REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s feast of St. Cecilia, patron of music and musicians, celebrates the devotion and faithfulness of this saint who desired to remain a virgin all her life but was forced to get married. Love for God often leads people to consecrate themselves to Him. And often this is...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The point of the parable is that like the master in the story, God wants us to be “enterprising” with the talents that he has given us rather than simply keep them. We should take risks and not be paralyzed by the thought of “loss” and the prospect of punishment...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Failure to read the signs of the times often brings us misfortune or loss. Just like we can get lost while traveling in an unfamiliar place if we do not pay heed to the signs. As Christians, we cannot simply live our lives without an awareness of what is happening around...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Zacchaeus is not discouraged by how people see him; he pursues his desire to see Jesus, and his wish is granted. The encounter moves him so deeply, and filled with deep gratitude and joy, he offers reparation for his sins. And so Jesus declares that salvation has come...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Dependence is what we mostly associate with a blind person. After all, with only darkness, how can we expect a blind person to live his or her life totally independent? Or so we think. As a matter of fact, some blind persons manage to walk with only a cane to guide them,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Our Gospel reading today continues to speak about the last days when the Son of Man shall return. Immediately before this, Jesus warns of false messiahs and false prophets who will point to signs but will only lead people astray. Then he speaks of what signs they should...
REFLECTIONS TODAY While Jesus says in other parts of the Gospels that when we pray we should not use lengthy words, in today’s Gospel He teaches us to be persistent in our prayers. The latter focuses on our attitude when we pray, not just on the words we use. Honestly, we wonder if...
REFLECTIONS TODAY One thing is sure: God does not need our gratitude, nor does he hold any grudge, even if we fail to thank Him, at times. And yet, to be grateful or mindful of what God has done for us seems to be the main point of the parable of the 10 lepers. God praises one of them,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY While common attitude toward servants and helpers has changed through the years, thereby giving such people with more respect and gratitude, people “naturally” aspire toward other types of jobs in which they are accorded with more power and prestige. And yet,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY To “scandalize” is to put a stumbling block in the way of others so that they fall down or sin. This is what we do when we give bad examples to others, especially the children and the vulnerable ones. When we encourage others to do evil because of our bad example, St. Paul...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The two accounts involving two widows in our First Reading and the Gospel show us that if we trust in God and are generous with even the little that we have, God will be pleased with us and will not allow us to go without. For sure, in the First Reading, the widow of Zarephath...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Buildings do not have meanings apart from the meanings and experiences that happen there. Church structures, like the Lateran Basilica, are a symbol of the people of God that gather and worship there, the leader and the people under him. The Lateran Basilica whose...
