REFLECTIONS TODAY Fasting was a recognized Jewish observance. On occasion, Jesus fasts, as in the temptation account (Mt 4:2). But Jesus regards fasting not as a required religious duty to be observed meticulously but as an expression of sorrow. He asserts the liberty of fasting when it is...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Pharisees object that Jesus has failed to meet their standards of legal purity by eating with tax collectors and sinners, including Matthew whom he has called to follow him. In reply, Jesus cites a mashal or proverb, “Those who are well do not need a physician” (v 12). He...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In John’s Gospel, Nathanael initially refuses to believe when Philip tells him that they have found the Messiah in Jesus from Nazareth. After all, “nothing good” comes out from that obscure village (1:45-46). Like Nathanael, Thomas exhibits an initial skepticism which...
REFLECTIONS TODAY This phrase translates the Greek word oligopistoi. Implicit in this word’s use is the statement: You are terrified because your faith is so little. Surely, faith here is considered not in terms of size but in terms of intensity or quality. Oligopistoi is Matthew’s...
REFLECTIONS TODAY A scribe, one who knows the Torah of Moses, approaches Jesus with a request to follow him. His case is quite different from that of the other disciples whom Jesus personally calls. Elsewhere, Jesus says, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY “Leprosy” (Greek lepra) is loosely used for unspecified skin diseases (Lv 13) which were regarded not only as ailments of the body but also as forms of uncleanness which merited separation from the community and its socio-religious life (Lv 13:45-46). A leper was considered a...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Scriptures attest to the phenomenon of persons claiming to be prophets alongside the authentic prophets sent by God. The latter call them “false prophets.” Since they come in “sheep’s clothing,” acting like the real prophets, they are hard to distinguish. Some indicators...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Pearls are valuable, and it is absurd to throw them before an uncaring animal. The Kingdom of God, which comes in the person and message of Jesus, is “a pearl of great price” (Mt 13:46). Jesus’ words are too precious to waste on the deaf ears of people who manifest outright...
REFLECTIONS TODAY As the son of a priest, John is supposed to be trained in the Temple services. Instead, he grows up in the desert, far from the luxury in which the Jerusalem priestly aristocracy lives. By his dress, diet, and preaching, John presents himself more like a prophet than a priest. He...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The imagery of the birds does not suggest idleness or passivity. Birds, like humans, actively look for food. Unlike humans, however, birds do not worry about what they will have for the next meal. Birds can neither produce nor store food. It is God who looks after them. It is also...
Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Rep. Barbers’ Facebook) Five Chinese realty traders, including suspected drug lord Willie Ong, were cited in contempt by a House of Representatives panel after they continued to snub the ongoing...
