REFLECTIONS TODAY Demons and witchcraft were integral aspects of the ancient world. Evil spells caused illness, ill fortune, and other harms to people. To counter threats, people would use protective amulets, incantations, and exorcism. Israel knew of exorcists. Jesus himself drives out demons with...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Shortly after the transfiguration event, Jesus, for the second time, predicts his passion, death, and resurrection. The Apostles seem not to pay attention; they are focused on their own interest. They begin to argue among themselves who of them is the greatest, who of them will be...
REFLECTIONS TODAY On Feb. 11, 2018, the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Francis decreed that the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Roman Calendar on the Monday after Pentecost and be celebrated every year henceforth. Besides being the Mother of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After his ascension to heaven, Jesus sends forth the Spirit as his first gift to the community of believers. In the First Reading we find the Apostles and other disciples huddled together, awaiting the Spirit’s coming. On the feast of Pentecost (corresponding to the Jewish feast...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel of John ends with a description of “this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them” (v 24). It is his remembrance and perspective of Jesus that are contained in the Gospel, quite different from, but complementing, the testimony of the Synoptic...
REFLECTIONS TODAY John’s Gospel is focused almost entirely on Jesus. Less attention is given to the role of the Apostles (the Twelve) and of Simon Peter. To attune it to the accounts of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts where Peter is given a more prominent role of leadership, John’s epilogue...
REFLECTIONS TODAY When a person departs, as when a migrant worker leaves for abroad, he or she gives instructions to those he or she leaves behind, like the children who are entrusted to their guardians. At his own departure to go to the Father, Jesus gives a lengthy instruction to his disciples,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Acts, Matthias was chosen by lot to replace Judas in the apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away (1:26). Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to the high priest and bought a parcel of land with his wages. He met a tragic end when he fell headlong. This is another story of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY More than the other evangelists, John underlines Jesus’ intimacy with the Father. He declares in today’s Gospel: “I am not alone, because the Father is with me” ( v 32). Jesus is not spared of abandonment. His followers would leave him at certain points in his ministry. At...
BETTER DAYS The Pulitzer Prizes are considered among the most prestigious, if not the most prestigious awards for the fields of journalism, books, drama and music. This year we saw three Filipinas who were among the finalists of the Pulitzer for journalism: New York Times contributor Hannah Reyes...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs...
RELECTIONS TODAY The name is not simply a word or set of words by which a person is known, addressed, or referred to. The name represents the very person of the bearer. In the Old Testament, out of respect for the divine name, the name of the Lord God (Yhwh) is not pronounced, and God is given...
