St Theodore Catholic Church Gonzales California

St Theodore Catholic Church Gonzales California "Announcing the Gospel of Christ and celebrating the Mysteries of God in Gonzales and Chualar Canyon since 1893.

06/08/2026

Beatitudes
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

…for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
…for they will be comforted.
…for they will inherit the land.
…for they will be satisfied.
…for they will be shown mercy.
…for they will see God.
…for they will be called children of God.
…for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
…for your reward will be great in heaven.
(See Matthew 5)

Listed above are all the rewards of living the Beatitudes. Read them slowly and prayerfully. Do you desire these good fruits? These rewards of the Beatitudes? Of course you do! It’s a good spiritual practice to start with the reward, the effect of something, and to let the desire for that reward grow. The same is true of sin. It’s a good practice, especially when one struggles with a habitual sin, to start with the effect of that sin (the negative effect) and ask whether or not you desire it.

But today we have the Beatitudes. And as we ponder the fruits of the Beatitudes, we can’t help but conclude that we deeply desire them. This is a good and healthy realization to come to.

From there, we only need to add one extra step. Once we’ve concluded, with a deep conviction, that we desire the fruits of the Beatitudes, we then only need to add the first step. We insert the Beatitude into this desire so that we can understand and believe that the Beatitude is good and desirous. But what about the Beatitudes? Do you desire…

To be poor in spirit,
to mourn,
to be meek,
to hunger and thirst for righteousness,
to be merciful,
to be clean of heart,
to be a peacemaker,
to accept persecution for the sake of righteousness,
and to be insulted and persecuted and to have every kind of evil uttered about you falsely because of Jesus?

Perhaps or perhaps not. Some seem desirous while others seem burdensome. But if these Beatitudes are properly understood in the context of their fruits (i.e., the blessings they produce), then our desire for the means to that good fruit (the Beatitude) should grow as well.

Perhaps, today, you can look at which Beatitude is most difficult for you to want and desire. Once you find it, look at the fruit it produces and spend time looking at that Beatitude within that context. It will help you grow in blessedness!

My most blessed Lord, help make me humble and meek, pure of heart and merciful, a peacemaker and one who accepts any persecution that comes my way. Help me to receive all with joy and with a longing for Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.

06/06/2026

Spiritual vs. Material Wealth
Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:43-44

All she put into the basket was two small coins worth only a few cents. Yet Jesus declares that she put in more than all the rest. Are you buying that? It’s hard to accept that it’s true. Our tendency is to think of the monetary value of the large sums of money being deposited before this poor widow’s. Those deposits are far more desirable than the two small coins she put in. Right? Or not?

If we take Jesus at His word then we should be far more grateful for the widow’s two coins than the large sums of money deposited before her. That’s not to say that the large sums of money were not good and generous gifts. They most likely were. God took those gifts also and used them.

But here Jesus is highlighting a contrast between spiritual wealth and material wealth. And He’s saying that spiritual wealth, and spiritual generosity, is of far greater importance than material wealth, and material generosity. The poor widow was materially poor but spiritually rich. Those with the large sums of money were materially rich, but spiritually poorer than the widow.

In the materialistic society we live in, it’s hard to believe this. It’s very hard to make the conscious choice to embrace spiritual wealth as a far greater blessing. Why is this hard? Because in order to embrace spiritual wealth one must give up everything. We must all become this poor widow and contribute all we have, our “whole livelihood.”

Now, some may immediately react to this statement as extreme. It’s not extreme. There is nothing wrong with being blessed with material wealth, but there is something wrong with being attached to it. What is essential is an interior disposition which imitates the generosity and spiritual poverty of this poor widow. She wanted to give and she wanted to make a difference. So she gave all she had.

Each person must discern how this looks practically in their lives. This doesn’t mean that everyone must literally sell all they have and go become a monk. But it does mean that everyone must have an interior disposition of complete generosity and detachment. From there, the Lord will show you how to use the material things within your possession for your greatest good, as well as the good of others.

Reflect, today, upon the contrast of these two forms of wealth and choose that which lasts for eternity. Give all you have and all you are to our Lord and allow Him to direct the generosity of your heart in accord with His perfect will.

My most generous Lord, please give me the generous and selfless heart of this poor widow. Help me to look for ways that I am called to give completely of myself to You, holding nothing back, seeking above all the spiritual riches of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.

06/04/2026

Love Must be Contagious
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:30-31b

It’s interesting to see how these two great commandments go together!

First of all, the commandment to love God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength is pretty straight forward. The key to understanding this is that it’s an all-consuming and total love. Nothing can be held back from loving God. Every part of our being must be fully dedicated to the love of God.

Though much could be said about that love so as to understand it in a deeper and deeper way, it’s also important to see the link between the First and Second Commandments. Together, these two commandments summarize the Ten Commandments given by Moses. But the link between the two is essential to understand.

The Second Commandment says you must “love your neighbor as yourself.” So this begs the question, “How do I love myself?” The answer to that is found in the First Commandment. First and foremost, we love ourselves by loving God with all we have and all we are. Loving God is the best thing we can do for ourselves and, therefore, is the key to loving ourselves.

The connection, then, between the two commandments is that loving our neighbor as we love ourselves means that everything we do for others should help them to love God with their whole heart, soul, mind and strength. This is done by our words, but especially by our influence.

When we love God with everything, our love of God will be contagious. Others will see our love of God, our passion for Him, our desire for Him, our devotion and our commitment. They will see it and be attracted to it. They will be attracted to it because love of God is in fact very attractive. Witnessing this sort of love inspires others and makes them want to imitate our love.

So reflect, today, on how deep your love of God is. Just as importantly, reflect upon how well you let that love of God shine forth for others to see. You should be very free in letting your love of God be lived and expressed in an open way. When you do so, others will see this and you will be loving them as you love yourself.

My God of perfect love, help me to follow these commandments of love. Help me to love You with my whole being. And in that love of You, help me to share that love with others. Jesus, I trust in You.

06/03/2026

Knowing the Mind of God
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” Mark 12:24

This Scripture comes from the passage where some Sadducees were trying to trap Jesus in His speech. This has been a common theme in the daily readings as of late. Jesus’ answer is one that cuts to the heart of the problem. He does clear up their confusion, but He starts by simply laying down the clear truth that the Sadducees are misled because they do not know either the Scriptures or the power of God. This should give us reason to pause and look at our own understanding of the Scriptures and the power of God.

It is easy to try to figure life out on our own. We can think and think and think and try to analyze why this happened or that. We can try to analyze others’ actions or even our own. And often times in the end, we are just as confused and “misled” as when we began.

If you find yourself in such a confusing situation about anything you are trying to understand about life, perhaps it’s good to sit and listen to those words of Jesus spoken as if they were spoken to you.

These words should not be taken as a harsh criticism or rebuke. Rather, they should be taken as a blessed insight from Jesus to help us step back and realize that we are often misled about the things of life. It’s very easy to let emotion and errors cloud our thinking and reasoning and lead us down the wrong path. So what do we do?

When we find ourselves feeling “misled” or when we realize we do not really understand God or His power at work, we should stop and take a step back so that we can pray and seek what God has to say.

Interestingly, praying is not the same as thinking. Sure, we need to use our mind to ponder the things of God, but “thinking, thinking, and more thinking” is not always the way to the correct understanding. Thinking is not prayer. We often do not understand that.

A regular goal we must have is to step back in humility and acknowledge to God and ourselves that we do not understand His ways and will. We must strive to silence our active thoughts and set aside all preconceived notions of what is right and wrong. In our humility, we need to sit and listen and wait on the Lord to take the lead. If we can let go of our constant attempts to “figure it out” we may find that God will figure it out for us and shed the light that we need. The Sadducees struggled with a certain pride and arrogance which clouded their thinking and led to self-righteousness. Jesus attempts to gently but firmly redirect them to clear thinking.

Reflect, today, upon whether you are struggling in any way with misleading and confusing thoughts. Humble yourself so that Jesus can redirect your thinking and help you to arrive at the truth.

Lord of perfect clarity, I do want to know the truth. At times I can allow myself to be misled. Help me to humble myself before You so that You can take the lead. Jesus, I trust in You.

06/01/2026

The Justice of God
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

“He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others.” Mark 12:6-9

We see in this passage a clear sign of the justice of God!

The first thing to point out is that the evil tenants initially do succeed. They kill one after another, and then when the owner of the vineyard sends his only son, the evil tenants kill him thinking they will inherit the vineyard.

This is obviously a story about the Father sending His Son into the world. The religious leaders of the time were envious and jealous and wanted to remain in power. As a result, they put their evil plot into motion, killing Jesus in hopes that they would eliminate Him as the Messiah and new King of Israel, thus retaining their religious power.

But what they forgot about was the justice of God. In the end, God’s justice always prevails. God will sort all things out and will distribute His justice and mercy in accord with the heart of each person.

This reveals two important lessons for us. First, it reveals that, in the moment, evil can seem to win. We experience this in countless ways. We experience a lack of justice, persecution and hurt. At times we can feel discouraged by the apparent triumph of evil all around us and can fall into despair.

However, we must also remember in those times, more than any, to hold on to the hope of the ultimate triumph of divine justice! In the end, God will win. And in the end, all that matters is the final result. Therefore, from the perspective of eternity, all that matters is that we remain faithful and hopeful in God. We must always strive to move past any apparent injustice we encounter. Yes, when God inspires us to confront evil here and now, we must do it. But we must also remember that, in God’s perfect wisdom, there are times when He finds it better to allow injustice to have its way. This can be hard to fathom and accept. But we must hold on to the hope of God’s final fidelity and the ultimate triumph of His Truth.

Reflect, today, upon the ultimate triumph of divine justice. If you find yourself discouraged by some injustice or hardship, try to turn your eyes to the final victory in Christ. Know that God will ultimately bring forth perfect justice. At that time, you will be grateful that you held on to hope in that promise.

Lord of all justice, when I am down and discouraged and witness oppression and injustice in my life, help me to turn my eyes to You and retain hope. May I always have hope in You and faith in Your perfect fidelity. Jesus, I trust in You.

05/31/2026

The Inner Life of God!
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (Year B Gospel)

The Trinity! The inner life of God! The Greatest Mystery of our Faith!

We all are used to the idea that there is one God. And we fully accept that this one God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On the surface, this seems like a contradiction. How can God be one and three at the same time? It’s a mystery that is worth penetrating and contemplating.

First, we need to understand that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three divine Persons. Each one distinct from the other. Each Person has a perfect intellect and free will. Each one is capable of knowing and loving to a perfect degree.

But it is this “perfection” of their ability to know and love that makes them one. They each share in the one divine nature and, within that divine nature, are perfectly united. This means that each one knows and loves the other perfectly. And that knowledge (an act of their perfect intellect) and love (an act of their perfect will) brings about a unity so profound and deep that they live and act as one God.

What’s also inspiring to know and understand is that the unity they share by their mutual knowledge and love also offers each one of them perfect fulfillment as a Person. This shows that “personhood” is fulfilled by unity. What a wonderful lesson this is for each of us.

We are not God, but we are made in God’s image and likeness. Therefore, we find fulfillment in the same way that God does. Specifically, we find fulfillment in life by our love of others and our free-will choice to enter into a knowledge of each person, forming a communion with them. This will take on different forms depending upon our relationships. Of course, husband and wife are called to share in the deepest unity in imitation of the life of God. But all relationships are called to share in God’s life in their own unique way.

Reflect, today, as we celebrate this Trinity Sunday, on the relationships to which God has called you. How completely do you imitate the love of the Trinity in your relationships? Certainly we will all find areas in which to grow. Make a commitment to take another step deeper and, in that step of love, allow God to give you a greater fulfillment as a result.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, help me to know You and to love You. Help me to discover the love You share within Your own divine life. In that discovery, help me to also love others with Your heart. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I trust in You.

05/30/2026

The Desire for Authority and Admiration
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

“By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” Mark 11:28

This was the question that the scribes and Pharisees put to Jesus as He entered the temple area to teach. Jesus had been exercising His authority through His preaching and through the many miracles He had performed. This exercise of His divine authority caused much jealousy and envy in the hearts of the religious leaders of the time. So they came forward to trap Him with this crafty question.

The first thing to point out is that these religious leaders clearly did not ask this question because they wanted to know the answer. They asked it because they were trying to find fault with Jesus. But Jesus outsmarted them.

Because Jesus knew that their only intent was to trap Him, He set a sort of trap for them in return. He asked them a question and told them that if they answered this question, He would answer theirs. He asked them by what authority John the Baptist baptized. The religious leaders then went to discuss this question and in their discussion it’s clear that they were not discussing the question so as to arrive at the correct answer. Rather, they were discussing what the most politically beneficial answer would be. In other words, they didn’t care about the truth of the question, they only cared about the outcome of the answer. The outcome they wanted was one that benefited their agenda and their own power.

What a dangerous road to walk down! This is, of course, an accusation made very often toward politicians. Though not every politician falls into this trap, it is a trap that some fall into. When we are consumed with a need to gain power and respect within the public eye, we will often be tempted to say or do that which we judge to be the most popular and that which paints us in the best light. But this is not the way a Christian, and especially a religious leader, must act.

Our goal must constantly be the clear, unambiguous truth. We must work hard at letting go of a desire to look good in the eyes of others. Though it’s nice to look good, the only opinion that ultimately matters is God’s. His “opinion” is not an opinion, it’s Truth.

Reflect, today, upon the tendency you may face to be deceitful at times so as to present yourself in a false way. Do you worry too much about the opinions of others? Do you act and speak only to benefit your personal agenda and desires? Or are you committed to honesty and sincerity? Choose the honest path and our Lord will give you a share in His holy and divine authority of love.

Lord of all Truth, I pray that the example set by the scribes and Pharisees will help me to turn from deceitful ways and help me to daily embrace the truth. I pray that, as I enter more fully into Your Truth, I will also share in the authority of Your holy love. Jesus, I trust

05/29/2026

Forgiveness Nourishes Our Prayer
Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” Mark 11:25

Prayer is something that many struggle with. When we’ve come to a deep faith in Christ, we want to grow closer and we want to know how to pray. But often times this can be a struggle and many can give up on it after good intentions begin to fade away.

Though there are many things that could be said about prayer, the Scripture above does highlight one of the greatest obstacles to a healthy prayer life. The obstacle Jesus speaks of is the lack of forgiveness.

When we come to Christ, in prayer, we need to first cleanse our hearts if we are to hear Him speak. And if we come to Him while holding on to a grievance toward another, this is an obstacle that must be dealt with first. In fact, if we hold on to that grievance and try to pray, our prayer will most likely not be very effective.

Just prior to this Scripture passage above, we have the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. He turned over the tables and drove the merchants out because they were desecrating the Temple by their greed. We should see this story to also be a story about our own souls. Our souls are temples of God and Jesus does not want sin in our soul. In fact, He wants to root it out with a passion and with much zeal. The goal is to let Him do this and to let Him cleanse our souls of sin, especially the sin of a lack of forgiveness. Doing so will allow our souls to become places of prayer and worship.

Reflect, today, upon whether you want to grow in prayer. If you do, then start by cleansing your heart of all sin. Confession is the best way to do this. Start by looking at any sin of anger or a lack of forgiveness. By choosing to forgive and letting go of anger, you are allowing Jesus to drive this vice out of your soul. The result will be that you are in a much better place to invite Christ to make your heart His dwelling place. With that done, your prayer life will greatly increase.

Lord, please do forgive me. I see my sin and I am sorry. I also forgive those who have sinned against me. Help me to let go of any anger I may have and to let Your love take its place. Jesus, I trust in You.

05/28/2026

The Cry of Bartimaeus
Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Mark 10:47b-48

Little did this blind beggar realize that his act of faith and perseverance would be recorded in Scripture as a witness to countless millions for inspiration throughout the ages. Bartimaeus simply did his part, God then took his faith, healed him and used him as this glorious witness.

The progression of this story is very insightful for our life of faith and prayer. First, we begin with the situation of Bartimaeus being blind, poor and a beggar. He is in a state of much need. In that state he hears Jesus walking by and he takes advantage of the situation by crying out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” It’s significant that Bartimaeus is rebuked for his prayer by those around him. It’s as if they were telling him that he is unworthy of the Master’s time and attention.

An important lesson we can take from this passage is that of perseverance. Bartimaeus ignores the rebukes of others and cries out all the louder. He doesn’t allow the negativity and the erroneous judgments of others to get in the way of his faith and trust in Jesus. In fact, when the opposition grew, he cried out all the more. This lesson should teach us how to deal with the hardships of life. We are often tempted to curl up and get discouraged when faced with some struggle. What we should do when things get hard is trust in Jesus all the more. We need to turn to Him in our need and believe with a deep conviction that He hears us and wants to take control.

And that’s exactly what Jesus does. He hears Bartimaeus, responds to him, listens to him and heals him. It’s also interesting to see that once Jesus does hear Bartimaeus’ cry and calls to him, all the people who had just been rebuking the beggar were suddenly encouraging him. This was the result of Jesus’ acceptance, but it was also a result of Bartimaeus’ faith and perseverance.

Reflect, today, upon the humble prayer of this blind beggar and make it your own. Pray it over and over and try to discover the faith in which he prayed it. Jesus will hear your prayer, call you to Himself and offer you the healing you need.

Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. Jesus, I trust in You.

05/21/2026

Lifting Your Eyes to Heaven

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” John 17:20–21

“Lifting His eyes to Heaven…” What a great phrase!

As Jesus lifted His eyes to Heaven, He prayed to His Father in Heaven. This act, of lifting His eyes, reveals one unique aspect of the presence of the Father. It reveals that the Father is transcendent. “Transcendent” means that the Father is above all and beyond all. The world cannot contain Him. So, in speaking to the Father, Jesus begins with this gesture by which He acknowledges the transcendence of the Father.

But we must also note the imminence of the Father’s relationship with Jesus. By “imminence” we mean that the Father and Jesus are united as one. Their relationship is one that is profoundly personal in nature.

Though these two words, “imminence” and “transcendence,” may not be a part of our daily vocabulary, the concepts are worth understanding and reflecting upon. We should strive to be very familiar with their meanings and, more specifically, with the way that our relationship with the Holy Trinity shares in both.

Jesus’ prayer to the Father was that we who come to believe will share in the unity of the Father and the Son. We will share in God’s life and love. For us, this means we start by seeing the transcendence of God. We also lift our eyes to Heaven and strive to see the splendor, glory, greatness, power, and majesty of God. He is above all and beyond all.

As we accomplish this prayerful gaze to the Heavens, we must also strive to see this glorious and transcendent God descend into our souls, communicating to us, loving us, and establishing a deeply personal relationship with us. It’s amazing how these two aspects of God’s life go together so well even though, at first, they can appear to be complete opposites. They are not opposed but, rather, are wedded together and have the effect of drawing us into an intimate relationship with the Creator and sustainer of all things.

Reflect, today, upon the glorious and all-powerful God of the Universe descending into the secret depths of your soul. Acknowledge His presence, adore Him as He lives within you, speak to Him and love Him.

Most glorious Lord, help me to always lift my eyes to Heaven in prayer. May I constantly turn to You and Your Father. In that prayerful gaze, may I also discover You alive in my soul where You are adored and loved. Jesus, I trust in You.

Address

125 Center Street
Gonzales, CA
93926

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Monday 2pm - 6pm
Tuesday 2pm - 6pm
Wednesday 2pm - 6pm
Thursday 2pm - 6pm
Friday 2pm - 6pm

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