REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus assures the centurion that he will cure his servant. The centurion shows powerlessness and submits to the power of Jesus to take care of his servant. Jesus again readily responds to this need. Jesus has empathy with those who recognize their limitations, despite their high...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Our passage concludes Jesus’ discourse on the Mount of Beatitudes. Take note of verse 28, “When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching.” After this, Jesus goes down from the mountain and do miracles around Galilee. Jesus winds up with this...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus teaches the crowds on the Mount of Beatitudes to pray the Our Father. It is the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ prayer to his Father in heaven. We pray with Jesus when we recite it. This prayer is the prayer of the poor. The phrase “our daily bread” indicates the need of a...
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has officially declared the start of the rainy season. For fragrance enthusiasts, that shift in weather often signals something else: a change in perfume rotation. Is it necessary to swap fragrances when the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY When Jesus commissions the Twelve to spread the Good News, he asks them to bring nothing along with them. What? These ordinary men who were once fishing are now asked to cure the sick, exorcise, and cleanse the lepers. These are not easy tasks for them to migrate from one...
REFLECTIONS TODAY One of the reasons why the Gospel of Matthew is put first among the Gospels, though it is not the oldest, is because of its sayings which are easy to understand. One of these sayings is the famous Beatitudes. Matthew uses makarioi which not only means “blessed,” but also...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus commends the poor widow for contributing to the Temple treasury all that she has in her pocket. Here, Jesus reminds all of us to, at least, be proportionate in giving donations. Giving so little compared to what we have received is a No, No to Jesus, not acceptable. Because,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus says this to the scribe who concurs with him as regards the greatest commandment. Love of God and neighbor is far better than burnt offerings and sacrifices. Love can be shown spontaneously anywhere, everywhere, anytime. It is not confined to the sacred precincts of the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY If a man of God acts in a strange manner, it often carries an important message or a warning. His action becomes a parable, a symbol, or a portent. Ezekiel is ordered to pack a bag for exile and dig a hole and go through it as a portent that the people of Judah would be sent to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s readings invite us to reflect on Jesus as our High Priest, the one who offers himself as the perfect sacrifice for our salvation. In Genesis, we see Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, in obedience to God. This foreshadows Jesus, the true Lamb...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Mark does not idealize the disciples. Quite often they do not understand Jesus. Up to the time Jesus travels to Jerusalem and quite plainly predicts his suffering, they still think that he will go to the holy city to be acclaimed as a political Messiah. Naturally, they hope to be...
REFLECTIONS TODAY A man who enthusiastically came to Jesus to ask how to inherit eternal life most probably expected to hear “Bravo!” that is, Jesus’ approval for a life of following the commandments. Instead— out of love for him—Jesus tells him to let go of his many possessions to find...
