Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

PALM SUNDAY
OF THE LORD‘S PASSION
Psalter: Proper / (Red)

Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

1^st Reading: Is 50:4-7

The Lord Yahweh has taught me
so I speak as his disciple
and I know how to sustain the weary.
Morning after morning he wakes me up
to hear, to listen like a disciple.
The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear.
I have not rebelled,
nor have I withdrawn.
I offered my back to those who strike me,
my cheeks to those who pulled my beard;
neither did I shield my face
from blows, spittle and disgrace.
I have not despaired,
for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help.
So, like a flint I set my face,
knowing that I will not be disgraced.

2^nd Reading: Phil 2:6-11

Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking on the nature of a servant,
made in human likeness,
and, in his appearance, found, as a man,
He humbled himself by being obedient, to death,
death on the cross.
That is why God exalted him
and gave him the name which outshines all names,
so, that, at the name of Jesus all
knees should bend
in heaven, on earth and among the dead,
and all tongues proclaim, that
Christ Jesus is the Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel: Mt 26:14–27:66

Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver; and from then on, he kept looking for the best way to hand Jesus over to them.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Master says: My hour is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.’”

 The disciples did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, Jesus sat at table with the Twelve. While they were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you: one of you will betray me.” They were deeply distressed, and they asked him, one after the other, “You do not mean me, do you, Lord?” He answered, “The one who dips his bread with me will betray me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man: better for him not to have been born.” Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said a blessing and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat: this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and gave thanks, and passed it to them, saying, “Drink this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Yes, I say to you: From now on I will not taste the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink new wine with you in my Father’s kingdom.” After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will falter tonight because of me, and all of you will fall. For Scripture says: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after my resurrection, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter responded, “Even though all stumble and fall, I will never fall away!” Jesus replied, “Truly I say to you: this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing. Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.”

He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to be overwhelmed by anguish and distress. And he said to them, “My soul is full of sorrow, even to death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” He went a little farther and fell to the ground, with his face touching the earth, and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me. Yet, not what I will, but what you will.” He went back to his disciples and found them asleep; and he said to Peter, “Could you not stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you may not fall into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again, and prayed, “Father, if this cup cannot be taken away from me without my drinking it, your will must be done.” When he came back to his disciples, he, again, found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open. So leaving them again, Jesus went to pray for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came back to his disciples and said to them, “You can sleep on now and take your rest! The hour has come, and the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go! See, the betrayer is here!” Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests and the elders of the people. The traitor had given them a sign: “The one I kiss, he is the man; arrest him!” Judas went directly to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they laid hands on Jesus, and arrested him.

One of those who were with Jesus drew his sword, and struck at the servant of the High Priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. Do you not know that I could call on my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? If Scripture says that these things must be, should Scripture not be fulfilled?”

 At that hour, Jesus said to the crowd, “Why do you come to arrest me with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber? Day after day, I sat among you, teaching in the temple, yet, you did not arrest me. But all this has happened in fulfillment of what the Prophets said.” Then all his disciples deserted Jesus and fled.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, where the teachers of the law and the elders were assembled.

Peter followed Jesus at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest; he entered and sat with the guards, waiting to see the end.

The chief priests and the whole Supreme Council needed some false evidence against Jesus, so that they might put him to death. But they were unable to find any, even though false witnesses came forward. At last, two men came forward and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

The High Priest stood up and asked Jesus, “What is the evidence against you? Have you no answer to the things they testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent.

So the High Priest said to him, “In the name of the living God, I command you to tell us: Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you: from now on, you will see the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of God most powerful, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the High Priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has blasphemed. What more evidence do we need? You have heard the blasphemy! What is your decision?” They answered, “He must die!”

REFLECTION:

Read: The Passion of the Lord. The self-emptying–kenosis-of the God of love for filling in humanity with His goodness. Godly heart that can take in human betrayal and in return give of Himself to nourish us.

Reflect: Who do I resemble more in my daily living—Jesus, Judas, Other disciples, or Chief priests?

Pray: Pray the Divine Chaplet of Mercy.

Act: Forgive someone who has hurt you deeply.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
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Web: www.claretianph.com

5th WEEK OF LENT
 Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)

Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
 The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

1^st Reading: Ezk 37:21-28

You will then say to them: Thus says Yahweh: I am about to withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their land. I shall make them into one people on the mountains of Israel; and one king is to be king of them all. They will no longer form two nations or be two separate kingdoms, nor will they defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable practices and their sins. I shall free them from the guilt of their treachery; I shall cleanse them; and they will be for me a people, and I shall be God for them. My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all. They will live according to my laws and follow and practice my decrees. They will settle in the land I gave to my servant Jacob where their ancestors lived. There, they will live forever, their children and their children’s children. David, my servant, will be their prince forever.

I shall establish a Covenant of peace with them, an everlasting Covenant. I shall settle them; and they will increase; and I shall put my Sanctuary in their midst forever. I shall make my home at their side; I shall be their God and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh who makes Israel holy, having my Sanctuary among them forever.”

Gospel: Jn 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what he did; but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Council.

They said, “What are we to do? For this man keeps on performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him and, as a result of this, the Romans will come and destroy our Holy Place and our nation.”

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! It is better to have one man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed.”

In saying this Caiaphas did not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold like a prophet that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also would die in order to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day on, they were determined to kill him.

Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness, and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim.

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and, as they stood in the temple, they talked with one another, “What do you think? Will he come to the festival?”

REFLECTION:

To be in a position of power and authority is not only to enjoy its perks and privileges. One has to wrestle too with many considerations to preserve peace, to preserve one’s status, to uphold the rights of persons and the likes. It is a delicate balancing act of service, of self-preservation and respect of the individual. Sometimes, the stakes are so high that one or the other must be sacrificed. Thus we can sympathize with the Jewish Council called by the chief priests and Pharisees to deal with the Jesus movement that is now gaining traction. They must make a decision whether they will allow Him to amass such followings that would merit Rome’s attention and intervention. For them, the survival of their faith and nation is at stake. They did not however articulate that the survival of their own institutions is also in peril. Thus condemning Jesus to death for the seemingly greater good would be easy.

How many times do leaders select reasons for their actions that seem legitimate and holy in that particular situation while conveniently sweeping aside their self-serving interest? They would like to think that people owe them a great debt for doing so when in reality it is they who gained the most. This self-deception may totally convince them but those who can see through their motives will not allow truth to be diluted.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com

5th WEEK OF LENT
 Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)
St. John Baptist de la Salle, priest

Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7
 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and heard my voice.

1^st Reading: Jer 20:10-13

I hear many people whispering,
“Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!”
All my friends watch me to see if I will slip:
“Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say;
“then we can get the better of him
and have our revenge.”
But Yahweh, a mighty warrior, is with me.
My persecutors will stumble and not prevail;
that failure will be their shame
and their disgrace will never be forgotten.
Yahweh, God of Hosts,
 you test the just and probe the heart and mind.
Let me see your revenge on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh and say:
he has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked!

Gospel: Jn 10:31-42

The Jews then picked up stones to throw at him; so Jesus said, “I have openly done many good works among you, which the Father gave me to do. For which of these do you stone me?”

The Jews answered, “We are not stoning you for doing a good work, but for insulting God; you are only a man, and you make yourself God.”

Then Jesus replied, “Is this not written in your law: I said, you are gods? So those who received this word of God were called gods, and the Scripture is always true. What then should be said of the one anointed, and sent into the world, by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’?

If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do them, even if you have no faith in me, believe because of the works I do; and know that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

Again they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had baptized, and there he stayed.

Many people came to Jesus, and said, “John worked no miracles, but he spoke about you, and everything he said was true.” And many in that place became believers.

REFLECTION:

Now the existential-spiritual blindness and deafness of the Jews become translated into action. Since it comes from a fragmented center the action manifests itself in violence. They picked up stones to hurt Jesus. Their rage wants to see blood as payment for their disturbed conscience. Unsuccessful, they want to imprison the truth. It is causing a lot of havoc.

It is funny how people expend a lot of energy to contain that which will make them truly free, and spend the rest of their lives wondering when they will be liberated from the oppression they find themselves in. If truth is not welcomed, it will move on and find a more hospitable welcome. That is why the poor are almost always the recipient of God’s grace of truth, more so especially the poor in heart and spirit. So Jesus went to the other side of the Jordan. Those who are authentic seekers of the truth will not hesitate to cross the river of doubts and uncertainty to find it.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com

5th WEEK OF LENT
 Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)

Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
 The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

1^st Reading: Gen 17:3-9

Abram fell face down and God said to him, “This is my Covenant with you: you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but Abraham, because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you more and more famous; I will multiply your descendants; nations shall spring from you, kings shall be among your descendants. And I will establish a covenant, an everlasting Covenant between myself and you and your descendants after you; from now on I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you, for generations to come. I will give to you and your descendants after you the land you are living in, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession and I will be the God of your race.” God said to Abraham, “For your part, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.

Gospel: Jn 8:51-59

Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death.” The Jews replied, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never experience death.’ Who do you claim to be? Do you claim to be greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets who also died?”

Then Jesus said, “If I were to praise myself, it would count for nothing. But he who gives glory to me is the Father, the very one you claim as your God, although you don’t know him. I know him, and if I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and I keep his word.

As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it.”

The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” And Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” They then picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple.

REFLECTION:

At first glance, the claims of Jesus seem fantastic and a product of an impressive imagination. We cannot blame the Jews of His time for not believing Him immediately. They want Him to perform signs of wonder and clarify the seeming impossibility of His claim. After all, Abraham and the prophets are already part of their faith journey. Jesus is an upstart who asks for their faith allegiance without the backings of history.

But this is precisely the kind of mentality that blocked the hearts and minds of the Jews during the time of Jesus to see the truth of His words. They look to the past for assurances while the present wonder of Jesus’ words and actions reinforcing each other were brushed aside and ignored. They could not discern the reign of God slowly dawning on earth when the blind saw, when the limp walked and when sins were forgiven so that a new beginning in life could push through. When you are not mindful of the present and is hostage to the comforts of the past, your eyes will never see, and your ears will never hear.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com