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God's Message For You Today
- Thread starter kerstinne25
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4 February
Friday
just like me
Let mutual love continue. – Hebrews 13:1
Paulo Coehlo, a famous Brazilian author, wrote about love in his book, The Zahir.
Suppose there are two firemen who went into a forest to put out a small fire. Afterward, when they emerge and go over to a stream, the face of one is all smeared with black, while the other man’s face is completely clean.
Which of the two will wash his face? Normally, we would say: the one with the dirty face.
Coehlo disagrees. He thinks the one with the dirty face will look at the other man and assume that he is looking at him. Oddly enough, the man with the clean face will see his colleague covered in grime and will think his face is dirty, too, and will need a wash.
Too often we mistake our loved ones to be an extension of ourselves. We fail to recognize them for who and what they are.
Remember the scripts? You are my refuge. You have a beautiful soul.
And when we find out that the other is just as flawed as we are, we leave them and the relationship crashes.Red Cerrer ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
True love happens when we have found our life purpose. Only then can we love others enough to allow them to live theirs.
Father, teach us how to love.
-----------
1st READING
God is present to us in every person we meet. It is certain, then, that when we entertain anyone, we are entertaining not just angels but God Himself. This should be a sobering thought as we reflect upon the way we speak about one another and treat one another! Let us seek to recognize the face of Jesus in all whom we meet so that we will never be guilty of rejecting God or failing to respect His presence in our lives through the ministry of our neighbor.
Hebrews 13:1-8
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. 3 Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. 5 Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” 6 Thus we may say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper, [and] I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” 7 Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
P S A L M
Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9
R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. (R) 5 For he will hide me in his abode in the day of trouble; he will conceal me in the shelter of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. (R) 8 Your presence, O LORD, I seek. 9 Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off. (R)
G O S P E L
This story goes to show how jealousy can lead to very evil actions. Herodias’ actions have nothing redemptive in them – they are purely evil. This reminds us to be careful of tolerating sin in our lives. The problem here began with lust – Herodias transferring her affections from Philip to Herod. In tolerating her first affection for Herod she has been led by the devil down a path from where it is very difficult to turn – namely murder! Let us never allow this to happen to us.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 6:14-29
14 King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” 17 Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
my reflections
t h i n k : God is present to us in every person we meet.
----------------
GHOST
I believe in ghosts but I still have to see one. Ghosts are spirits. I believe in the existence of spirits; therefore, I believe in ghosts. But, again, I have yet to see one.
In today’s Gospel, King Herod saw his ghost in the person of John the Baptist. Victim of his own foolish pride — for he did not want to take back the oath he swore to Herodias’s daughter — Herod could not do any better than have the Baptist beheaded in prison. He did it even if he was convinced that John was a holy man of God.
We have ghosts, too. We commit mistakes. We blunder. We sin. We are too often victims of our own foolishness and pride. We create our own ghosts. And they are very real.
Some people say they are not afraid of ghosts, but all people are disturbed by their ghosts. What is the antidote? First, acknowledge your mistake. Accepting guilt is the first step to courageously facing your ghost. Refusal to do so only makes your ghost run after you.
Second, be sincerely sorry for your foolishness and pride that led you to commit such a blunder or sin. Befriending your ghost begins with the humility of saying sorry and meaning it well. Accepting your guilt without contrition only makes a monster out of your ghost.
Third, amend and restitute. Resolve not to do again the wrong you have done, but this is never enough. You have to make it right.
We all have ghosts in life. Many of them come from our past. They are parts of who we are. But there is much reason to befriend them and grow unto the person we are meant to be: sinners yet loved.
Charles Dickenson’s A Christmas Story tells about three ghosts: the ghost of the distant past, of the present, and of the future. The main character of the story went through a lot of shuddering experiences, but in the end befriended his ghosts. When the story closes, he was a very much different man — the best he could ever be. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What are my ghosts? How should I befriend them?
O God, no one is perfect but You alone. I confess my guilt: I sin, I make mistakes, I commit blunders. I can be too foolish and proud that I myself create the ghosts I ran away from in fear. Forgive me and heal me. Help me amend my life and set aright whatever and whoever I have wronged. Amen.
St. Rembert, pray for us.
Friday
just like me
Let mutual love continue. – Hebrews 13:1
Paulo Coehlo, a famous Brazilian author, wrote about love in his book, The Zahir.
Suppose there are two firemen who went into a forest to put out a small fire. Afterward, when they emerge and go over to a stream, the face of one is all smeared with black, while the other man’s face is completely clean.
Which of the two will wash his face? Normally, we would say: the one with the dirty face.
Coehlo disagrees. He thinks the one with the dirty face will look at the other man and assume that he is looking at him. Oddly enough, the man with the clean face will see his colleague covered in grime and will think his face is dirty, too, and will need a wash.
Too often we mistake our loved ones to be an extension of ourselves. We fail to recognize them for who and what they are.
Remember the scripts? You are my refuge. You have a beautiful soul.
And when we find out that the other is just as flawed as we are, we leave them and the relationship crashes.Red Cerrer ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
True love happens when we have found our life purpose. Only then can we love others enough to allow them to live theirs.
Father, teach us how to love.
-----------
1st READING
God is present to us in every person we meet. It is certain, then, that when we entertain anyone, we are entertaining not just angels but God Himself. This should be a sobering thought as we reflect upon the way we speak about one another and treat one another! Let us seek to recognize the face of Jesus in all whom we meet so that we will never be guilty of rejecting God or failing to respect His presence in our lives through the ministry of our neighbor.
Hebrews 13:1-8
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. 3 Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. 5 Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” 6 Thus we may say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper, [and] I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” 7 Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
P S A L M
Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9
R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. (R) 5 For he will hide me in his abode in the day of trouble; he will conceal me in the shelter of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. (R) 8 Your presence, O LORD, I seek. 9 Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off. (R)
G O S P E L
This story goes to show how jealousy can lead to very evil actions. Herodias’ actions have nothing redemptive in them – they are purely evil. This reminds us to be careful of tolerating sin in our lives. The problem here began with lust – Herodias transferring her affections from Philip to Herod. In tolerating her first affection for Herod she has been led by the devil down a path from where it is very difficult to turn – namely murder! Let us never allow this to happen to us.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 6:14-29
14 King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” 17 Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
my reflections
t h i n k : God is present to us in every person we meet.
----------------
GHOST
I believe in ghosts but I still have to see one. Ghosts are spirits. I believe in the existence of spirits; therefore, I believe in ghosts. But, again, I have yet to see one.
In today’s Gospel, King Herod saw his ghost in the person of John the Baptist. Victim of his own foolish pride — for he did not want to take back the oath he swore to Herodias’s daughter — Herod could not do any better than have the Baptist beheaded in prison. He did it even if he was convinced that John was a holy man of God.
We have ghosts, too. We commit mistakes. We blunder. We sin. We are too often victims of our own foolishness and pride. We create our own ghosts. And they are very real.
Some people say they are not afraid of ghosts, but all people are disturbed by their ghosts. What is the antidote? First, acknowledge your mistake. Accepting guilt is the first step to courageously facing your ghost. Refusal to do so only makes your ghost run after you.
Second, be sincerely sorry for your foolishness and pride that led you to commit such a blunder or sin. Befriending your ghost begins with the humility of saying sorry and meaning it well. Accepting your guilt without contrition only makes a monster out of your ghost.
Third, amend and restitute. Resolve not to do again the wrong you have done, but this is never enough. You have to make it right.
We all have ghosts in life. Many of them come from our past. They are parts of who we are. But there is much reason to befriend them and grow unto the person we are meant to be: sinners yet loved.
Charles Dickenson’s A Christmas Story tells about three ghosts: the ghost of the distant past, of the present, and of the future. The main character of the story went through a lot of shuddering experiences, but in the end befriended his ghosts. When the story closes, he was a very much different man — the best he could ever be. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What are my ghosts? How should I befriend them?
O God, no one is perfect but You alone. I confess my guilt: I sin, I make mistakes, I commit blunders. I can be too foolish and proud that I myself create the ghosts I ran away from in fear. Forgive me and heal me. Help me amend my life and set aright whatever and whoever I have wronged. Amen.
St. Rembert, pray for us.
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- 875
- Reaction score
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5
February
Saturday
REST
He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place and rest a while.” – Mark 6: 31
In 1999, Jesus advised me to slow down in my efforts to evangelize through a mistaken finding of a past heart attack. I asked Him why. The answer came from a homily of a priest who said Mass at the Department of Foreign Affairs. “God says, ‘If you are too tired for yourself, then you are too tired for me.’” Jesus’ loving advice above was addressed to the Apostles after they came back from their missions. The group reported all they had done and taught.
The Teacher must have seen and felt how tired they were from walking and preaching. Still, more people were coming and going in great numbers to them. Unable to eat, they had to go off on a boat in order to do so. We who try to follow the greatest commission of bringing the Good News to the ends of the earth are the modern-day apostles.
Then and now, be sure that Jesus is telling us, “Hey guys! I know you love me and you sure are trying to follow my request to bring others to the Father. Remember, though, you are only human. Please take care of yourselves so you can bring more souls to me.”Grace Princesa ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do you give as much importance to rest as you do to your work?
Dear Lord, may I always remember that homily. You don’t want me to burn out in a quick burst of fire but be a steady flame ready for my pilgrimage to the ends of the earth as Ambassador for Christ and country.
------------
1st READING
Sharing is essential to the life of any community. If people refuse to share their blessings with one another, the community, as well as the individuals in it, will be impoverished. Let us never fall into this sort of a trap. Let us err on the side of generosity and choose to experience personal deprivation to a small degree rather than fall into the sin of selfishness and greed.
Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21
15 Brothers and sisters: Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind. 17 Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you. 20 May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, 21 furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
P S A L M
Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus specifically calls His apostles away from the crowds to rest. Some people are truly energized by crowds, yet even they need time to stop, rest and reflect. Busyness is the greatest enemy of effective ministry. If we are always too busy to pray, where is our spiritual strength coming from? Wherever it is, it will not take too long to exhaust oneself. Reflection and rest not only give our physical bodies time to recuperate, they will also help to reveal to us the reason why we give ourselves to the work of the Gospel.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 6:30-34
30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33 People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. 34 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
my reflections
t h i n k : Reflection and rest not only give our physical bodies time to recuperate, they will also help to reveal to us the reason why we give ourselves to the work of the Gospel.
--------------
TEARS FOR A MARTYR, A LIFE WORTH THE TEAR
We do not know exactly when St. Agatha was born. But we know that she was martyred in Catania (the present-day Sicily in Italy) in the year 251 A.D., probably under the rule of the Emperor Decius.
We also know very little about her life. We know, however, that Agatha was a Roman citizen who belonged to the early Christian community. The pagans, whose sexual advances she refused, severed her breasts from her body. St. Agatha is a virgin martyr.
We know little about the lives of countless martyrs of the Church. Many of them are remembered in places where they were born, where they lived and died as martyrs. Still some of them are known only to their descendants. But most of them, we know only by name individually or as a group. These countless martyrs shed their blood for the Lord and, today, we enjoy the faith they preserved by their martyrdom.
When one stands inside a catacomb, he cannot help but be overwhelmed by the remains of the Christian martyrs venerated there. The feeling of awe can move one to tears for both gratitude and shame: gratitude for the martyrs who planted the seeds of faith in our hearts, and shame for the lukewarm and mediocrity that may infect the faith of a present-day Christian.
We, too, are called to martyrdom. Unlike St. Agatha’s, our martyrdom may not be about dying but about living. After all, martyrion, the Greek origin of the English word “martyrdom” simply means “witness.” Living speaks as loud as dying when witnessing is called for. One does not simply die a martyr; rather, one dies a martyr’s death because the martyr has first lived a martyr’s life.
When we die, people may cry. But when they cry, may their tears be tears of gratitude for the kind of lives we lived, and not tears of shame for how we have lived.
We are martyrs. Some of us are gifted with dying for the faith. But all of us are called to live for it. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What kind of a martyr am I?
Jesus, I love you. Make me a martyr for You even now as I live my daily life. Make me a shining witness to You in the world. And when the call of death arrives, let my response to it be my final act of giving witness to You as well. Amen.
St. Avitus of Vienne, pray for us.
February
Saturday
REST
He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place and rest a while.” – Mark 6: 31
In 1999, Jesus advised me to slow down in my efforts to evangelize through a mistaken finding of a past heart attack. I asked Him why. The answer came from a homily of a priest who said Mass at the Department of Foreign Affairs. “God says, ‘If you are too tired for yourself, then you are too tired for me.’” Jesus’ loving advice above was addressed to the Apostles after they came back from their missions. The group reported all they had done and taught.
The Teacher must have seen and felt how tired they were from walking and preaching. Still, more people were coming and going in great numbers to them. Unable to eat, they had to go off on a boat in order to do so. We who try to follow the greatest commission of bringing the Good News to the ends of the earth are the modern-day apostles.
Then and now, be sure that Jesus is telling us, “Hey guys! I know you love me and you sure are trying to follow my request to bring others to the Father. Remember, though, you are only human. Please take care of yourselves so you can bring more souls to me.”Grace Princesa ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do you give as much importance to rest as you do to your work?
Dear Lord, may I always remember that homily. You don’t want me to burn out in a quick burst of fire but be a steady flame ready for my pilgrimage to the ends of the earth as Ambassador for Christ and country.
------------
1st READING
Sharing is essential to the life of any community. If people refuse to share their blessings with one another, the community, as well as the individuals in it, will be impoverished. Let us never fall into this sort of a trap. Let us err on the side of generosity and choose to experience personal deprivation to a small degree rather than fall into the sin of selfishness and greed.
Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21
15 Brothers and sisters: Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind. 17 Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you. 20 May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, 21 furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
P S A L M
Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus specifically calls His apostles away from the crowds to rest. Some people are truly energized by crowds, yet even they need time to stop, rest and reflect. Busyness is the greatest enemy of effective ministry. If we are always too busy to pray, where is our spiritual strength coming from? Wherever it is, it will not take too long to exhaust oneself. Reflection and rest not only give our physical bodies time to recuperate, they will also help to reveal to us the reason why we give ourselves to the work of the Gospel.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 6:30-34
30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33 People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. 34 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
my reflections
t h i n k : Reflection and rest not only give our physical bodies time to recuperate, they will also help to reveal to us the reason why we give ourselves to the work of the Gospel.
--------------
TEARS FOR A MARTYR, A LIFE WORTH THE TEAR
We do not know exactly when St. Agatha was born. But we know that she was martyred in Catania (the present-day Sicily in Italy) in the year 251 A.D., probably under the rule of the Emperor Decius.
We also know very little about her life. We know, however, that Agatha was a Roman citizen who belonged to the early Christian community. The pagans, whose sexual advances she refused, severed her breasts from her body. St. Agatha is a virgin martyr.
We know little about the lives of countless martyrs of the Church. Many of them are remembered in places where they were born, where they lived and died as martyrs. Still some of them are known only to their descendants. But most of them, we know only by name individually or as a group. These countless martyrs shed their blood for the Lord and, today, we enjoy the faith they preserved by their martyrdom.
When one stands inside a catacomb, he cannot help but be overwhelmed by the remains of the Christian martyrs venerated there. The feeling of awe can move one to tears for both gratitude and shame: gratitude for the martyrs who planted the seeds of faith in our hearts, and shame for the lukewarm and mediocrity that may infect the faith of a present-day Christian.
We, too, are called to martyrdom. Unlike St. Agatha’s, our martyrdom may not be about dying but about living. After all, martyrion, the Greek origin of the English word “martyrdom” simply means “witness.” Living speaks as loud as dying when witnessing is called for. One does not simply die a martyr; rather, one dies a martyr’s death because the martyr has first lived a martyr’s life.
When we die, people may cry. But when they cry, may their tears be tears of gratitude for the kind of lives we lived, and not tears of shame for how we have lived.
We are martyrs. Some of us are gifted with dying for the faith. But all of us are called to live for it. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What kind of a martyr am I?
Jesus, I love you. Make me a martyr for You even now as I live my daily life. Make me a shining witness to You in the world. And when the call of death arrives, let my response to it be my final act of giving witness to You as well. Amen.
St. Avitus of Vienne, pray for us.
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- Reaction score
- 1
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- Thread Starter
- #525
6 February
Sunday
The Magic of BEC
And your wound shall quickly be healed. – Isaiah 58:8
Couples A and B were next-door neighbors. They used to be very good friends but a slight misunderstanding led to a cold war that lasted for years.
Then a BEC (Basic Ecclesial Community) was formed in their neighborhood. Not knowing what it would entail, these neighbours enlisted and became part of one group.
During the initial meetings, only the wives were talking to each other. Their husbands ignored each other. They participated in activities but totally avoided interacting with one another. This went on for months.
Then the group agreed to rotate the venue of their meetings in their homes. When the meeting was scheduled in Couple A’s house, the other members prayed that Couple B would come and that a healing of their strained relationship would happen. They believed that God was at work in their group.
On the day itself, the members trooped to Couple A’s house. And what do you know — Couple B came and Couple A welcomed them, with tight hugs and flowing tears. Their wounds were healed.
That’s one of the magic of BEC — God in the center of neighborhood relationships. Join one now!Tess V. Atienza ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What’s preventing you from exposing your wound to the healing grace of God?
Our Mighty Healer, You know our inmost wounds. Penetrate them with Your grace and heal our entire being.
------------
1st READING
For our witness to the Gospel to have power, we must live lives of integrity and commitment to the truth. If there is one thing that even a child finds easy to discern, it is whether or not a person has integrity. We tend to listen to and respect people of integrity. Let us seek to be true to our faith and all that the Church calls us to live so that when people witness our lives, they will be drawn to a life of commitment to Jesus as well.
Isaiah 58:7-10
7 Thus says the LORD: Share your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; 10 if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
P S A L M
Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. (R) 6 He shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. (R) 8 His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear. 9 Lavishly he gives to the poor; his justice shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. (R)
2nd READING
The Gospel, precisely because it is the truth, has an innate power when proclaimed through the witness of our lives. If only Catholics were better informed of their faith and more willing to live a sacrificial life, then, transformation of society would become a real possibility as it would be truth that will guide the changes and this is where the real power for change is! Let us pray for the grace to be faithful to God’s call upon our lives.
1Corinthians 2:1-5
1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive [words of] wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
G O S P E L
The Christian lifestyle is never conformed to that of the world. The basis for the way we live is rooted in the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. It is only when we adhere to these that we will truly be the evangelical leaven we are supposed to be in society. Only then will we truly live out the purpose for which we have been created, namely to love God and others with our whole mind, heart and soul.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Matthew 5:13-16
13 Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. 16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us seek to be true to our faith and all that the Church calls us to live so that when people witness our lives, they will be drawn to a life of commitment to Jesus as well.
------------
OF SALT AND LIGHT
The Gospel today comes from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. The highlight of this sermon is the Beatitudes, revealing not only the secret to true happiness but also who among us all is truly happy.
Happiness is like the salt. It purifies, preserves and gives flavor. Happiness purifies our motives. For how can anyone be happy over something evil? Happiness for sin is not happiness — it is evil in itself. Happiness preserves our sanity. Those who are tremendously deprived of happiness are sick people. They are called melancholic.
Life is about striving to be happy, and keeping the balance between joy and sorrow spells human growth. As salt brings out the essential qualities of every ingredient in a dish, so too does happiness enhance the essence of every human experience.
But like salt, happiness, too, can lose its taste. When happiness pollutes our mind, destroys our spirit, and robs us of our values, happiness becomes a poison; it kills.
Happiness is like the light. It brightens, warms, and shows the way. A happy person has a positive disposition in life. He also has a warm personality such that people are naturally attracted to him in the right way. Because of his positive disposition in life and his innate warm personality, a happy person is always the best guide to follow. Happiness should be one requirement for a leader. An unhappy person usually leads people astray.
But just like the light, happiness, too, can dim or even totally lose its brightness. When happiness clouds our ability to think well, manipulates people rather than make them grow, and misleads, a person experiences “brownout,” not happiness. That is dangerous.
From time immemorial, people are searching for happiness. Sadly, from time immemorial, too, people have fallen into the pit of false happiness. Jesus alone can give us true happiness.
Those who have Jesus for their joy grow from being mere disciples unto apostles of joy and joyful apostles.Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Am I truly happy?
O Jesus, my true Joy, may I never be separated from You. May I grow in You and become an apostle of joy and a joyful apostle. Let me be like the salt and the light that bring true happiness in the world. Amen.
St. Tanco, pray for us.
Sunday
The Magic of BEC
And your wound shall quickly be healed. – Isaiah 58:8
Couples A and B were next-door neighbors. They used to be very good friends but a slight misunderstanding led to a cold war that lasted for years.
Then a BEC (Basic Ecclesial Community) was formed in their neighborhood. Not knowing what it would entail, these neighbours enlisted and became part of one group.
During the initial meetings, only the wives were talking to each other. Their husbands ignored each other. They participated in activities but totally avoided interacting with one another. This went on for months.
Then the group agreed to rotate the venue of their meetings in their homes. When the meeting was scheduled in Couple A’s house, the other members prayed that Couple B would come and that a healing of their strained relationship would happen. They believed that God was at work in their group.
On the day itself, the members trooped to Couple A’s house. And what do you know — Couple B came and Couple A welcomed them, with tight hugs and flowing tears. Their wounds were healed.
That’s one of the magic of BEC — God in the center of neighborhood relationships. Join one now!Tess V. Atienza ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What’s preventing you from exposing your wound to the healing grace of God?
Our Mighty Healer, You know our inmost wounds. Penetrate them with Your grace and heal our entire being.
------------
1st READING
For our witness to the Gospel to have power, we must live lives of integrity and commitment to the truth. If there is one thing that even a child finds easy to discern, it is whether or not a person has integrity. We tend to listen to and respect people of integrity. Let us seek to be true to our faith and all that the Church calls us to live so that when people witness our lives, they will be drawn to a life of commitment to Jesus as well.
Isaiah 58:7-10
7 Thus says the LORD: Share your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; 10 if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
P S A L M
Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. (R) 6 He shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. (R) 8 His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear. 9 Lavishly he gives to the poor; his justice shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. (R)
2nd READING
The Gospel, precisely because it is the truth, has an innate power when proclaimed through the witness of our lives. If only Catholics were better informed of their faith and more willing to live a sacrificial life, then, transformation of society would become a real possibility as it would be truth that will guide the changes and this is where the real power for change is! Let us pray for the grace to be faithful to God’s call upon our lives.
1Corinthians 2:1-5
1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive [words of] wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
G O S P E L
The Christian lifestyle is never conformed to that of the world. The basis for the way we live is rooted in the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. It is only when we adhere to these that we will truly be the evangelical leaven we are supposed to be in society. Only then will we truly live out the purpose for which we have been created, namely to love God and others with our whole mind, heart and soul.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Matthew 5:13-16
13 Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. 16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us seek to be true to our faith and all that the Church calls us to live so that when people witness our lives, they will be drawn to a life of commitment to Jesus as well.
------------
OF SALT AND LIGHT
The Gospel today comes from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. The highlight of this sermon is the Beatitudes, revealing not only the secret to true happiness but also who among us all is truly happy.
Happiness is like the salt. It purifies, preserves and gives flavor. Happiness purifies our motives. For how can anyone be happy over something evil? Happiness for sin is not happiness — it is evil in itself. Happiness preserves our sanity. Those who are tremendously deprived of happiness are sick people. They are called melancholic.
Life is about striving to be happy, and keeping the balance between joy and sorrow spells human growth. As salt brings out the essential qualities of every ingredient in a dish, so too does happiness enhance the essence of every human experience.
But like salt, happiness, too, can lose its taste. When happiness pollutes our mind, destroys our spirit, and robs us of our values, happiness becomes a poison; it kills.
Happiness is like the light. It brightens, warms, and shows the way. A happy person has a positive disposition in life. He also has a warm personality such that people are naturally attracted to him in the right way. Because of his positive disposition in life and his innate warm personality, a happy person is always the best guide to follow. Happiness should be one requirement for a leader. An unhappy person usually leads people astray.
But just like the light, happiness, too, can dim or even totally lose its brightness. When happiness clouds our ability to think well, manipulates people rather than make them grow, and misleads, a person experiences “brownout,” not happiness. That is dangerous.
From time immemorial, people are searching for happiness. Sadly, from time immemorial, too, people have fallen into the pit of false happiness. Jesus alone can give us true happiness.
Those who have Jesus for their joy grow from being mere disciples unto apostles of joy and joyful apostles.Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Am I truly happy?
O Jesus, my true Joy, may I never be separated from You. May I grow in You and become an apostle of joy and a joyful apostle. Let me be like the salt and the light that bring true happiness in the world. Amen.
St. Tanco, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #526
7 February
Monday
our words, our reality
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ – and light appeared.” – Genesis 1: 3
God created the universe using words. He says it and it happens. Do you know that God shared this awesome power to us human beings? Yes, our words become our reality.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and scientist, did experiments on the power of words on water. He would talk to water droplets and the resulting frozen crystals reacted. Positive words resulted to beautiful crystal formations. Negative words caused ugly crystal images. He even did the same thing to rice — even using written words. I’m sure you must have heard of gardeners talking to plants and getting similar results.
If words could do this to things, imagine what it can do to people you speak to and to you who speak them!
Imagine how your mind, emotions, body and spirit would react to a bombardment of negative and depressing thoughts and words every day. It will create an ugly world — an ugly you!
Now try to declare and proclaim positive and great things in your life every day. Then see how wonderful your world and you become! Say it!Alvin Barcelona ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What words have you been telling yourself and others in the past days, weeks, months or years? Are they life-giving? Are they creating a wonderful world for you and for others?
This is the day that the Lord has made! Blessing and miracles await me. Amen.
----------
1st READING
God creates out of nothing. One of the questions the scientists will never be able to answer is how in fact there is matter in the first place. Where did all the matter come from? By faith we believe that God created all things through His Word and this is the basis of our belief in the power of the Word of God to bring change to our lives. If God speaks, then it will happen according to His Word.
Genesis 1:1-19
1 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed — the first day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened: 7 God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. 8 God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed — the second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. 10 God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: 12 the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. 13 Evening came, and morning followed — the third day. 14 Then God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, 15 and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: 16 God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. 19 Evening came, and morning followed — the fourth day.
P S A L M
Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35
R: May the Lord be glad in his works.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, 2 robed in light as with a cloak. (R) 5 You fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever; 6 with the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; above the mountains the waters stood. (R) 10 You sent forth springs into the watercourses that wind among the mountains. 12 Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; from among the branches they send forth their song. (R) 24 How manifold are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all — the earth is full of your creatures. 35 Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia. (R)
G O S P E L
We are told that Jesus has become a household name through the region because of His ministry. There were usually plenty of prophets and preachers around Israel so that one who stands out as Jesus did must have been truly different. We know why – He is the Son of God, the Messiah for whom Israel has been waiting nearly 2,000 years. Let us believe in the miracles of Jesus as they speak to us of His divinity. As such let us entrust our lives to Him who exercises the power of God so benevolently.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 6:53-56
53 After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. 54 As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. 55 They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us entrust our lives to Him who exercises the power of God so benevolently.
--------------
TOUCH ME — YES!
Touch is one of our basic human faculties — too basic that we need not be taught how to use it. We need, however, to learn what and what not to touch, whom and whom we should set our hands on.
I remember a story from my childhood days, about a moth that disobeyed its mother. Despite its mother’s warning, the young moth simply could not resist the alluring light from the burning lamp so that it went too close to the flame. Too late for the young moth to learn its lesson: it burned itself to death.
The people in the Gospel today wanted to touch even just the end of Jesus’ cloak. They learned whom to touch: Jesus. They learned how to touch Him: with faith. And many of them were healed. Clearly, Jesus heals not only by touching people but also by allowing people to touch Him, even just the end of His garment.
To touch someone is easier for me than to allow someone to touch me. When I touch someone, I am in control; I can choose whom to touch. When I allow anyone to touch me, however, I lose control; I am no longer in command. To touch is power. To be touched is vulnerability.
Jesus allowed Himself to be vulnerable. That is precisely how He saved us: “By His wounds we have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). He did not only touch us. He allowed us to touch Him. And by touching Him with real faith we are healed.
After celebrating a Mass, especially on Sundays, people would crowd around me to kiss my hand or to simply touch it. I confess, many times I feel harassed but I never send anyone away. I have accepted that part of my ministry as an alter Christus(another Christ) is to allow people to touch me with the faith that, unworthy though I am, I may bring upon them the healing they pray for.
One Sunday, when the crowd thinned, I saw a little girl run toward me. She was not contented with kissing or touching my hand. She hugged me, saying, “Father!” I was close to tears. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Do I allow others to touch me? Why? Why not?
Father God, You allow us to touch You through Jesus Your Son. He emptied Himself and became one like us in all things but sin. In our desire to be like Jesus, grant us the grace to allow others to touch us and the privilege of becoming instruments of Your healing power. Amen.
Blessed Rizzerio, pray for us.
Monday
our words, our reality
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ – and light appeared.” – Genesis 1: 3
God created the universe using words. He says it and it happens. Do you know that God shared this awesome power to us human beings? Yes, our words become our reality.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and scientist, did experiments on the power of words on water. He would talk to water droplets and the resulting frozen crystals reacted. Positive words resulted to beautiful crystal formations. Negative words caused ugly crystal images. He even did the same thing to rice — even using written words. I’m sure you must have heard of gardeners talking to plants and getting similar results.
If words could do this to things, imagine what it can do to people you speak to and to you who speak them!
Imagine how your mind, emotions, body and spirit would react to a bombardment of negative and depressing thoughts and words every day. It will create an ugly world — an ugly you!
Now try to declare and proclaim positive and great things in your life every day. Then see how wonderful your world and you become! Say it!Alvin Barcelona ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What words have you been telling yourself and others in the past days, weeks, months or years? Are they life-giving? Are they creating a wonderful world for you and for others?
This is the day that the Lord has made! Blessing and miracles await me. Amen.
----------
1st READING
God creates out of nothing. One of the questions the scientists will never be able to answer is how in fact there is matter in the first place. Where did all the matter come from? By faith we believe that God created all things through His Word and this is the basis of our belief in the power of the Word of God to bring change to our lives. If God speaks, then it will happen according to His Word.
Genesis 1:1-19
1 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed — the first day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened: 7 God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. 8 God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed — the second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. 10 God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: 12 the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. 13 Evening came, and morning followed — the third day. 14 Then God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, 15 and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: 16 God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. 19 Evening came, and morning followed — the fourth day.
P S A L M
Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35
R: May the Lord be glad in his works.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, 2 robed in light as with a cloak. (R) 5 You fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever; 6 with the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; above the mountains the waters stood. (R) 10 You sent forth springs into the watercourses that wind among the mountains. 12 Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; from among the branches they send forth their song. (R) 24 How manifold are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all — the earth is full of your creatures. 35 Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia. (R)
G O S P E L
We are told that Jesus has become a household name through the region because of His ministry. There were usually plenty of prophets and preachers around Israel so that one who stands out as Jesus did must have been truly different. We know why – He is the Son of God, the Messiah for whom Israel has been waiting nearly 2,000 years. Let us believe in the miracles of Jesus as they speak to us of His divinity. As such let us entrust our lives to Him who exercises the power of God so benevolently.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 6:53-56
53 After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. 54 As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. 55 They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us entrust our lives to Him who exercises the power of God so benevolently.
--------------
TOUCH ME — YES!
Touch is one of our basic human faculties — too basic that we need not be taught how to use it. We need, however, to learn what and what not to touch, whom and whom we should set our hands on.
I remember a story from my childhood days, about a moth that disobeyed its mother. Despite its mother’s warning, the young moth simply could not resist the alluring light from the burning lamp so that it went too close to the flame. Too late for the young moth to learn its lesson: it burned itself to death.
The people in the Gospel today wanted to touch even just the end of Jesus’ cloak. They learned whom to touch: Jesus. They learned how to touch Him: with faith. And many of them were healed. Clearly, Jesus heals not only by touching people but also by allowing people to touch Him, even just the end of His garment.
To touch someone is easier for me than to allow someone to touch me. When I touch someone, I am in control; I can choose whom to touch. When I allow anyone to touch me, however, I lose control; I am no longer in command. To touch is power. To be touched is vulnerability.
Jesus allowed Himself to be vulnerable. That is precisely how He saved us: “By His wounds we have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). He did not only touch us. He allowed us to touch Him. And by touching Him with real faith we are healed.
After celebrating a Mass, especially on Sundays, people would crowd around me to kiss my hand or to simply touch it. I confess, many times I feel harassed but I never send anyone away. I have accepted that part of my ministry as an alter Christus(another Christ) is to allow people to touch me with the faith that, unworthy though I am, I may bring upon them the healing they pray for.
One Sunday, when the crowd thinned, I saw a little girl run toward me. She was not contented with kissing or touching my hand. She hugged me, saying, “Father!” I was close to tears. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Do I allow others to touch me? Why? Why not?
Father God, You allow us to touch You through Jesus Your Son. He emptied Himself and became one like us in all things but sin. In our desire to be like Jesus, grant us the grace to allow others to touch us and the privilege of becoming instruments of Your healing power. Amen.
Blessed Rizzerio, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #527
8
February
Tuesday
CONTRA PASSO
“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” – Mark 7:6
“They had their faces twisted toward their haunches and found it necessary to walk backward, because they could not see ahead of them.” These lines in “Inferno,” a part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, refers to the belief that each sin’s punishment is a contrapasso, a symbolic instance of poetic justice. For example, fortune-tellers who end up in hell have to walk with their heads on backwards, unable to see what is ahead, because that was what they had tried to do in life.
After reading The Divine Comedy, I was glad for the grace to obey the Catholic teaching that we should not believe in fortunetellers. Amid fears that removing the section on fortune-telling in the magazine that I edit would negatively affect sales, I went ahead and did it. To my relief, that did not happen.
It’s not easy to stand firm for your principles. I admit that there have been times I’ve been tempted to compromise. That’s why I am glad to be reminded of Jesus’ promise in today’s Gospel. I pray I would obey God not out of fear of punishment in the afterlife, but simply out of loving Him here and now. I need this grace every single day in my job. Cynthia Santiago ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do I walk my talk?
Lord, give me a humble, obedient heart.
------------
1st READING
God crowns the work of Creation by making man in His image and likeness. I do not think the author is referring to physical appearances but to the nature of the personhood of God. This means that we are created for relationship with others: the Supreme Other, God, and fellow human beings. Let us never lose sight of this fundamental aspect of our nature and always seek to respect and respond to its implication, namely learning how to live in community.
Genesis 1:20-2:4
20 God said, “Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.” And so it happened: 21 God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was, 22 and God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23 Evening came, and morning followed — the fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.” And so it happened: 25 God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was. 26 Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” 27 God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” 29 God also said: “See, I give you every
seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; 30 and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food.” And so it happened. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed — the sixth day. 2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. 2 Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation. 4 Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.
P S A L M
Psalms 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
3 [4] When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place — 4 [5] what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? (R) 5 [6] You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 [7] You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. (R) 7 [8] All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 [9] the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus takes the opportunity to tell those gathered that it is not the Law that is all important but our relationship with God and others. Yes, these are guided by the law but this does not mean that the Law is the absolute infallible guardian of the way we relate to God or others. Something else has that role, namely love.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:1-13
1 Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles [and beds].) 5 So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 6 He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ 8 You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” 9 He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’ 11 Yet you say, “If a person says to father or mother, ‘Any support you might have had from me is qorban’ ” (meaning, dedicated to God), 12 you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. 13 You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”
my reflections
t h i n k : The Law is not the absolute infallible guardian of the way we relate to God or others. Something else has that role, namely love.
------------
LAUGHTER FROM DEEP WITHIN
The novel, The Fall, written by the renowned Albert Camus, is the story of Jean-Baptiste Clamence, a lawyer from Paris, who meets a nameless fellow French lawyer in a bar in Amsterdam. At first, Clamence appears to be friendly and helpful, acting as an interpreter between the stranger and the Dutch bartender. He then maneuvers the conversation to focus on his own story. He even walks the stranger to his hotel so he could continue his monologue of selfadulation before his captive listener.
Clamence narrates the story of his own unprincipled life and ideas. He describes himself as a defense attorney in Paris, specializing in desperate cases, but he conceals his real reason for taking those cases, which is to acquire fame for himself.
His turning point came one evening when he witnesses a young woman throw herself to death from a bridge. Paralyzed by fear, he fails to save the woman. This incident becomes the most significant human experience that dominates the rest of his story as he experiences another “bridge episode.”
As he crosses another bridge one night, Clamence hears laughter behind him but sees no one. He realizes later that the laughter comes from deep within him — an echo of his own mind, laughing at him. He fights this realization until finally the laughter wins out. Clamence’s story closes with his confession that despite everything he has gained, he still hears the laughter now and again.
Can we not hear the same laughter, too? Yes, we can, as the Pharisees and scribes in the Gospel today remind us. Like Clamence, the Pharisees and the scribes are experts of the Law. They boast about their strict observance of even the minutest legal requirement. But Jesus reprimands them for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. We also cross the bridge where we encounter the living Word of God. If we just listen to God but not act on what we have heard, we are not any better than the Pharisees and the scribes. It will do us better if, as we cross the bridge, we also hear laughter coming from deep within. Can you hear it?Fr.Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Do I hear a laughter from deep within me?
Let me not play deaf, O Lord, to the laughter from deep within me. Make me recognize my hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Help me cast them away and live not only more truthfully but also always humbly. Amen.
St. Kigwe, pray for us.
February
Tuesday
CONTRA PASSO
“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” – Mark 7:6
“They had their faces twisted toward their haunches and found it necessary to walk backward, because they could not see ahead of them.” These lines in “Inferno,” a part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, refers to the belief that each sin’s punishment is a contrapasso, a symbolic instance of poetic justice. For example, fortune-tellers who end up in hell have to walk with their heads on backwards, unable to see what is ahead, because that was what they had tried to do in life.
After reading The Divine Comedy, I was glad for the grace to obey the Catholic teaching that we should not believe in fortunetellers. Amid fears that removing the section on fortune-telling in the magazine that I edit would negatively affect sales, I went ahead and did it. To my relief, that did not happen.
It’s not easy to stand firm for your principles. I admit that there have been times I’ve been tempted to compromise. That’s why I am glad to be reminded of Jesus’ promise in today’s Gospel. I pray I would obey God not out of fear of punishment in the afterlife, but simply out of loving Him here and now. I need this grace every single day in my job. Cynthia Santiago ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do I walk my talk?
Lord, give me a humble, obedient heart.
------------
1st READING
God crowns the work of Creation by making man in His image and likeness. I do not think the author is referring to physical appearances but to the nature of the personhood of God. This means that we are created for relationship with others: the Supreme Other, God, and fellow human beings. Let us never lose sight of this fundamental aspect of our nature and always seek to respect and respond to its implication, namely learning how to live in community.
Genesis 1:20-2:4
20 God said, “Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.” And so it happened: 21 God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was, 22 and God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23 Evening came, and morning followed — the fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.” And so it happened: 25 God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was. 26 Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” 27 God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” 29 God also said: “See, I give you every
seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; 30 and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food.” And so it happened. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed — the sixth day. 2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. 2 Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation. 4 Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.
P S A L M
Psalms 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
3 [4] When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place — 4 [5] what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? (R) 5 [6] You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 [7] You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. (R) 7 [8] All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 [9] the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus takes the opportunity to tell those gathered that it is not the Law that is all important but our relationship with God and others. Yes, these are guided by the law but this does not mean that the Law is the absolute infallible guardian of the way we relate to God or others. Something else has that role, namely love.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:1-13
1 Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles [and beds].) 5 So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 6 He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ 8 You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” 9 He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’ 11 Yet you say, “If a person says to father or mother, ‘Any support you might have had from me is qorban’ ” (meaning, dedicated to God), 12 you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. 13 You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”
my reflections
t h i n k : The Law is not the absolute infallible guardian of the way we relate to God or others. Something else has that role, namely love.
------------
LAUGHTER FROM DEEP WITHIN
The novel, The Fall, written by the renowned Albert Camus, is the story of Jean-Baptiste Clamence, a lawyer from Paris, who meets a nameless fellow French lawyer in a bar in Amsterdam. At first, Clamence appears to be friendly and helpful, acting as an interpreter between the stranger and the Dutch bartender. He then maneuvers the conversation to focus on his own story. He even walks the stranger to his hotel so he could continue his monologue of selfadulation before his captive listener.
Clamence narrates the story of his own unprincipled life and ideas. He describes himself as a defense attorney in Paris, specializing in desperate cases, but he conceals his real reason for taking those cases, which is to acquire fame for himself.
His turning point came one evening when he witnesses a young woman throw herself to death from a bridge. Paralyzed by fear, he fails to save the woman. This incident becomes the most significant human experience that dominates the rest of his story as he experiences another “bridge episode.”
As he crosses another bridge one night, Clamence hears laughter behind him but sees no one. He realizes later that the laughter comes from deep within him — an echo of his own mind, laughing at him. He fights this realization until finally the laughter wins out. Clamence’s story closes with his confession that despite everything he has gained, he still hears the laughter now and again.
Can we not hear the same laughter, too? Yes, we can, as the Pharisees and scribes in the Gospel today remind us. Like Clamence, the Pharisees and the scribes are experts of the Law. They boast about their strict observance of even the minutest legal requirement. But Jesus reprimands them for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. We also cross the bridge where we encounter the living Word of God. If we just listen to God but not act on what we have heard, we are not any better than the Pharisees and the scribes. It will do us better if, as we cross the bridge, we also hear laughter coming from deep within. Can you hear it?Fr.Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Do I hear a laughter from deep within me?
Let me not play deaf, O Lord, to the laughter from deep within me. Make me recognize my hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Help me cast them away and live not only more truthfully but also always humbly. Amen.
St. Kigwe, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #528
9 February
Wednesday
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
“For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts...” – Mark 7:21
It’s a popular saying: follow your heart. I’ve read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies that always had that same central message. Because, as they say, the heart knows where it’s going and it could lead you to where you really want to be.
For a long time, I believed that I shouldn’t trust my heart, because I couldn’t trust my desires. I always thought that whatever the heart wants was selfish — only for me, me, me and not for the greater good of other people. I didn’t believe in the saying “follow your heart” because I felt that whenever someone follows his or her heart alone, it would always lead into trouble. It would be something out of God’s will.
Right now I’m trying to unlearn that. In the past couple of years, I’ve learned that my deepest desires are the same desires that has God planted in me. These are the things He planted deep in my heart, the ones in line with His will.
And for me to know what these true God-given desires are, I’ve got to work to make my heart more like His. Tina Matanguihan ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What is the state of your heart?
Make my heart more like Yours, Lord.
---------
1st READING
This second account of Creation is more relational than the first. The author wants us to see that men and women exist in relation to and with one another as well as in distinction from one another. This gives rise to our recognizing that man and woman, though different, complement one another. Both man and woman are needed to fully recognize the reality we call “God.” Without either men or women, we would be left with a deficient view of God.
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17
4 At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens — 5 while as yet there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil, 6 but a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all the surface of the ground — 7 the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. 8 Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 15 The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. 16 The LORD God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden 17 except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.”
P S A L M
Psalm 104:1-2, 27-28, 29-30
R: O bless the Lord, my soul!
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, 2 robed in light as with a cloak. (R) 27 All creatures look to you to give them food in due time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. (R) 29 If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus affirms that the intentions behind our actions are important. It is from within us that sin comes forth. The list of sins is not exhaustive but it certainly suffices to show that much of sin is the result of inner choices in our hearts and minds. Let us pray to God and ask Him to purify all our thoughts and actions.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:14-23
14 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 16 17 When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 “But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. 21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”
my reflections
think: Let us pray to God and ask Him to purify all our thoughts and actions.
------------
WHAT’S WITHIN
Under the cruel rule of Antiochus IV in the year 170 B.C., the Syrians conquered Israel. Antiochus relentlessly persecuted the Jews in his desire to completely erase Judaism from the face of the earth.
An example of Antiochus’ merciless persecution of Jesus is the story of seven brothers who were murdered in the presence of their mother. They had only one crime: they refused to eat food that the Jews considered unclean.
The Gospel today reveals the gravity of the issue. Jesus seemed to have little or no regard at all for the Judaic dietary law. Their ancestors paid with their blood for this law. Knowing this, it should be easier to understand why the Pharisees were very angry at Jesus.
Two things are worth noting as regards Mark’s writing of the Gospel today. First, he remembered well what Jesus said: “Whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean….” Second, Mark even inserted a commentary: “Thus, He (Jesus) pronounced all foods clean.” I believe that the early Christians were very much disturbed to readily accept the freedom that Jesus offers, freedom from the enslaving “don’ts” of the Old Testament Law. That was too difficult for the Jewish Christians. This challenges not only their piety but their emotional, cultural and even psychological peace.
Nonetheless, there is an opposite side in this issue. If a man cannot be rendered unclean by what comes from the outside, nothing from the outside can also make him clean. If what goes in us cannot make us evil, it cannot also make us saints. Therefore, just as what comes out of us can make us unclean, the same can make us clean.
Spiritual renewal must start from deep within. The outward manifestation of piety can never substitute for the internal transformation of man. In our life, there comes the sacred moment when we must honestly face our self and answer from deep within. It is the moment when we are judged clean or unclean.
Does it hurt? Let your answer come from deep within you. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Am I hurt?
Cleanse me, O Jesus. Make me clean within and without. Humbly I come to You. Your words convict me. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.
St. Michael Febres Cordero, pray for us.
Wednesday
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
“For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts...” – Mark 7:21
It’s a popular saying: follow your heart. I’ve read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies that always had that same central message. Because, as they say, the heart knows where it’s going and it could lead you to where you really want to be.
For a long time, I believed that I shouldn’t trust my heart, because I couldn’t trust my desires. I always thought that whatever the heart wants was selfish — only for me, me, me and not for the greater good of other people. I didn’t believe in the saying “follow your heart” because I felt that whenever someone follows his or her heart alone, it would always lead into trouble. It would be something out of God’s will.
Right now I’m trying to unlearn that. In the past couple of years, I’ve learned that my deepest desires are the same desires that has God planted in me. These are the things He planted deep in my heart, the ones in line with His will.
And for me to know what these true God-given desires are, I’ve got to work to make my heart more like His. Tina Matanguihan ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What is the state of your heart?
Make my heart more like Yours, Lord.
---------
1st READING
This second account of Creation is more relational than the first. The author wants us to see that men and women exist in relation to and with one another as well as in distinction from one another. This gives rise to our recognizing that man and woman, though different, complement one another. Both man and woman are needed to fully recognize the reality we call “God.” Without either men or women, we would be left with a deficient view of God.
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17
4 At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens — 5 while as yet there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil, 6 but a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all the surface of the ground — 7 the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. 8 Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 15 The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. 16 The LORD God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden 17 except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.”
P S A L M
Psalm 104:1-2, 27-28, 29-30
R: O bless the Lord, my soul!
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, 2 robed in light as with a cloak. (R) 27 All creatures look to you to give them food in due time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. (R) 29 If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus affirms that the intentions behind our actions are important. It is from within us that sin comes forth. The list of sins is not exhaustive but it certainly suffices to show that much of sin is the result of inner choices in our hearts and minds. Let us pray to God and ask Him to purify all our thoughts and actions.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:14-23
14 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 16 17 When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 “But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. 21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”
my reflections
think: Let us pray to God and ask Him to purify all our thoughts and actions.
------------
WHAT’S WITHIN
Under the cruel rule of Antiochus IV in the year 170 B.C., the Syrians conquered Israel. Antiochus relentlessly persecuted the Jews in his desire to completely erase Judaism from the face of the earth.
An example of Antiochus’ merciless persecution of Jesus is the story of seven brothers who were murdered in the presence of their mother. They had only one crime: they refused to eat food that the Jews considered unclean.
The Gospel today reveals the gravity of the issue. Jesus seemed to have little or no regard at all for the Judaic dietary law. Their ancestors paid with their blood for this law. Knowing this, it should be easier to understand why the Pharisees were very angry at Jesus.
Two things are worth noting as regards Mark’s writing of the Gospel today. First, he remembered well what Jesus said: “Whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean….” Second, Mark even inserted a commentary: “Thus, He (Jesus) pronounced all foods clean.” I believe that the early Christians were very much disturbed to readily accept the freedom that Jesus offers, freedom from the enslaving “don’ts” of the Old Testament Law. That was too difficult for the Jewish Christians. This challenges not only their piety but their emotional, cultural and even psychological peace.
Nonetheless, there is an opposite side in this issue. If a man cannot be rendered unclean by what comes from the outside, nothing from the outside can also make him clean. If what goes in us cannot make us evil, it cannot also make us saints. Therefore, just as what comes out of us can make us unclean, the same can make us clean.
Spiritual renewal must start from deep within. The outward manifestation of piety can never substitute for the internal transformation of man. In our life, there comes the sacred moment when we must honestly face our self and answer from deep within. It is the moment when we are judged clean or unclean.
Does it hurt? Let your answer come from deep within you. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Am I hurt?
Cleanse me, O Jesus. Make me clean within and without. Humbly I come to You. Your words convict me. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.
St. Michael Febres Cordero, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #529
10 February
Thursday
TRUE TO YOUR NAME
So the Lord formed… various animals... and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. – Genesis 2:19
My friend Rissa met a funny guy at a dive resort. While they were lining up at the buffet table, they saw a stray cat passing by. The funny guy called out, “Siopao, come here, Siopao!”
Funny how man gives weird names to things — including himself.
A few names I’ve sometimes called myself:
“Idiot” (after committing a boo-boo).
“Failure” (when I fall short of a goal).
“Jerk” (when I hurt someone).
“Unworthy” (when I sin).
What God has called me or said about me in His Word:
“Beloved” (Romans 1:7).
“Overcoming” (1 John 5:4).
“Victorious” (Ephesians 6:13).
“Made in my image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26).
I’d rather be known by the names God has given me. If I call myself by them and believe in them as well, I know these names will prevail in my life. George Tolentino Gabriel ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What names have you given yourself? Do they really fit you?
“I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14)
--------------
1st READING
In woman, man discovers someone who is his equal. This equality does not mean sameness. It is in the differences between man and woman that the capacity of relationship and self-giving finds its supreme expression, namely the capacity to bring forth new life into the world. Let us celebrate the wonder of our creation by living according to the will and design of the Creator, respecting our differences but never losing sight of the wonder of our sexuality and its capacity to give life.
Genesis 2:18-25
18 The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” 19 So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. 21 So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, 23 the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.
P S A L M
Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
R: Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
1 Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! 2 For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (R) 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. (R) 4 Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (R)
G O S P E L
The Church celebrates today the Feast of St. Scholastica, the supposed twin sister of St. Benedict. We learn through her life the importance of choosing love over all other things in life. Through love we indicate our commitment to live in imitation of Christ; if we choose to love, we have at our disposal the power to overcome all things. Let us never lose sight of the power of love in our lives and relationships.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:24-30
24 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 28 She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Numbers 4-6
my reflections
t h i n k : If we choose to love, we have at our disposal to power to overcome all things.
-------------
THE HUGE ROCK
As Jesus enters Tyre, a Syrophoenician woman meets Him. Notice that Jesus and this woman meet in Tyre, which means “huge rock.” Knowing the great differences between the world of Jesus and that of the woman, we easily understand that more than a huge rock stands in this unexpected rendezvous. Five to be exact.
First rock: The woman is a Gentile, not a Jew; a Syrophoenician, a pagan. Judaic Law prohibits Jews from mingling with Gentiles because such an encounter renders a Jew unclean.
Second rock: The Syrophoenician is a woman. Women, as Jewish culture dictates, should never start a conversation with a man or be seen in public with a man who’s not her husband.
Third rock: This Syrophoenician woman requests that Jesus perform a “remote healing.” This request has no precedent in the Marcan Gospel. Jesus already healed many and He did so by personally and actually touching them or allowing them to touch Him. No precedent though, this “rock” is not too huge for Jesus to conquer.
Fourth rock: Jesus seems not inclined to grant the woman’s request. He says, “The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” This “rock” may not be the biggest but it certainly hurts the most.
Fifth rock: All these happen in the presence of other people. The two are not having a private conversation. The people observe this scene but they probably saw only Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. We see, however, the two huge rocks from which the name of Tyre came.
This Gospel reminds us that there is no rock so huge that is impossible to climb and conquer if only faith and love embrace. Jesus is love; the Syrophoenician is faith. When the love of the Lord and the woman’s faith in Him meet, any huge rock – no matter how high and sturdy – will crumble and become mere powder.
Standing before the huge rocks in our life, do we complain to God or do we trust Him even more? The choice is ours.Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What do I do with the rocks in my life?
Lord, I surrender my whole life to You. Direct my every move and make me conquer all the “rocks” in my life. May I never be a “rock” that hinders others from having a meaningful encounter with You. But when I turn to be one, help them conquer me instead. Amen.
St. Trumwin, pray for us.
Thursday
TRUE TO YOUR NAME
So the Lord formed… various animals... and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. – Genesis 2:19
My friend Rissa met a funny guy at a dive resort. While they were lining up at the buffet table, they saw a stray cat passing by. The funny guy called out, “Siopao, come here, Siopao!”
Funny how man gives weird names to things — including himself.
A few names I’ve sometimes called myself:
“Idiot” (after committing a boo-boo).
“Failure” (when I fall short of a goal).
“Jerk” (when I hurt someone).
“Unworthy” (when I sin).
What God has called me or said about me in His Word:
“Beloved” (Romans 1:7).
“Overcoming” (1 John 5:4).
“Victorious” (Ephesians 6:13).
“Made in my image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26).
I’d rather be known by the names God has given me. If I call myself by them and believe in them as well, I know these names will prevail in my life. George Tolentino Gabriel ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What names have you given yourself? Do they really fit you?
“I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14)
--------------
1st READING
In woman, man discovers someone who is his equal. This equality does not mean sameness. It is in the differences between man and woman that the capacity of relationship and self-giving finds its supreme expression, namely the capacity to bring forth new life into the world. Let us celebrate the wonder of our creation by living according to the will and design of the Creator, respecting our differences but never losing sight of the wonder of our sexuality and its capacity to give life.
Genesis 2:18-25
18 The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” 19 So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. 21 So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, 23 the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.
P S A L M
Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
R: Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
1 Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! 2 For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (R) 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. (R) 4 Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (R)
G O S P E L
The Church celebrates today the Feast of St. Scholastica, the supposed twin sister of St. Benedict. We learn through her life the importance of choosing love over all other things in life. Through love we indicate our commitment to live in imitation of Christ; if we choose to love, we have at our disposal the power to overcome all things. Let us never lose sight of the power of love in our lives and relationships.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:24-30
24 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 28 She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Numbers 4-6
my reflections
t h i n k : If we choose to love, we have at our disposal to power to overcome all things.
-------------
THE HUGE ROCK
As Jesus enters Tyre, a Syrophoenician woman meets Him. Notice that Jesus and this woman meet in Tyre, which means “huge rock.” Knowing the great differences between the world of Jesus and that of the woman, we easily understand that more than a huge rock stands in this unexpected rendezvous. Five to be exact.
First rock: The woman is a Gentile, not a Jew; a Syrophoenician, a pagan. Judaic Law prohibits Jews from mingling with Gentiles because such an encounter renders a Jew unclean.
Second rock: The Syrophoenician is a woman. Women, as Jewish culture dictates, should never start a conversation with a man or be seen in public with a man who’s not her husband.
Third rock: This Syrophoenician woman requests that Jesus perform a “remote healing.” This request has no precedent in the Marcan Gospel. Jesus already healed many and He did so by personally and actually touching them or allowing them to touch Him. No precedent though, this “rock” is not too huge for Jesus to conquer.
Fourth rock: Jesus seems not inclined to grant the woman’s request. He says, “The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” This “rock” may not be the biggest but it certainly hurts the most.
Fifth rock: All these happen in the presence of other people. The two are not having a private conversation. The people observe this scene but they probably saw only Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. We see, however, the two huge rocks from which the name of Tyre came.
This Gospel reminds us that there is no rock so huge that is impossible to climb and conquer if only faith and love embrace. Jesus is love; the Syrophoenician is faith. When the love of the Lord and the woman’s faith in Him meet, any huge rock – no matter how high and sturdy – will crumble and become mere powder.
Standing before the huge rocks in our life, do we complain to God or do we trust Him even more? The choice is ours.Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What do I do with the rocks in my life?
Lord, I surrender my whole life to You. Direct my every move and make me conquer all the “rocks” in my life. May I never be a “rock” that hinders others from having a meaningful encounter with You. But when I turn to be one, help them conquer me instead. Amen.
St. Trumwin, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #531
11 February
Friday
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
DECEITFUL REASONING
The snake asked the woman: “Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?” – Genesis 3:1
Adam and Eve worked in the same company. He was married while she was single. They worked long hours on the same project and eventually became close. They would sometimes go out of town on their own and watch movies together without the knowledge of their families. Friends warned them that they were spending too much time together. The girl ignored them, reasoning, “Is it wrong to spend time with a friend?”
Temptation is subtle. The devil often tricks us into believing something is not bad when, deep in our hearts, we know it is.
We can come up with clever reasons to make things seem right. But the truth is plain and clear in God’s commands: “Thou shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
Like the snake that tricked the woman into eating the apple by engaging her in rational reasoning, we must guard our hearts against the devil’s deceitful lies, making us feel that some things are OK when the Word of God says otherwise. When in doubt, consult God. His wisdom and guidance can be found in the Scriptures. Obedience to God’s commands is our best defense against any temptation.Marjorie Ann Duterte ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do you rationalize when you do something wrong, when you know for a fact that it is contrary to God’s command?
Father, give us the grace to resist temptation by following Your truth and faithfully obeying Your commandments. Amen.
--------------
1st READING
Now the horror story begins! We have read the story of Creation; we now read of its near destruction through the choice of humanity to allow sin to enter into the world. This decision is couched in terms of pride and arrogance – a refusal to admit that we are to submit our lives to God’s will and an insistence upon controlling, or at least attempting to control, our own destiny. Sin will affect every aspect of our existence.
Genesis 3:1-8
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, “ ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
P S A L M
Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R: Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. (R) 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. (R) 6 For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him. (R) 7 You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round. (R)
G O S P E L
In this miracle of healing Jesus intimates that He is the Messiah. Such acts of healing are part of the expectation of the Jews of what the Messiah will do to affirm His identity. How the Jews failed to recognize Jesus’ true identity is a mystery that we will never be able to answer satisfactorily until we get the answer from God Himself. Suffice it to say that sin, and the blindness it brings to God’s goodness, has a central role to play in the answer.
Numbers 7-9
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:31-37
31 Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) 35 And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Sin will affect every aspect of our existence.
-------------
THE OLD VIOLIN
An old dusty violin was being auctioned. The starting price was a mere $3.00. Yet even at such a very, very low price, the old dusty violin could not attract any bidder. Then from nowhere, a gray-haired man came forward, picked up the violin, dusted it off, and began to play.
The man and the violin filled the auction hall with a sweet, enchanting music. When the man finished playing on the old dusty violin, the bidding suddenly jumped to thousands of dollars.
What changed the value of the violin? What transformed it into a priceless instrument? The poet, Myra Brooks Welch, says, “The touch of the Master’s hand.” In her poem, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” Myra Brooks Welch concludes:
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap, to a thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can understand
The worth of a soul, and the change that’s wrought
By the Touch of the Master’s hand.
Jesus is the touch of God’s hands on each of us — freeman or captive, rich or poor. Jesus is God touching us. With His touch, He heals us, changes us, renews us, transforms us, and makes our faith undoubtedly real.
And how does Jesus touch us?
Jesus touches us by taking upon Himself our infirmities. Paul says, “He who knew no sin was made sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the reason why the touch of Jesus, the Master, is not only skin-deep. His touch opens and penetrates deeper and deeper until it has nowhere else to go but outward, reaching out to others with the kind of love that not only heals wounds but transforms the wounded into a wounded healer. And where it faces a blockade, the same touch reverberates the command, “Ephphatha!” Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
The hand of the Master continues to play with old dusty violins. If I cannot hear the music He’s playing, can I be deaf or playing deaf?
Open not only my heart, O Jesus. Open my whole life to Your Spirit and make Your Spirit dwell in me more powerfully. Use me to open closed lives and, with Your Spirit, heal their wounded hearts. Play through me Your sweet music, though I may be an old violin. Amen.
St. Jonas, pray for us.
Friday
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
DECEITFUL REASONING
The snake asked the woman: “Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?” – Genesis 3:1
Adam and Eve worked in the same company. He was married while she was single. They worked long hours on the same project and eventually became close. They would sometimes go out of town on their own and watch movies together without the knowledge of their families. Friends warned them that they were spending too much time together. The girl ignored them, reasoning, “Is it wrong to spend time with a friend?”
Temptation is subtle. The devil often tricks us into believing something is not bad when, deep in our hearts, we know it is.
We can come up with clever reasons to make things seem right. But the truth is plain and clear in God’s commands: “Thou shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
Like the snake that tricked the woman into eating the apple by engaging her in rational reasoning, we must guard our hearts against the devil’s deceitful lies, making us feel that some things are OK when the Word of God says otherwise. When in doubt, consult God. His wisdom and guidance can be found in the Scriptures. Obedience to God’s commands is our best defense against any temptation.Marjorie Ann Duterte ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do you rationalize when you do something wrong, when you know for a fact that it is contrary to God’s command?
Father, give us the grace to resist temptation by following Your truth and faithfully obeying Your commandments. Amen.
--------------
1st READING
Now the horror story begins! We have read the story of Creation; we now read of its near destruction through the choice of humanity to allow sin to enter into the world. This decision is couched in terms of pride and arrogance – a refusal to admit that we are to submit our lives to God’s will and an insistence upon controlling, or at least attempting to control, our own destiny. Sin will affect every aspect of our existence.
Genesis 3:1-8
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, “ ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
P S A L M
Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R: Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. (R) 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. (R) 6 For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him. (R) 7 You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round. (R)
G O S P E L
In this miracle of healing Jesus intimates that He is the Messiah. Such acts of healing are part of the expectation of the Jews of what the Messiah will do to affirm His identity. How the Jews failed to recognize Jesus’ true identity is a mystery that we will never be able to answer satisfactorily until we get the answer from God Himself. Suffice it to say that sin, and the blindness it brings to God’s goodness, has a central role to play in the answer.
Numbers 7-9
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 7:31-37
31 Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) 35 And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Sin will affect every aspect of our existence.
-------------
THE OLD VIOLIN
An old dusty violin was being auctioned. The starting price was a mere $3.00. Yet even at such a very, very low price, the old dusty violin could not attract any bidder. Then from nowhere, a gray-haired man came forward, picked up the violin, dusted it off, and began to play.
The man and the violin filled the auction hall with a sweet, enchanting music. When the man finished playing on the old dusty violin, the bidding suddenly jumped to thousands of dollars.
What changed the value of the violin? What transformed it into a priceless instrument? The poet, Myra Brooks Welch, says, “The touch of the Master’s hand.” In her poem, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” Myra Brooks Welch concludes:
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap, to a thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can understand
The worth of a soul, and the change that’s wrought
By the Touch of the Master’s hand.
Jesus is the touch of God’s hands on each of us — freeman or captive, rich or poor. Jesus is God touching us. With His touch, He heals us, changes us, renews us, transforms us, and makes our faith undoubtedly real.
And how does Jesus touch us?
Jesus touches us by taking upon Himself our infirmities. Paul says, “He who knew no sin was made sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the reason why the touch of Jesus, the Master, is not only skin-deep. His touch opens and penetrates deeper and deeper until it has nowhere else to go but outward, reaching out to others with the kind of love that not only heals wounds but transforms the wounded into a wounded healer. And where it faces a blockade, the same touch reverberates the command, “Ephphatha!” Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
The hand of the Master continues to play with old dusty violins. If I cannot hear the music He’s playing, can I be deaf or playing deaf?
Open not only my heart, O Jesus. Open my whole life to Your Spirit and make Your Spirit dwell in me more powerfully. Use me to open closed lives and, with Your Spirit, heal their wounded hearts. Play through me Your sweet music, though I may be an old violin. Amen.
St. Jonas, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #532
12 February
Saturday
A Different Story
“You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” – Genesis 3:11
“Hi, I’m Eve,“ she said, gazing into his sleepy eyes.
“I’m Adam. You’re so different from me, all soft and curvy,” he replied, getting a nice warm feeling.
“And you’re hard and muscular! What’s this? I don’t have this.” She curiously touched him.
“That’s my Adam’s apple.”
“What? You ate them already?!”
This is a story that I wrote as an exercise for the Short Forms of Creative Writing course that I took years ago. Naughty, naughty you if you were beginning to think about something else. Actually that was the whole point of my story: to trigger a wrong notion.
And that is how sin starts — as an unbidden thought, in misjudging someone, doing little acts that, if unchecked, will lead you to commit a great offense. So be careful with that first thought; it’s the “first bite” into temptation. Watch where it leads you so you can guard against sin.Lella Santiago ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Have I done some small things today that might lead me to sin?
Father God, lead me away from things that will hurt You.
------------
1st READING
God spells out to Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin. Note how it affects every aspect of their life and has become the source of conflict between humanity and the Creator, God; between fellow human beings and especially men and women; and between humanity and creation itself. I am sure if we fully realized the detrimental effects of our sins, we would be far more hesitant in committing sin.
Genesis 3:9-24
9 The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” 12 The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” 13 The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” 16 To the woman he said: “I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master.” 17 To the man he said: “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; for you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.” 20 The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. 21 For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said: “See! The man has become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is bad! Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.” 23 The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. 24 When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
P S A L M
Psalms 90:2, 3-4, 5-6, 12-13
R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
2 Before the mountains were begotten and the earth and the world were brought forth, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (R) 3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, 6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R)
G O S P E L
This miracle of physical provision for the hungry indicates to a small degree the love of God for us and His desire that we lack nothing in our lives. This does not mean that food will always ‘magically’ appear for the hungry. I think the miracle is a challenge to us as Christians to do what we can to ensure that all have what they need to live a dignified human life. Let us not limit our concern to food but focus upon the full dignity of the human person and our responsibility to respect it in every way we can.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:1-10
1 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, 2 “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” 4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” 5 Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied. 6 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. 8 They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over — seven baskets. 9 There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them 10 and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
my reflections
t h i n k : If we fully realized the detrimental effects of our sins we would be far more hesitant in committing sin.
------
A MEAL FOR ALL
If we want to read about Jesus’ miracles, Mark is the man. His Gospel contains the most number of miracles. But he is rather picky when it comes to miracle stories. He never repeats an account he already wrote about. Today’s Gospel, however, seems to be an exception. In verses 34 through 44 of the sixth chapter, Mark already narrates a miracle story similar to today’s Gospel. Very few lay people, even among the devout readers of the New Testament, know that the Gospel today comes as a rather big surprise given Mark’s writing habits. But why this Gospel then?
Some 1,500 years ago, St. Augustine, reflecting on today’s Gospel, already gave the main reason for what seems to be an exception from the Marcan style of writing. He said that in Mark 6:34-44, the miraculous feeding involved only Jews. Today’s Gospel (Mark 8:1-10), however, judging from where it occurred (7:31), included Gentiles, too.
Thus, the Gospel today is not a repetition at all. Moving down to verses 19-21 of the same chapter, Jesus Himself clarifies this. The second miraculous feeding today, far from being a re-run of the first, puts across a very important point: the day will come when Jews and Gentiles will break bread together. And this indeed happened as reported in the 10th chapter of Acts.
There is no doubt that Jesus can multiply food. I have no second thoughts that the story today actually happened. But the deeper significance of the miraculous event is not the feeding in itself. The miracle is in what the story pre-figures: the fellowship of Jews and Gentiles.
All are invited to the table of the Lord. No one is refused because of one’s color or culture. The only ticket to the banquet is faith in the Son of God. The Eucharist is a fellowship where all are brothers and sisters to one another — Jews and non-Jews, freemen and slaves, men and women. Where the Eucharist is exclusive, the Lord is abused.Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What is my view on exclusive celebrations of the Eucharist?
Lord Jesus, You invite all men and women to Your table. You offer Yourself to all. May we keep our Eucharistic celebrations authentic in their fellowship. Perform Your miracle again — this time, not on bread and fish, but in our hearts. Make our “breaking of bread” truly a breaking of ourselves for others. Amen.
St. Febronia, pray for us.
Saturday
A Different Story
“You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” – Genesis 3:11
“Hi, I’m Eve,“ she said, gazing into his sleepy eyes.
“I’m Adam. You’re so different from me, all soft and curvy,” he replied, getting a nice warm feeling.
“And you’re hard and muscular! What’s this? I don’t have this.” She curiously touched him.
“That’s my Adam’s apple.”
“What? You ate them already?!”
This is a story that I wrote as an exercise for the Short Forms of Creative Writing course that I took years ago. Naughty, naughty you if you were beginning to think about something else. Actually that was the whole point of my story: to trigger a wrong notion.
And that is how sin starts — as an unbidden thought, in misjudging someone, doing little acts that, if unchecked, will lead you to commit a great offense. So be careful with that first thought; it’s the “first bite” into temptation. Watch where it leads you so you can guard against sin.Lella Santiago ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Have I done some small things today that might lead me to sin?
Father God, lead me away from things that will hurt You.
------------
1st READING
God spells out to Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin. Note how it affects every aspect of their life and has become the source of conflict between humanity and the Creator, God; between fellow human beings and especially men and women; and between humanity and creation itself. I am sure if we fully realized the detrimental effects of our sins, we would be far more hesitant in committing sin.
Genesis 3:9-24
9 The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” 12 The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” 13 The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” 16 To the woman he said: “I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master.” 17 To the man he said: “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; for you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.” 20 The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. 21 For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said: “See! The man has become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is bad! Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.” 23 The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. 24 When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
P S A L M
Psalms 90:2, 3-4, 5-6, 12-13
R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
2 Before the mountains were begotten and the earth and the world were brought forth, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (R) 3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, 6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R)
G O S P E L
This miracle of physical provision for the hungry indicates to a small degree the love of God for us and His desire that we lack nothing in our lives. This does not mean that food will always ‘magically’ appear for the hungry. I think the miracle is a challenge to us as Christians to do what we can to ensure that all have what they need to live a dignified human life. Let us not limit our concern to food but focus upon the full dignity of the human person and our responsibility to respect it in every way we can.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:1-10
1 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, 2 “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” 4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” 5 Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied. 6 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. 8 They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over — seven baskets. 9 There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them 10 and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
my reflections
t h i n k : If we fully realized the detrimental effects of our sins we would be far more hesitant in committing sin.
------
A MEAL FOR ALL
If we want to read about Jesus’ miracles, Mark is the man. His Gospel contains the most number of miracles. But he is rather picky when it comes to miracle stories. He never repeats an account he already wrote about. Today’s Gospel, however, seems to be an exception. In verses 34 through 44 of the sixth chapter, Mark already narrates a miracle story similar to today’s Gospel. Very few lay people, even among the devout readers of the New Testament, know that the Gospel today comes as a rather big surprise given Mark’s writing habits. But why this Gospel then?
Some 1,500 years ago, St. Augustine, reflecting on today’s Gospel, already gave the main reason for what seems to be an exception from the Marcan style of writing. He said that in Mark 6:34-44, the miraculous feeding involved only Jews. Today’s Gospel (Mark 8:1-10), however, judging from where it occurred (7:31), included Gentiles, too.
Thus, the Gospel today is not a repetition at all. Moving down to verses 19-21 of the same chapter, Jesus Himself clarifies this. The second miraculous feeding today, far from being a re-run of the first, puts across a very important point: the day will come when Jews and Gentiles will break bread together. And this indeed happened as reported in the 10th chapter of Acts.
There is no doubt that Jesus can multiply food. I have no second thoughts that the story today actually happened. But the deeper significance of the miraculous event is not the feeding in itself. The miracle is in what the story pre-figures: the fellowship of Jews and Gentiles.
All are invited to the table of the Lord. No one is refused because of one’s color or culture. The only ticket to the banquet is faith in the Son of God. The Eucharist is a fellowship where all are brothers and sisters to one another — Jews and non-Jews, freemen and slaves, men and women. Where the Eucharist is exclusive, the Lord is abused.Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What is my view on exclusive celebrations of the Eucharist?
Lord Jesus, You invite all men and women to Your table. You offer Yourself to all. May we keep our Eucharistic celebrations authentic in their fellowship. Perform Your miracle again — this time, not on bread and fish, but in our hearts. Make our “breaking of bread” truly a breaking of ourselves for others. Amen.
St. Febronia, pray for us.
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Happy Valentines! May God fill your life with true love!
Conquer this new week with God's Word in your heart!
14 February
Monday
JUST LIKE CAIN
“If you do well, you can hold up your head…” – Genesis 4:7
There’s a boy I know who tries so hard to get the approval of his parents. Thing is, he does foolish things to compete with his siblings for attention. He’s intelligent and street smart but, because of the trouble he gets himself into, what he gets is disfavor. He refuses to understand that approval is a prize for being good. Just like Cain, he has become bitter and jealous.
To be competitive is a good thing. However, if it is motivated by jealousy and greed, it destroys one’s being. In the Gospel today, Jesus refused to give the Pharisees a miraculous sign. He did not give in to the pressure of proving His detractors wrong. His quiet confidence in doing the work of His Father spoke so loud that people flocked to and believed in Him.
Oftentimes we need not try too hard to gain approval. That’s because good works will always earn us respect and favor. God said to Cain, “If you do well, you can hold up your head.”
Now, wouldn’t it feel good to get a pat on the back for something you did well without having to compete for it?Nova Arias ([email protected])
14
REFLECTION:
Compete only with yourself, striving to be better than who you are.
Father, teach me to trust in my ability to do well. May I always remember to please You and no one else.
---------
1st READING
What do we have to gain from being jealous of someone else – who they are or what they have? Precisely nothing! So, why do we waste our time and energy on this emotion? I have no idea other than to suggest that we are sometimes too proud to accept the way things are and because we usually do not have the power to change these things directly, we stew in jealousy and envy of others’ good fortune.
Genesis 4:1-15, 25
1 The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil, 4 while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. 6 So the LORD said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? 7 If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.” 8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The LORD then said: “What have you done! Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil! 11 Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD: “My punishment is too great to bear. 14 Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight.” 15 “Not so!” the LORD said to him. “If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.” So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight. 25 Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. “God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel,” she said, “because Cain slew him.”
P S A L M
Psalms 50:1, 8, 16-17, 20-21
R: Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
1 God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. 8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. (R) 16 “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 20 “You sit speaking against your brother; against your mother’s son you spread rumors. 21 When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.” (R)
G O S P E L
Saints Cyril and Methodius, whose feast we celebrate today, are two of the patron saints of Europe. Between them they created the Cyrillic alphabet in order to translate the Scriptures into the vernacular of the people of Eastern Europe. By the way, they were also very holy men and great preachers of the Gospel. Let us be inspired by their ‘Can do!’ spirit and not allow any difficulty to prevent us from proclaiming the Gospel in the situations we encounter.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:11-13
11 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us not allow any difficulty to prevent us from proclaiming the Gospel in the situations we encounter.
----------
JESUS ON THE WITNESS STAND
If we were always truthful, would there be a need to swear inside the courtroom? Is it the courtroom that makes us truthful? Is it the witness stand that makes us believable? Is it our oath that makes us credible?
Had not the human race learned to fabricate stories, submit false evidence and twist the truth, we don’t have to swear at all. We would be able to make our word stand on its own.
Jesus alone can make His word stand on its own. He is His word. Jesus alone consistently and constantly stands by His word. No sign is needed to prove that He is what He claims He is: the Son of God. No sign is needed to prove that He is what He does: the Messiah. No sign is needed to prove that He is what He promises Himself to be: the Resurrection and the Life.
The Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus for Jesus. They required Him to prove Himself when He Himself was already the proof. Thus, Jesus gave them no sign except Himself. Take Him or leave Him? Take Him. The Pharisees asked for a sign to test Jesus. They doubted Him because He did not belong to their clique. Neither did He fit into their expectation of what the Christ should be. Into whose expectations should Jesus then fit Himself? Trust Him or test Him? Trust Him.
The Pharisees wanted a proof from Jesus against which they may test Him. A proof may be a sign but a sign is not necessarily a proof. The Pharisees were not at all candid about their demand. They looked at Jesus through their colored glasses. They were aching to have proof by which they could dismiss Jesus altogether. For those who believe, no sign is needed; for those who do not believe, no sign will be enough. Believe.
Ask not for a sign from Jesus. It has already been given. Search for it. Demand not any proof from Jesus. It has already been provided. Discern it.
If Jesus were to be called to the witness stand and swear, indeed His words would be: “I promise to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. So help me, Me.”Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
How truthful am I?
Lord, You do not only know the truth; You are also truthful. You are the Truth. In my desire to become like You, heal me from all my lies and make me more truthful than before. Let me be Your sign in the world by the kind of life I live. Amen.
St. Nostrianus, pray for us.
Conquer this new week with God's Word in your heart!
14 February
Monday
JUST LIKE CAIN
“If you do well, you can hold up your head…” – Genesis 4:7
There’s a boy I know who tries so hard to get the approval of his parents. Thing is, he does foolish things to compete with his siblings for attention. He’s intelligent and street smart but, because of the trouble he gets himself into, what he gets is disfavor. He refuses to understand that approval is a prize for being good. Just like Cain, he has become bitter and jealous.
To be competitive is a good thing. However, if it is motivated by jealousy and greed, it destroys one’s being. In the Gospel today, Jesus refused to give the Pharisees a miraculous sign. He did not give in to the pressure of proving His detractors wrong. His quiet confidence in doing the work of His Father spoke so loud that people flocked to and believed in Him.
Oftentimes we need not try too hard to gain approval. That’s because good works will always earn us respect and favor. God said to Cain, “If you do well, you can hold up your head.”
Now, wouldn’t it feel good to get a pat on the back for something you did well without having to compete for it?Nova Arias ([email protected])
14
REFLECTION:
Compete only with yourself, striving to be better than who you are.
Father, teach me to trust in my ability to do well. May I always remember to please You and no one else.
---------
1st READING
What do we have to gain from being jealous of someone else – who they are or what they have? Precisely nothing! So, why do we waste our time and energy on this emotion? I have no idea other than to suggest that we are sometimes too proud to accept the way things are and because we usually do not have the power to change these things directly, we stew in jealousy and envy of others’ good fortune.
Genesis 4:1-15, 25
1 The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil, 4 while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. 6 So the LORD said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? 7 If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.” 8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The LORD then said: “What have you done! Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil! 11 Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD: “My punishment is too great to bear. 14 Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight.” 15 “Not so!” the LORD said to him. “If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.” So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight. 25 Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. “God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel,” she said, “because Cain slew him.”
P S A L M
Psalms 50:1, 8, 16-17, 20-21
R: Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
1 God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. 8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. (R) 16 “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 20 “You sit speaking against your brother; against your mother’s son you spread rumors. 21 When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.” (R)
G O S P E L
Saints Cyril and Methodius, whose feast we celebrate today, are two of the patron saints of Europe. Between them they created the Cyrillic alphabet in order to translate the Scriptures into the vernacular of the people of Eastern Europe. By the way, they were also very holy men and great preachers of the Gospel. Let us be inspired by their ‘Can do!’ spirit and not allow any difficulty to prevent us from proclaiming the Gospel in the situations we encounter.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:11-13
11 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us not allow any difficulty to prevent us from proclaiming the Gospel in the situations we encounter.
----------
JESUS ON THE WITNESS STAND
If we were always truthful, would there be a need to swear inside the courtroom? Is it the courtroom that makes us truthful? Is it the witness stand that makes us believable? Is it our oath that makes us credible?
Had not the human race learned to fabricate stories, submit false evidence and twist the truth, we don’t have to swear at all. We would be able to make our word stand on its own.
Jesus alone can make His word stand on its own. He is His word. Jesus alone consistently and constantly stands by His word. No sign is needed to prove that He is what He claims He is: the Son of God. No sign is needed to prove that He is what He does: the Messiah. No sign is needed to prove that He is what He promises Himself to be: the Resurrection and the Life.
The Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus for Jesus. They required Him to prove Himself when He Himself was already the proof. Thus, Jesus gave them no sign except Himself. Take Him or leave Him? Take Him. The Pharisees asked for a sign to test Jesus. They doubted Him because He did not belong to their clique. Neither did He fit into their expectation of what the Christ should be. Into whose expectations should Jesus then fit Himself? Trust Him or test Him? Trust Him.
The Pharisees wanted a proof from Jesus against which they may test Him. A proof may be a sign but a sign is not necessarily a proof. The Pharisees were not at all candid about their demand. They looked at Jesus through their colored glasses. They were aching to have proof by which they could dismiss Jesus altogether. For those who believe, no sign is needed; for those who do not believe, no sign will be enough. Believe.
Ask not for a sign from Jesus. It has already been given. Search for it. Demand not any proof from Jesus. It has already been provided. Discern it.
If Jesus were to be called to the witness stand and swear, indeed His words would be: “I promise to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. So help me, Me.”Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
How truthful am I?
Lord, You do not only know the truth; You are also truthful. You are the Truth. In my desire to become like You, heal me from all my lies and make me more truthful than before. Let me be Your sign in the world by the kind of life I live. Amen.
St. Nostrianus, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
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- #534
Get empowered by His message to you this Tuesday!
15 February
Tuesday
spared from destruction
But Noah found favor with the Lord. – Genesis 6:8
A few weeks before that fateful day when Typhoon Ondoy came, I had a dream that our house was flooded almost up to the second floor. That vision put me on guard, leading me to say a deliverance prayer and be reassured of God’s protection.
When Ondoy came, I guarded my heart against worry. My husband and I were giving a seminar then. Despite the news of city-wide flooding and standstill traffic, we didn’t cut short the seminar, which was a preparation for a more important spiritual event — a Light of Jesus Encounter. Instead of panicking, we led our seminar participants to prayer. Our collective prayers brought hope despite the gravity of the situation and our seeming helplessness.
When we reached home, we found our properties spared from excessive damage and the floodwaters not as deep as I had dreamt. We even got unexpected help from a cousin who supervised the efficientevacuation of our things. We believed that God granted similar blessings to those in our seminar.
As He did with Noah who obeyed His commands, God spared us from the destructive waters of the typhoon.Donna España ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
“Faith gives to men on earth the protection of the God of heaven.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
Lord, I thank You for teaching me to trust in You in any situation that I encounter. Because of Your love for me, I feel blessed.
---------
1st READING
We all know the story of Noah and the Flood, but what should we learn from it? I think one lesson we can learn is that God will go to extraordinary lengths to preserve His Creation – not just humanity, but all of the animals. This ought to instill in us a deep respect for the gift of Creation to the point that we realize that we need to be good stewards of the earth and its resources so that the generations after us do not inherit a wasteland!
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
5 When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, 6 he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved. 7 So the LORD said: “I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the LORD. 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah: “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just. 2 Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate; 3 likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs, a male and a female, and of all the unclean birds, one pair, a male and a female. Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth every moving creature that I have made.” 5 Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him. 10 As soon as the seven days were over, the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
P S A L M
Psalms 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
R: The Lord will bless his people with peace.
1 Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, 2 give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire. (R) 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic. (R) The God of glory thunders, 9 and in his temple all say, “Glory!” 10 The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus’ reference is not a literal one. He is referring to the fact that if we allow evil or worldly attitudes to enter our lives or society, we will discover that they will not just remain dormant but ‘leaven’ the whole of our lives or society with their errors or misplaced priorities. The challenge we face is to be discerning as regards the influences we allow to form our minds and hearts and restrict them to those that will form us in the ways of Christ and His kingdom.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:14-21
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. 17 When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
my reflections
t h i n k : W e need to be good stewards of the earth and its resources so that the generations following us do not inherit a wasteland!
--------
HARDENED HEART
A hardened face looks ugly, frightening, intimidating. A hardened muscle feels painful. But how does a hardened heart look? How does it feel?
I searched and searched to find a hardened heart. I found the object of my curiosity — inside a freezer! I saw a chicken’s heart inside a freezer, and boy, it was really very hard!
How does a hardened heart look? It looks like a stone. You can hardly recognize it as a heart. Throw it on a glass shield, and it breaks. Hit someone’s head with it, and the head gets bruised. Bite it and you certainly will lose a tooth. A hardened heart hurts and destroys. I do not like a hardened heart. Do you? How does a hardened heart feel? It feels so cold, terribly cold. It feels like solid ice, not snow. Squeeze it and its coldness bites you. Hold it and no sooner you will drop it. Place it near an open tooth and the ache will be unbearably painful. A hardened heart bites and inflicts pain. I do not want a hardened heart, do you?
But does a heart harden?
A heart hardens by not becoming what it should be. It hardens when it is isolated from the rest of the living body and kept inside a freezer. It hardens because it dies. It becomes hardened because it has turned exclusively unto itself. A heart hardens even more when it refuses to melt. It hardens when it has become stubborn. I do not like a hardened heart. Do you?
Jesus reprimands His disciples in the Gospel today for the hardness of their hearts. They are witnesses to His miracles. They heard His words. Yet their hearts seem to be impenetrable. Why? Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Do I have a hardened heart?
Lord, change our stony hearts into hearts of flesh. Touch our hearts always to keep them warm. Grace our hearts so that they may always be what they are supposed to be. Make us love You more and more each day. Help us love one another as You love us. And keep our hearts loving and true. Amen.
St. Georgia, pray for us.
15 February
Tuesday
spared from destruction
But Noah found favor with the Lord. – Genesis 6:8
A few weeks before that fateful day when Typhoon Ondoy came, I had a dream that our house was flooded almost up to the second floor. That vision put me on guard, leading me to say a deliverance prayer and be reassured of God’s protection.
When Ondoy came, I guarded my heart against worry. My husband and I were giving a seminar then. Despite the news of city-wide flooding and standstill traffic, we didn’t cut short the seminar, which was a preparation for a more important spiritual event — a Light of Jesus Encounter. Instead of panicking, we led our seminar participants to prayer. Our collective prayers brought hope despite the gravity of the situation and our seeming helplessness.
When we reached home, we found our properties spared from excessive damage and the floodwaters not as deep as I had dreamt. We even got unexpected help from a cousin who supervised the efficientevacuation of our things. We believed that God granted similar blessings to those in our seminar.
As He did with Noah who obeyed His commands, God spared us from the destructive waters of the typhoon.Donna España ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
“Faith gives to men on earth the protection of the God of heaven.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
Lord, I thank You for teaching me to trust in You in any situation that I encounter. Because of Your love for me, I feel blessed.
---------
1st READING
We all know the story of Noah and the Flood, but what should we learn from it? I think one lesson we can learn is that God will go to extraordinary lengths to preserve His Creation – not just humanity, but all of the animals. This ought to instill in us a deep respect for the gift of Creation to the point that we realize that we need to be good stewards of the earth and its resources so that the generations after us do not inherit a wasteland!
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
5 When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, 6 he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved. 7 So the LORD said: “I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the LORD. 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah: “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just. 2 Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate; 3 likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs, a male and a female, and of all the unclean birds, one pair, a male and a female. Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth every moving creature that I have made.” 5 Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him. 10 As soon as the seven days were over, the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
P S A L M
Psalms 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
R: The Lord will bless his people with peace.
1 Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, 2 give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire. (R) 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic. (R) The God of glory thunders, 9 and in his temple all say, “Glory!” 10 The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever. (R)
G O S P E L
Jesus’ reference is not a literal one. He is referring to the fact that if we allow evil or worldly attitudes to enter our lives or society, we will discover that they will not just remain dormant but ‘leaven’ the whole of our lives or society with their errors or misplaced priorities. The challenge we face is to be discerning as regards the influences we allow to form our minds and hearts and restrict them to those that will form us in the ways of Christ and His kingdom.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:14-21
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. 17 When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
my reflections
t h i n k : W e need to be good stewards of the earth and its resources so that the generations following us do not inherit a wasteland!
--------
HARDENED HEART
A hardened face looks ugly, frightening, intimidating. A hardened muscle feels painful. But how does a hardened heart look? How does it feel?
I searched and searched to find a hardened heart. I found the object of my curiosity — inside a freezer! I saw a chicken’s heart inside a freezer, and boy, it was really very hard!
How does a hardened heart look? It looks like a stone. You can hardly recognize it as a heart. Throw it on a glass shield, and it breaks. Hit someone’s head with it, and the head gets bruised. Bite it and you certainly will lose a tooth. A hardened heart hurts and destroys. I do not like a hardened heart. Do you? How does a hardened heart feel? It feels so cold, terribly cold. It feels like solid ice, not snow. Squeeze it and its coldness bites you. Hold it and no sooner you will drop it. Place it near an open tooth and the ache will be unbearably painful. A hardened heart bites and inflicts pain. I do not want a hardened heart, do you?
But does a heart harden?
A heart hardens by not becoming what it should be. It hardens when it is isolated from the rest of the living body and kept inside a freezer. It hardens because it dies. It becomes hardened because it has turned exclusively unto itself. A heart hardens even more when it refuses to melt. It hardens when it has become stubborn. I do not like a hardened heart. Do you?
Jesus reprimands His disciples in the Gospel today for the hardness of their hearts. They are witnesses to His miracles. They heard His words. Yet their hearts seem to be impenetrable. Why? Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Do I have a hardened heart?
Lord, change our stony hearts into hearts of flesh. Touch our hearts always to keep them warm. Grace our hearts so that they may always be what they are supposed to be. Make us love You more and more each day. Help us love one another as You love us. And keep our hearts loving and true. Amen.
St. Georgia, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #536
His light is shining on you this Wednesday.
16 February
Wednesday
swimming lessons
Jesus again placed his hands on the man’s eyes. This time the man looked intently, his eyesight returned, and he saw everything clearly. – Mark 8:25
“Why do I have to wake up early during summer? Why do I have to attend swim school?”
These questions would start off the daily debates between my six-year-old son, Jac, and my wife, Christine. It became a daily ritual during that summer of 2009. Giving him a reply was easy but what made it annoying was that he would ask the same questions every morning.
“So you can enjoy swimming more,” was always the reply of his mother. Jac did not miss a session of the class despite his hesitations. He began to show interest in the sport during the last few sessions. During their graduation ceremonies, Jac even finished first in his age level tournament. He also actively participated in the games done at the pool. He enjoyed swimming more as a result of the lessons.
Sometimes the situations in our life may look gloomy. We don’t understand immediately what is happening. But at the end of it, we learn something. At the end of it, we enjoy life more. Alvin Fabella ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do you completely understand what you are going through in your life now? Just believe in God and look towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Lord, help me see the blessings hidden in the unpleasant circumstances of my life.
==========
A SECOND TIME, A SECOND TOUCH
As if the first was not enough, Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes a second time. The first time He touched the man’s eyes with His spittle, the man saw people looking like trees. The blind could already see but not clearly. Was there an energy shortage in Jesus’ reservoir of power?
No, there was no shortage in Jesus’ power to perform miracles. He is God; therefore, He was, is and will always be omnipotent. Were not the eyes of the blind man opened? They were. His sight was restored, but, at first, what poor sight he had! Was that really the quality of sight the blind man should have, considering his age? Possibly, but we can only guess. Or was he not yet ready to receive his full sight? Maybe, but we can only speculate. Or did the blind man, now with sight, doubt the power of Jesus’ healing hands the first time He touched him? Perhaps, but again, we can only guess.
Did Jesus really need to touch the blind man’s eyes a second time? What if Jesus did not touch him again? Would the blind man nonetheless regain his sight fully like a newborn? Was it necessary for Jesus to touch the blind man again or was it, like the first, a gratuitous act of grace for Jesus to touch him twice?
Whatever the answers to these questions, one thing is certain: Jesus moves freely. Jesus not only heals for free; He freely heals, too. Jesus achieves His purpose in the way He wants. He can never be coerced.
When we ask Jesus to grant us our prayers, we should be ready to accept the manner by which He grants them, at the time and place He chooses. We do not demand from Him; we pray to Him. Lest we forget, He is the Lord and we are His servants.
If you were the blind man and Jesus did not touch you a second time, what would you do, say and feel? If you were Mark the evangelist, how would you write this episode? Would you write about it at all? Would it still be Good News to you?
Why? Why not?Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
How does Jesus touch my life?
Touch me, O Jesus, as many times as I breathe each day. For without Your touch, nothing will have meaning in my life and I will die. Touched by You, transform me to be Your loving touch on others. Amen.
St. Jeremy, pray for us.
16 February
Wednesday
swimming lessons
Jesus again placed his hands on the man’s eyes. This time the man looked intently, his eyesight returned, and he saw everything clearly. – Mark 8:25
“Why do I have to wake up early during summer? Why do I have to attend swim school?”
These questions would start off the daily debates between my six-year-old son, Jac, and my wife, Christine. It became a daily ritual during that summer of 2009. Giving him a reply was easy but what made it annoying was that he would ask the same questions every morning.
“So you can enjoy swimming more,” was always the reply of his mother. Jac did not miss a session of the class despite his hesitations. He began to show interest in the sport during the last few sessions. During their graduation ceremonies, Jac even finished first in his age level tournament. He also actively participated in the games done at the pool. He enjoyed swimming more as a result of the lessons.
Sometimes the situations in our life may look gloomy. We don’t understand immediately what is happening. But at the end of it, we learn something. At the end of it, we enjoy life more. Alvin Fabella ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Do you completely understand what you are going through in your life now? Just believe in God and look towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Lord, help me see the blessings hidden in the unpleasant circumstances of my life.
==========
A SECOND TIME, A SECOND TOUCH
As if the first was not enough, Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes a second time. The first time He touched the man’s eyes with His spittle, the man saw people looking like trees. The blind could already see but not clearly. Was there an energy shortage in Jesus’ reservoir of power?
No, there was no shortage in Jesus’ power to perform miracles. He is God; therefore, He was, is and will always be omnipotent. Were not the eyes of the blind man opened? They were. His sight was restored, but, at first, what poor sight he had! Was that really the quality of sight the blind man should have, considering his age? Possibly, but we can only guess. Or was he not yet ready to receive his full sight? Maybe, but we can only speculate. Or did the blind man, now with sight, doubt the power of Jesus’ healing hands the first time He touched him? Perhaps, but again, we can only guess.
Did Jesus really need to touch the blind man’s eyes a second time? What if Jesus did not touch him again? Would the blind man nonetheless regain his sight fully like a newborn? Was it necessary for Jesus to touch the blind man again or was it, like the first, a gratuitous act of grace for Jesus to touch him twice?
Whatever the answers to these questions, one thing is certain: Jesus moves freely. Jesus not only heals for free; He freely heals, too. Jesus achieves His purpose in the way He wants. He can never be coerced.
When we ask Jesus to grant us our prayers, we should be ready to accept the manner by which He grants them, at the time and place He chooses. We do not demand from Him; we pray to Him. Lest we forget, He is the Lord and we are His servants.
If you were the blind man and Jesus did not touch you a second time, what would you do, say and feel? If you were Mark the evangelist, how would you write this episode? Would you write about it at all? Would it still be Good News to you?
Why? Why not?Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
How does Jesus touch my life?
Touch me, O Jesus, as many times as I breathe each day. For without Your touch, nothing will have meaning in my life and I will die. Touched by You, transform me to be Your loving touch on others. Amen.
St. Jeremy, pray for us.
- Messages
- 133
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 126
amen lowhiseyta!
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #538
Never lose sight of Jesus this Thursday.
17 February
Thursday
empty promises
(Jesus) rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” – Mark 8:33
A presidential aspirant touted in his campaign: “I am the champion of the poor. I know what the poor people want.” He often said in his campaign speeches that he would not enrich himself; rather, he would make the poor richer.
So the masses made him president. They proclaimed him a hero, a champion and the defender of the poor. They believed his promises, proclaiming him the “President of the Poor.”
But sad to say, he did not live up to his title. He enriched not only himself but his families and friends as well. He forgot that he needed to work hard, sacrifice for the impoverished so that they may rise from their poverty, and lead the nation to prosperity.
On a personal level, we act like this man when we do not live up to our word. When we make promises we don’t keep or do not practice what we preach or use our mouth to curse instead of to bless others, we are no better than him. And as Peter was rebuked by Jesus, we would hear: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.” Chelle Crisanto ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
“The first step in a person’s salvation is knowledge of their sin.” (Seneca)
Jesus is my Rock. As He stands firm, let me stand steadfast in my faith so that I may live my life according to His will, that whatever He commands I follow.
--------
1st READING
Noah’s story is now presented as a New Beginning where the survivors of the flood are commanded to go forth and multiply and spread themselves through the earth. This is an echo of God’s command to Adam and Eve in the first chapter of Genesis. Our lives often have new beginnings when one phase closes and the next one begins. Let us seek to listen to God’s Word directing us in each and every aspect and phase of our lives.
Genesis 9:1-13
1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth. 2 Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon all the creatures that move about on the ground and all the fishes of the sea; into your power they are delivered. 3 Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants. 4 Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat. 5 For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life. 6 If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has man been made. 7 Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it.” 8 God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “ See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. 11 I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.” 12 God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: 13 I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
P S A L M
Psalms 102:16-18, 19-21, 29, 22-23
R: From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
15 [16] The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 16 [17] when the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; 17 [18] when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) 18 [19] Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the LORD: 19 [20] “The LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 20 [21] To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die” (R) 28 [29] The children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall continue in your presence. 21 [22] That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion; and his praise, in Jerusalem, 22 [23] When the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. (R)
G O S P E L
It is ironic to think that the Son of God had to suffer in order to redeem us. It is also a tremendous gift as we are assured in the sufferings of Christ that God is willing to do anything to bring redemption to our lives. And thank God for that or we would all still be enmired in our sins. Let us ask the Lord to reveal to us the depths of His love so that we will be more inspired to lay down our lives in His service.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:27-33
27 Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. 32 He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us ask the Lord to reveal to us the depths of His love so that we will be more inspired to lay down our lives in His service.
---------
SATAN
Peter meant Jesus no harm. The truth was, all he wanted was for Jesus to be secured from any harm.
One moment Jesus was praising Peter for recognizing who He really was — the Messiah. The next moment, hardly a breath taken, Jesus was scolding him for failing to recognize what His mission really was — to redeem the world by His passion, death and resurrection.
The issue on Peter was that he was too focused on the dying of Jesus without giving an equal attention to His rising. Did he not hear Jesus say that He would rise again after three days? Is your focus the same as Peter’s?
The issue on Peter was that he was too excited to recognize Jesus as the Messiah but not Jesus as the Suffering Servant. Did he forget Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of God?
The issue on Peter was that he was thinking not as God does but as humans do. Was he still too young to understand that God’s ways were not man’s ways? Do you think as Peter thought?
“Satan” is not a proper name, as your name or mine. “Satan” means “the adversary,” “the enemy.” Thus, anything or anyone that hinders us from fulfilling the will of God in our life is a Satan. It can be the religious devotion we adhere to just as it can be the sin that we are guilty of. It can be the person we love most just as it can be the one we are indifferent to. It can be someone we have the highest respect for just as it can be someone we abhor. Satan can be anything and anyone that stands between God and us. As in the case of Peter, it can be our focus in life, our emotional fixation or our way of thinking. It can be ourselves. Jesus meant Peter no harm. The truth was, He wanted Peter to be secured from any unnecessary hurt. Yet, Jesus reprimanded Peter because Peter would not allow Him to suffer and die. So Jesus called him “Satan.”Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Who is the Satan in my life? What is the Satan in my life? Am I a Satan, too?
Deliver me, Jesus, from any Satan in my life. Deliver from me those I am a Satan to. Let nothing and no one hinder me from following the Father’s will. You are my inspiration and strength to do so. Amen.
St. Habet Deus, pray for us.
17 February
Thursday
empty promises
(Jesus) rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” – Mark 8:33
A presidential aspirant touted in his campaign: “I am the champion of the poor. I know what the poor people want.” He often said in his campaign speeches that he would not enrich himself; rather, he would make the poor richer.
So the masses made him president. They proclaimed him a hero, a champion and the defender of the poor. They believed his promises, proclaiming him the “President of the Poor.”
But sad to say, he did not live up to his title. He enriched not only himself but his families and friends as well. He forgot that he needed to work hard, sacrifice for the impoverished so that they may rise from their poverty, and lead the nation to prosperity.
On a personal level, we act like this man when we do not live up to our word. When we make promises we don’t keep or do not practice what we preach or use our mouth to curse instead of to bless others, we are no better than him. And as Peter was rebuked by Jesus, we would hear: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.” Chelle Crisanto ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
“The first step in a person’s salvation is knowledge of their sin.” (Seneca)
Jesus is my Rock. As He stands firm, let me stand steadfast in my faith so that I may live my life according to His will, that whatever He commands I follow.
--------
1st READING
Noah’s story is now presented as a New Beginning where the survivors of the flood are commanded to go forth and multiply and spread themselves through the earth. This is an echo of God’s command to Adam and Eve in the first chapter of Genesis. Our lives often have new beginnings when one phase closes and the next one begins. Let us seek to listen to God’s Word directing us in each and every aspect and phase of our lives.
Genesis 9:1-13
1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth. 2 Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon all the creatures that move about on the ground and all the fishes of the sea; into your power they are delivered. 3 Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants. 4 Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat. 5 For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life. 6 If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has man been made. 7 Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it.” 8 God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “ See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. 11 I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.” 12 God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: 13 I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
P S A L M
Psalms 102:16-18, 19-21, 29, 22-23
R: From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
15 [16] The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 16 [17] when the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; 17 [18] when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) 18 [19] Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the LORD: 19 [20] “The LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 20 [21] To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die” (R) 28 [29] The children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall continue in your presence. 21 [22] That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion; and his praise, in Jerusalem, 22 [23] When the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. (R)
G O S P E L
It is ironic to think that the Son of God had to suffer in order to redeem us. It is also a tremendous gift as we are assured in the sufferings of Christ that God is willing to do anything to bring redemption to our lives. And thank God for that or we would all still be enmired in our sins. Let us ask the Lord to reveal to us the depths of His love so that we will be more inspired to lay down our lives in His service.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:27-33
27 Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. 32 He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us ask the Lord to reveal to us the depths of His love so that we will be more inspired to lay down our lives in His service.
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SATAN
Peter meant Jesus no harm. The truth was, all he wanted was for Jesus to be secured from any harm.
One moment Jesus was praising Peter for recognizing who He really was — the Messiah. The next moment, hardly a breath taken, Jesus was scolding him for failing to recognize what His mission really was — to redeem the world by His passion, death and resurrection.
The issue on Peter was that he was too focused on the dying of Jesus without giving an equal attention to His rising. Did he not hear Jesus say that He would rise again after three days? Is your focus the same as Peter’s?
The issue on Peter was that he was too excited to recognize Jesus as the Messiah but not Jesus as the Suffering Servant. Did he forget Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of God?
The issue on Peter was that he was thinking not as God does but as humans do. Was he still too young to understand that God’s ways were not man’s ways? Do you think as Peter thought?
“Satan” is not a proper name, as your name or mine. “Satan” means “the adversary,” “the enemy.” Thus, anything or anyone that hinders us from fulfilling the will of God in our life is a Satan. It can be the religious devotion we adhere to just as it can be the sin that we are guilty of. It can be the person we love most just as it can be the one we are indifferent to. It can be someone we have the highest respect for just as it can be someone we abhor. Satan can be anything and anyone that stands between God and us. As in the case of Peter, it can be our focus in life, our emotional fixation or our way of thinking. It can be ourselves. Jesus meant Peter no harm. The truth was, He wanted Peter to be secured from any unnecessary hurt. Yet, Jesus reprimanded Peter because Peter would not allow Him to suffer and die. So Jesus called him “Satan.”Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Who is the Satan in my life? What is the Satan in my life? Am I a Satan, too?
Deliver me, Jesus, from any Satan in my life. Deliver from me those I am a Satan to. Let nothing and no one hinder me from following the Father’s will. You are my inspiration and strength to do so. Amen.
St. Habet Deus, pray for us.
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May you be guided by His directions this Friday!
18 February
Friday
FLEETING PLEASURES
“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” – Mark 8:36
A former mine worker won $3 million in the lotto. Not knowing what to do with his prize, he spent his money on useless pursuits.
He bought a 3,300-square-foot house in an upscale neighborhood and six luxury vehicles. He gave his mother and relatives new vehicles and other expensive gifts. He gave money to his friends. He partied six nights a week for several months. His fouryear addiction to video lottery cost him $1 million. He invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-risk ventures.
After nine years of endless spending and impulse buying, gambling and a stock market crash, he was almost broke. He sold his house, cars and other properties. His long-time girlfriend, with whom he has a child, left him. But despite this, he continued to place all his money in lottery.
Getting what we want in terms of possessions, position or power can give us pleasure in the beginning. But in the end, we may still feel empty and unhappy if they are not used for God’s purposes. A life of abundance goes beyond what this world can offer. It’s a life with Jesus who promises us eternal life and a mansion in heaven.Judith Concepcion ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What occupies more of your thoughts, time and effort? That one is your master.
Lord, help me set my priorities right. Grant me the grace to put You above all else for it is only in You that I will become truly satisfied and abundant.
---------
1st READING
One of the key points of wisdom in business is not to over-stretch one’s capacities. That is, one must make decisions with consideration for the extent of his resources and capabilities. Something similar is true of our faith in that we must always give God His due and not seek to replace His role in our lives or His general position of Creator with ourselves or someone or something else. God alone is God may sound a bit like a truism but we need to remember it all the same.
Genesis 11:1-9
1 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. 2 While men were migrating in the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.” They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.” 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men had built. 6 Then the LORD said: “If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. 7 Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” 8 Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.
P S A L M
Psalms 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15
R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
10 The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. 11 But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. (R) 12 Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. 13 From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind. (R) 14 From his fixed throne he beholds all who dwell on the earth, 15 he who fashioned the heart of each, he who knows all their works. (R)
G O S P E L
As we mentioned in the reflection on the First Reading, humility is a key aspect of the character of a disciple. We cannot hope to follow Jesus unless we are truly humble and willing to place our wills in submission to His. We will come across all sorts of images in the Scriptures that speak to us of this truth — taking up our cross and following Jesus is only one. Let us reflect upon what this might mean for us as individuals and ask God for the grace to make it happen.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:34-9:1
34 Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. 36 What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 What could one give in exchange for his life? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” 9: 1 He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”
my reflections
t h i n k : We cannot hope to follow Jesus unless we are truly humble and willing to place our wills in submission to His.
--------
PDA
I must confess that sometimes I watch the two reality shows on primetime TV, Pinoy Big Brother and Pinoy Dream Academy. I try to draw out some true-to-life examples to spice my homilies a bit.
As I reflect on the first reading and the Gospel for today (Genesis 11:1-9 and Mark 8:14-9:1), the acronym PDA keeps on flashing in my mind. In the light of both readings, PDA may stand for three other things.
PDA may mean PLEASE DON’T ASPIRE. This is the warning sounded to us by the first reading. While there are things we may guiltlessly aspire for, there are also those we simply must never dream about. When something is either directly against God or incongruent to God’s ways, we should heed the warning: Please Don’t Aspire.
PDA may also stand for PUT DREAMS ASIDE. We may have good dreams, even holy ones, but sometimes — and to the confusion of our very limited human minds — God asks us to put those good and holy dreams aside. Our identity as Christians puts the mystery of the cross right at the very center of our life. Our cross can take the excruciating form of putting our dreams aside so that other’s dream and, ultimately, God’s dream may come true. It is another way of dying to ourselves — the essence of today’s Gospel.
Finally, PDA may also mean PLEASE DREAM AGAIN. It is not bad to have dreams, even big, ambitious dreams, provided that they or the means to achieve them are not evil. Dream. Dream. Dream. God wants us to dream with Him, not apart from Him; to dream and work for it, not apart from Him but always in Him, with Him, and through Him. And when we fail, we should pick up our dreams and dream again. PDA — Please Dream Again or, better yet, Please Dream Always. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
P – Pray. It teaches you what to dream for and how to make it come true.
D – Discern. It tells you when God needs you to put your dreams aside.
A – Act. Don’t just dream. Wake up and make your dream come true!
Educate my dreams, O Lord. Teach me what to dream and how to make it come true. Christify my dreams, O Lord. Help me dream as You dream: ready to sacrifice myself for others when needed. Grant my dreams, O Lord. Bless my initiative and sustain me in my efforts in cooperating with Your grace to make my dreams come true. Amen.
Blessed William Harrington, pray for us.
18 February
Friday
FLEETING PLEASURES
“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” – Mark 8:36
A former mine worker won $3 million in the lotto. Not knowing what to do with his prize, he spent his money on useless pursuits.
He bought a 3,300-square-foot house in an upscale neighborhood and six luxury vehicles. He gave his mother and relatives new vehicles and other expensive gifts. He gave money to his friends. He partied six nights a week for several months. His fouryear addiction to video lottery cost him $1 million. He invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-risk ventures.
After nine years of endless spending and impulse buying, gambling and a stock market crash, he was almost broke. He sold his house, cars and other properties. His long-time girlfriend, with whom he has a child, left him. But despite this, he continued to place all his money in lottery.
Getting what we want in terms of possessions, position or power can give us pleasure in the beginning. But in the end, we may still feel empty and unhappy if they are not used for God’s purposes. A life of abundance goes beyond what this world can offer. It’s a life with Jesus who promises us eternal life and a mansion in heaven.Judith Concepcion ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
What occupies more of your thoughts, time and effort? That one is your master.
Lord, help me set my priorities right. Grant me the grace to put You above all else for it is only in You that I will become truly satisfied and abundant.
---------
1st READING
One of the key points of wisdom in business is not to over-stretch one’s capacities. That is, one must make decisions with consideration for the extent of his resources and capabilities. Something similar is true of our faith in that we must always give God His due and not seek to replace His role in our lives or His general position of Creator with ourselves or someone or something else. God alone is God may sound a bit like a truism but we need to remember it all the same.
Genesis 11:1-9
1 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. 2 While men were migrating in the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.” They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.” 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men had built. 6 Then the LORD said: “If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. 7 Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” 8 Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.
P S A L M
Psalms 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15
R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
10 The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. 11 But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. (R) 12 Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. 13 From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind. (R) 14 From his fixed throne he beholds all who dwell on the earth, 15 he who fashioned the heart of each, he who knows all their works. (R)
G O S P E L
As we mentioned in the reflection on the First Reading, humility is a key aspect of the character of a disciple. We cannot hope to follow Jesus unless we are truly humble and willing to place our wills in submission to His. We will come across all sorts of images in the Scriptures that speak to us of this truth — taking up our cross and following Jesus is only one. Let us reflect upon what this might mean for us as individuals and ask God for the grace to make it happen.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 8:34-9:1
34 Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. 36 What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 What could one give in exchange for his life? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” 9: 1 He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”
my reflections
t h i n k : We cannot hope to follow Jesus unless we are truly humble and willing to place our wills in submission to His.
--------
PDA
I must confess that sometimes I watch the two reality shows on primetime TV, Pinoy Big Brother and Pinoy Dream Academy. I try to draw out some true-to-life examples to spice my homilies a bit.
As I reflect on the first reading and the Gospel for today (Genesis 11:1-9 and Mark 8:14-9:1), the acronym PDA keeps on flashing in my mind. In the light of both readings, PDA may stand for three other things.
PDA may mean PLEASE DON’T ASPIRE. This is the warning sounded to us by the first reading. While there are things we may guiltlessly aspire for, there are also those we simply must never dream about. When something is either directly against God or incongruent to God’s ways, we should heed the warning: Please Don’t Aspire.
PDA may also stand for PUT DREAMS ASIDE. We may have good dreams, even holy ones, but sometimes — and to the confusion of our very limited human minds — God asks us to put those good and holy dreams aside. Our identity as Christians puts the mystery of the cross right at the very center of our life. Our cross can take the excruciating form of putting our dreams aside so that other’s dream and, ultimately, God’s dream may come true. It is another way of dying to ourselves — the essence of today’s Gospel.
Finally, PDA may also mean PLEASE DREAM AGAIN. It is not bad to have dreams, even big, ambitious dreams, provided that they or the means to achieve them are not evil. Dream. Dream. Dream. God wants us to dream with Him, not apart from Him; to dream and work for it, not apart from Him but always in Him, with Him, and through Him. And when we fail, we should pick up our dreams and dream again. PDA — Please Dream Again or, better yet, Please Dream Always. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
P – Pray. It teaches you what to dream for and how to make it come true.
D – Discern. It tells you when God needs you to put your dreams aside.
A – Act. Don’t just dream. Wake up and make your dream come true!
Educate my dreams, O Lord. Teach me what to dream and how to make it come true. Christify my dreams, O Lord. Help me dream as You dream: ready to sacrifice myself for others when needed. Grant my dreams, O Lord. Bless my initiative and sustain me in my efforts in cooperating with Your grace to make my dreams come true. Amen.
Blessed William Harrington, pray for us.
- Messages
- 875
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- #540
This Saturday, let God give you rest in His Spirit.
19 February
Saturday
LIVE BY FAITH
Faith is being sure of what we hope for. – Hebrews 11:1
We operate by faith every day. When we get sick we go to a doctor whose name we cannot pronounce and whose degrees we have never verified. He gives us a prescription we cannot read. We take it to a pharmacist who gives us a chemical compound we do not understand. Then we go home and take the medicine, trusting that we will get well.
We move in faith every day. We ride a car whose makers we have never met. We drive our vehicle beside cars whose drivers’ skill we are not certain about.
We function with faith every day. We enter a building even if we’re not sure that it won’t collapse. We sit on a chair trusting that it will hold our weight. We eat in a restaurant believing that what they serve is not toxic.
If we can trust people and things we are uncertain of, then we sure can have faith in a God whom we are sure of.
Jesus is the Great Healer. (And you can easily pronounce His name). Jesus is the Sure Driver. (He is the Way, the Truth and the Life). He stands with you at all times. (He is the Firm Foundation). You can rest in His loving arms. (He makes you lie down in green pastures).
Enjoy living daily with Jesus.
Live by faith!Arun Gogna ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Am I living in faith in all aspects of my life?
May I trust in You more each day, especially when things are not going my way.
-----------
1st READING
Faith is one of the foundation stones of the life of a disciple of Jesus. Today’s reading lists a number of men of faith and sets them before us as examples to imitate. Let us make a commitment to get to know the saints of the Church. Let us seek to discover more about them so that we can be inspired by their lives and strengthened through their intercession as we call upon them for help!
Hebrews 11:1-7
1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
P S A L M
Psalms 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R: I will praise your name forever, Lord.
2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (R) 4 Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. 5 They speak of the splendour of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. (R) 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R)
G O S P E L
Quite often when I read the name Elijah in the Scriptures, what comes to my mind is the epitome of a man of the Spirit. Elijah in person was a man led by the Spirit of God who encountered many very difficult situations and overcame them through his faith and trust in God. Let us be so inspired to place our lives in the hands of God and thus allow Him to work in and through us to overcome our difficulties.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 9:2-13
2 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7 Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. 11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us make a commitment to get to know the saints of the Church.
----------------
JUST A STOPOVER
Life is often seen as a journey where the road is not always smooth and straight. There are rough and bending paths, marked with detours and even U-turns. We sail seas and swim rivers, enter tunnels and explore forests. But there is nothing more overwhelming than the mountains in our life.
No one can ignore a mountain. By its very nature, a mountain is imposing. We can cross or go aroundit. We can conquer it or it can conquer us. Conquering a mountain means climbing it. Cursing it means being conquered by it.
Jesus climbs a mountain today. He does not take the longer but easier way by going around it; He makes the difficult choice of scaling it. Jesus does not allow His mountain to conquer Him; He conquers it instead. Mountains are not only peaks along our way; they can also be crossroads. Every crossroad is a moment of crisis. Depending on how we respond to it, a crisis may mean grace or disgrace, blessing or chastisement, a bend or a block, a beginning or an end. The same is true with our mountains in life.
Today, on top of a mountain, we hear a voice from a cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.” We hear the voice and the voice wants us to listen. Let us give in to it. Let us listen to Jesus, the Word of that voice.
By climbing His mountain, Jesus tells us that we should climb ours. After climbing His mountain, Jesus goes down from it. Mountains are not meant to be anyone’s permanent address. The breathtaking view from the top of a mountain can be tempting for anyone to pitch his tent there and forget that he is just passing by as he makes his journey called “life.” Jesus shows us that reaching the top of our mountains is not yet conquering them. Going down from them is. For a mountain is worth climbing only if it is possible to go down from it.
Today, we make a stopover on top of a mountain. We listen. Then, we go down to move on. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What do I do with my “mountains”?
Climb with me, O Jesus, the mountains in my life. Let me hear over and over again the voice of the Father, affirming me that I, too, am His child. Embrace me with Your holy radiance that I may be strengthened to move on in my journey of discipleship. And when my life is done, take my hand and bring me to Your holy mountain. Amen.
St. Odran, pray for us.
19 February
Saturday
LIVE BY FAITH
Faith is being sure of what we hope for. – Hebrews 11:1
We operate by faith every day. When we get sick we go to a doctor whose name we cannot pronounce and whose degrees we have never verified. He gives us a prescription we cannot read. We take it to a pharmacist who gives us a chemical compound we do not understand. Then we go home and take the medicine, trusting that we will get well.
We move in faith every day. We ride a car whose makers we have never met. We drive our vehicle beside cars whose drivers’ skill we are not certain about.
We function with faith every day. We enter a building even if we’re not sure that it won’t collapse. We sit on a chair trusting that it will hold our weight. We eat in a restaurant believing that what they serve is not toxic.
If we can trust people and things we are uncertain of, then we sure can have faith in a God whom we are sure of.
Jesus is the Great Healer. (And you can easily pronounce His name). Jesus is the Sure Driver. (He is the Way, the Truth and the Life). He stands with you at all times. (He is the Firm Foundation). You can rest in His loving arms. (He makes you lie down in green pastures).
Enjoy living daily with Jesus.
Live by faith!Arun Gogna ([email protected])
REFLECTION:
Am I living in faith in all aspects of my life?
May I trust in You more each day, especially when things are not going my way.
-----------
1st READING
Faith is one of the foundation stones of the life of a disciple of Jesus. Today’s reading lists a number of men of faith and sets them before us as examples to imitate. Let us make a commitment to get to know the saints of the Church. Let us seek to discover more about them so that we can be inspired by their lives and strengthened through their intercession as we call upon them for help!
Hebrews 11:1-7
1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
P S A L M
Psalms 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R: I will praise your name forever, Lord.
2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (R) 4 Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. 5 They speak of the splendour of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. (R) 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R)
G O S P E L
Quite often when I read the name Elijah in the Scriptures, what comes to my mind is the epitome of a man of the Spirit. Elijah in person was a man led by the Spirit of God who encountered many very difficult situations and overcame them through his faith and trust in God. Let us be so inspired to place our lives in the hands of God and thus allow Him to work in and through us to overcome our difficulties.
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Mark 9:2-13
2 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7 Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. 11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
my reflections
t h i n k : Let us make a commitment to get to know the saints of the Church.
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JUST A STOPOVER
Life is often seen as a journey where the road is not always smooth and straight. There are rough and bending paths, marked with detours and even U-turns. We sail seas and swim rivers, enter tunnels and explore forests. But there is nothing more overwhelming than the mountains in our life.
No one can ignore a mountain. By its very nature, a mountain is imposing. We can cross or go aroundit. We can conquer it or it can conquer us. Conquering a mountain means climbing it. Cursing it means being conquered by it.
Jesus climbs a mountain today. He does not take the longer but easier way by going around it; He makes the difficult choice of scaling it. Jesus does not allow His mountain to conquer Him; He conquers it instead. Mountains are not only peaks along our way; they can also be crossroads. Every crossroad is a moment of crisis. Depending on how we respond to it, a crisis may mean grace or disgrace, blessing or chastisement, a bend or a block, a beginning or an end. The same is true with our mountains in life.
Today, on top of a mountain, we hear a voice from a cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.” We hear the voice and the voice wants us to listen. Let us give in to it. Let us listen to Jesus, the Word of that voice.
By climbing His mountain, Jesus tells us that we should climb ours. After climbing His mountain, Jesus goes down from it. Mountains are not meant to be anyone’s permanent address. The breathtaking view from the top of a mountain can be tempting for anyone to pitch his tent there and forget that he is just passing by as he makes his journey called “life.” Jesus shows us that reaching the top of our mountains is not yet conquering them. Going down from them is. For a mountain is worth climbing only if it is possible to go down from it.
Today, we make a stopover on top of a mountain. We listen. Then, we go down to move on. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
What do I do with my “mountains”?
Climb with me, O Jesus, the mountains in my life. Let me hear over and over again the voice of the Father, affirming me that I, too, am His child. Embrace me with Your holy radiance that I may be strengthened to move on in my journey of discipleship. And when my life is done, take my hand and bring me to Your holy mountain. Amen.
St. Odran, pray for us.
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