Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12
At that time, the reports about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.”
Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, “It is not right for you to have her as your wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist, here, on a dish.”
The king was very displeased, but because he had made his promise under oath, in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.
Then John’s disciples came, took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Reflections
“Herod wanted to kill him.”
The words of prophet Jere­miah also stands against Herod’s action: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11). This is exactly the opposite of the malicious and wicked intent of the weak characters in the gospel reading. Herod, a per­son of weak “moral backbone”, caused harm to both his brother and John the Baptist. To him, John the Baptist, having spoken the word of God and the Torah, is a stumbling block to his evil in­ tent. He has caused him and his brother an unfortunate lot.
An evil heart brings forth evil thoughts and actions; it injures and infringes the concern for justice and mercy. It destroys, rather than create and build. The evil heart disregards the good and well­ being of others. It glories in pain and suffering in­flicted to others. The misfortune of others is not his business. Because of these, the evil heart can easily be identified. For the human person is gifted with a faculty to know both evil and the good.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58
He went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did he get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t Mary his mother and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren’t all his sisters living here? Where did he get all these things?” And so they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them, “The only place where prophets are not welcome is his hometown and in his own family.” And he did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Reflections
“Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?“
If it were not easy for people at the hometown of Jesus, having seen his miraculous power at work and having heard his teachings, to believe that he is the Messiah and the Son of God, it would be much more difficult for contemporary young people or adults who have not developed faith in God and questions the existence of insti­tutional religions to believe in a Jesus who lived more than two thousand years ago.
In a casual conversation with a young man, who professes to be a non­-believer, said he could not believe that this Jesus is the son of God and that he existed or lived on this Earth based on the bible and other books. In reply, I suggested he goes to a quiet place to be alone with himself and sincerely ask God for the gift of faith and to reveal his son to him. I added that he would know Jesus exists and who Jesus is when he expe­riences genuine love.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net, let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish into buckets, but throw the bad away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just, and to throw the wicked into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.” Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So he said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the law, who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, is like a householder, who can produce from his store things both new and old.”
When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.

Reflections
“Have you understood all these?”
One of the marks of Jesus’ dis­ciples, as trained for the reign of God, is being able to comprehend the teachings of Jesus about the in breaking of God’s reign. And this understanding is made possi­ble only through Jesus. The disci­ples got the meaning of his mes­sage, which made them “blessed recipient of the mystery of God’s love” (Donald Senior). Having been guided to a profound un­derstanding of the love of God, they got the message right.
Many times we need someone, or few others, to help us under­stand things. We need people to help us see things that are hidden from view and comprehension. We know people who have suf­fered unfortunate, immoral and devastating lives because of the failure to get things right by see­ king other people’s knowledge, wisdom and experience about life and human affairs. As often been said: We stand on others’ shoulder to accomplish something. The knowledge, wisdom, experience of others are blocks by which we build our lives. And the Spirit of God puts all these together, ce­mented in one piece.
Genuine understanding of things has the power to raise the level of our consciousness, change our perspective, widen our horizon, create positive and lasting impact(s) in human af­fairs and condition of the natu­ral world.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.

Reflections
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure.”
Each of us has those that might be considered of great value or significance, those we regard as our “treasure”, our “pearl of great price,” such as: a call to do mission, a role in the community, a significant task at work, the family or loved one. All these are accompanied by a profound and, often times, an in- explicable sense of joy, and it is common to all of them. Joy is the “one thing” that renders them priceless. We can even forgo of the compensation, reward, or anything in exchange for what we have given out of ourselves.
Joy frees us from other concerns, allowing us to focus only on the “one thing.” To the disciples this one thing is the following of Jesus. And to Jesus the one thing is the reign of God, the bringing of God’s love to all creation. In our case, our one thing could be our work, our mission in the Church. The joy that accompanies it pulls us, so that what we have and what we do become a contribution to the in-breaking of God’s reign. Joy is an indicator; it points us to the good, to a pearl of great price.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019