Daily Reflection

November 28, 2017 Tuesday

34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 1 / (Green)

Dn 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61
Give glory and eternal praise to him.

1^st Reading: Dn 2:31-45

In your vision you saw a statue—very large, very bright; terrible to look at. Its head was of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. As you watched, a rock cut from a mountain, but not by human hands, struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay; smashing them. All at once the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold crumbled into pieces, as fine as chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind swept them off and not a trace was left. But the rock that struck the statue became a great mountain that filled the whole earth.

That was the dream. Now the interpretation. You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given dominion, strength, power and glory, and into whose hand he has placed humankind, the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, making you ruler over them. You are that head of gold.

After you, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise. Then a third kingdom, of bronze, will rule the whole world. Last shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; and just as iron breaks and crushes everything else, so will it break and smash all the others. The partly-clay and partly-iron feet and toes mean that it will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron, just as you saw iron mixed with clay. And as the toes were partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. Just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, the people will be a mixture but will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

In the time of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, never to be destroyed or delivered up to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and put an end to them; and it will endure forever. This is the meaning of your vision of a rock cut from a mountain not by human hands; the rock, which struck the statue and broke into pieces the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation reliable.”

Gospel: Lk 21:5-11

While some people were talking about the temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.“ And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?“

Jesus said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he; the time is near at hand!‘ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don‘t be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.“

And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.

REFLECTION:
W. Somerset Maugham once said that “Nothing in this world is permanent.“ Indeed, everything will pass away, as Jesus prophesied (Luke 21:33). Yes, even the most powerful kingdom, as we have heard in the first reading, will crumble into pieces. Even the most grandiose temple of Jerusalem, as the gospel has mentioned, will be torn down. And what remains is the Kingdom of God, a kingdom which was inaugurated by Jesus never to be destroyed.
In the first reading we see the destruction of the earthly kingdoms and the establishment of a new Kingdom by God as the prophecy concerning the coming of God‘s Kingdom to be established by Jesus.
The destruction of the temple described in the gospel reading marks the inauguration of God‘s kingdom and its sacrament which is the Church by Jesus.
The readings remind us that nothing is permanent in this world. Only God is permanent, and His kingdom. Let us thank God for establishing his Kingdom on earth and for inviting us to be part of this Kingdom. Let us then be active and faithful members of His kingdom.

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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November 27, 2017 Monday

34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 1 / (Green)

Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
Glory and praise for ever!

1^st Reading: Dn 1:1-6, 8-20

In the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign as king of Judah, king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem. The Lord delivered into his hands king Jehoiakim of Judah, and some of the vessels from the temple of God as well. These he carried off, to the land of Shinar, and placed in the treasure house of his god.

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief eunuch Ashpenaz to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility: young men without physical defect, handsome, intelligent and wise; well-informed, quick to learn and understand; and suitable for service in the king’s palace. They were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans. They were allotted a daily portion of food and wine from the king’s table; and were to be trained for three years, after which, they were to enter the king’s service.

Among these were young men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

As Daniel was resolved not to make himself unclean with the king‘s food or wine, he begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement. By the grace of God, the chief eunuch had been sympathetic to Daniel. But he was afraid of the king, so he said, “If the king, who has allotted your food and drink, sees that you look more emaciated than the other young men of your age, he might think ill of me. It will put my life in danger to give in to your wish.“

Daniel then turned to the steward whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink, and see how we look in comparison with the young men who eat food from the king‘s table. Then treat us in accordance with what you see.“

The steward agreed and tested them for ten days, at the end of which, they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate the king‘s food. So the steward continued to give them vegetables instead of the choice food and wine.

To these four youths God gave wisdom and proficiency in literature, and to Daniel the gift of interpreting visions and dreams.

At the end of the period set by the king for the youths‘ training, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them and found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four became members of the king‘s court. In any matter of wisdom and discernment about which the king consulted, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Gospel: Lk 21:1-4

Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury of the temple. He also saw a poor widow, who dropped in two small coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all of them gave an offering from their plenty; but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.“

REFLECTION:

Robert Louis Stevenson said that “you can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.“ Often times, we are influenced by the criterion: the bigger or higher the amount of the gift, the better. And we forget that what counts in giving is not the gift but the giver; it‘s not the gift in itself but the thoughts and intentions that go with it. In fact, what counts most is the love that accompanies the gift for we can give without loving.

And this is what the gospel is telling us. Jesus‘ criteria are different from us. He qualifies our giving not by amount, but by the quota of sacrifice, love and commitment of life that presupposes.

The poor widow gave more than everybody else because her two coins represented a part of her life and security. In giving them away she was expressing her faith in trust that God was her whole security and only pledge of her life.

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

November 26, 2017 Sunday

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS,
CHRIST THE KING
Psalter: Proper / (White)

Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1^st Reading: Ezk 14:11-12, 15-17

That the people of Israel may no longer stray from me. Instead of defiling themselves with all their transgressions, they will be for me, a people, and I will be their God—word of Yahweh.“

The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms,

If I also let wild beasts roam the land to deprive it of children; so that it becomes a desolation, without a passerby, because of the beasts, if these three men were in the land, as I live, word of Yahweh, they would not save their sons or daughters, but only they, themselves, would be spared, while the land would be made desolate.

The same would happen if I brought the sword against this land; and ordered the sword to go through the land, destroying people and animals.

2^nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

But no, Christ has been raised from the dead, and he comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a human being also brings resurrection of the dead. For, as in Adam all die, so, in Christ, all will be made alive. However, each one in his own time: first Christ, then Christ‘s people, when he comes.

Then, the end will come, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after having destroyed every rule, authority and power. For he must reign and put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.

When the Father has subjected everything to him, the Son will place himself under the One who subjected everything to him. From then on, God will be all in all

Gospel: Mt 25:31-46

When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be brought before him; and, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

The king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me into your home. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to see me.‘

Then the righteous will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and give you food; thirsty, and give you something to drink; or a stranger, and welcome you; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and go to see you?‘ The king will answer, ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me.‘

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Go, cursed people, out of my sight, into the eternal fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry, and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.‘

They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked or a stranger, sick or in prison, and did not help you?‘ The king will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.‘

And these will go into eternal punishment; but the just, to eternal life.“

REFLECTION:

Read: Yahweh declares himself as the God of Israel. The Gospel presents the Last Judgement where Christ, the judge, bares our soul to us. Christ, the King, will finally deliver the Kingdom to the Father, having defeated death once and for all.

Reflect: How funny or strange it would have been, if the people on the right answered thus: “Yeah, Lord, we knew it was you we were serving when we fed the hungry and clothed the naked.“ It doesn‘t fit the script, right? The remarkable thing is, these good souls had no idea they were serving Christ when they were engaging in these acts of mercy! Doing good was just their second (or first?) nature. Goodness is never so better when it is done unawares. How about you?

Pray: Pray that good be done to the world through you without you being aware of it.

Act: Make a prayer of consecration to Christ, the King.

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

November 25, 2017 Saturday

33RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Ps 9:2-3, 4 & 6, 16 & 19
I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

Psalter: Week 4 / (Green/Red/White)
St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin & martyr / Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary

1^st Reading: 1 Mac 6:1-13

When king Antiochus was making his way through the upper regions of Persia, he received news about Elymais, a city renowned for its wealth in silver and gold. They kept in the wealthy temple of their city golden armor, breastplates and weapons, left there by the Macedonian king, Alexander, the son of Philip, the first sovereign of the Greeks. So Antiochus went there. But the inhabitants came out armed against him when they learned of his intention, so his attempt to take the city failed. He had to turn back; and he returned much embittered to Babylon.

While he was still in Persia, it was reported to him that the armies sent to Judea had been defeated. They told him that although Lysias had gone with a strong army, he had to flee before the Jews, who had been strengthened with the weapons and the abundant booty taken from the neighboring armies. He heard, too, that the Jews had destroyed the abominable idol he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and had rebuilt the temple walls to the same height as before; and had also fortified the city of Beth-zur.

When he received this news, he was terrified and deeply upset. He fell sick and became greatly depressed because things had not turned out the way he had planned. So he remained overcome by this terrible anguish for many days. He felt that he was dying, so he called his friends and said to them, “Sleep has fled from my eyes and I am greatly crushed by my anxieties. And I keep on asking why such grief has come upon me—I who was generous and well loved when in power—and now I am so discouraged.

Now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem, the vessels of gold and silver that I stole, the inhabitants of Judea I ordered to be killed for no reason at all. I now know, that because of this, these misfortunes have come upon me; and I am dying of grief in a strange land.”

Gospel: Lk 20:27-40

Then some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.‘ Now, there were seven brothers: the first married, but died without children. The second married the woman, but also died childless. And then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.“

And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.

Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to him everyone is alive.“

Some teachers of the law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, you have spoken well.“ They didn‘t dare ask him anything else.

REFLECTION:

“Many are the plans in man‘s but it‘s the decision of the Lord that prevails“, the Book of Proverbs says. King Antiochus, in the first reading had so many evil plans. But things had not turned out the way he had planned so he remained overcome by terrible anguish.

Many times, we are also in the same position where our plans and the Lord‘s purposes are not in sync and so we become frustrated. In most cases, our plans are shaped by our beliefs and orientation. Plans born out of wrong beliefs are meant to fail, as shown to us in the gospel reading. The Sadducees had the plan to insist upon Jesus and to shame him that there is no resurrection. But Jesus refuted them.

So how do we keep our plans in conformity with the Lord‘s purposes? Two things: Godly desire and Godly goal. We must desire only good things and we must pursue only good things. Let God‘s purposes prevail in us by seeking Him and His will in prayer regularly.

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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