REFLECTIONS TODAY About yesterday’s and today’s Gospel readings, the Vatican II Weekday Missal has an interesting comment: “The post-Resurrection appearances seem so unusual. They are sudden, staccato. As yesterday’s and today’s Gospels show, the risen Lord appeared out of nowhere....
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel reading presents us with a kind of game of hide-and-seek played by Cleopas and his friend. Only, these two disciples are not aware that Christ is playing a game with them. The Gospel scene is full of teachings of all sorts, of symbolic undertones, of endless...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Novelists and writers of fiction love to use a literary device called “the recognition scene.” It consists in staging the meeting of two people who either have been separated for a long time or who were separated under circumstances which made them believe they would never...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the first part of the Gospel reading, we see simple women, their hearts already overjoyed at the prospect that their beloved Master might well be alive once more. They are eager to share their joy. It is a generous reflex, one which betrays their generous nature. These women...
REFLECTIONS TODAY As is described in today’s Gospel, the death of Jesus was a tragic event indeed. Yet, it becomes even more tragic in our eyes when we understand that it was not necessary. And it was not necessary because the incarnation itself, the coming of God’s Word into our flesh, was not...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today, as we celebrate the Chrism Mass, we are reminded of the anointing that sets us apart for God’s mission. In Isaiah, we hear the prophetic words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.” Jesus fulfills this prophecy in the Gospel of Luke,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Without Judas, would Jesus still have gone to the cross? Certainly, not only because the prophets of old foresaw Jesus’ offering of himself, but also because from the start of his public ministry, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Sanhedrin had been plotting to kill him. During Holy...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Deep within us lies an existential fear of death. We dread that final moment when we must release our grip on all we possess, bid farewell to those we cherish, and cross the threshold toward the unknown. This fear drives us to do everything in our power to avoid death, or at the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Annunciation is celebrated as the First Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary. But, is it really joyful? On the surface, Archangel Gabriel’s greeting appears joyful—he proclaims Mary will bear a son, the long-awaited Messiah. Yet underlying this news lies the potential for...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The word “to please” comes from the Latin word placere, which means “to be acceptable” or “to give delight.” Having a “pleasing personality,” therefore, transcends physical beauty as it reflects an inner disposition that brings joy to others. One might possess...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The devil wants nothing but to divide and scatter us. The Lord, on the other hand, yearns to gather us to himself. The word “devil” comes from the Greek word diabellein which means to “scatter” or “separate.” When there is unity, collaboration, or solidarity in our...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Romans have a grim reminder for us, “Memento mori,” which literally means, “Remember you shall die.” It sounds rather morbid, but contemplating death leads us to live our life to the fullest. While death remains a scary reality, it leads us to put our earthly concerns...
