seeing a camel’s nose thrust in at the door of the tent where he was sleeping. “It’s very cold outside,” said the camel, “I only want to get my nose in.” The nose was allowed in, then the neck, finally the whole...
Pastors Desk 02-11-18
St.Joachim parish is one of the most active parishes in the diocese of Oakland. In addition to various liturgical celebrations that are held in our parish, there are more than 25 groups gathering together every week for prayer, devotional, educational, social and...
Pastors Desk 01-28-18
Jesus' world was a demon-haunted world. Men and women in the ancient world believed in demons. Demons for them were intensely real. The first century world was one of pain and suffering. There was no relief from pain. It was a world of natural disasters that took a...
Pastors Desk 01-21-18
The month of December is a busy month for most parishes in the US. Our parish, which is one of the most active parishes in the diocese of Oakland, becomes fully alive with various kinds of preparations and celebrations during the month of December. Immediately after...
Pastors Desk 01-14-18
In the book, No Bad Dogs, British dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse says dogs understand love better than we do. She writes, “In a dog’s mind, a master or a mistress to love, honor, and obey is an absolute necessity. Love is dormant in the dog until brought into full...
Pastors Desk 01-07-18
The Magi were not Kings, but a caste of Persian priests who served Kings using their skills in interpreting dreams and watching movements of stars. The sixth century Italian tradition that there were three Magi, Casper, Balthazar, and Melchior, is based on the fact...
Pastors Desk 12-31-17
Pope Francis said that as a child, he heard a story of a family with a mother, father, many children and a grandfather. The grandfather, suffering from Parkinson’s illness, would drop food on the dining table, and smear it all over his face when he ate. His son...
Pastors Desk 12-24-17
The FBI agents conducted a raid in a psychiatric hospital in Santiago that was under investigation for medical insurance fraud. After hours of reviewing thousands of medical records, the dozens of agents were terribly hungry. The chief in charge of the investigation...
Pastors Desk 12-17-17
The third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” because the Mass for today (in its original Latin text), begins with the opening antiphon: “Gaudete in Domino semper” -“Rejoice in the Lord always.” To remind ourselves that we are preparing for the very joyful...
Pastors Desk 12-10-17
Not too many years ago, newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man who repented of his sins and chose Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. What made his story so remarkable was the fact that, as a result of his newfound Faith in Christ, he confessed to a...