REFLECTIONS TODAY According to the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus’ noncompliance with the Sabbath rest is proof that he is not a man from God. Jesus disputes this accusation by giving a deeper meaning to the Sabbath. Jesus claims to be “lord even of the sabbath” (Mk 2:28) and, as the Divine...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Hebrew term shabbath means “to cease or to rest.” The Sabbath signifies the apex of God’s creation. God blessed and sanctified the seventh day and made it holy (Gn 2:2-3). For Israel—and for all mankind—it is a rest day to reflect on God’s work as Creator, to give...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Dalmanutha, the Pharisees argue with Jesus. They might have heard of his miracles as well as his teachings and lately his feeding of the 4,000 men, and yet they still demand another miracle which must be more spectacular. Jesus refuses to give in to their demand. They are not...
BETTER DAYS It is not that often that a country is given an opportunity to take part in an event that has a global following and one that has the potential to reap huge benefits for the host. In 2023, we were fortunate to have been selected as one of three countries, alongside Japan and Indonesia,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mk 1:40—45 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Satisfied. Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God is wholistic. He desires the total liberation of the person. He is not only concerned about spiritual needs but also bodily needs. The people have been listening to his words for three days now and have run out of food....
REFLECTIONS TODAY From the district of Tyre, in Lebanon, Jesus goes back to the shores of Galilee, in particular to the district of Decapolis (Ten Cities), east of the Jordan River. Upon arrival, the people, like the Syro-Phoenician woman, beg Jesus to lay his hand on the deaf-mute to cure...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After being challenged in Gennesaret by the Pharisees and their scribes from Jerusalem, Jesus resumes teaching the crowd when he gets home in Capernaum. His topic is connected with the issue raised by his hostile visitors from Jerusalem. What defiles a person is not what he eats,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 7:1-13 When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After feeding the 5,000 men and walking on the water to catch up with his disciples whom he sent ahead of him, Jesus becomes so popular. Upon disembarking in Gennesaret, southwest of Capernaum, Jesus starts preaching. People recognize him wherever he goes. They bring to him their...
BETTER DAYS The results of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)—the comparative survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the academic performance, skills, and knowledge of 15-year-old students across countries—were...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her...
