REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel narrates how Jesus cures a woman who has been crippled for 18 years. The synagogue leader reacts negatively about it because it happens on a Sabbath. The Sabbath is the day of rest (Gn 2:2). It must be kept holy (Ex 20:8-11). But how can one make the Sabbath holy?...
REFLECTIONS TODAY LUKE 18:9-14 The Gospel of Luke is commonly tagged as the Gospel of Prayer. In Luke 18 alone, three people are presented to be demonstrating three different ways of praying. In last Sunday’s parable, we encountered the widow who pleads for justice. Today’s Gospel presents...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel speaks of Jesus’ call to repentance and of the parable of the Barren Fig Tree. Jesus points out that the Galileans and the Jerusalemites who died tragically are not worse sinners than those listening to Jesus. The manner of death is not important. The point is...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel has two parts. The first part tells of the “signs of the times.” The second part is on how to settle with an opponent. The Gospel challenges us to everyday conversion. External things can easily be perceived. But looking into our own selves and recognizing the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus is the Prince of Peace (cf Is 9:5). However, today’s Gospel tells of Jesus as one who brings division on earth. What does this mean? The kind of division that is referred to in the Gospel is not born out of Jesus’ original intention. The Greek verb used in v 51 is...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel is part of the passage that speaks of vigilance proper to Jesus’ followers. It tells of the reality of the Parousia as understood by Luke. Jesus, the Son of Man, will be coming again at an hour when no one expects it. Jesus’ followers must, therefore, be...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel tells of the mission of the 72 other disciples. Jesus gives them instructions as he sends them in pairs. One of the instructions is to carry neither money bag nor sack nor sandals. He further instructs them not to greet anybody along the way. What do these...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel is of two parts: Jesus’ warning against the danger of greed, and the parable of the Rich Fool. The parable serves as an explanation of Jesus’ warning against all greed (pasēs pleoneksias). The warning is against all forms of greed because greed may come in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY LUKE 18:1-8 Whatever we do affects other people. The condition of others, good or bad, somehow affects our situation as well. This only shows how intricately connected we are to one another. Hence, many of our serious problems nowadays are brought upon us by our lack of awareness...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ encouragement of his disciples facing persecution. It highlights the role of the Holy Spirit as the one who teaches the disciples about what to say when they face rulers and authorities for the sake of Jesus. The disciples who acknowledge the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel has two parts. The first part is about Jesus’ warning against the leaven of the Pharisees which he associates with hypocrisy. The basic meaning of the Greek word hupokrisis (“hypocrisy”) is related to play-acting. The second part tells of Jesus’...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After denouncing the self-serving practices of the Pharisees, Jesus also denounces the self-serving mechanisms of the scholars of the law. The Jewish life has always been centered on the Law. Consequently, most especially in the time of Jesus, the scholars or the experts of the...
