Daily Reflection

March 16, 2018 Friday

4TH WEEK OF LENT
Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up)
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)

Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 & 23
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

1^st Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12-22

Led by mistaken reasons they think, “Life is short and sad and there is no cure for death. It was never heard that anyone came back from the netherworld. Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. He claims knowledge of God and calls himself son of the Lord. He has become a reproach to our way of thinking; even to meet him is burdensome to us. He does not live like others and behaves strangely.

According to him we have low standards, so he keeps aloof from us as if we were unclean. He emphasizes the happy end of the righteous and boasts of having God as father.

Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be.

If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries.

Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.”

This is the way they reason, but they are mistaken, blinded by their malice. They do not know the mysteries of God nor do they hope for the reward of a holy life; they do not believe that the blameless will be recompensed.

Gospel: Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

After this, Jesus went around Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews wanted to kill him. Now the Jewish feast of the Tents was at hand.

But after his brothers had gone to the festival, he also went up, not publicly but in secret.

Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Is this not the man they want to kill? And here he is speaking freely, and they don’t say a word to him? Can it be, that the rulers know that this is really the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; but when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”

So Jesus announced in a loud voice in the temple court where he was teaching, “You say that you know me and know where I come from! I have not come of myself; I was sent by the One who is true, and you don’t know him. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”

They would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him because his time had not yet come.

Reflections

LIFE IS SHORT

This is a constant reminder in the Bible that life is like a flower that blooms for a while then fades and dies. We often hear people say: How time flies. When we are young time seems so long but when we are in our sunset years time seems to pass quickly. Because life is so short every minute of it should be spent wisely, fruitfully and joyfully. Why waste time on hating others, in worrying, in negative thoughts, in regretting things that are past. Every morning when we wake up, don’t we realize that no one promised us a “tomorrow” and therefore that this new day is an undeserved gift? So we say a grateful thanks for being given another day and resolve to make each precious minute a chance to see the beautiful things around us, to appreciate the kindness of people, to take the opportunity to give joy to someone, or just to live it fully in joy and contentment. If we live each moment in mindfulness, then it does not matter how short life is, because we have lived it fully.

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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March 15, 2018 Thursday

4TH WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)

Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
Remember us, O Lord,
as you favor your people.

1^st Reading: Ex 32:7-14

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said: ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.’”

And Yahweh said to Moses, “I see that these people are a stiff-necked people. Now just leave me that my anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses calmed the anger of Yahweh, his God, and said, “Why, O Yahweh, should your anger burst against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say: ‘Yahweh brought them out with evil intent, for he wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth.’ Turn away from the heat of your anger and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise you yourself swore: I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land I spoke about I will give to them as an everlasting inheritance.”

Yahweh then changed his mind and would not yet harm his people.

Gospel: Jn 5:31-47*

If I bore witness to myself, my testimony would be worthless. But Another One is bearing witness to me, and I know that his testimony is true when he bears witness to me. John also bore witness to the truth when you sent messengers to him, but I do not seek such human testimony; I recall this for you, so that you may be saved. (…)

You search in the Scriptures, thinking that in them you will find life; yet Scripture bears witness to me. But you refuse to come to me, that you may live. I am not seeking human praise; but I know that the love of God is not within you, for I have come in my Father’s name and you do not accept me. If another comes in his own name, you will accept him. As long as you seek praise from one another, instead of seeking the glory which comes from the only God, how can you believe? (…) If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?

Reflections

THEY HAVE MADE FOR THEMSELVES A GOLDEN CALF

Idolatry was one of the sins of the people of Israel that God condemned. Since the image of the relationship between God and his people was in terms of marriage, idolatry was like adultery. It was infidelity and is the worst form of betrayal. It is a perennial temptation for human beings to create a God to their image and likeness. We choose a God whom we can put in our pocket, one who will approve our ways and justify what we want to do. But this is not believing in God. This is creating an idol. When we are growing we tend to put some people we admire on a pedestal. There is nothing wrong with this but as we grow more mature we have to put them gently one by one because if not, they will fall from their pedestal and it is not they who will suffer but we who put them there. “Thou shalt not have strange gods before me” God reminds us. There is only ONE God and to this God we owe absolute and abiding fidelity. We have to get rid of the false gods, the golden calves we have created along the way and turn back to the God who is ever faithful to us and loves us with an unconditional love in spite of our infidelity.

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

March 14, 2018 Wednesday

4TH WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)

Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18
The Lord is gracious and merciful.

1^st Reading: Is 49:8-15*

This is what Yahweh says: “At a favorable time I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have been your help; I have formed you and made you to be my Covenant with the people. (…)

They will feed along the road; they will find pasture on barren hills. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the scorching wind or the sun beat upon them; for he who has mercy on them will guide them and lead them to springs of water. (…)

Can a woman forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child in her womb? Yet though she forget, I will never forget you.

Gospel: Jn 5:17-30*

Jesus replied, “My Father goes on working and so do I.” And the Jews tried all the harder to kill him, for Jesus not only broke the Sabbath observance, but also made himself equal with God, calling God his own Father.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I assure you, the Son cannot do anything by himself, but only what he sees the Father doing. And whatever he does, the Son also does. The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does; and he will show him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed.

As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whom he wills. (…) Whoever ignores the Son, ignores as well the Father who sent him. (…)

Truly, the hour is coming and has indeed come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, on hearing it, will live. For the Father has life in himself, and he has given to the Son also to have life in himself. And he has empowered him as well to carry out Judgment, for he is Son of Man.

Do not be surprised at this: the hour is coming when all those lying in tombs will hear my voice and come out; those who have done good shall rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

I can do nothing of myself. As I hear, so I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

Reflections

CAN A WOMAN FORGET THE BABY AT HER BREAST AND HAVE NO COMPASSION ON THE CHILD OF HER WOMB?

Jesus often uses the example of a mother to show the greatness of love. This quotation is one such example. It is really awesome when one comes to think of it that the baby is for nine months really and literally one with its mother. Whatever the mother drinks and eats becomes a part of the baby. A mother is the only one in the whole world who can say, looking at her child: THIS IS MY BODY, THIS IS MY BLOOD! It is impossible for a mother to forget the child who lived in her body for 9 months and to whom she gives birth suffering the greatest pain. That is why there is a saying:”He /she has a face only a mother can love. When one visits the death row, inevitably mothers will be the one found visiting their children condemned to death. Now let us go to the next sentence of Jesus which says “But even if a mother does forget her child” God will not forget. That is how much God loves us — with an unconditional love.

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

March 13, 2018 Tuesday

4TH WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)

Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
The Lord of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

1^st Reading: Ez 47:1-9, 12

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the temple and flowing eastward. The temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the temple, from the south side of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around to the gate facing the east; and there I saw the stream coming from the south side.

The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As he went towards the east he measured off a thousand cubits; and led me across the water which was up to my ankles. He measured off another thousand cubits and made me cross the water, which came to my knees. He measured off another thousand cubits and we crossed the water, which was up to my waist. When he had again measured a thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent, for it had swollen to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming.

The man then said to me, “Son of man, did you see?” He led me on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. There I saw a number of trees on both sides of the river. He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful; and the seawater will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound.

Near the river on both banks, there will be all kinds of fruit trees, with foliage that will not wither; and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop, because the water comes from the temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing.

Gospel: Jn 5:1-16

After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there is a pool (called Bethzatha in Hebrew) surrounded by five galleries. In these galleries lay a multitude of sick people: blind, lame and paralyzed. (All were waiting for the water to move, for at times an angel of the Lord would descend into the pool and stir up the water; and the first person to enter the pool, after this movement of the water, would be healed of whatever disease that he had.) There was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him, and because he knew how long this man had been lying there, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

Reflections

I HAVE NO MAN TO PUT ME
INTO THE POOL

One can almost see the frustration and maybe even despair of this paralytic who always comes late to the healing waters of the pool because there was no one to help him. And yet he kept on coming back day after day for 38 years hoping against hope that he could be healed. And then came his KAIROS. He still did not have anyone to help him into the pool, but this time he needed no one because the healer himself came to him and healed him. Sometimes God makes healing depend on the help of other people, maybe to encourage kindness, generosity, helpfulness and compassion. It is a grace not only for the people we help but for us also if we get the opportunity to be the instrument of God in healing people. Remember what Pope Francis said: ”The task of the church is not to make dogmatic and moral pronouncements but to heal wounds and warm the hearts of people.” I think this is the most beautiful way of expressing what Gospel (Good News) means. “Loving God, thank you for once in a while making me an instrument of your compassion in healing people and warming their hearts.”

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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