Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Luke 11:29-32
As the crowd increased, Jesus spoke the following words: “People of the present time are troubled people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah.

Reflections
“But no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah.”
One inspiring testimony I heard about a miraculous healing involved a sign. One early morning, an elderly couple was on their way to further hospital tests because a tumor was discovered in the husband. Along the way, they passed by the Church of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and fervently prayed for healing. Incidentally it was October 1 and the parish has a tradition of distributing roses on the feast day of its patron. At the end of that morning’s mass, the priest requested the husbands to get a piece of rose for their wives. The wife knew that her husband was not the type who would stand up to get the rose. So she prayed for a miracle. She prayed that the husband would stand, get the rose, and give the flower to her; that would be a sign that God hears her prayer of healing for him. But the husband did not move. With tears in her eyes they left the Church to proceed to the hospital. But a surprise waited for her on their way out. A lady she did not know gave her a rose! And guess what, the doctor said the tumor was gone. She was sure the lady was St. Therese.
It is not wrong to ask for signs. At times, God uses signs too as his instruments either to relay his mes- sage or manifest his presence. But the life of a believer should not totally rely on signs but on solid faith. The power of God works in our life in many ways. But even in the absence of signs, faith should be sufficient for those who truly believe.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee, and as he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him. Keeping their distance, they called to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Jesus said to them, “Go, and show yourselves to the priests.” Then, as they went on their way, they found they were cured. One of them, as soon as he saw that he was cleansed, turned back, praising God in a loud voice; and throwing himself on his face before Jesus, he gave him thanks. This man was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked him, “Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Did none of them decide to return and give praise to God, but this foreigner?” And Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go your way; your faith has saved you.”

Lectio Divina
READ: The first reading shows Naaman thanking God for his healing by turning to God and honoring him. The same event is seen in the gospel where a Samaritan, after receiving his cure, praised and thanked God.
REFLECT: We are familiar with the term persona non-grata, which refers to ungrateful people. We can be hospitable and generous, but somehow we can also be sensitive and allergic to people who show no gratitude to the things that we do. Hence, it's quite easy for us to look at these people as persona non-grata. But while we feel slighted by thankless people, have we not missed thanking God who has given us everything?
PRAY: Lord, may I always realize that everything I have is yours and that the reason I am enjoying comfort and convenience in life is because you have never failed to bless me.
ACT: The Eucharist means Thanksgiving. Attend Holy Mass today and thank the Lord for all his blessings.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 11:27-28
As Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to him, “Blessed is the one who gave you birth and nursed you!” Jesus replied, “Truly blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it as well.”

Reflections
“Truly blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it as well.”
Khalil Gibran says to parents, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.” In other words there is a close link between parents and children. What we see in children (arrows) mirrors where they came from (bows) and under what manner of upbringing, whether disciplined or lax, they were formed. Hence, when children have grown to become successful and to become some- body in society, thanks to pa- rents. This must have been in the mind of the woman who praised the one who “gave… birth and nursed” Jesus, meaning his mother, Mary. Jesus must have impressed her a lot and admired his mother as blessed for having produced a good son. I don’t see anything wrong in this judgment. It is also a dictate of justice to recognize good parents and thank them for rearing and nurturing their children to become good people. Good personality reflects good upbringing. Good children reflect good parents. But Jesus picked this up and taught a more insightful lesson: one is more blessed when doing what is good and producing what is good comes from hearing and observing God’s Word.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 11:15-26
Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put him to the test, by asking him for a heavenly sign. But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters. When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands, looking for a resting place; and finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order. Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits, even worse than itself. They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Reflections
“Whoever is not with me is against me.”
I was a college student in UP Los Baños when the celebrated 1993 abduction-cum-murder case of two students happened. In 2006, I returned there to pursue doctoral studies. One evening in 2007, our house of studies was in a bedlam when some agitated students came re- questing for priests; one female student was allegedly possessed and kept babbling a female name. When we inquired of the name, I was taken aback. It was the name of the female student murdered in 1993! As to how a 2007 student knew of that 1993 student, I do not know. When some fellow priests decided to go with the students, I opted to stay. I only learned later that it was not a real possession.
Our gospel today contains an objective affirmation of the possibility of possessions. Evil forces can intrude and make a mess of our lives. They are tough and will never give up. The point is we need to be stronger and tougher. We need to possess firm faith, because the key to victory is to be on the side of Christ and not against him.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019