REFLECTIONS TODAY Time and again, Jesus reminds his listeners to observe what they hear him say. He is here to bring the word of God. Each listener must then treasure whatever comes out of his mouth and put them into action. If we do these, blessed are we! Yet as soon as he has driven his point,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After teaching about almsgiving on the Mountain of Beatitudes, Jesus exhorts his listeners to pray the Our Father or The Lord’s Prayer. It is the prayer of Jesus to his Father in heaven. The early Church has adopted this version of Matthew in its liturgical celebrations. We are...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel is about the Last Judgment. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, will come in glory and reward us according to what we have done to the needy. But the passage is shortened. It focuses only on giving reward to the good. The liturgists want to end the reading with a more...
BETTER DAYS Over three decades have passed since the 1987 Constitution was ratified. It was crafted immediately after a regime change that emerged after a peaceful revolution. A lot has changed over the years. Globally, countries have opened up their economies as a necessary step toward growth. Our...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mk 1:12-15 The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This...
REFLECTIONS TODAY According to the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus’ noncompliance with the Sabbath rest is proof that he is not a man from God. Jesus disputes this accusation by giving a deeper meaning to the Sabbath. Jesus claims to be “lord even of the sabbath” (Mk 2:28) and, as the Divine...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Hebrew term shabbath means “to cease or to rest.” The Sabbath signifies the apex of God’s creation. God blessed and sanctified the seventh day and made it holy (Gn 2:2-3). For Israel—and for all mankind—it is a rest day to reflect on God’s work as Creator, to give...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Dalmanutha, the Pharisees argue with Jesus. They might have heard of his miracles as well as his teachings and lately his feeding of the 4,000 men, and yet they still demand another miracle which must be more spectacular. Jesus refuses to give in to their demand. They are not...
BETTER DAYS It is not that often that a country is given an opportunity to take part in an event that has a global following and one that has the potential to reap huge benefits for the host. In 2023, we were fortunate to have been selected as one of three countries, alongside Japan and Indonesia,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mk 1:40—45 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Satisfied. Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God is wholistic. He desires the total liberation of the person. He is not only concerned about spiritual needs but also bodily needs. The people have been listening to his words for three days now and have run out of food....
REFLECTIONS TODAY From the district of Tyre, in Lebanon, Jesus goes back to the shores of Galilee, in particular to the district of Decapolis (Ten Cities), east of the Jordan River. Upon arrival, the people, like the Syro-Phoenician woman, beg Jesus to lay his hand on the deaf-mute to cure...
