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...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ denunciation of the self-serving practices of the Pharisees. “Pharisee” is derived from the Greek pharisaios (plural pharisaioi), which is the transcription of the Hebrew word hā-pe rushim or “the separated ones.” At times, we need to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ denunciation of the self-serving practices of the Pharisees. “Pharisee” is derived from the Greek pharisaios (plural pharisaioi), which is the transcription of the Hebrew word hā-pe rushim or “the separated ones.” At times, we need to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In today’s Gospel, Jesus denounces the legalistic practices of the Pharisees whose concerns focus on externalities. Because of such practices, they are no longer able to exercise the benevolent goodwill that is inherent in every human person. Jesus invites them to give alms so...
REFLECTIONS TODAY One of the twelve books of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament is attributed to the prophet Jonah. Jonah was sent by the Lord to Nineveh to preach the message of conversion. Jonah tried to flee to Tarshish instead. In the end, the Ninevites were all converted and Jonah was not...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • 2 Kgs 5:14-17 Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean of his leprosy. Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Greek term makarios (plural makarioi), meaning, “blessed,” is ascribed to a person who is favored. The term “blessed” begins the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:3-11) and the Sermon on the Plain (Lk 6:20-23). Today’s Gospel also speaks of a group of blessed people...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Luke 11:15-26 When Jesus had driven out a demon, Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel has two parts: persistence in prayer (vv 5-8) and the answer to the prayer of the one who asks (vv 9-13). Persistence and trust go together. When we pray persistently, we keep on trusting that we will eventually receive what we ask for. Furthermore, we can only...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel is the Lucan version of the prayer, Our Father, the longer version of which is found in Matthew (6:9-13). Luke provides a short introduction, narrating how Jesus himself is praying in a certain place after which one of his disciples makes a request that Jesus...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today the Church honors St. Francis of Assisi. The saint’s ideals with regard to love of the poor, peace, and care of the environment remain to be relevant in our time. These ideals he lived out sprang up from his greatest desire to emulate Jesus. Today’s Gospel narrates the...
