Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: John 20:1a & 2-8
Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away.
She ran to Peter, and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid him.” Peter then set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not enter.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered the tomb; he, too, saw the linen cloths lying flat. The napkin, which had been around his head, was not lying flat like the other linen cloths, but lay rolled up in its place. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed.

Reflections
“he saw and believed.”
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have encou­raged us to define faith not just as a lofty idea, but an encounter with God. Through this defini­tion, we are reminded that theo­logy is not just “faith seeking understanding”, but a relation­ ship with God who made him­self known to us especially in Christmas.
Today’s feast of St. John Apostle and Evangelist reechoes his encounter with God and his attitude to share it. “What we have seen and heard, we pro­claim it now to you”(I John 1). His experience of the resurrection cultivated his faith and impelled him to share it, even when met with persecution.
Indeed, the life of St. John brings us to encounter God. And when we have encountered him we cannot help but share it to others. Truly, encounter with God and mission to people are inseparable.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 10:17-22
Be on your guard with people, for they will hand you over to their courts, and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, so that you may witness to them and the pagans.
But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say, or how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father, speaking through you.
Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.

Reflections
“Persecuted But Not Crushed.”
The disciple of the Apos­tles (which we technically call Church Father) by the name of Tertullian wonderfully describes “the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity”. Nowadays, we hear of persecuted Christians everywhere. Some are killed, some are judged, some are dis­placed and some are maligned.
This is the same story we hear from the first reading today. St. Stephen, our first martyr, was stoned to death after preaching to the Jews the good news of Jesus. They “cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears and rushed upon him together”. Je­ sus, in the gospel, inspires his dis­ciples, that even in sufferings, the Spirit would come to their aid.
The Spirit of Christmas re­ minds us that “God is on the side of the suffering” (JPII, Cross­ing the Threshold of Hope) and that“God who became flesh and dwelt among us would know understand the pangs of human suffering.
Indeed, the blood of St. Ste­phen encourages us to look at Jesus. With Jesus, we may be persecuted, but we are not crushed (cf 1 Corinthians)

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 1:67-79
Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, sang this canticle: ”Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has come and redeemed his people.
In the house of David his servant, he has raised up for us a victorious Savior; as he promised through his prophets of old, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of our foes.
He has shown mercy to our fathers; and remembered his holy Covenant, the oath he swore to Abraham, our father, to deliver us from the enemy, that we might serve him fearlessly, as a holy and righteous people, all the days of our lives.
And you, my child, shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the Lord, to prepare the way for him, and to enable his people to know of their salvation, when he comes to forgive their sins.
This is the work of the mercy of our God, who comes from on high, as a rising sun, shining on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guiding our feet into the way of peace.”

Reflections
“Blessed be the Lord.”
My experience of the Ty­phoon Haiyan cannot be for­gotten. Houses made of light materials were easily blown off by the strong winds. Even our seminary which we thought can hold on the tough winds, was in shambles.
Our Gospel reading today is all about the Benedictus of Zechariah. Zechariah says “… He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David.”. Indeed, it is the Lord who gives strength to the house of Israel.
The first reading beautifully describes that it is really the Lord not any man or King David that will have to build a house for His people.
As we enter the Christmas season, let us remember that our God is made flesh in our midst and dwells among us. We have the confidence that we can sur­mount every sufferings and dif­ficulties coming our ways. Even with the strong typhoons and calamities in life we are assured that God is with us till the end.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 1:57-66
When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her, and they rejoiced with her.
When, on the eighth day, they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name!” and they made signs to his father for the name he wanted to give him. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet, and wrote on it, “His name could speak again, and his first words were in praise of God.
A holy fear came on all in the neighborhood, and throughout the hill country of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it, pondered in their minds, and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

Reflections
“What will this child be?”
The Vatican Council II has emboldened the reality that all the baptized are missionaries and that the Church, by its very nature is missionary. We hear this often and much in theo­logy classes and even in basic catechesis. We are being sent by God to proclaim his love to all the corners of the world. We are being challenged to be “salt of the earth and the light of the world”.
The first reading today from the book of the prophet Mala­chi relays that God would send Elijah, a messenger, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to their chil­dren and the hearts of children to their father”. The Gospel ac­ counts the naming of John, the messenger who came before Jesus. To the people who took the unfolding of things in their heart, John was referred to the gospel as “the hand of God was with him”
The Lord’s coming inspires us too to look for signs and won­ders so that we may be led to God’s loving plan.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019