Daily Reflection

November 29, 2018 Thursday

34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)

Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

1^st Reading: Rev 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a

After this, I saw another angel, coming down from heaven. So great was his authority, that the whole earth was lit up with his glory. In a strong voice he cried out: “Fallen is Babylon the great! Fallen! She has become a haunt of demons, a lodge for every unclean spirit, a nest for any filthy and disgusting bird. A powerful angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying: “With such violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, never again to be seen. Never again will tunes of harpists, minstrels, trumpeters and flutists be heard in you. Never again will an artisan of any trade be found in you. Never again will the noise of the mill be heard. Never again will the light of a lamp shine in you. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never again be heard in you. Because your traders were the world’s great, and you led the nations astray by your magic spell.

After this, I heard what sounded like the loud singing of a great assembly in heaven: Alleluia! Salvation, glory and might belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just. He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the world with her adultery. He has avenged his servants’ blood, shed by her hand, in harlotry. Once more, they sang: Alleluia! The smoke from her goes up, forever and ever!

Then, the angel told me, “Write: Happy are those invited to the wedding of the Lamb.” And he went on, “These are true words of God.”

Gospel: Lk 21:20-28

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that the time has come when it will be reduced to a wasteland. If you are in Judea, flee to the mountains! If you are in Jerusalem, leave! If you are outside the city, don’t enter it!

For these will be the days of its punishment, and all that was announced in the Scriptures will be fulfilled. How hard will it be for pregnant women, and for mothers with babies at the breast! For a great calamity will come upon the land, and wrath upon this people. They will be put to death by the sword, or taken as slaves to other nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the pagans, until the time of the pagans is fulfilled. The coming of the Son of Man. Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, perplexed when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. Then, at that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

The signs of the times. So, when you see things begin to happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”

Reflections

Jesus continues his warnings of what is to come. He is pointing to the cause of such events – the corruption and greed of so many for which destruction was the inescapable outcome. So he calls them the “days of retribution” or the “time of punishment”, not indicating God’s revenge but the result human choice to do evil. Jesus speaks of various cataclysmic and apocalyptic signs to signal the end of time. They are typical biblical phenomena and not meant to be taken as exact foretelling of events. It is not intended to fill people with fear and trembling, except perhaps those who have chosen to make their lives miserable. But for the disciples, it is a time to reap what has been a life of service to others. Sufferings and rejections are part and parcel of living the Christian life and being purified in the process. There is no conversion without the fire of suffering and sacrifice. Living the way of Jesus is a ‘sign of contradiction’, a beacon of light to many and to others a threat to their way of life. But for those who have tried to live by the vision and values of the Gospel, for those who have tried to seek and find Jesus in daily events of their lives, who have spent hours doing good to others, it is the time to feel and witness God’s redeeming love to the full.

Daily Reflection 2018

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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

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November 28, 2018 Wednesday

34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)

Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9
Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

1^st Reading: Rev 15:1-4

Then, I saw another great and marvelous sign in the heavens: seven angels brought seven plagues, which are the last, for with these, the wrath of God will end. There was a sea of crystal, mingled with fire, and the conquerors of the beast, of its name and the mark of its name stood by it.

They had been given the celestial harps, and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord, God and Master of the universe. Justice and truth guide your steps, O King of the nations.

Lord, who will not give honor and glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and bow before you, for they have now seen your judgments.

Gospel: Lk 21:12-19

Before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be delivered to the synagogues and put in prison, and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.

So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to say, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.

You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. But even though, because of my name, you will be hated by everyone, not a hair of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will save your souls.

Reflections

Jesus warns his own disciples. He speaks of abuse and persecution. “They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons…” However, he assures them not to fear or be anxious. When the time comes, they will know what to do and what to say. He will tell them what to say and how to answer. A promise that has been vindicated again and again. One thinks of, in our own time, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Maximilian Kolbe, Bishop Oscar Romero, Mother Teresa and many others. Their memories are treasured and become an inspiration to all of us to follow their example. The constant challenge is to have the courage to be true to our Christian values whatever the cost. Let us not be surprised that our faith can create such anger, hostility, and total rejection. At the same time, we reach out continually in truth and mercy to bring healing and reconciliation among us. We must try hard to help people see where real truth and goodness lie. And we do that by seeking for that in our own lives. We are constantly invited to live out the wisdom which God gives and not out of fear and anxiety. Stay in touch with the depths, the Spirit who dwells within us in good and difficult times.

Daily Reflection 2018

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

November 27, 2018 Tuesday

34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)

Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13
The Lord comes to judge the earth.

1^st Reading: Rev 14:14-19

Then, I had this vision. I saw a white cloud, and the one sitting on it, like a son of man, wearing a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. An angel came out of the Sanctuary, calling loudly to the one sitting on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for harvest time has come, and the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He, who was sitting on the cloud, swung his sickle at the earth and reaped the harvest.

Then, another angel, who also had a sharp sickle, came out of the heavenly Sanctuary. Still, another angel, the one who has charge of the altar fire, emerged, and shouted to the first, who held the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and reap the bunches of the vine of the earth, for they are fully ripe.” So, the angel swung his sickle and gathered in the vintage, throwing all the grapes into the great winepress of the anger of God.

Gospel: Lk 21:5-11

While some people were talking about the temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

Jesus said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he; the time is near at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”

And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.“

Reflections

At every pivotal time in the history of our planet, there are people who claim to see the end of the world. The attitude of Christians is not to be one of fear and anxiety. It sees the new era as a time of challenge and opportunity, a time for new beginnings.

Jesus told them that the end will not follow immediately. More than that, Jesus told them that hard times are an opportunity to find God and not the time to give up. And, the disciples listened and kept their faith in him. On a more personal and much more realistic level, we may be anxious about the signs of our own death or the final destruction of the earth. But again it does not help to become fearful and anxious. Rather the imperative is to live each day to the full and to make it productive for ourselves and others. At the end of the day, the story is about each one of us; it is about our struggles. It is about our search to find God and to trust Jesus in our journey. And, it is about God giving us the opportunity to share the joys and wonders of faith carved into us through sacrifice and loving without counting the cost. How will you make sure that God’s story does not end with you? What is your story going to be? What are you going to share? Have you kept the faith? “Do not worry,” Jesus says, “about what you will testify.” Simply trust him. Keep an eye out for God’s actions in the world and in people’s lives, and trust in the words of Jesus not to be afraid.

Daily Reflection 2018

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

November 26, 2018 Monday

34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)

Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

1^st Reading: Rev 14:1-3, 4b-5

I was given another vision: The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, surrounded by one hundred and forty-four thousand people, who had his name, and his Father’s name, written on their foreheads. A sound reverberated in heaven, like the sound of the roaring of waves, or deafening thunder; it was like a chorus of singers, accompanied by their harps. They sing a new song before the throne, in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, a song which no one can learn, except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been taken from the earth.

They are those who were not defiled with women, but were chaste; these are given, to follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They are the first taken from humankind, who are already of God and the Lamb. No deceit has been found in them; they are faultless.

Gospel: Lk 21:1-4

Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury of the temple. He also saw a poor widow, who dropped in two small coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all of them gave an offering from their plenty; but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.”

Reflections

Today’s gospel presents to us a poor widow but with exceeding generosity because she gave all what she had, her whole livelihood for the temple treasury. Her poverty did not stop her from giving her share. Her great love is greater than her need. The others were putting in offerings which they could easily afford; it would have involved no diminution of their lifestyle, no hardship of any kind. God is not interested in how much we give, but in why we give. God does not look at the amount of the gift but at the spirit of the giver. Jesus sets her up as an example of someone who put her total trust in God’s providence. She gave everything to him. If only we, too, could have that kind of trust, that kind of generosity, that ability to share and that kind of freedom – freedom from material security and freedom for others. The richest person is not the one who has accumulated much but the one who has the least needs. In this sense, this poor widow was rich indeed. There is always a difference in giving alms and sharing our goods with others. At the end, what makes the difference is either we give everything with trust in God’s providence or we give but with a heavy heart fearing more our own insecurities. God loves a cheerful giver.

Daily Reflection 2018

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

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