Daily Reflection

March 20, 2017 Monday

SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH,
HUSBAND OF MARY
Psalter: Proper / (White)

Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 & 29
The son of David will live for ever.

1st Reading: 2 S 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
But that very night, Yahweh’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell mysterv ant David, this is what Yahweh says: Are you able to build a house for me to live in?
When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you; and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for my name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a father to him and he shall be my son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do. Your house and your reign shall last forever before me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

2nd Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
If God promised Abraham, or rather his descendants, that the world would belong to him, this was not because of his obeying the law, but because he was just, and a friend of God, through faith.
For that reason, faith is the way, and all is given, by grace; and the promises of Abraham are fulfilled for all his descendants, not only for his children according to the law, but, also, for all the others, who have believed.
Abraham is the father of all of us, as it is written: I will make you the father of many nations. He is our father, in the eyes of Him, who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence, what does not yet exist, for this is the God in whom he believed.
Abraham believed, and hoped against all expectation, thus, becoming the father of many nations, as he had been told: See how many will be your descendants.
This was taken into account, for him to attain righteousness.

Gospel: Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a (or Lk 2:41-51a)
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ—the Messiah.
This is how Jesus Christ was born: Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to disgrace her.
While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him ‘Jesus’ for he will save his people from their sins.“
When Joseph awoke, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do, and he took his wife to his home.

REFLECTION:
Joseph, obedient husband
We begin this week with a celebration of the father of the holy family of Nazareth. And we will conclude with a celebration of the mother of the holy family.
Joseph was a pious Jew who followed the Law conscientiously. He obeyed the prescriptions of the Law even when it would be painful. When, therefore, he discovered that Mary, his betrothed wife was already pregnant before they could even live together, he knew that the Law mandated him to divorce Mary. He could only painfully conclude that there was somebody who had a greater right to Mary than himself. But he would do so quietly for he loved Mary whom he did not want to be disgraced or even be stoned to death for the presumed sin of adultery.
An angel of God appears to Joseph in a dream, however, revealing to him to continue his marriage with Mary for the child in her womb was not of man but of the Holy Spirit. Joseph the just man obeys. He had the faith of his fathers. Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob he believed that “nothing is impossible with God.“ He obeyed!
We pray that like Joseph we may have the courage to obey God’s law even when it is difficult. Like Joseph we also pray that we may always have compassion in imposing the law. Most of all we pray that we may listen to our God who speaks to us in many ways, even in dreams.

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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

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
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March 19, 2017 Sunday

3rd SUNDAY OF LENT
Psalter: Week 3 / (Violet)

Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

1st Reading: Ex 17:3-7
The people thirsted for water there and grumbled against Moses, “Why did you make us leave Egypt to have us die of thirst with our children and our cattle?“
So Moses cried to Yahweh, “What shall I do with the people? They are almost ready to stone me!“ Yahweh said to Moses, “Go ahead of the people and take with you the elders of Israel. Take with you the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. You will strike the rock and water will flow from it and the people will drink.“ Moses did this in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah because of the complaints of the Israelites, who tested Yahweh saying, “Is Yahweh with us or not?“

2nd Reading: Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
Brothers and sisters: By faith, we have received true righteousness, and we are at peace with God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through him, we obtain this favor, in which we remain, and we even boast to expect the glory of God.
And hope does not disappoint us, because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, pouring into our hearts the love of God.
Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us: when we were still helpless and unable to do anything. Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die. But see how God manifested his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Gospel: Jn 4:5-42
He came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there. Tired from his journey, Jesus sat down by the well; it was about noon. Now a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.“ His disciples had just gone into town to buy some food.
The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?“ (For Jews, in fact, have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift of God! If you knew who it is, who is asking you for a drink, you yourself would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.“
The woman answered, “Sir, you have no bucket, and this well is deep; where is your living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well; he drank from it himself, together with his sons and his cattle?“
Jesus said to her, “Those who drink of this water will be thirsty again; but those, who drink of the water that I shall give, will never be thirsty; for the water, that I shall give, will become in them a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.“
The woman said to him, “Give me this water, that I may never be thirsty, and never have to come here to draw water.“ Jesus said, “Go, call your husband, and come back here.“ The woman answered, “I have no husband.“ And Jesus replied, “You are right to say, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you said is true.“
The woman then said to him, “I see you are a prophet; tell me this: Our ancestors came to this mountain to worship God; but you Jews, do you not claim that Jerusalem is the only place to worship God?“
Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you shall worship the Father, but that will not be on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is even now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for that is the kind of worshippers the Father wants. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit, and truth.“
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah (that is the Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will tell us everything.“ And Jesus said, “I who am talking to you, I am he.“
At this point the disciples returned, and were surprised that Jesus was speaking with a woman; however, no one said, “What do you want?“ or, “Why are you talking with her?“ So the woman left her water jar and ran to the town. There she said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I did! Could he not be the Christ?“ So they left the town and went to meet him.
In the meantime, the disciples urged Jesus, “Master, eat.“ But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.“ And the disciples wondered, “Has anyone brought him food?“ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to carry out his work.
You say that in four months there will be the harvest; now, I say to you, look up and see the fields white and ready for harvesting. People who reap the harvest are paid for their work, and the fruit is gathered for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
Indeed the saying holds true: One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap where you didn’t work or suffer; others have worked, and you are now sharing in their labors.“
In that town many Samaritans believed in him when they heard the woman who declared, “He told me everything I did.“ So, when they came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days. After that, many more believed because of his own words, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is the Savior of the world.“

REFLECTION:
Read: Moses provides drinking water from hard rock for Israel. Jesus provides living waters to the spiritually thirsty Samaritan woman and her people. Paul reflects on the highest gifts of God: virtues of faith, hope, and love.
Reflect: The Samaritan woman returned to town leaving the water jar at the well. Whether accidental or deliberate, it communicates something: she braved the midday sun and came alone to fetch water that she desperately needed; but on meeting Jesus, she received a higher gift, and freely shared it with her community. Once transformed, like Paul, the material needs became dispensable. Like Mary, she chose wisely.
Pray: Along with the Samaritan woman, let us ask Jesus to give us the living water that wells up to eternal life.
Act: Share your Christ-experience with someone today.

Daily Reflection

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 18, 2017 Saturday

2nd WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 2 / (Violet)
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop & doctor

Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
The Lord is kind and merciful.

1st Reading: Mic 7:14-15, 18-20
Shepherd your people with your staff, shepherd the flock of your inheritance that dwells alone in the scrub, in the midst of a fertile land. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old, in the days when you went out of Egypt.
Show us your wonders.
Who is a God like you, who takes away guilt and pardons crime for the remnant of his inheritance?
Who is like you whose anger does not last? For you delight in merciful forgiveness.
Once again you will show us your loving kindness and trample on our wrongs, casting all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.

Gospel: Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law frowned at this, muttering, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus told them this parable: Jesus continued, “There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between them. Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land, where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So famished was he, that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything.
Finally coming to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against God, and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants.’ With that thought in mind, he set off for his father’s house. He was still a long way off, when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But the father turned to his servants: ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Bring out the finest robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! Take the fattened calf and kill it! We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found!’ And the celebration began.
Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As he returned and approached the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all about. The servant answered, ‘Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration, and killed the fattened calf.’
The elder son became angry, and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The son, very indignant, said, ‘Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Never have I disobeyed your orders. Yet you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returns, after squandering your property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad.’“

REFLECTION:
Divine Mercy
Jesus told his most famous parable, the “Parable of the Prodigal Son,“ as a response to the criticism of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law that he was too friendly to tax collectors and sinners.
Jesus’ compassion for violators of the letter of law, like the prodigal son, truly deserved punishment. The younger son expected to be treated like a slave no longer as a son. The elder son expected his Father to punish this erring son, whom he no longer recognized as his brother. But the Father does the unconscionable (to the self-righteous) by forgiving the repentant sinner. The action of the Father went against the sense of justice of the elder son and the Pharisees!
The Father who has welcomed back the repentant son also invites the elder son, however, to adopt his stance of mercy. The Father demonstrates his joy at the return of the lost son! Oh the unfathomable mercy of God! How God seeks for the lost!
Jesus will reveal the full extent of that love of the Father when he would ascend his throne, the cross, and dispense mercy to the good thief in Calvary even as the other thief (the “elder son“) would fail to recognize the one who could save him! May we always have the courage to go back to the Father; may we always rejoice at the return of sinners to the Father.

Daily Reflection

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 17, 2017 Friday

2nd WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 2 / (Violet)
St. Patrick, bishop

Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

1^st Reading: Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children, for he was the son of his old age and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. His brothers who saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, hated him and could no longer speak to him in a friendly way.

His brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the flock at Shechem; come along, I’ll send you to them.” Joseph replied, “Here I am.”

The man said, “They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let’s go to Dothan!” So Joseph went off after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

They saw him in the distance and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

Gospel: Mt 21:33-43, 45-46

Listen to another example: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, built a watchtower, leased the vineyard to tenants, and then, went to a distant country. When harvest time came, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

Again, the owner sent more servants; but they were treated in the same way.

Finally, he sent his son, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they thought, ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?“ They said to him, “He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and lease the vineyard to others, who will pay him in due time.“

And Jesus replied, “Have you never read what the Scriptures say? The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and we marvel at it. Therefore I say to you: the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you, and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they realized that Jesus was referring to them. They would have arrested him, but they were afraid of the crowd, who regarded him as a prophet.

REFLECTION:

The Green-Eyed Monster

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster“ sayeth Shakespeare’s Iago to Othello. Out of jealousy Iago plots the murder of his friends, and out of jealousy Othello murders his wife, Desdemona. Indeed, jealousy is a dangerous passion as it poisons the heart of man and drives him to do dastardly deeds!

The brothers of Joseph were so jealous of the him that they eventually got rid of him by selling him for 20 pieces of silver, the price of a boy slave! They were jealous of the love of their father Jacob had for Joseph. Jacob will lose his beloved son, Joseph, because of the jealousy.

Joseph’s experience was a prophecy. Jesus, the true beloved Son of the Father, would also be sold. The jealous brothers of Joseph will, in the time of Jesus, be the jealous and malicious tenants in the parable of Jesus in today’s Gospel. Out of jealousy the priests and Pharisees will plot the death of Jesus. They will be ably assisted by one of the 12, Judas, who will sell his Master for 30 pieces of silver, the price of an adult slave!

Be careful, then with the green-eyed monster called jealousy! Jealous persons can become so consumed with this green-eyed monster as to sell even their own loved ones. Beware!

Daily Reflection

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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