REFLECTIONS TODAY Self-denial and bearing one’s cross is central to Christian discipleship. It means surrendering one’s desires and ambition to follow the path that Jesus sets before us. In a world that often promotes selffulfillment and personal gain, Jesus’ words challenge us not to seek...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel tells us how to anchor our hope in the Lord: “to listen” to God’s beloved Son and “to gaze” at his transfigured face. To listen to Jesus is to accept that his mission as Savior includes his suffering and death. To gaze at his face means to look beyond the face...
REFLECTIONS TODAY What is striking about the parable of the dragnet as a metaphor for the Kingdom is that it does not simply “catch” the good fish, but also the bad or undesirable ones. The net catches all sorts of fish and non-fish in the process. This implies that the Kingdom is offered to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the light of today’s Gospel, we wonder if we would accept Jesus the way most of the Jewish authorities did, or the way the disciples did. Most of the authorities rejected him, and so Jesus’ teachings to them remained “parables,” that they could not understand or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY What is striking in this short passage is that Jesus who is perhaps the busiest person in his time and place is the one inviting people to come to him for rest! Would he be a good example when he himself is so busy with the affairs of his Father? The truth is the Lord, no matter...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Matthew 13:1-9 [or 13:1-23] Interpretations of the Gospel parable often focus on three aspects: spiritual receptivity, spiritual endurance, and spiritual growth and responsibility. Indeed, these three dimensions are at the heart of the parable. First, the parable...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Many of us are trained to prepare for the unforeseen and unexpected. We are instructed on how we can minimize disasters by being proactive, vigilant, or thorough when we embark on something. We bring extra pieces of clothing, food, water, medicines, etc. We think of what we might...
REFLECTIONS TODAY This episode makes us realize how other people are often the instruments of our healing and salvation. Being paralytic, the man in the Gospel could not but rely on the generosity and compassion of his friends. And the way they used every means to have him cured by Jesus made even...
REFLECTIONS TODAY One striking thing about this episode of the driving out of the Gadarene (or Gerasene) demoniacs is how Jesus deals with the demoniacs themselves. While they caused so much harm on the person possessed, Jesus grants their request that they be allowed to enter into the herd of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus assures the centurion that he will cure his servant. The centurion shows powerlessness and submits to the power of Jesus to take care of his servant. Jesus again readily responds to this need. Jesus has empathy with those who recognize their limitations, despite their high...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Our passage concludes Jesus’ discourse on the Mount of Beatitudes. Take note of verse 28, “When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching.” After this, Jesus goes down from the mountain and do miracles around Galilee. Jesus winds up with this...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Jer 20:10-13 Jeremiah said: “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he can be tricked; then we will prevail, and take our...
