REFLECTIONS TODAY Mt 3:1-12 In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus’ compassion. The word “compassion” comes from Latin which means “to suffer with.” In the Gospel, Jesus’ heart is moved with pity or compassion upon seeing the people harassed and helpless. The Greek verb used is splangchnizomai, which...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Light, salvation, and faith are inseparable. Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus’ healing of the two blind men. Jesus tells them that the healing will be done for them according to their faith. The Greek verb genethētō, which means “let it be done,” is used. It is in the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel speaks not only of correct teaching, but also of correct practice. The Gospel passage ends the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5–7. It is in these three chapters that the teachings of Jesus on discipleship can be found. Today’s Gospel clearly states that...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Andrew is one of the first four to be called by Jesus; he is the brother of Simon Peter. Like Simon, he is a fisherman. The Gospel of John indicates that he was first a disciple of John the Baptist (1:35-51). After John the Baptist introduces him and another disciple to Jesus, he...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In his poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Alfred Lord Tennyson writes something about the military command even in blunder: “Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death, rode the six hundred.” In the military...
REFLECTIONS TODAY MATTHEW 24:37-44 Many people believe that the occurrence of natural and man-made calamities, like earthquakes, big floods, volcanic eruptions, pandemics, kidnappings, terrorism, and rebellions, are signs of the end-times and the imminence of God’s judgment of the world. But in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Life has been difficult for many people since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many plans had been aborted and many were brokenhearted. We grieved over the loss of people closest to us who had died because of the virus. Many young people, especially those unable to attend...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus uses apocalyptic language as he speaks to his disciples about the end time. Apocalypse refers to the revelation of the end of the world. Usually, the end of the world is understood by many people as doomsday. Every generation that experiences calamities, whether natural or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus speaks of the end-time as marked by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. These heavenly bodies were considered divinities by pagans. There will be upheavals in the heavens and in the sea, characterized by “the roaring of the sea and the waves.” These refer to upheavals...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Ahead of time, Jesus saw clearly the suffering that would be endured by the early believers. When Christianity had started to spread and the number of believers had increased, Christians were considered a threat to both the Jewish and Roman religions and were persecuted. The Roman...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel begins with the narration of how the Jews gape in wonder and amazement over the precious stones and offerings in the Temple. Suddenly Jesus speaks and predicts the destruction of the Temple. The Jews are naturally aghast, since to them the destruction of the Temple is...
