Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)
St. Casimir
 
Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

1^st Reading: Is 58:9b-14

Then you will call and Yahweh will answer, you will cry and he will say, I am here. If you remove from your midst the yoke, the clenched fist and the wicked word, if you share your food with the hungry and give relief to the oppressed, then your light will rise in the dark, your night will be like noon.

Yahweh will guide you always and give you relief in desert places. He will strengthen your bones; he will make you as a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail.

Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt, the age-old foundations will be raised. You will be called the Breach-mender, and the Restorer of ruined houses.

If you stop profaning the Sabbath and doing as you please on the holy day, if you call the Sabbath a day of delight and keep sacred Yahweh’s holy day, if you honor it by not going your own way, not doing as you please and not speaking with malice, then you will find happiness in Yahweh, over the heights you will ride triumphantly, and feast joyfully on the inheritance of your father Jacob.

The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

Gospel: Lk 5:27-32

Jesus went out, and noticing a tax collector named Levi, sitting in the tax-office, he said to him, “Follow me!“ So Levi, leaving everything, got up and followed Jesus.

Levi gave a great feast for Jesus, and many tax collectors came to his house, and took their places at the table with the other people. Then the Pharisees and their followers complained to Jesus’ disciples, “How is it, that you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?“ But Jesus spoke up, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I have not come to call the just, but sinners, to a change of heart.“

REFLECTION:

The Doctor finds the sick

 When do we go to the Doctor? When we are sick. Sometimes, though, even when we are sick we delay going to the Doctor until we can no longer bear the pain. So sometimes our Doctors tell us, “you should have come earlier.“

 In our Gospel today Jesus presents himself as our Doctor, our Spiritual Doctor. But there is something so wonderful about Jesus as our Doctor. He is the one who goes out in search of the sick! Our Gospel tells us that Jesus “noticed“ Levi at his post. It was not Levi who went to the Lord. It was Jesus, the Divine Doctor, who went to the “sick“ Levi! Such is our Lord! He takes the initiative.

 Jesus, the Divine Physician, looks at the spiritually sick and reaches out to them with eyes of mercy and compassion. In our own time this particular verse spoke to one Jorge Mario Bergolio (a.k.a. Pope Francis). After listening to this Gospel he went to confession and made a radical turn around in his life. He was 17 years old. The tender gaze of the Divine Physician healed him. We, too, must let the eyes of mercy and compassion of the Lord penetrate our hearts!

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

FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)
St. Katharine Drexel, virgin

Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

1^st Reading: Is 58:1-9a

Cry out aloud for all you are worth; raise your voice like a trumpet blast; tell my people of their offenses, Jacob’s family of their sins.
Is it true that they seek me day after day, longing to know my ways, as a people that does what is right and has not forsaken the word of its God?
They want to know the just laws and not to drift away from their God. “Why are we fasting,“ they complain, “and you do not even see it?
We are doing penance and you never notice it.“ Look, on your fast days you push your trade and you oppress your laborers.
Yes, you fast but end up quarreling, striking each other with wicked blows. Fasting as you do will not make your voice heard on high.
Is that the kind of fast that pleases me, just a day to humble oneself? Is fasting merely bowing down one’s head, and making use of sackcloth and ashes? Would you call that fasting, a day acceptable to Yahweh?
See the fast that pleases me: breaking the fetters of injustice and unfastening the thongs of the yoke, setting the oppressed free and breaking every yoke.
Fast by sharing your food with the hungry, bring to your house the homeless, clothe the one you see naked and do not turn away from your own kin.
Then will your light break forth as the dawn and your healing come in a flash. Your righteousness will be your vanguard, the glory of Yahweh your rearguard.
Then you will call and Yahweh will answer, you will cry and he will say, I am here.

Gospel: Mt 9:14-15

The disciples of John came to him with the question, “How is it, that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?“

Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, they will fast.“

REFLECTION:

Fasting?

What is “Fasting and abstinence?“ The law of fasting requires Catholics ages18–60 years to take only one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The law of abstinence, which is not eating meat on Ash Wednesdays and all Fridays of Lent, binds those who have completed their fourteenth year onwards. The sick, of course, are not obliged.

 Why Fasting and Abstinence? It is not for diet purposes. We abstain and fast for a salutary spiritual reasons (1) as penance for our sins and as (2) a spiritual discipline. We remember that Christ spent 40 days in desert in fasting and prayer before He began his public ministry. Those who have to contend with the evil, those who intend to exorcise the evil one prepare for the spiritual combat through prayer and fasting. St. Jean Vianney was so effective in driving the evil one at the confessional because of his prayer and fasting.

 Fasting and abstinence are spiritual exercises that build our spiritual muscles or our ability to do battle with the evil one. We are always tempted. The devil likes to offer us always an easy path. The devil always offers us comfort. Fasting and abstinence train us to resist the lure of the easy path and instead train us to face the difficult path of the way of the cross to which Jesus calls us.

Daily Reflection

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

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)

Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 & 6
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

1^st Reading: Dt 30:15-20

Moses said to the people, “See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love Yahweh, your God and follow his ways. Observe his commandments, his norms and his laws, and you will live and increase, and Yahweh will give you his blessing in the land you are going to possess. But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.

“Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving Yahweh, listening to his voice, and being one with him. In this is life for you and length of days in the land which Yahweh swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.“

Gospel: Lk 9:22-25

Jesus said to his disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the law, and be put to death. Then after three day she will be raised to life.“

Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me! For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world, if you destroy or damage yourself?“

REFLECTION:

Choosing Life in Christ

In the desert Moses challenged the Israelites to make a decision. Either to follow the path to life or the path to death. To follow the Law was life; to disobey the Law meant death. The Israelites had to make the choice. In the same way, Christ challenged his disciples in today’s Gospel. To follow Christ and his Gospel or to choose the world and its fruit, damnation. We are invited to choose Life; we are invited to choose to follow Christ.

Choosing Christ is not quite attractive, though! Jesus does not mince his words. “If you wish to be a follower of mine … take up your cross…“ To choose Christ is to accept the cross. Not easy! It is not easy to be good to those who are bad to us. It is not easy to love the unlovable. It is not easy to forgive those who have wronged us. It is not easy to suffer humiliation. It is not easy to be accused of a wrong you are not guilty of. It is not easy to suffer for the sake of others. It is not easy to die.

So that we may learn to follow Jesus and take up our cross, the Church offers to us the Via Crucis as our prayer and penance for the season of Lent. Through our meditation of the Via Crucis we will not only understand the Cross that Christ had to carry but also be encouraged to choose life in Christ, to follow Christ on the way to true Life!

Daily Reflection

Daily Reflection

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

ASH WEDNESDAY
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)

Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 & 17
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

1^st Reading: Jl 2:12-18

Yahweh says, “Yet even now, return to me with your whole heart; with fasting, weeping and mourning.  Rend your heart, not your garment. Return to Yahweh, your God—gracious and compassionate.”

Yahweh is slow to anger, full of kind ness, and he repents of having punished.

Who knows? Probably he will relent once more, and spare some part of the harvest, from which we may bring sacred offerings to Yahweh, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, proclaim a sacred fast, call a solemn assembly.Gather the people, sanctify the community, bring together the elders, even the children and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his bed, and the bride her room.

Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, Yahweh’s ministers, weep and say: Spare your people, Yahweh. Do not humble them or make them an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the people: Where is their God? Yahweh has become jealous for his land; he has had pity on his people.

2^nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:20—6:2

So we present ourselves as ambassadors, in the name of Christ, as if God, himself, makes an appeal to you, through us. Let God reconcile you; this, we ask you, in the name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made him bear our sin, so, that, in him, we might share the holiness of God.

Being God’s helpers, we beg you: let it not be in vain, that you received this grace of God. Scripture says: At the favorable time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. This is the favorable time, this is the day of salvation.

Gospel: Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your good deeds before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be noticed in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be praised by people. I assure you, they have their reward.

“If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that our gift remains really secret. Your Father, who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.

“When you pray, do not be like those who want to be noticed. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners, in order to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have their reward. When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will re ward you.

“When you fast, do not put on a miserable face, as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father, who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.“

REFLECTION:

Return to the Lord

“Hiram sa Diyos ang aking buhay“ is a title of a beautiful song that reminds us of a fundamental truth. The period of “LENT“ is a good time to remember this truth. When, therefore, we receive the ashes today the priest tells us “Remember man that you are dust and to dust you shall return.“ Life has been “lent“ to us, and we are one day to return that life to the Author of all Life, God!

When we do return that “hiram na buhay“ we have to return it with “interest,“ that is, with “value added“ in the form of good we have done. In our Judaic tradition that takes the form of our classic Lenten practices–prayer, almsgiving, and sacrifice. This Lenten season is precisely a season of grace because with these Lenten practices we make God central of our lives, we remember the poor, and we make atonement for our sins.

May this season of grace be truly for us all the occasion for a “pagbabalik loob sa Diyos“ as we spend more time, not in shopping but in praying, more time spending for the poor and the needy than for our own comfort and leisure, and more time fasting rather than feasting!

Daily Reflection

Daily Reflection

Daily Reflection

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