REFLECTIONS TODAY GOSPEL • Matthew 9:1-8 Jesus surprises those around him, including some scribes, by declaring to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.” The scribes may hold that there are prophets and “holy men” with the power to cure sickness, but to forgive a person his or her sins...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Simon Peter had always been first in the list of the Twelve Apostles, although in the Gospel of John it was Andrew who followed Jesus first and brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Peter, along with James and John, was witness of such incidents as the transfiguration (Mt 17:1) and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY MATTHEW 8:23-27 The boat of the disciples is often taken as a metaphor, an image of the Church that sails through the turbulent waters of life. The storm can stand for the antagonism and persecution of the believers. Or it can also be a deceptive and interior storm in the form of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY If we try to enumerate what is involved in Discipleship, we can come out with requirements that start with each letter of the word: (D) divine calling, (I) interior life and prayer, (S) service and sacrifice in love (C) commitment to the call, (I) integrity of one’s witness, (P)...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Lk 9:51-62 When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is being compared to the heart of a shepherd who goes out in search of the stray and the lost and brings them back to the safety of the sheepfold. As shepherd (as the Good Shepherd in John), Jesus guides his flock — the disciples — in the path of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Israelite priesthood is reserved to the sons of Levi, and John, the son of the priest Zechariah, was expected to learn the role and functions of the priest at home and in the Jerusalem Temple. But John grew up in the desert surroundings in tune with his vocation as a prophet of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Many prophets in the Old Testament served as court prophets in the palaces or sanctuaries of the kings. Some, like Nathan and Gad, proved to be true to their calling, telling King David the oracles they received from God, whether pleasing or unpleasant to the king. Hananiah, on...
REFLECTIONS TODAY “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” For Jesus, this “Golden Rule” summarizes the Law and the Prophets, that is, the Sacred Scriptures. This rule is shared by ancient wisdom traditions. Confucius teaches, “Do not do unto others, what you do not want...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Human judgment, even at its best, has its limitations and imperfections. In different cultures, laws are agreed upon and enacted to serve the greater community, but these do not cover relationships in their entirety. Often, there are the offensive and the aggrieved parties. Though...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Gn 14:18-20 In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will...
