REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today (MATTHEW 18:3b) In Jewish society in Jesus’ time, children, while loved, were not considered important. They accepted what those who were older and greater gave them. Jesus says that to become like a child, one should humble oneself. Children do not humble...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today Christ had and continues to have a way of penetrating the depths of the human heart and he shows it in this episode with Nathanael. While an ordinary human being would react negatively to Nathanael’s dismissive attitude towards Jesus (“Can anything good come...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today All through our academic lives and even afterwards, we have been trained to compete with others. At the end of the year, we are given rankings and those at the top are publicly recognized with awards or medals. This can develop a competitive attitude in us which...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today MARK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today If we were among the crowd that followed Jesus who had seen all his miracles, we would most likely also expect him to go “all the way,” that is, conquer our enemies altogether. If he even had power over demons, we would say, how much more could he drive out...
REFLECTIONS TODAY It is obvious that the more we stay close to or live with another person, the more we know him/her better. The circle of the Twelve apostles was the privileged group to have lived with or accompanied Jesus in his mission. In the Gospels, from the words that come from Jesus’...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Herod is a very interesting figure. He is a man of power and yet he is not completely our paradigmatic evil and despotic ruler. In today’s Gospel, he wishes to see Jesus whose reputation is increasing. He must have wondered who exactly this man Jesus was such that the people are...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today At work or in similar contexts, we are given tasks or positions with power or authority that come with them. Our being “designated” or chosen gives us a sense of privilege, honor, but also of responsibility and accountability. There are sets of rules or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today The Gospels are in harmony in portraying how Jesus reaches out to sinners and tax collectors, so much so that He actually calls one of them, Matthew. But equally amazing is the fact that Matthew does not even say a word – of surprise, objection, or outright...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today One of our main tasks in this world is to discover what gifts or talents God has given us. Some talents are right away discernible from childhood; but others seem to need some “plowing” or “cultivating” so they could develop, bloom, and bear fruit. These...
REFLECTIONS TODAY MARK 9:30-37 Jesus and His disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but He did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill Him, and three days after His...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Reflections today The parable is meant to teach about farming or sowing. Jesus tells it to show that God’s word (the seed) can only grow and bear fruit in the measure that our hearts (the soil) are ready or prepared to receive it. This is very easy to see in day-to-day life....
