REFLECTIONS TODAY The Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah. They believed that his message came from God. To avert punishment, they fasted and wore sackcloths as a sign of their repentance. Jesus commends those pagan people who responded to the call of God, without asking for proofs or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY LUKE 10:38-42 Martha needs help. She asks Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her in the kitchen. She is hard up preparing the food for Jesus. Jesus gently reprimands Martha for being too busy. She can simplify her preparation, which should not take much time and energy. Jesus...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Obviously, it is Jesus who is greater than the Temple. But the Pharisees do not realize this. They question why his disciples pick heads of grain and eat them on a Sabbath. They are violating the law. Among others, works prohibited on Sabbath are: sowing, plowing, reaping, binding...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus invites his disciples to come to him for a little rest. They have been very busy in their mission. And they deserve rest. They still have a lot of things to do, but Jesus wants them to relax, to pause, and to enjoy his presence among them. Jesus’ burden is light. What he...
REFLECTIONS TODAY God the Father has a big role in our lives as disciples of Christ. We cannot really know Christ if the Father has not revealed him to us. That is why, Jesus exclaims, “I give praise to you, Father... for... you have revealed to the childlike.” We can follow Christ because the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY For the first time, Jesus utters these harsh words. He is addressing himself not to individuals but to towns, to communities. Later, he will also utter these words to some religious groups like the Pharisees and scribes. Why this oracle which was usually uttered by the prophets of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus seems to contradict himself. He was born to bring peace and salvation to the world, but now he says the opposite. Here, he is to bring, not peace, but the sword that divides. Division is the consequence of accepting Jesus in one’s life. Not all in the household will accept...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus builds up his arguments to make his disciples courageous missionaries, proclaimers of the Kingdom of heaven. Without courage, there will be no progress. Mission is not easy. They will be persecuted. But they have to communicate whatever they have learned from Jesus. Now, we...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The apostles should continue doing their mission, even if that entails sufferings and danger. They should not give up until the end of their lives. When they meet opposition and hostilities, they should not be surprised. When those days come, the Spirit of the Father will speak...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus instructs his apostles that when preaching the Kingdom of heaven in the place they are assigned, they should look for a worthy person in it. The worthy person is someone who deserves a favor or recognition. But here it means the person who will receive the apostle well. That...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The evangelist Matthew uses the expression “Kingdom of heaven” rather than “Kingdom of God.” He does this in respect to the sensitivities of his Jewish converts who have been taught not to mention or pronounce the name of God. Even today, modern Jews write G-d if they have...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus pities the crowds who have been following him. He sees them as troubled and abandoned. They are troubled because no one has yet addressed their needs. They need healing. They need enlightenment. They need consoling words. They need inspiration. They are abandoned because no...
