REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus uses apocalyptic language as he speaks to his disciples about the end time. Apocalypse refers to the revelation of the end of the world. Usually, the end of the world is understood by many people as doomsday. Every generation that experiences calamities, whether natural or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus speaks of the end-time as marked by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. These heavenly bodies were considered divinities by pagans. There will be upheavals in the heavens and in the sea, characterized by “the roaring of the sea and the waves.” These refer to upheavals...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Ahead of time, Jesus saw clearly the suffering that would be endured by the early believers. When Christianity had started to spread and the number of believers had increased, Christians were considered a threat to both the Jewish and Roman religions and were persecuted. The Roman...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel begins with the narration of how the Jews gape in wonder and amazement over the precious stones and offerings in the Temple. Suddenly Jesus speaks and predicts the destruction of the Temple. The Jews are naturally aghast, since to them the destruction of the Temple is...
REFLECTIONS TODAY A poor widow who puts two copper coins into the Temple treasury catches Jesus’ attention. Jesus is not concerned about the amount donated, but about the disposition of the heart of the donor. The poor widow could have kept one copper coin and offered only one, but she is very...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Lord Jesus can be said to “empty himself” (Greek kenosis) on three occasions. First, as the Son of God, he emptied himself of divine glory to become a human being in his lowly and mortal condition as “flesh” (Greek sarx). Secondly, he chose to be born to poor parents...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Sadducees were a leading religious group in Israel during Jesus’ time. They strictly adhered to the Law of Moses, but did not believe in spirits, angels, and the resurrection. To them, life is limited to their lifespan on earth; they did not believe in the afterlife. The...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus is dismayed at the way the Jews have turned the Temple in Jerusalem into a hub of commerce. The section reserved for Gentile crowds abounds with livestock for sacrifice and money changers. Jesus overturns the sellers’ tables and those of the money changers. The Temple,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY A small chapel called Dominus Flevit (“The Lord wept”) stands on a hill overlooking Jerusalem. It is said to be the spot where Jesus had wept upon seeing the great destruction that was to happen to Jerusalem. He had worked hard to invite the inhabitants of Jerusalem to repent...
REFLECTIONS TODAY As followers of Jesus, we have been entrusted with gifts, both material and spiritual. Jesus is encouraging us to let these gifts grow, bear fruit, and multiply not only for ourselves, but also for the sake of others. Whoever is faithful in little things can be trusted with more....
REFLECTIONS TODAY Zacchaeus was a “made” man. He had money, power, and influence. But in a little corner in his heart he must have known that these worldly trappings were mere externals. These were fleeting and could not really satisfy the human soul. When Jesus stops at the exact spot where...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Luke does not name the blind beggar in today’s Gospel unlike Mark who identifies him to be “Bartimaeus” (Mk 10:46). As a beggar who spent most of his time on the roadside, Bartimaeus must have caught news regarding Jesus as a miracle worker and as the possible liberator of...
