REFLECTIONS TODAY The first part of the Gospel illustrates the deeper meaning of the sixth beatitude: “Blessed are the clean of heart (Greek katharoi tē kardia), for they will see God” (Mt 5:8). It invites us to see man and woman as partners in a covenant relationship, rather than as mere...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The scribes and the Pharisees who have studied the Mosaic Law were revered in Israel in Jesus’ time. The title rabbi or “my great one” was given to them. Their interpretation of the Law was sought in different aspects of life. Their righteousness was based on their strict...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Fulfilling the Law does not mean obeying the Mosaic Law to the letter, but to adhere to the “spirit” of the commandments, as intended by the Lord who gave them to Israel. Jesus certainly followed the Sabbath rest and the traditional forms of piety like fasting, prayer, and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After the destruction of human beings in the Great Flood and their being scattered all over the world when they started to build the Tower of Babel, the Lord began again his saving work, albeit in a small way, by calling Abraham. Abraham would have many descendants and in them...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The obligatory memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, was inscribed into the General Roman Calendar on Monday after Pentecost to portray Mary’s collaboration with the mission of Jesus, as well as her unity with the Apostles and other disciples at the birth of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY FIRST READING • Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY A long line of tradition has associated the Beloved Disciple, the author of the Fourth Gospel, with the Apostle John. In the Synoptic Gospels, though close to Simon, John has a subordinate role. In the Fourth Gospel, the Beloved Disciple is at par with Simon Peter. He is the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY At the close of his Gospel, John presents Jesus as giving Simon Peter a share of his mission as the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them. The foremost consideration for this responsibility is the love of Simon for Jesus, the confession of which Jesus...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Holy Spirit is the force that binds the Father and the Son. Jesus prays that his disciples may also have a share in this divine unity. He looks ahead to the time when many other people will believe in him through the witness of his disciples, and prays that all believers...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Three times Jesus prays to the Father to protect the disciples in the Father’s name since all holiness comes from the Father. The disciples are consecrated, that is, set apart and dedicated to keeping the name of God holy. By remaining “consecrated in the truth,” the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY For Luke, Mary is hailed not so much because of her motherhood of the Son of God but, first and foremost, because she is a believer. In the Annunciation, Mary’s faith stands in contrast to the disbelief of Zechariah (Lk 1:20). Mary’s role as believer continues in her presence...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus continues to converse with the disciples about what to expect during his last hours on earth and in the future. The disciples think that they have fully grasped what Jesus is saying. They do not foresee themselves “scattering” and “going to his own home,” leaving the...
