REFLECTIONS TODAY David’s reign around 1000 BC was considered the greatest period in Israel’s history. It was not only a time of power and glory, but also of justice and righteousness in the land. David was associated with goodness, power, protection, and righteousness. This ideal time would be...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Scriptures, God is often referred to as the “Rock” (Hebrew kepha, Greek petra). Rock signifies solidity and strength. It holds firm the house or any other structure. When referring to a person, he is someone to rely on, one who is true to his promise. God is “the Rock,”...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus goes up on the mountain and begins to teach the people about the Kingdom of God. Alluding to the scenario from the prophetic tradition, Jesus gathers the scattered children of Israel on the mountain, representing Zion, God’s holy mountain, where God will feed his flock...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jews looked down on the Gentiles (pagans) as idolaters and licentious people. In the words of Paul, idolaters exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or animals, and God has abandoned them over to degrading passion (Rom 1:23-...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Advent (from Latin adventus, “coming”) reminds us of three great “arrivals.” The first is the coming of Christ with his birth in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. The second is the coming of Christ at the end of time which we call the Parousia (“coming” or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY It is quite interesting that among those whom Jesus called to be his closest followers were brothers like James and John, sons of Zebedee, and Simon Peter and Andrew from Bethsaida. Today, we celebrate the feast of the last named Apostle. Peter (formerly Cephas), in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Words are often seen as inferior to actions. “Actions speak louder than words,” we are always being reminded of. Indeed, words can be uttered gratuitously, that is, without any grounding, weight, or basis, just like big but often empty promises at elections. But this is not...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Our Gospel alludes to the fall of Jerusalem into the hands of the forces of evil. This seeming defeat of the Holy City could engender fear and hopelessness. But the complete story — as mirrored in the book of Revelation — is that God will overcome all these evil forces...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Awaiting the Lord’s return and taking seriously our following of Jesus may lead us into persecution and hardships. Our Lord’s life attested to this: He was always challenged and harassed by His opponents who either doubted or altogether refused to accept Him. Even in our...
REFLECTIONS TODAY What is to be our attitude as we await the second coming of the Lord? Certainly, we cannot worry about it every day; otherwise, we cannot go on with our daily lives. On the other hand, we also cannot simply dismiss it from our consciousness; otherwise, we fall into...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Offerings at Mass are opportunities to share in the realization of programs and projects of the parish/diocese. There is no pressure or obligation to do it, but certainly they are necessary for the growth of our Christian communities. God continually endows us with his...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • John 18:33b-37 Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What...
