Daily Reflection

February 8, 2018 Thursday

5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Jerome Emiliani, priest /
St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin
Psalter: Week 1 / (Green/White)

Ps 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 & 40
Remember us, O Lord,
as you favor your people.

1^st Reading: 1 K 11:4-13

In Solomon’s old age, his wives led him astray to serve other gods and, unlike his father David, his heart was no longer wholly given to Yahweh, his God. For he served Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites. He did what displeased Yahweh and, unlike his father David, was unfaithful to him. Solomon even built a high place for Chemosh, the idol of Moab, on the mountain east of Jerusalem and also for Molech, the idol of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Yahweh became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel. Yahweh appeared to him twice and commanded him not to follow other gods. But he did not obey Yahweh’s command. Therefore, Yahweh said to Solomon, “Since this has been your choice and you have kept neither my Covenant nor the statutes I commanded you, I will take the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do this during your lifetime for the sake of your father David; I will take it from your son. But I will not take it all; I will reserve one tribe for your son for the sake of David, my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen.”

Gospel: Mk 7:24-30

When Jesus left that place, he went to the border of the Tyrian country. There, he entered a house, and did not want anyone to know he was there; but he could not remain hidden. A woman, whose small daughter had an evil spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet. Now this woman was a pagan, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus told her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the puppies.” But she replied, “Sir, even the puppies under the table eat the crumbs from the children’s bread.” Then Jesus said to her, “You may go your way; because of such a response, the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And when the woman went home, she found her child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

Reflections

HIS HEART WAS NO LONGER GIVEN TO YAHWEH, HIS GOD

Solomon in his old age turned away from Yahweh and worshipped other gods. HIS HEART WAS NO LONGER GIVEN TO YAHWEH, HIS GOD. In the convent, the religious can likewise turn away from their original zeal when they enter and become lukewarm in the service of God. If humans can become unfaithful to God, so much more can they be unfaithful to other human beings. Many marriages are plagued with infidelity. So in our relationship with each other and with God, there is a need to regularly renew our first enthusiasm. In the religious life, one will have to be faithful to one’s daily obligations and be faithful to one’s prayer life. We have a recollection and an 8, day retreat every year to make sure that we will not fall into lukewarmness and mediocrity. Married couples have to also find ways to cultivate their friendship with one another so that when the first thrill of romance fades away, they can continue to deepen their relationship with one another. Loving God, you know our weakness and our propensity to lose our first fervor. Help us to go on giving our heart to you in spite of dryness and spiritual fatigue. Send your Holy Spirit to once again enkindle in us the fire of your love. Amen.

Daily Reflection 2018

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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

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February 7, 2018 Wednesday

5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 1 / (Green)

Ps 37:30-31, 39-40
The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

1^st Reading: 1 K 10:1-10

The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, and came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a vast retinue and with camels loaded with spices and an abundance of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she told him all that she had on her mind and Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing that the king could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, the food on his table, the residence of his officials, the attendance of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings which he offered at Yahweh’s house, it left her breathless.

Then she said to the king, “All that I heard in my own land concerning you and your wisdom was true. But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. And what did I see! I was told only half the story; for your wisdom and wealth surpass the report I heard.

Fortunate are your wives! Fortunate are your servants who are ever in your presence and hear your wisdom! Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has looked kindly on you and has put you on the throne of Israel! Because of Yahweh’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so that you may dispense justice and righteousness.”

Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in abundance, and precious stones. Such an abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon was never again seen.

Gospel: Mk 7:14-23

Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes from within that makes a person unclean. Let everyone who has ears listen.”

When Jesus got home and was away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about this saying, and he replied, “So even you are dull? Do you not see that whatever comes from outside cannot make a person unclean, since it enters not the heart but the stomach, and is finally passed out?”

Thus Jesus declared that all foods are clean. And he went on, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him, for evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.”

Reflections

WHAT COMES OUT FROM WITHIN IS WHAT DEFILES A PERSON

There is another Scripture passage that means the same thing: OUT OF THE FULLNESS OF THE HEART, THE MOUTH SPEAKS. It is important for us to develop an inner freedom that enables us to do and to say what we think is right and not be affected by the reactions of people. Again it is from Jesus that we learn that nothing they say can add or subtract one cubit to our personhood. What we have to pay attention to is what we utter, because words can wound, words can kill. And it also shows what kind of person we are. Remember the story of how a wise person asked someone to go up a tower and there throw down a basket of feathers. Then he asked the person to gather all the feathers which of course is impossible. That is a graphic description of how the words we utter cannot be taken back. Lord, help us to keep watch over our tongue.

Daily Reflection 2018

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

February 6, 2018 Tuesday

5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Paul Miki & Companions, martyrs /
St. Pedro Bautista
Psalter: Week 1 / (Red)

Ps 84:3, 4, 5 & 10, 11
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord, mighty God!

1st Reading: 1 K 8:22-23, 27-30*
Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel. He raised his hands towards heaven and said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no God like you either in heaven or on earth! You keep your Covenant and show lovingkindness to your servants who walk before you wholeheartedly. (…)
Listen to the supplication of your servant and your people Israel when they pray in this direction; listen from your dwelling place in heaven and, on listening, forgive.

Gospel: Mk 7:1-13
One day, the Pharisees gathered around Jesus, and with them were some teachers of the law who had just come from Jerusalem. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands, for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors. Nor do they eat anything, when they come from the market, without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe; for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.
So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?”
Jesus answered, “You shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.”
And Jesus commented, “You have a fine way of disregarding the commandments of God in order to enforce your own traditions! For example, Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and: Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death. But according to you, someone could say to his father or mother, ‘I already declared Corban (which means “offered to God”) what you could have expected from me.’ In this case, you no longer require him to do anything for his father or mother; and so you nullify the word of God through the tradition you have handed on. And you do many other things like that.”

Reflections
THEY HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME
Jesus had many occasions to indict the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. As we would say it in our time, they do not walk their talk. We are all prone to this character defect differing only in degrees. It is very easy for us to preach beautiful words and ideal conduct but when it comes to doing what we preach we often fail. Students are very sensitive and very observant about how their teachers practice or do not practice what they preach. They would say something like: He or she is so plastic. And as we know we teach more by example than by words. Lessons are caught not taught. When I was then a College Dean, I had professors in Political Science who taught about participatory democracy, freedom of expression, etc, but in their classrooms, they were “terrorists” where the students do not dare to question or to express their opinions differing from their own. In our relationship with God, it is better to refrain from words of praise, honor and glory but make best effort to really do God’s will especially in showing compassion to the poor, the weak and the needy.

Daily Reflection 2018

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

February 5, 2018 Monday

5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Agatha, virgin & martyr
Psalter: Week 1 / (Red)

Ps 132:6-7, 8-10
Lord, go up to the place of your rest!

1st Reading: 1 K 8:1-7, 9-13
Then Solomon assembled before him in Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, as well as the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, which is Zion.
All the Israelites assembled near king Solomon in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests carried the Ark of Yahweh and brought it up together with the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that were in the tent. After the priests and Levites had brought them up, king Solomon, with the entire congregation of Israel that had assembled before him and were with him before the Ark, sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could neither be counted nor numbered. Then the priests laid the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh in its place in the inner Sanctuary of the house — the Most Holy Place — underneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark, providing a covering above the Ark and its poles.
There was nothing in the Ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, where Yahweh made a Covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, such a cloud filled Yahweh’s house that the priests could not continue to minister. Indeed, the glory of Yahweh filled his house. Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. So the house I have built you will be your house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

Gospel: Mk 6:53-56
Having crossed the lake, they came ashore at Gennesaret, where they tied up the boat. As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus, and ran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Wherever he was, they brought to him the sick lying on their mats; and wherever he went, to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace, and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured.

Reflections
ALL WHO TOUCHED HIM WERE CURED
One aspect of Christ’s ministry that is not often emphasized is his healing ministry. Pope Francis, however, makes it the essence of the Gospel when he said that the task of the Church is not to make moral and dogmatic pronouncements but to HEAL THE WOUNDS AND TOUCH THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE. All of us need healing at one time or the other, some from physical disease, others from spiritual and psychological wounds, and others from both. God has given some people the gift of healing both physical and spiritual wounds. In our own way, even if we are not given this extraordinary gift of healing, we can still do our part in our own small way in our own limited circle. Someone we know just lost a loved one. Staying with this person, listening and offering a shoulder to cry on helps in the healing of this person’s grief. When we forgive someone who hurt us, we not only heal this person, we heal ourselves also. When we empathize with people who fail, when we are there to console them, it heals the wound to their self-esteem. And when we do these, it is like making the persons suffering touch the hand of Christ who is the one who actually heals them.

Daily Reflection 2018

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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