December 7, 2008
2nd Sunday of Advent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 40:1-5,9-11 / Psalm 85
Second Reading: 2 Pt 3:8-14
Gospel: Mk 1:1-8 Make straight the paths
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
John the Baptist appears in the desert and proclaims “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” He is the “voice crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
Hearing John’s voice, I shall prepare for the Lord’s coming into the world. I shall make straight his paths. Among other things, I shall go to confession. I shall seek forgiveness for my sins so that when the Lord comes, he will find space in my heart. Beyond the putting up of the Christmas lights and the planning of Christmas parties, I shall also make myself – and my family – ready to receive the Lord Jesus. A heart full of love for him and for my neighbor shall be my Christmas gift to him.
December 14, 2008
3rd Sunday of Advent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 61:1-2a,10-11 / Luke 1
Second Reading: 1 Thes 5:16-24
Gospel: Jn 1:6-8,19-28 Voice in the desert
He was not the light but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
John owns up to being the voice in the desert when priests and Levites sent by the Jews from Jerusalem inquire who he was. He then points out to them someone coming after him “whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
John lives in the periphery – in the desert – and yet he becomes the center of attention, even of those from Jerusalem, the acknowledged center of all Jewish life, when he begins to preach about the coming of the Lord.
With the Lord, then, there are no peripheries. When the Spirit moves, persons at the margins become centers of change, in particular, like John and the unknown virgin from Nazareth. Not for their own personal glory, however, but for God.
December 21, 2008
4th Sunday of Advent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 2 Sm 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16 / Psalm 89
Second Reading: Rom 16:25-27
Gospel: Lk 1:26-38 The handmaid of the Lord
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.
The angel Gabriel appears before Mary and informs her that she will conceive and bear a son who shall be called Son of the Most High. Mary responds, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Suddenly, through her word, the whole history of the world drastically changes. God’s saving Word shall finally become flesh and shall live among his people. Inconceivable but true: the Most Powerful God becoming a fragile and helpless child for me; the Holy of Holies borrowing the flesh of a lowly virgin from a nondescript town. All because of Mary’s “Yes.”
May I, through Mary’s example, say “Yes!” to God.”
December 28, 2008
Feast of the Holy Family
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Gen 15:1-6,21:1-3 / Psalm 105
Second Reading: Heb 11:8,11-12,17-18
Gospel: Lk 2:22-40 The child grew
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him.
As Mary and Joseph present the baby Jesus in the temple, two holy persons, Simeon and Anna approach them and testify. Simeon calls the baby “light for revelation to the
Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.” Anna describes him as the “redemption of Israel.”
Yet while lofty though their words were, one fact remains: God becomes subject to human parents. In my mind’s eye, I see the child Jesus helping his father, Joseph, sand the top of a newly-made table and then assisting his mother, Mary, in setting up the table as they prepare for the Sabbath. Indeed, the “Star” of David being taught how to walk, how to eat, and how to talk even as he grows in age and in wisdom.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- November
November 2, 2008
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 25:6-9 / Psalm 27
Second Reading: 1 Thes 4:13-18
Gospel: Jn 14:1-6 Many dwelling places
In my father’s house, there are many dwelling places.
Jesus assures his disciples that in his “Father’s house, there are many dwelling places.” He further strengthens them by saying, “and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may also be.”
A candle comes to life only when it is lighted. Yet, when it gets lighted, it slowly approaches it death as it melts drop by drop. A beautiful flower gets plucked and offered to a lady. Yet, the moment it gets plucked, it draws near to its end as its color fades, its fragrance vanishes, its petals wither.
Yet, such is life – death at the end of everything. But, Death is too small a price to say the face of God. Only through Death can I dwell in my Father’s house.
November 9, 2008
Dedication of St. John Lateran
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 47:1-2,8-9,12 / Psalm 46
Second Reading: 1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17
Gospel: Jn 2:13-22 The temple of his Body
Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
Jesus whips and drives away moneychangers and vendors who have turned his Father’s house into a marketplace. When the Jews challenge him as to why he was doing this, Jesus replies, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Reverence, therefore, should be accorded to churches, shrines and sites designated as places for worship. Not only should they be conducive to prayer, they should also be spaces that foster an environment of worship and not of commerce.
In the end, churches, shrines and sacred spaces are not only building. They are “presences” of the holy and the divine. As buildings, they may age and rot. Yet, they remain venues of God’s epiphanies – like Jesus’ body, they may be destroyed, but they will later rise to new life.
November 16, 2008
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Prv 31:10-13,19-20,30-31 / Psalm 128
Second Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-26,28
Gospel: Mt 25:31-46 Judgment of the nations
For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcome me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.
It is how I relate with my fellow man that I will be judged “when the Son of Man comes in his glory.” “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you give me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”
Only through my responses to my neighbor’s grief will I get to hear the words, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
November 30, 2008
First Sunday of Advent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 63:16b-17,19b; 64:2-7 / Psalm 80
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:3-9
Gospel: Mk 13:33-37 Be watchful
Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
Jesus exhorts his disciples by saying, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” “Watch,” he declares a second time, “you do not know when the lord of the house is coming.” He then concludes with “What I say to you, I say to all, ‘Watch!’”
The Lord Jesus is, indeed, coming. The Promised One of the ages shall soon be born of a virgin. The time for prophets and kings is over; God himself will become flesh and walk in man’s midst to make known the Father’s great love for the world. Like the Magi who scanned the skies, I shall then keep watch for his star so that when he is born, I can pay him my homage.
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 25:6-9 / Psalm 27
Second Reading: 1 Thes 4:13-18
Gospel: Jn 14:1-6 Many dwelling places
In my father’s house, there are many dwelling places.
Jesus assures his disciples that in his “Father’s house, there are many dwelling places.” He further strengthens them by saying, “and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may also be.”
A candle comes to life only when it is lighted. Yet, when it gets lighted, it slowly approaches it death as it melts drop by drop. A beautiful flower gets plucked and offered to a lady. Yet, the moment it gets plucked, it draws near to its end as its color fades, its fragrance vanishes, its petals wither.
Yet, such is life – death at the end of everything. But, Death is too small a price to say the face of God. Only through Death can I dwell in my Father’s house.
November 9, 2008
Dedication of St. John Lateran
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 47:1-2,8-9,12 / Psalm 46
Second Reading: 1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17
Gospel: Jn 2:13-22 The temple of his Body
Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
Jesus whips and drives away moneychangers and vendors who have turned his Father’s house into a marketplace. When the Jews challenge him as to why he was doing this, Jesus replies, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Reverence, therefore, should be accorded to churches, shrines and sites designated as places for worship. Not only should they be conducive to prayer, they should also be spaces that foster an environment of worship and not of commerce.
In the end, churches, shrines and sacred spaces are not only building. They are “presences” of the holy and the divine. As buildings, they may age and rot. Yet, they remain venues of God’s epiphanies – like Jesus’ body, they may be destroyed, but they will later rise to new life.
November 16, 2008
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Prv 31:10-13,19-20,30-31 / Psalm 128
Second Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-26,28
Gospel: Mt 25:31-46 Judgment of the nations
For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcome me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.
It is how I relate with my fellow man that I will be judged “when the Son of Man comes in his glory.” “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you give me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”
Only through my responses to my neighbor’s grief will I get to hear the words, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
November 30, 2008
First Sunday of Advent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 63:16b-17,19b; 64:2-7 / Psalm 80
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:3-9
Gospel: Mk 13:33-37 Be watchful
Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
Jesus exhorts his disciples by saying, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” “Watch,” he declares a second time, “you do not know when the lord of the house is coming.” He then concludes with “What I say to you, I say to all, ‘Watch!’”
The Lord Jesus is, indeed, coming. The Promised One of the ages shall soon be born of a virgin. The time for prophets and kings is over; God himself will become flesh and walk in man’s midst to make known the Father’s great love for the world. Like the Magi who scanned the skies, I shall then keep watch for his star so that when he is born, I can pay him my homage.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- October
October 5, 2008
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 5:1-7 / Psalm 80
Second Reading: Phil 4:6-9
Gospel: Mt 21:33-43 Parable of the tenants
The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.
Tenants who kill a landowner’s servants and even his beloved son deserve to be put “to a wretched death,” so suggested the listeners to Jesus’ parable.
I, too, am only a tenant in this world. As a steward of God’s gifts in his vineyard called earth, I, then, need to give to him what is due: among other things, time for the Eucharist on Sundays and a share of the fruits of my labor. In exchange for the gift of rain, for the warmth of the sun, for the steady soil under my feet, I need to return to him “his produce.”
If I do not do so, then, like the ungrateful tenants in the parable, I deserve a “wretched death.”
October 12, 2008
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 25:6-10a / Psalm 23
Second Reading: Phil 4:12-14,19-20
Gospel: Mt 22:1-14 The Wedding Feast
Many are invited, but few are chosen.
A king exhausts all efforts to make his son’s wedding feast memorable even to the point of killing the invited guests and burning their city. Then in order to fill the hall with guests, he orders his servants to “invite to the feast whomever you find” in the main roads. In the end, however, he surprisingly throws out a man “not dressed in a wedding garment.”
The king may have been desperate for guests but, for him, certain traditions needed to be observed. The invitation to the kingdom of heaven, then, while open to all now – and no longer to an exclusive few – demands a certain reverence to age-old practices. Fidelity to these practices may mean being chosen; infidelity may mean being thrown out, as in the case of the man in the story. How do I value Church Tradition and traditions?
October 19, 2008
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 45:1,4-6 / Psalm 96
Second Reading: 1 Thes 1:1-5b
Gospel: Mt 22:15-21 Paying taxes
Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
Jesus amazes even the Pharisees who intended to entrap him in speech. Holding a Roman coin, he says to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Obligations, therefore, need to be observed, whether these are for the government or for the church. Taxes build more classroom, put more beds in hospitals, construct more farm-to-market roads, thereby, contributing to a country’s progress.
A good Christian, then, does not cheat especially in remitting taxes. Systemic corruption in society should not even be a reason why I should cut corners and cheat even just a little.
October 26, 2008
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 22:20-26 / Psalm 18
Second Reading: 1 Thes 15c-10
Gospel: Mt 22:34-40 The greatest commandment
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with one’s own heart, soul and mind. The second is to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
In both commandments, there is a reaching out: a reaching out to the Divine which I do not see and touch but which I know exists; and, a reaching out to a fellow human being, flesh and blood like me.
I am important. Yet, my horizon needs to embrace both the Lord and my neighbor, both the divine and the human.
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 5:1-7 / Psalm 80
Second Reading: Phil 4:6-9
Gospel: Mt 21:33-43 Parable of the tenants
The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.
Tenants who kill a landowner’s servants and even his beloved son deserve to be put “to a wretched death,” so suggested the listeners to Jesus’ parable.
I, too, am only a tenant in this world. As a steward of God’s gifts in his vineyard called earth, I, then, need to give to him what is due: among other things, time for the Eucharist on Sundays and a share of the fruits of my labor. In exchange for the gift of rain, for the warmth of the sun, for the steady soil under my feet, I need to return to him “his produce.”
If I do not do so, then, like the ungrateful tenants in the parable, I deserve a “wretched death.”
October 12, 2008
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 25:6-10a / Psalm 23
Second Reading: Phil 4:12-14,19-20
Gospel: Mt 22:1-14 The Wedding Feast
Many are invited, but few are chosen.
A king exhausts all efforts to make his son’s wedding feast memorable even to the point of killing the invited guests and burning their city. Then in order to fill the hall with guests, he orders his servants to “invite to the feast whomever you find” in the main roads. In the end, however, he surprisingly throws out a man “not dressed in a wedding garment.”
The king may have been desperate for guests but, for him, certain traditions needed to be observed. The invitation to the kingdom of heaven, then, while open to all now – and no longer to an exclusive few – demands a certain reverence to age-old practices. Fidelity to these practices may mean being chosen; infidelity may mean being thrown out, as in the case of the man in the story. How do I value Church Tradition and traditions?
October 19, 2008
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 45:1,4-6 / Psalm 96
Second Reading: 1 Thes 1:1-5b
Gospel: Mt 22:15-21 Paying taxes
Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
Jesus amazes even the Pharisees who intended to entrap him in speech. Holding a Roman coin, he says to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Obligations, therefore, need to be observed, whether these are for the government or for the church. Taxes build more classroom, put more beds in hospitals, construct more farm-to-market roads, thereby, contributing to a country’s progress.
A good Christian, then, does not cheat especially in remitting taxes. Systemic corruption in society should not even be a reason why I should cut corners and cheat even just a little.
October 26, 2008
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 22:20-26 / Psalm 18
Second Reading: 1 Thes 15c-10
Gospel: Mt 22:34-40 The greatest commandment
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with one’s own heart, soul and mind. The second is to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
In both commandments, there is a reaching out: a reaching out to the Divine which I do not see and touch but which I know exists; and, a reaching out to a fellow human being, flesh and blood like me.
I am important. Yet, my horizon needs to embrace both the Lord and my neighbor, both the divine and the human.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- September
September 7, 2008
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 33:7-9 / Psalm 95
Second Reading: Rom 13:8-10
Gospel: Mt 18:15-20 If your brother sins
If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
Jesus points out a process in relating to a brother who sins. First, that I make known to him his fault – and to him alone. Then, in case he does not listen, that I ask one or two others to serve as my witnesses that I have gone out of my way to correct my brother. Should he further refuse to listen, then I shall make known his fault to the church. If he does not heed the church, then I should treat him as an outcast, like a Gentile, if I were a Jew.
In other words, I need to exhaust all possible means towards correcting my brother’s fault and towards reconciliation. This implies that I need to have great patience because the process takes time and effort. I should be slow in condemning him.
September 14, 2008
The Exaltation of the Cross
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Nm 21:4b-9 / Psalm 78
Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel: Jn 3:13-17 The Son of Man must be lifted up
And just as Moses llifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Jesus was exalted by the Father because he willingly allowed himself to first be lifted up on the cross.
I do not possess in myself the “principle of rising.” But when I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour, I will definitely feel lifted up. My sorrow turns into joy. My experience of darkness becomes an occasion of enlightenment.
Through Jesus, I learn that to become pleasing to the Father, I do not have to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge as Adam and Eve mistakenly thought, but to take the Way of the Cross as Jesus did.
September 21, 2008
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 55:6-9 / Psalm 145
Second Reading: Phil 1:20c-24,27a
Gospel: Mt 20:1-16 Workers in the vineyard
Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.
The laborers who worked at dawn grumble because, while they “bore the day’s burden and heat,” they received the same pay as those who were hired late in the afternoon. The landowner responds, “Are you envious because I am generous?”
A person’s reward, then, at the end of his labors in life rests ultimately with the Lord. The opportunity to serve is already a gift, whether as priest or catechist or ordinary parish volunteer. The rest is grace – I have no right to complain.
Great bishops have transformed the Philippine Church. But who have been raised to the honors of the altar? San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod – both “mere” catechists.
September 28, 2008
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 18:25-28 / Psalm 25
Second Reading: Phil 2:1-11
Gospel: Mt 21:28-32 The two sons
Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
Two sons respond differently to their father’s command that they work in the vineyard. The first says “No” but later goes. The second says “Yes” but, in the end, does not go.
Responding, then, involves two moments. First, the moment of utterance, that is, of saying either “Yes” or “No” to the given command. And, second, the moment of action, that is, of carrying out or not carrying out one’s earlier response. Given a person’s free will, his word may not match his action.
Many Jews say “Yes” in word but not in deed so that Jesus says, “tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” Am I Jesus’ disciple in word and in deed?
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 33:7-9 / Psalm 95
Second Reading: Rom 13:8-10
Gospel: Mt 18:15-20 If your brother sins
If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
Jesus points out a process in relating to a brother who sins. First, that I make known to him his fault – and to him alone. Then, in case he does not listen, that I ask one or two others to serve as my witnesses that I have gone out of my way to correct my brother. Should he further refuse to listen, then I shall make known his fault to the church. If he does not heed the church, then I should treat him as an outcast, like a Gentile, if I were a Jew.
In other words, I need to exhaust all possible means towards correcting my brother’s fault and towards reconciliation. This implies that I need to have great patience because the process takes time and effort. I should be slow in condemning him.
September 14, 2008
The Exaltation of the Cross
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Nm 21:4b-9 / Psalm 78
Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel: Jn 3:13-17 The Son of Man must be lifted up
And just as Moses llifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Jesus was exalted by the Father because he willingly allowed himself to first be lifted up on the cross.
I do not possess in myself the “principle of rising.” But when I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour, I will definitely feel lifted up. My sorrow turns into joy. My experience of darkness becomes an occasion of enlightenment.
Through Jesus, I learn that to become pleasing to the Father, I do not have to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge as Adam and Eve mistakenly thought, but to take the Way of the Cross as Jesus did.
September 21, 2008
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 55:6-9 / Psalm 145
Second Reading: Phil 1:20c-24,27a
Gospel: Mt 20:1-16 Workers in the vineyard
Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.
The laborers who worked at dawn grumble because, while they “bore the day’s burden and heat,” they received the same pay as those who were hired late in the afternoon. The landowner responds, “Are you envious because I am generous?”
A person’s reward, then, at the end of his labors in life rests ultimately with the Lord. The opportunity to serve is already a gift, whether as priest or catechist or ordinary parish volunteer. The rest is grace – I have no right to complain.
Great bishops have transformed the Philippine Church. But who have been raised to the honors of the altar? San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod – both “mere” catechists.
September 28, 2008
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 18:25-28 / Psalm 25
Second Reading: Phil 2:1-11
Gospel: Mt 21:28-32 The two sons
Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
Two sons respond differently to their father’s command that they work in the vineyard. The first says “No” but later goes. The second says “Yes” but, in the end, does not go.
Responding, then, involves two moments. First, the moment of utterance, that is, of saying either “Yes” or “No” to the given command. And, second, the moment of action, that is, of carrying out or not carrying out one’s earlier response. Given a person’s free will, his word may not match his action.
Many Jews say “Yes” in word but not in deed so that Jesus says, “tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” Am I Jesus’ disciple in word and in deed?
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- August
August 3, 2008
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 55:1-3 / Psalm 145
Second Reading: Rom 8:35,37-39
Gospel: Mt 14:13-21 Jesus feeds five thousand
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
Jesus’ heart is once again moved to pity at the sight of the crowd so that he cures the sick and, in the evening, feeds “five thousand men, not counting the women and children.” He, therefore, not only heals the body of its many ailments, he also nourishes the body with food.
The message is, definitely, crystal clear. In my moments of sickness, I turn to Jesus, in particular, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick where my sins are forgiven and my body anointed. In my moments of hunger, I turn to the Lord in the Eucharist, where I am nourished, not only by his life-giving words but also by his Body and Blood.
August 10, 2008
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kgs 19:9a,11-13a / Psalm 85
Second Reading: Rom 9:1-5
Gospel: Mt. 14:22-33 Jesus walks on water
O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
Jesus walks on water and invites Peter to come and walk towards him on the water. Fright, however, takes hold of Peter as he sees the strong wind so that he begins to sink. In the end, Jesus chides Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Focus, therefore, is crucial in carrying the invitation of Jesus to walk towards him. I, then, should not lose sight of Jesus as I try to get near him. Distractions, like the strong wind that caused Peter to become afraid and to sink, will always be there. Hence, I shall not allow them to take precedence in my mind. I shall have faith in the Lord.
Should I sink, however, I am certain that Jesus will stretch out his hand – just as he did to Peter – and save me.
August 17, 2008
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 56:1,6-7 / Psalm 67
Second Reading: Rom 11:13-15,29-32
Gospel: Mt 15;21-28 Great is your faith
Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.
Jesus refuses to heed the Canaanite woman’s request that he heal her daughter tormented by a demon. Worse, he insults her by saying, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Humbly, however, the woman responds, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters” and, in the end, has her daughter healed.
Humility, then, is needed in seeking the Lord’s help. Among other things, humility demands persistence – the woman pestered Jesus’ disciples. It also requires the capacity to bear harsh words – the woman took Jesus’ insult calmly. And it calls for meekness – the woman comparing herself with dogs.
August 24, 2008
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 22:19-23 / Psalm 138
Second Reading: Rom 1:33-36
Gospel: Mt 16:13-20 You are the Messiah
You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
Jesus entrusts Peter with the keys of the kingdom of heaven after Peter declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
How did Peter “capture” the right words to say to Jesus and, in the process, reveal the true identity of Jesus? According to Jesus himself, Peter was able to do so not through a revelation from “flesh and blood” but through a revelation from “my heavenly Father.”
Like Peter, then, I can only grasp at Jesus’ true identity through prayer – because it is only through prayer that I get to commune with the Father.
August 31, 2008
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Jer 20:7-9 / Psalm 63
Second Reading: Rom 12:1-2
Gospel: Mt 16:21-27 Conditions of discipleship
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
To follow Jesus, a person needs to die to Self.
Jesus’ life was a life poured out for the good of others. His life was a life spent to manifest the Father’s unconditional love for the world even if it meant a life brutally cut short by death on the cross. His was a life emptied for man and for the Father.
I need to realize, then, that the moment I follow Jesus, my Self has ceased to exist. My life, from then on, shall be one that is poured out and emptied for others and for the kingdom of God.
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 55:1-3 / Psalm 145
Second Reading: Rom 8:35,37-39
Gospel: Mt 14:13-21 Jesus feeds five thousand
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
Jesus’ heart is once again moved to pity at the sight of the crowd so that he cures the sick and, in the evening, feeds “five thousand men, not counting the women and children.” He, therefore, not only heals the body of its many ailments, he also nourishes the body with food.
The message is, definitely, crystal clear. In my moments of sickness, I turn to Jesus, in particular, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick where my sins are forgiven and my body anointed. In my moments of hunger, I turn to the Lord in the Eucharist, where I am nourished, not only by his life-giving words but also by his Body and Blood.
August 10, 2008
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kgs 19:9a,11-13a / Psalm 85
Second Reading: Rom 9:1-5
Gospel: Mt. 14:22-33 Jesus walks on water
O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
Jesus walks on water and invites Peter to come and walk towards him on the water. Fright, however, takes hold of Peter as he sees the strong wind so that he begins to sink. In the end, Jesus chides Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Focus, therefore, is crucial in carrying the invitation of Jesus to walk towards him. I, then, should not lose sight of Jesus as I try to get near him. Distractions, like the strong wind that caused Peter to become afraid and to sink, will always be there. Hence, I shall not allow them to take precedence in my mind. I shall have faith in the Lord.
Should I sink, however, I am certain that Jesus will stretch out his hand – just as he did to Peter – and save me.
August 17, 2008
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 56:1,6-7 / Psalm 67
Second Reading: Rom 11:13-15,29-32
Gospel: Mt 15;21-28 Great is your faith
Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.
Jesus refuses to heed the Canaanite woman’s request that he heal her daughter tormented by a demon. Worse, he insults her by saying, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Humbly, however, the woman responds, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters” and, in the end, has her daughter healed.
Humility, then, is needed in seeking the Lord’s help. Among other things, humility demands persistence – the woman pestered Jesus’ disciples. It also requires the capacity to bear harsh words – the woman took Jesus’ insult calmly. And it calls for meekness – the woman comparing herself with dogs.
August 24, 2008
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 22:19-23 / Psalm 138
Second Reading: Rom 1:33-36
Gospel: Mt 16:13-20 You are the Messiah
You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
Jesus entrusts Peter with the keys of the kingdom of heaven after Peter declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
How did Peter “capture” the right words to say to Jesus and, in the process, reveal the true identity of Jesus? According to Jesus himself, Peter was able to do so not through a revelation from “flesh and blood” but through a revelation from “my heavenly Father.”
Like Peter, then, I can only grasp at Jesus’ true identity through prayer – because it is only through prayer that I get to commune with the Father.
August 31, 2008
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Jer 20:7-9 / Psalm 63
Second Reading: Rom 12:1-2
Gospel: Mt 16:21-27 Conditions of discipleship
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
To follow Jesus, a person needs to die to Self.
Jesus’ life was a life poured out for the good of others. His life was a life spent to manifest the Father’s unconditional love for the world even if it meant a life brutally cut short by death on the cross. His was a life emptied for man and for the Father.
I need to realize, then, that the moment I follow Jesus, my Self has ceased to exist. My life, from then on, shall be one that is poured out and emptied for others and for the kingdom of God.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- July
July 6, 2008
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Zec 9:9-10 / Psalm 145
Second Reading: Rom 8:9,11-13
Gospel: Mt 11:25-30 Praise of the Father
I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.
Jesus praises the Father for favoring the childlike over the wise and the learned in being able to get to know him.
To get to know Jesus, then, demands that I become “childlike.” Wisdom and learning may obscure – and, thus, make hidden – the very simple truths in spiritual life. Among these truths is that in case I get burdened, I shall turn to Jesus who will give me rest. “My yoke is easy and my burden light,” Jesus assures.
I may age with years, but my disposition towards life should always remain like that of a child – ever enthusiastic and free, not weighed down by disappointments and cynicism. Like a child, I shall take Jesus’ yoke and learn from him.
July 13, 2008
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 55:10-11 / Psalm 65
Second Reading: Rom 8:18-23
Gospel: Mt 13:1-23 Parable of the Sower
Some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
Jesus says, “whoever has ears ought to hear.” I have ears. Hence, if I were the sower, I shall look for some rich soil in which to plant my seeds so that they will bear fruit “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” And if I were the seed, I shall hope and pray that I shall not fall along paths, over rocky grounds and among thorns, but on this much-sought for rich soil.
Today, then, I shall implore the Lord that, guided by his Spirit, I shall get to sharpen my senses so that I may have eyes that see and ears that hear. The dulling of my senses, whether physical or spiritual, is one of the worst things that shall happen to me.
July 20, 2008
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Wis 12:13,16-19 / Psalm 86
Second Reading: Rom 8:26-27
Gospel: Mt 13:24-43 Weeds among wheat
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
In this parable of Jesus, a man allows the weeds and the wheat to grow together, otherwise, the man says, “if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.”
In life, the same is true. The “children of the kingdom” live alongside with the “children of the evil one. Unlike the weeds and the wheat, however, both “children” may determine for themselves the direction of their lives. The Lord, as it were, gives all whether children of the kingdom or children of the evil one, the opportunity to repent and, in the process, enter the kingdom of heaven.
I shall continually call on the name of the Lord, then. Like the Good Thief, I shall cry out, “Lord, remember me when you get to paradise.”
July 27, 2008
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kgs 3:5,7-12 / Ps 119
Second Reading: Rom 8:28-30
Gospel: Mt 13:44-52 Parables of the kingdom
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Like the merchant who finds a pearl of great price and who sells all that he has in order to possess it, a person needs to empty himself – give up everything – for the kingdom of God.
Emptying oneself is difficult. The process presupposes complete trust in the Lord’s goodness and, hence, a life informed by Scriptures and nurtured by constant prayer. Difficult though it may be, only when a person is empty can he be filled.
Why is the Blessed Virgin Mary “full of grace?” Because she was totally empty for God.
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Zec 9:9-10 / Psalm 145
Second Reading: Rom 8:9,11-13
Gospel: Mt 11:25-30 Praise of the Father
I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.
Jesus praises the Father for favoring the childlike over the wise and the learned in being able to get to know him.
To get to know Jesus, then, demands that I become “childlike.” Wisdom and learning may obscure – and, thus, make hidden – the very simple truths in spiritual life. Among these truths is that in case I get burdened, I shall turn to Jesus who will give me rest. “My yoke is easy and my burden light,” Jesus assures.
I may age with years, but my disposition towards life should always remain like that of a child – ever enthusiastic and free, not weighed down by disappointments and cynicism. Like a child, I shall take Jesus’ yoke and learn from him.
July 13, 2008
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 55:10-11 / Psalm 65
Second Reading: Rom 8:18-23
Gospel: Mt 13:1-23 Parable of the Sower
Some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
Jesus says, “whoever has ears ought to hear.” I have ears. Hence, if I were the sower, I shall look for some rich soil in which to plant my seeds so that they will bear fruit “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” And if I were the seed, I shall hope and pray that I shall not fall along paths, over rocky grounds and among thorns, but on this much-sought for rich soil.
Today, then, I shall implore the Lord that, guided by his Spirit, I shall get to sharpen my senses so that I may have eyes that see and ears that hear. The dulling of my senses, whether physical or spiritual, is one of the worst things that shall happen to me.
July 20, 2008
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Wis 12:13,16-19 / Psalm 86
Second Reading: Rom 8:26-27
Gospel: Mt 13:24-43 Weeds among wheat
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
In this parable of Jesus, a man allows the weeds and the wheat to grow together, otherwise, the man says, “if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.”
In life, the same is true. The “children of the kingdom” live alongside with the “children of the evil one. Unlike the weeds and the wheat, however, both “children” may determine for themselves the direction of their lives. The Lord, as it were, gives all whether children of the kingdom or children of the evil one, the opportunity to repent and, in the process, enter the kingdom of heaven.
I shall continually call on the name of the Lord, then. Like the Good Thief, I shall cry out, “Lord, remember me when you get to paradise.”
July 27, 2008
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kgs 3:5,7-12 / Ps 119
Second Reading: Rom 8:28-30
Gospel: Mt 13:44-52 Parables of the kingdom
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Like the merchant who finds a pearl of great price and who sells all that he has in order to possess it, a person needs to empty himself – give up everything – for the kingdom of God.
Emptying oneself is difficult. The process presupposes complete trust in the Lord’s goodness and, hence, a life informed by Scriptures and nurtured by constant prayer. Difficult though it may be, only when a person is empty can he be filled.
Why is the Blessed Virgin Mary “full of grace?” Because she was totally empty for God.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- June
June 1, 2008
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Dt. 11:18,26-28,32 / Psalm 31
Second Reading: Rom 3:21-25,28
Gospel: Mt 7:21-27 House built on rock
Everyone who listens to these words of mind and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
Jesus instructs that "everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."
Building a house on rock, then, involves two phases: the phase of listening and the phase of acting. My action, therefore, should be informed, enriched and guided by what I have heard from Jesus in scriptures. Oftentimes, I listen yet I find myself unwilling to act on what I have heard from him. Hence, I often find my life in ruins, "like a fool who built his house on sand."
I should be much wiser now. Only God is faithful -- all things pass away. He is my Rock.
June 8, 2008
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Hos 6:3-6 / Psalm 50
Second Reading: Rom 4:18-25
Gospel: Mt 9:9-13 Not the righteous but sinners
I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.
Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners. When pressed for an answer as towhy he does this, he says, "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Jesus reaches out, then, to persons whose sinfulness is well known to the community. He does not run away from them nor condemn them. On the contrary, he shares food with them and seem to enjoy their company.
Yet, why do I avoid being seen with sinners? Is it the fear that i be linked with them and have my value before the righteous in my society diminish? Or is it my fear that I be influenced by them?
June 15, 2008
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 192-6a / Psalm 100
Second Reading: Rom 5:6-11
Gospel Reading: Mt 9:36-10:8 Jesus sends out the Twelve
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus' "heart was moved with pity" for the crowd "because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd." And so he summons his twelve disciples and instructs them to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons."
Whereas before, Jesus invites these disciples to "come and see," now he exhorts them to "go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" with neither gold nor silver nor sack for the journey.
After having heard the word "Come!" in the past, I shall eventually hear from the Lord the word "Go!"
June 22, 2008
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Jer 20:10-13 / Psalm 69
Second Reading: Rom 5:12-15
Gospel: Mt 10:26-33 Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna . . . Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus challenges his disciples to acknowledge him before others. They are to be afraid of nothing and no one. Strengthened by faith, they are to give witness to him and to the Father, in word and in deed. In word, by proclaiming on the housetops what they have heard whispered. In deed, by being ready for death. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body," Jesus tells them.
Faith in Jesus, then, is a pricess treasure. With faith in him, the horrors of persecution become occasions for self-offering.
June 29, 2008
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 12:1-11 / Psalm 34
Second Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18
Gospel: Mt 16:13-19 You are Peter
You are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my Church.
Peter declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” As a consequence, Jesus entrusts to him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” “Amen, I say to you,” Jesus declares, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”
One quality stands out in Peter: his capacity for articulation. It is Peter who tells Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It is Peter who volunteers to build three tents upon seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah. It is Peter who requests Jesus that he also walk on water.
I pray, then, in union with the Apostleship of Prayer, that God continue to bless and protect Peter’s successor, Pope Benedict XIV, as he articulates for me and for humanity the world’s deepest longings.
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Dt. 11:18,26-28,32 / Psalm 31
Second Reading: Rom 3:21-25,28
Gospel: Mt 7:21-27 House built on rock
Everyone who listens to these words of mind and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
Jesus instructs that "everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."
Building a house on rock, then, involves two phases: the phase of listening and the phase of acting. My action, therefore, should be informed, enriched and guided by what I have heard from Jesus in scriptures. Oftentimes, I listen yet I find myself unwilling to act on what I have heard from him. Hence, I often find my life in ruins, "like a fool who built his house on sand."
I should be much wiser now. Only God is faithful -- all things pass away. He is my Rock.
June 8, 2008
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Hos 6:3-6 / Psalm 50
Second Reading: Rom 4:18-25
Gospel: Mt 9:9-13 Not the righteous but sinners
I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.
Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners. When pressed for an answer as towhy he does this, he says, "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Jesus reaches out, then, to persons whose sinfulness is well known to the community. He does not run away from them nor condemn them. On the contrary, he shares food with them and seem to enjoy their company.
Yet, why do I avoid being seen with sinners? Is it the fear that i be linked with them and have my value before the righteous in my society diminish? Or is it my fear that I be influenced by them?
June 15, 2008
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 192-6a / Psalm 100
Second Reading: Rom 5:6-11
Gospel Reading: Mt 9:36-10:8 Jesus sends out the Twelve
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus' "heart was moved with pity" for the crowd "because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd." And so he summons his twelve disciples and instructs them to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons."
Whereas before, Jesus invites these disciples to "come and see," now he exhorts them to "go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" with neither gold nor silver nor sack for the journey.
After having heard the word "Come!" in the past, I shall eventually hear from the Lord the word "Go!"
June 22, 2008
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Jer 20:10-13 / Psalm 69
Second Reading: Rom 5:12-15
Gospel: Mt 10:26-33 Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna . . . Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus challenges his disciples to acknowledge him before others. They are to be afraid of nothing and no one. Strengthened by faith, they are to give witness to him and to the Father, in word and in deed. In word, by proclaiming on the housetops what they have heard whispered. In deed, by being ready for death. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body," Jesus tells them.
Faith in Jesus, then, is a pricess treasure. With faith in him, the horrors of persecution become occasions for self-offering.
June 29, 2008
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 12:1-11 / Psalm 34
Second Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18
Gospel: Mt 16:13-19 You are Peter
You are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my Church.
Peter declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” As a consequence, Jesus entrusts to him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” “Amen, I say to you,” Jesus declares, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”
One quality stands out in Peter: his capacity for articulation. It is Peter who tells Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It is Peter who volunteers to build three tents upon seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah. It is Peter who requests Jesus that he also walk on water.
I pray, then, in union with the Apostleship of Prayer, that God continue to bless and protect Peter’s successor, Pope Benedict XIV, as he articulates for me and for humanity the world’s deepest longings.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- May
May 4, 2008
The Lord's Ascension
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 1:1-11 / psalm 47
Second Reading: Eph 1:17-23
Gospel: Mt 28:16-20 I am with you always
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 onbserve all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
Jesus ascends into heaven but, before he does so, he commissions his eleven apostles to make disciples of all nations and assures them that he will be with them always.
After having emptied himself of his divinity to share in my humanity, and, after having emptied himself of water and blood so that the "fountain of mercy" may flow, Jesus now returns to the Father. Indeed, only when I empty myself of self-love will I be able to follow Jesus and, like him, ascend to the Father's heavenly home.
May 11, 2008
Pentecost Sunday
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11 / Psalm 104
Second Reading: 1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13
Gospel: Jn 20:19-23 Receive the Holy Spirit
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has send me, so I send you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit."
Even up to his last days on earth as the Risen Lord, Jesus never ceases to fill man's life with extraordinary gifts. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he says to his disciples.
His being born for me would have been enough. But, no! He takes the Way of the Cross and dies for me. His dying for me would have been enough. But, no! The Father raises him up from the world of the dead. And now Jesus gives me his Spirit -- the same Spirit that has given him power "to proclaim liberty to captives"; the same Spirit that he commended to the Father as he expired on the cross.
With the Holy Spirit, I pray that I shall find my way back to the Father and, like Jesus, do what is pleasing to him.
May 18, 2008
The Most Blessed Trinity
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 34:4b-6,8-9 / Psalm: Daniel 3
Second Reading: 2 Cor 13:11-13
Gospel: Jn 3:16-18 God sent his Son
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
The Church has articulated that God is One in Three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is the Father who sends the Son so all may have eternal life. It is the Son who obediently carries out the will of the Father even unto death. It is the Spirit who binds both the Father and the Son and who continues to transform the face of the earth.
My Church, it has also been pointed out, is the Image of the Trinity. As Church, we are People of God the Father, Body of Christ the Son, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, everything I do, I do in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
May 25, 2005
The Body and Blood of Christ
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a / Psalm 147
Second Reading: 1 Cor 10:16-17
Gospel: Jn 6:51-58 True food, true drink
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
Jesus identified himself as the "living bread that came down from heaven" and says that "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life."
The Eucharist is the greatest gift Jesus has given to the world. As a sinner, I am not worthy to receive this gift. But I know that he himself will make me worthy. Just as he washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, Jesus will also wash mine. My feet have been dirtied by the dust of the earth and stained by the sin of the world and he will make them clean.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian life. May I be continually nourished by this very precious gift.
The Lord's Ascension
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 1:1-11 / psalm 47
Second Reading: Eph 1:17-23
Gospel: Mt 28:16-20 I am with you always
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 onbserve all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
Jesus ascends into heaven but, before he does so, he commissions his eleven apostles to make disciples of all nations and assures them that he will be with them always.
After having emptied himself of his divinity to share in my humanity, and, after having emptied himself of water and blood so that the "fountain of mercy" may flow, Jesus now returns to the Father. Indeed, only when I empty myself of self-love will I be able to follow Jesus and, like him, ascend to the Father's heavenly home.
May 11, 2008
Pentecost Sunday
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11 / Psalm 104
Second Reading: 1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13
Gospel: Jn 20:19-23 Receive the Holy Spirit
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has send me, so I send you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit."
Even up to his last days on earth as the Risen Lord, Jesus never ceases to fill man's life with extraordinary gifts. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he says to his disciples.
His being born for me would have been enough. But, no! He takes the Way of the Cross and dies for me. His dying for me would have been enough. But, no! The Father raises him up from the world of the dead. And now Jesus gives me his Spirit -- the same Spirit that has given him power "to proclaim liberty to captives"; the same Spirit that he commended to the Father as he expired on the cross.
With the Holy Spirit, I pray that I shall find my way back to the Father and, like Jesus, do what is pleasing to him.
May 18, 2008
The Most Blessed Trinity
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 34:4b-6,8-9 / Psalm: Daniel 3
Second Reading: 2 Cor 13:11-13
Gospel: Jn 3:16-18 God sent his Son
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
The Church has articulated that God is One in Three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is the Father who sends the Son so all may have eternal life. It is the Son who obediently carries out the will of the Father even unto death. It is the Spirit who binds both the Father and the Son and who continues to transform the face of the earth.
My Church, it has also been pointed out, is the Image of the Trinity. As Church, we are People of God the Father, Body of Christ the Son, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, everything I do, I do in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
May 25, 2005
The Body and Blood of Christ
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a / Psalm 147
Second Reading: 1 Cor 10:16-17
Gospel: Jn 6:51-58 True food, true drink
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
Jesus identified himself as the "living bread that came down from heaven" and says that "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life."
The Eucharist is the greatest gift Jesus has given to the world. As a sinner, I am not worthy to receive this gift. But I know that he himself will make me worthy. Just as he washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, Jesus will also wash mine. My feet have been dirtied by the dust of the earth and stained by the sin of the world and he will make them clean.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian life. May I be continually nourished by this very precious gift.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- April
April 6, 2008
3rd Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:14-22-32 / Psalm 16
Second Reading: 1 Pt 1:17-22
Gospel: Lk 24:13-35 In the breaking of bread
Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?
Two unnamed disciples leave Jerusalem for Emmaus. On the way, they meet a stranger who interpreted for them all that referred to Jesus in the scriptures. Only when the man took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it away did they recognize that they had been walking with the Risen Savior all along. They then returned to Jerusalem and recounted to others how they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.
Sensitivity to the stirrings of the Spirit -- in particular, to the burning in my heart waiting to be acknowledged -- this should be my prayer in the journeys of my life. The Risen Lord is always with me. I may fail to recognize him from time to time, yet, in the end, he will make himself known to me.
April 13, 2008
4th Snday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2;14a,36-41 / Psalm 23
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25
Gospel: Jn 10:1-10 Gate for the sheep
I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
The message is clear: Jesus is the one and only gate. Only through him will one be saved.
Other "gates" may promise a life of fulfillment: riches, honor and power. Yet, only through Jesus can one "have life and have it more abundantly." The world offers only fleeting pleasures and lal of them are enslaving. Jesus, on the other hand, offers a life of great possibilities and all of them are liberating.
I shall get to know Jesus better in the scriptures so that I may see him more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more closely.
April 20, 2008
5th Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 6:1-7 / Psalm 33
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:4-9
Gospel: Jn 14:1-12 Way, Truth and Life
I am the way and the truth and the life . . . if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Jesus further reveals himself, this time as the Way, the Truth and the Life.
There is no need, then, to venture into other paths: only through Jesus can one get to dwell in the many dwelling places the Father has prepared. There is no need, then, to depend on horoscopes, rely on crystals and believe in feng shui. Jesus himself assures that "if you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
Hence, I will not let my heart be troubled. I shall have faith in the Lord Jesus.
April 27, 2008
6th Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 8:5-8,14-17 / Psalm 66
Second Reading: 1 Pt 3:15-18
Gospel: Jn 14:15-21 Another Advocate
I will not leave you orphans.
Jesus consoles his apostles as his end nears. He tells them that while he may no longer be physically present with them in a little while, he shall not leave them orphaned. He, then, assures them that he shall send an Advocate, "the Spirit of Truth which the world cannot accept," to be with them always.
Even with his impending violent death, Jesus continues to think about the good of his friends he will leave behind in a manner that is comforting and gentle. There is no hint even of condemnation for his tormentors -- only words of pure love for those he will leave behind.
I, therefore, resolve to love him more deeply. He not only died for me, he also sent the Holy Spirit for me so that I will not be left orphaned.
3rd Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:14-22-32 / Psalm 16
Second Reading: 1 Pt 1:17-22
Gospel: Lk 24:13-35 In the breaking of bread
Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?
Two unnamed disciples leave Jerusalem for Emmaus. On the way, they meet a stranger who interpreted for them all that referred to Jesus in the scriptures. Only when the man took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it away did they recognize that they had been walking with the Risen Savior all along. They then returned to Jerusalem and recounted to others how they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.
Sensitivity to the stirrings of the Spirit -- in particular, to the burning in my heart waiting to be acknowledged -- this should be my prayer in the journeys of my life. The Risen Lord is always with me. I may fail to recognize him from time to time, yet, in the end, he will make himself known to me.
April 13, 2008
4th Snday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2;14a,36-41 / Psalm 23
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25
Gospel: Jn 10:1-10 Gate for the sheep
I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
The message is clear: Jesus is the one and only gate. Only through him will one be saved.
Other "gates" may promise a life of fulfillment: riches, honor and power. Yet, only through Jesus can one "have life and have it more abundantly." The world offers only fleeting pleasures and lal of them are enslaving. Jesus, on the other hand, offers a life of great possibilities and all of them are liberating.
I shall get to know Jesus better in the scriptures so that I may see him more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more closely.
April 20, 2008
5th Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 6:1-7 / Psalm 33
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:4-9
Gospel: Jn 14:1-12 Way, Truth and Life
I am the way and the truth and the life . . . if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Jesus further reveals himself, this time as the Way, the Truth and the Life.
There is no need, then, to venture into other paths: only through Jesus can one get to dwell in the many dwelling places the Father has prepared. There is no need, then, to depend on horoscopes, rely on crystals and believe in feng shui. Jesus himself assures that "if you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
Hence, I will not let my heart be troubled. I shall have faith in the Lord Jesus.
April 27, 2008
6th Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 8:5-8,14-17 / Psalm 66
Second Reading: 1 Pt 3:15-18
Gospel: Jn 14:15-21 Another Advocate
I will not leave you orphans.
Jesus consoles his apostles as his end nears. He tells them that while he may no longer be physically present with them in a little while, he shall not leave them orphaned. He, then, assures them that he shall send an Advocate, "the Spirit of Truth which the world cannot accept," to be with them always.
Even with his impending violent death, Jesus continues to think about the good of his friends he will leave behind in a manner that is comforting and gentle. There is no hint even of condemnation for his tormentors -- only words of pure love for those he will leave behind.
I, therefore, resolve to love him more deeply. He not only died for me, he also sent the Holy Spirit for me so that I will not be left orphaned.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- March
March 2, 2008
4th Sunday in Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a / Psalm 23
Second Reading: Eph 5:8-14
Gospel: Jn 9:1-41 Jesus heals a blind man
Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And so he makes a man born blind see.
Blindness -- or any other kind of handicap or sickness -- cuts a person off from fully participating in the life of his community. By healing the man of his blindness, Jesus, as it were, makes him an active member of his community.
I need to turn to Jesus, then, I need to call on his name so that even if all sorts of infirmity "dismember" me from society, through his help, I will, once again, become a dynamic member of this society.
March 9, 2008
5th Sunday in Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 37:12-14 / Psalm 130
Second Reading: Rom 8:8-11
Gospel: Jn 11:1-45 The raising of Lazarus
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, wil live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Lazarus has died while Jesus, a close friend, was away and has already been entombed in a cave. In the end, however, Jesus raises Lazarus back to life.
There is no escape from death. Nor from sickness. Nor from age-ing, with our teeth falling off and our hair turning gray. This is the direction of the world.
Yet, this direction may be stalled should I beliueve in the Lord Jesus. I am matter and, hence, subject to the world's physical and natural laws. Yet, I am also spirit. I, therefore, place all my trust in Jesus who makes all things possible. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
March 16
Passion (Palm) Sunday
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 50:4-7 / Psalm 22
Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel: Mt 26:14-27,66 Jesus' passion and death
Behold the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Love of God is the Grief of God.
Jesus gets betrayed by Judas, one of his closest friends. Then he is handed over to Caiphas and the entire Sanhedrin, to Pilate, and eventually to the soldiers who strip him, nail him on the cross, and pierced him with a lance.
This is God's love for me. The All Powerful Son of God bowed down by the weight of his cross on the way to Calvary. The Great Healer of all kinds of sickness helpless and in agony on the cross. The Author of Life breathing his last on the cross in the middle of two thieves.
How can I not love him?
March 23, 2008
Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts: 10:34a,37-43 / Psalm 118
Second Reading: Col 3;1-4
Gospel: Jn 20,1-9 He saw and believed
He saw and believed.
The tomb is empty and Jesus is gone. John, the beloved disciple, saw the linen cloth and believed. Believed in what? Believed that the Lord Jesus has risen from the world of the dead, as Jesus has always declared while he was with them.
This capacity to see beyond what the eyes -- or the senses -- can grasp must be the reason why John was Jesus' beloved disciple.
Whoever has seen love? None. What I see is a mother spoon-feeding her sick daughter. Whoever has seen courage? None. What I see are soldiers placing themselves in harm's way to rescue women and children trapped in flood waters.
At Mass, while I see only the host and the chalice, I know and believe that I see the body of Christ.
March 30, 2008
2nd Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:42-47 / Psalm 118
Second Reading: 1 Pt 1:3-9
Gospel: Jn 20:19-31 Peace be with you
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieveing, but believe."
Jesus, once again, appears before his disciples who stay behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. He greets them with a very reassuring, "Peace be with you!" Then, he tells Thomas to "put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe."
Here is the Most Powerful Son of God identifying himself with his wounds. He has no harsh words for his disciples who abandoned him nor unkind remarks to Thomas who, until then, refuses to believe that he has risen.
What Jesus brings is "Peace!" as well as the invitation to see his wounds and to believe that he has, indeed, risen.
4th Sunday in Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a / Psalm 23
Second Reading: Eph 5:8-14
Gospel: Jn 9:1-41 Jesus heals a blind man
Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And so he makes a man born blind see.
Blindness -- or any other kind of handicap or sickness -- cuts a person off from fully participating in the life of his community. By healing the man of his blindness, Jesus, as it were, makes him an active member of his community.
I need to turn to Jesus, then, I need to call on his name so that even if all sorts of infirmity "dismember" me from society, through his help, I will, once again, become a dynamic member of this society.
March 9, 2008
5th Sunday in Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ez 37:12-14 / Psalm 130
Second Reading: Rom 8:8-11
Gospel: Jn 11:1-45 The raising of Lazarus
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, wil live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Lazarus has died while Jesus, a close friend, was away and has already been entombed in a cave. In the end, however, Jesus raises Lazarus back to life.
There is no escape from death. Nor from sickness. Nor from age-ing, with our teeth falling off and our hair turning gray. This is the direction of the world.
Yet, this direction may be stalled should I beliueve in the Lord Jesus. I am matter and, hence, subject to the world's physical and natural laws. Yet, I am also spirit. I, therefore, place all my trust in Jesus who makes all things possible. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
March 16
Passion (Palm) Sunday
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 50:4-7 / Psalm 22
Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel: Mt 26:14-27,66 Jesus' passion and death
Behold the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Love of God is the Grief of God.
Jesus gets betrayed by Judas, one of his closest friends. Then he is handed over to Caiphas and the entire Sanhedrin, to Pilate, and eventually to the soldiers who strip him, nail him on the cross, and pierced him with a lance.
This is God's love for me. The All Powerful Son of God bowed down by the weight of his cross on the way to Calvary. The Great Healer of all kinds of sickness helpless and in agony on the cross. The Author of Life breathing his last on the cross in the middle of two thieves.
How can I not love him?
March 23, 2008
Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts: 10:34a,37-43 / Psalm 118
Second Reading: Col 3;1-4
Gospel: Jn 20,1-9 He saw and believed
He saw and believed.
The tomb is empty and Jesus is gone. John, the beloved disciple, saw the linen cloth and believed. Believed in what? Believed that the Lord Jesus has risen from the world of the dead, as Jesus has always declared while he was with them.
This capacity to see beyond what the eyes -- or the senses -- can grasp must be the reason why John was Jesus' beloved disciple.
Whoever has seen love? None. What I see is a mother spoon-feeding her sick daughter. Whoever has seen courage? None. What I see are soldiers placing themselves in harm's way to rescue women and children trapped in flood waters.
At Mass, while I see only the host and the chalice, I know and believe that I see the body of Christ.
March 30, 2008
2nd Sunday of Easter
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:42-47 / Psalm 118
Second Reading: 1 Pt 1:3-9
Gospel: Jn 20:19-31 Peace be with you
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieveing, but believe."
Jesus, once again, appears before his disciples who stay behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. He greets them with a very reassuring, "Peace be with you!" Then, he tells Thomas to "put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe."
Here is the Most Powerful Son of God identifying himself with his wounds. He has no harsh words for his disciples who abandoned him nor unkind remarks to Thomas who, until then, refuses to believe that he has risen.
What Jesus brings is "Peace!" as well as the invitation to see his wounds and to believe that he has, indeed, risen.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- February
February 3, 2008
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Zeph 2:3,3:12-13 / Psalm 146
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:26-31
Gospel: Mt 5:1-12a The Beatitudes
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Suffering is too small a price to pay for the love of God. For love of family, a mother bears the pain of separation from loved ones while working as a domestic helper in Hongkong.
For love of country, Jose Rizal exposed the ills of Philippine society in Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo and, in the process, got himself exiled, imprisoned and shot to death.
For love of God -- and for the spread of the Faith -- St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod endured the terrors of torture and gave up their lives as martyrs.
What can I suffer and endure for God?
February 10, 2008
1st Sunday of Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Gen 2:7-9.3:1-7 / Psalm 51
Second Reading: Rom 5:12-19
Gospel: Mt 4:1-11 Jesus fasts and is tempted
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
From one desert to another -- this was Jesus' journey on earth. Before he travelled all over Judea and Israel to preach the Good News that the Kingdom of God is at hand, the Spirit led him into the desert. And after he has cured the sick, fed the multitudes and taught with authority unlike the Scribes, he found himself crucified on the Cross on the mountain of Golgotha, deserted by friends, so that he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
In the midst of these desert experiences, Jesus never gave in to temptation. Until the end of his life, Jesus obediently carried out the will of the Father -- even if it meant death on the Cross.
Am I just as faithful to Him in my own desert experiences?
February 17, 2008
2nd Sunday of Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Gen 12:1-4a / Psalm 33
Second Reading: 2 Tim 1:8b-10
Gospel: Mt 17:1-9 Jesus is transfigured
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shown like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
It was while praying on the mountain when Peter, James and John witness how Jesus's appearance changed: his face shown like the sun, and his clothes white as light.
In prayer, everyone gets transfigured. In communion with God, there are no bishops nor barbers, no presidents nor prostitutes, no sinner nor saint. All become children of the Loving Father -- each one cared for and embraced.
How is my prayer life? I need to spend more time with Jesus.
February 25, 2008
3rd Sunday of Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 17:3-7 / Psalm 95
Second Reading: Rom 5:1-2,5-8
Gospel: Jn 4:5-42 The Samaritan Woman
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done."
Jesus asks for water from the Samaritan woman -- much to the surprise of the woman since Jews and Samaritans avoid contact with one another. When Jesus reveals to her that he is the Messiah, the woman returns to her town and invites her people to "come and see a man who told me everything I have done."
In doing so, she becomes one of the first missionaries of the Incarnate Lord. Her sinfulness did not deter her from becoming an instrument of salvation for others. Through her word, her people approached Jesus and believed in him.
My sinfulness, then, is not a hindrance in meeting Jesus and, like the Samaritan woman, in becoming his instrument.
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Zeph 2:3,3:12-13 / Psalm 146
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:26-31
Gospel: Mt 5:1-12a The Beatitudes
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Suffering is too small a price to pay for the love of God. For love of family, a mother bears the pain of separation from loved ones while working as a domestic helper in Hongkong.
For love of country, Jose Rizal exposed the ills of Philippine society in Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo and, in the process, got himself exiled, imprisoned and shot to death.
For love of God -- and for the spread of the Faith -- St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod endured the terrors of torture and gave up their lives as martyrs.
What can I suffer and endure for God?
February 10, 2008
1st Sunday of Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Gen 2:7-9.3:1-7 / Psalm 51
Second Reading: Rom 5:12-19
Gospel: Mt 4:1-11 Jesus fasts and is tempted
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
From one desert to another -- this was Jesus' journey on earth. Before he travelled all over Judea and Israel to preach the Good News that the Kingdom of God is at hand, the Spirit led him into the desert. And after he has cured the sick, fed the multitudes and taught with authority unlike the Scribes, he found himself crucified on the Cross on the mountain of Golgotha, deserted by friends, so that he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
In the midst of these desert experiences, Jesus never gave in to temptation. Until the end of his life, Jesus obediently carried out the will of the Father -- even if it meant death on the Cross.
Am I just as faithful to Him in my own desert experiences?
February 17, 2008
2nd Sunday of Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Gen 12:1-4a / Psalm 33
Second Reading: 2 Tim 1:8b-10
Gospel: Mt 17:1-9 Jesus is transfigured
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shown like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
It was while praying on the mountain when Peter, James and John witness how Jesus's appearance changed: his face shown like the sun, and his clothes white as light.
In prayer, everyone gets transfigured. In communion with God, there are no bishops nor barbers, no presidents nor prostitutes, no sinner nor saint. All become children of the Loving Father -- each one cared for and embraced.
How is my prayer life? I need to spend more time with Jesus.
February 25, 2008
3rd Sunday of Lent
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ex 17:3-7 / Psalm 95
Second Reading: Rom 5:1-2,5-8
Gospel: Jn 4:5-42 The Samaritan Woman
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done."
Jesus asks for water from the Samaritan woman -- much to the surprise of the woman since Jews and Samaritans avoid contact with one another. When Jesus reveals to her that he is the Messiah, the woman returns to her town and invites her people to "come and see a man who told me everything I have done."
In doing so, she becomes one of the first missionaries of the Incarnate Lord. Her sinfulness did not deter her from becoming an instrument of salvation for others. Through her word, her people approached Jesus and believed in him.
My sinfulness, then, is not a hindrance in meeting Jesus and, like the Samaritan woman, in becoming his instrument.
Palawan Reflections: 2008 Sunday Gospels -- January
January 6, 2008
The Lord's Epiphany
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 60:1-6 / Psalm 72
Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3a,5-6
Gospel: Mt 2:2-12 We saw his star
Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
Magi from the east search for the "newborn king of the Jews" aided by a star. As they journeyed on, the star preceded them, "until it came and stopped where the child was."
My journey to find the Lord demands that I not lose sight of the star. Moreover, that I move on during nights and even during dark moments of my life. Darkness should not be a reason why I should stop or discontinue my journey.
Then, once I find the Lord, I need to open my treasures and offer them to Him. In the past, they were gold, frankincense and myrrh; now, I should offer him something I hold dear. Meeting the Lord, I am sure, will change my life, the way it changed the direction of the magi's trip back to their country.
January 13, 2008
The Lord's Baptism
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 42:1-4,6-7 / Psalm 29
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38
Gospel: Mt 3:13-17 Jesus was baptized
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.
Jesus has himself baptized by John at the Jordan. When he comes up from the water, the heavens open and, like a dove, the Spirit of God descends and comes upon him. A voice is then heard, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Jesus, the Sinless Lamb of God, falls in line, together with other sinners, for John's baptism of repentance. He is a God, then, who not only empties himself of his divinity, but even one who identifies himself with the sinfulness of humanity.
Yet, what does Jesus have to repent? He repents for man's sins. He repents for me. How can I not love the Lord Jesus.
January 20, 2008
Feast of the Santo Niño
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 9:1-6 / Psalm 98
Second Reading: Eph 1:3-6,15-18
Gospel: Mt 18:1-5,10 Become like little children
Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus teaches his disciples that "unless you turn and become like children, you wil not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Entering the kingdom of heaven, then, involves two moments: the moment of turning and the moment of becoming like children. Turning from what? Turning from "adulthood" and seeming independence from the Lord to becoming like "children" and being totally dependent on the Lord.
Greatness in the kingdom of heaven, moreover, is developing one's capacity for smallness because Jesus says, "whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
January 27, 2008
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 8:23-9:3 / Psalm 27
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:10-13-17
Gospel: Mt 4:12-23 Prophecy of Isaiah Fulfilled
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus lives in Capernaum as Isaiah has foretold, starts to preach about the kingdom of heaven and calls his first disciples, among them, Simon, Andrew, James and John.
His message is old -- like that of John the Baptist who has recently been arrested. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Yet, even with such old message, he gets the attention and attraction of fishermen by the Sea of Galilee.
To enter the kingdom of heaven, then, one has to repent. And to follow Jesus, like his first disciples, one has to leave one's boat and one's father. In both cases, there is a surrender: a surrender of one's sinfulness to the Lord and a surrender of one's security to be with the Lord.
The Lord's Epiphany
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 60:1-6 / Psalm 72
Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3a,5-6
Gospel: Mt 2:2-12 We saw his star
Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
Magi from the east search for the "newborn king of the Jews" aided by a star. As they journeyed on, the star preceded them, "until it came and stopped where the child was."
My journey to find the Lord demands that I not lose sight of the star. Moreover, that I move on during nights and even during dark moments of my life. Darkness should not be a reason why I should stop or discontinue my journey.
Then, once I find the Lord, I need to open my treasures and offer them to Him. In the past, they were gold, frankincense and myrrh; now, I should offer him something I hold dear. Meeting the Lord, I am sure, will change my life, the way it changed the direction of the magi's trip back to their country.
January 13, 2008
The Lord's Baptism
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 42:1-4,6-7 / Psalm 29
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38
Gospel: Mt 3:13-17 Jesus was baptized
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.
Jesus has himself baptized by John at the Jordan. When he comes up from the water, the heavens open and, like a dove, the Spirit of God descends and comes upon him. A voice is then heard, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Jesus, the Sinless Lamb of God, falls in line, together with other sinners, for John's baptism of repentance. He is a God, then, who not only empties himself of his divinity, but even one who identifies himself with the sinfulness of humanity.
Yet, what does Jesus have to repent? He repents for man's sins. He repents for me. How can I not love the Lord Jesus.
January 20, 2008
Feast of the Santo Niño
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 9:1-6 / Psalm 98
Second Reading: Eph 1:3-6,15-18
Gospel: Mt 18:1-5,10 Become like little children
Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus teaches his disciples that "unless you turn and become like children, you wil not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Entering the kingdom of heaven, then, involves two moments: the moment of turning and the moment of becoming like children. Turning from what? Turning from "adulthood" and seeming independence from the Lord to becoming like "children" and being totally dependent on the Lord.
Greatness in the kingdom of heaven, moreover, is developing one's capacity for smallness because Jesus says, "whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
January 27, 2008
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Is 8:23-9:3 / Psalm 27
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:10-13-17
Gospel: Mt 4:12-23 Prophecy of Isaiah Fulfilled
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus lives in Capernaum as Isaiah has foretold, starts to preach about the kingdom of heaven and calls his first disciples, among them, Simon, Andrew, James and John.
His message is old -- like that of John the Baptist who has recently been arrested. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Yet, even with such old message, he gets the attention and attraction of fishermen by the Sea of Galilee.
To enter the kingdom of heaven, then, one has to repent. And to follow Jesus, like his first disciples, one has to leave one's boat and one's father. In both cases, there is a surrender: a surrender of one's sinfulness to the Lord and a surrender of one's security to be with the Lord.
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