REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today In the sisters Martha and Mary, we have a twofold expression of hospitality:Care for the person’s needs, and attention to the person. Where there is balance of action and contemplation, real communication of love happens. Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today For a Jew, neighbor means ethnic relationship, a fellow Israelite, or one who shares the same religion. But for Jesus, “becoming a neighbor” to someone goes beyond familial “flesh and blood” relationship; it is expansive and inclusive to all. If God can...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today MARK 10:2-16 The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today Ancient kingdoms often had “guardians” placed on the gates of their cities or temples. These took the form of winged beasts, with the head of a bearded sphinx. For believers, angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve, for the sake of those who are to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today (MATTHEW 18:3b) In Jewish society in Jesus’ time, children, while loved, were not considered important. They accepted what those who were older and greater gave them. Jesus says that to become like a child, one should humble oneself. Children do not humble...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today Christ had and continues to have a way of penetrating the depths of the human heart and he shows it in this episode with Nathanael. While an ordinary human being would react negatively to Nathanael’s dismissive attitude towards Jesus (“Can anything good come...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today Revenge seems sweet when people reject or harm us. We feel we are entitled because we expect to be treated well but we are not. The disciples must have been really hurt and offended by the unwelcoming attitude of the Samaritans. It is not easy to be looked down...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today All through our academic lives and even afterwards, we have been trained to compete with others. At the end of the year, we are given rankings and those at the top are publicly recognized with awards or medals. This can develop a competitive attitude in us which...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today MARK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today If we were among the crowd that followed Jesus who had seen all his miracles, we would most likely also expect him to go “all the way,” that is, conquer our enemies altogether. If he even had power over demons, we would say, how much more could he drive out...
REFLECTIONS TODAY It is obvious that the more we stay close to or live with another person, the more we know him/her better. The circle of the Twelve apostles was the privileged group to have lived with or accompanied Jesus in his mission. In the Gospels, from the words that come from Jesus’...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Herod is a very interesting figure. He is a man of power and yet he is not completely our paradigmatic evil and despotic ruler. In today’s Gospel, he wishes to see Jesus whose reputation is increasing. He must have wondered who exactly this man Jesus was such that the people are...
