Daily Reflection

May 31, 2017 Wednesday

VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Psalter: Proper / (White)

Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

1^st Reading: Zep 3:14-18a (or Rom 12:9-16)

Cry out with joy, O daughter of Zion; rejoice, O people of Israel! Sing joyfully with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!

Yahweh has lifted your sentence and has driven your enemies away. Yahweh, the King of Israel is with you; do not fear any misfortune.

On that day, they will say to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid nor let your hands tremble, for Yahweh your God is within you, Yahweh, saving warrior. He will jump for joy on seeing you, for he has revived his love. For you he will cry out with joy, as you do in the days of the feast.

I will drive away the evil I warned you about, and you will no longer be shamed.

Gospel: Lk 1:39-56

Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary‘s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, ”You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord‘s word would come true!”

And Mary said,
”My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit exults in God, my savior!
He has looked upon his servant, in her lowliness,
and people, forever, will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
Holy is his Name!
From age to age, his mercy extends to those
who live in his presence.
He has acted with power and done wonders,
and scattered the proud with their plans.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the
hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.
He held out his hand to Israel, his servant,
for he remembered his mercy,
even as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned home.

REFLECTION:

Setting out in haste to a hill country while one is in a delicate state of pregnancy shows the kind of mindset the Virgin Mary has. She has no concern for herself. She thinks of Elizabeth‘s difficulty while forgetting her own well-being. People such as this are the ones who are truly rich. They can give themselves freely without minding the cost. Perhaps the Blessed Virgin Mary is generous as such because she has a treasure beyond compare inside her. The Lord Jesus is slowly taking shape in His humanity. It is only those who have the Lord that are capable of such extraordinary capacity to give.

And so the meeting of these two blessed women became a meeting of grace upon grace. Both were blessed by God, and both carry that which will radically change the future ahead. Amidst these blessings, the only proper response is a burst of spontaneous thanksgiving and praise. The Magnificat is the response of a heart grateful for the gifts it received from God.

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.

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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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May 30, 2017 Tuesday

7TH WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)

Ps 68:10-11, 20-21
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

1^st Reading: Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus, Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, ”You know how I lived among you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia; how I served the Lord in humility, through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me. You know, that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes; and I urged Jews, and non-Jews, alike, to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.

But now, I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet, in every city, the Holy Spirit warns me, that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed, I put no value on my life; if only I can finish my race; and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the good news of God‘s grace.

I now feel sure, that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God, will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you, this day, that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God‘s will.

Gospel: Jn 17:1-11a

After saying this, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, ”Father, the hour has come! Give glory to your Son, that the Son may give glory to you. You have given him power over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to all those you entrusted to him. For this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the One you sent, Jesus Christ.

”I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. Now, Father, give me, in your presence, the same glory I had with you before the world began.

”I have made your name known to those you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they kept your word. And now they know that whatever you entrusted to me, is indeed from you. I have given them the teaching I received from you, and they accepted it, and know in truth that I came from you; and they believe that you sent me.

”I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those who belong to you, and whom you have given to me. Indeed all I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and now they are my glory. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me in your name, so that they may be one, as we also are.”

REFLECTION:

This prayer discloses to us what is most important to Jesus because these are what He remembers and cares for even at the moment of danger. These two things are Jesus‘ deep relationship with the Father, and His love and concern for His own. When He prayed, He brings the two together in unity so that He who was united both to the Father in His essence and to the disciples in love, will have those He loved united also.

This is normal in a way. We want those we love to love each other also and we delight in the act of bridging them together. Now Jesus was confident to present His disciples to the Father. He does so with pride since they have been taught, purified and tested. He has deep confidence that His disciples will not fail Him in front of the Father. When everything has been said and done, it is with strong faith that we look forward to a better future ahead especially for the ones we love.

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

May 29, 2017 Monday

7th WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)

Ps 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

1^st Reading: Acts 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There, he found some disciples, whom he asked, ”Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, ”We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.” Paul then asked, ”What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, ”The baptism of John.”

Paul then explained, ”John‘s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the one who was to come, and that one is Jesus.” Upon hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of them in all.

Paul went into the synagogue; and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the kingdom of God.

Gospel: Jn 16:29-33

The disciples said to him, ”Now you are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that you know all things, even before we question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus answered them, ”You say that you believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

”I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but, courage! I have overcome the world.”

REFLECTION:

Teachings are vague when you do not have the key to properly understand them. This is what the disciples before felt when it comes to Jesus‘ teaching. Probably it is so because they still are at a loss in front of a teaching that is based in love. They have not yet honed their hearts to receive this new orientation. It was easy before to have a legalistic approach to faith. To know what is right and wrong and to act accordingly does seemed to be a neat way of evaluating one‘s life before God. Not so with the new commandment to love. They have to make an effort to imbibe it.

And so this makes them outcast from a world that thinks differently. They will have trouble in the world. But Jesus assures them to take up courage. He unleashed a force that will never be silenced in this world. This force will always act independently for or against

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

May 28, 2017 Sunday

ASCENSION SUNDAY
Psalter: Proper / (White)

Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

1^st Reading: Acts 1:1-11

In the first part of my work, Theophilus, I wrote of all that Jesus did and taught, from the beginning until the day when he ascended to heaven.

But first he had instructed, through the Holy Spirit, the apostles he had chosen. After his passion, he presented himself to them, giving many signs, that he was alive; over a period of forty days he appeared to them and taught them concerning the kingdom of God. Once, when he had been eating with them, he told them, ”Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the fulfillment of the Father‘s promise about which I have spoken to you: John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit within a few days.”

When they had come together, they asked him, ”Is it now that you will restore the kingdom of Israel?” And he answered, ”It is not for you to know the time and the steps that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth.”

After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. While they were still looking up to heaven, where he went, suddenly, two men dressed in white stood beside them and said, ”Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen him go there.”

2^nd Reading: Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters: May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of glory, reveal himself to you, and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know him.

May he enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God. May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints;

May you understand, with what extraordinary power, he acts in favor of us who believe.

He revealed his almighty power in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and had him sit at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion, or any other supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world, but in the world to come as well.

Thus has God put all things under the feet of Christ and set him above all things, as head of the church, which is his body, the fullness of him, who fills all in all.

Gospel: Mt 28:16-20

As for the eleven disciples, they went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Jesus, they bowed before him, although some doubted.

”All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

REFLECTION:

Read: The Acts presents the event of Ascension of the Lord. The epistle presents the Pauline prayer that we may receive the fullness of God’s revelation with a deep understanding of its efficacious mystery. The Gospel reveals Jesus giving the missionary mandate to his apostles.

Reflect: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up at the sky?” This admonition at Ascension sounds pretty similar to the one at the Resurrection: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” There is no point in looking for Christ in the tomb or in the sky; for he is right there in the Galilees - among the living, the sinful, the people on the margins. Meet him in them, wash their feet, and get on with your missionary mandate.

Pray: Pray for a missionary heart.

Act: Share the story of Christ-event with someone who has not known Christ.

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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