REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Mal 3:1-4 Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts....
REFLECTIONS TODAY One of the most terrifying occurrences we have just gone through is the Covid-19 pandemic, when panic and fear struck the core of our being, making us cry out just like the disciples to Jesus, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (v 38). But this recent disaster is not...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The first part of the parable draws attention to the sower and to the seed, a reality in rural Palestine familiar to Jesus’ original audience composed mostly of peasant farmers. If the sower represents God, then the parable teaches that God knowingly scatters the seed on all...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the Gospel parable, the lamp, taken together with “light” and “lampstand,” expresses a symbolic power. It is the localization of light which symbolizes life, as opposed to death which is the realm of darkness. The lamp with light can also symbolize divine presence, the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus has established the foundation of his new family: listening to God’s word and doing his will (Mk 3:34). Now, he tells the parable of the Sower to those “inside” his family—his disciples—to illustrate that by hearing the word of God and accepting it, they provide a...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus’ kin—his mother and his brothers and sisters— are standing “outside” the house while a crowd is seated around Jesus who is “inside” the house. The crowd listens to Jesus while his kin are outside, seeking him. Jesus responds by saying to those who say that his...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus not only has followers and admirers, but also has detractors. He gets accused of doing away with the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. The scribes from Jerusalem go one step further by claiming that the prince of the evil spirits, Beelzebul, has taken possession...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 16:15-18 The Church celebrates the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25, the only one of a kind in the liturgy. There are other “turnabouts” that have left an indelible mark in the history of Christianity — e.g., Emperor Constantine’s...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After ministering to a vast crowd, Jesus goes up the mountain to commune with the heavenly Father. After praying, he summons those he wants to be with him, and selects twelve to be his intimate companions. Later on, these will be known as a distinct group — the Twelve (Greek:...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The fame of Jesus’ healing and exorcism spreads fast and wide. A quick glance at the map of territories mentioned in the Gospel shows us the diversity of peoples flocking to Jesus. Galilee and Judea, including the city of Jerusalem, are Israelite territories. Idumea, south...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Obviously, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. But for the Pharisees, doing good refers to observing the practices of the Sabbath like resting from work and attending to the synagogue services. It excludes what Jesus does—healing a man with a withered hand—which is a...
