Daily Reflection

October 19, 2017 Thursday

28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green/Red)
Sts. Isaac Jogues / John de Brébeuf,
priests & martyrs & Companions, martyrs

Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab
With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

1^st Reading: Rom 3:21-30

But, now it has been revealed, altogether apart from the law, as it was already foretold in the law and the prophets: God makes us righteous by means of faith in Jesus Christ, and this is applied to all who believe, without distinction of persons. Because all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God; and all are graciously forgiven and made righteous, through the redemption effected in Christ Jesus. For God has given him to be the victim, whose blood obtains us forgiveness, through faith.

So God shows us, how he makes us righteous. Past sins are forgiven, which God overlooked till now. For, now, he wants to reveal his way of righteousness: how he is just, and how he makes us righteous, through faith in Jesus.

Then, what becomes of our pride? It is excluded. How? Not through the law and its observances, but through another law, which is faith. For we hold, that people are in God‘s grace, by faith, and not because of all the things ordered by the law. Otherwise, God would be the God of the Jews; but is he not God of pagan nations as well? Of course he is, for there is only one God, and he will save, by faith, the circumcised Jews, as well as the uncircumcised nations.

Gospel: Lk 11:47-54

A curse is on you, for you build monuments to the prophets your ancestors killed. So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did. Is it not so? They got rid of the prophets, and you build monuments to them!

For that reason the wisdom of God also said: I will send prophets and apostles and these people will kill and persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the Sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all.

A curse is on you, teachers of the law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering.”

As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to harass him, asking him endless questions, setting traps to catch him in something he might say.

REFLECTION:

The killing and persecution of the prophets and apostles which is cited in the gospel recalls the event of the killing of Abel (Gen 4:1-12) and murder of the priest Zechariah in the court of the house of the Lord (2 Chr 24:20-22). These incidents serve as outcomes of envy and murderous rage. For Luke prophets and apostles hold the same function. They are both sent by God to proclaim his word. Since there are those who cannot accept their words or envious of them, killing and persecution took place.

Sufferings and difficulties are among the crosses that a follower of Christ must carry. They were experienced by early Christian and saints; and up to now, being experienced by the members of the Church founded by Christ. In the midst of them, we could use our own knowledge of the doctrine of the Church in order to endure until the end. Let this knowledge become our tool to make prudent judgment; to attain a deeper relationship with Christ; and to lead and encourage others to do the same. Be not like the lawyers in Luke‘s communities who possess the key of knowledge but their conduct have prevented them from using it for themselves and others.

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

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Readings and Reflections
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October 18, 2017 Wednesday

FEAST OF ST. LUKE, EVANGELIST
Psalter: Proper / (Red)

Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

1^st Reading: 2 Tim 4:10-17b

You must know, that Demas has deserted me, for the love of this world: he returned to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos‘ house, and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander, the metalworker, has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him, for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.

At my first hearing in court, no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength, to proclaim the word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion‘s mouth.

Gospel: Lk 10:1-9

After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of him, to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, ”The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.

Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!‘ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.

When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.‘

REFLECTION:

During harvest time, a sufficient number of laborers is needed to make the reaping faster and easier. There would be a delay if the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. This is also true with the missionary work of the Church. There are still a lot of people who haven‘t heard and known Christ, but only few people have the courage to dedicate their life for missionary work.

Our Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them ”two by two” because going out in pairs could serve as an avenue to manifest mutual support; to bear witness to the truth of their testimony; and to concretize the message of the gospel of peace.

As baptized Christians, we are called to be missionaries. If not by going to distant places, we can be missionaries in our own ways and in our own places by supporting the mission initiatives of the Church, by praying for all the missionaries, and by being witnesses of the gospel through our words and actions. Each of us could serve as instruments of both ”bringing Christ to others” and ”bringing others to Christ” in our own way. This would be easier if we perform our mission with another person or with the community itself.

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

October 17, 2017 Tuesday

28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Red)
St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop & martyr

Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

1^st Reading: Rom 1:16-25

For I am not ashamed at all, of this Good News; it is God‘s power, saving those who believe, first, the Jews, and then, the Greeks. This Good News shows us the saving justice of God; a justice that saves, exclusively by faith, as the Scripture says: The upright one shall live by faith.

For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness, and injustice, of those who have silenced the truth by their wicked ways. For everything that could have been known about God, was clear to them: God himself made it plain. Because his invisible attributes—his everlasting power and divinity—are made visible to reason, by means of his works, since the creation of the world.

So they have no excuse, for they knew God, and did not glorify him, as was fitting; nor did they give thanks to him. On the contrary, they lost themselves in their reasoning, and darkness filled their minds.

Believing themselves wise, they became foolish: they exchanged the glory of the immortal God, for the likes of mortal human beings, birds, animals and reptiles. Because of this, God gave them up to their inner cravings; they did shameful things and dishonored their bodies.

They exchanged God‘s truth for a lie; they honored and worshiped created things, instead of the Creator, to whom be praise for ever, Amen!

Gospel: Lk 11:37-41

As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, ”So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean.

REFLECTION:

The ”outside and inside of the cup and the dish,” as stated in the gospel, represent the exterior and interior aspects of man. Today, it is evident that there are people who, like Pharisees, are concerned much of their outward appearance but disregard their inner disposition. We should realize that doing something good is not enough, one must do it from the heart. A person could enjoy the esteem of other people by performing acts of charity even if he is not internally disposed; but if such acts are done with right motivation, it is not merely praiseworthy in the eyes of man but also in the eyes of God.

Since for Luke almsgiving constitutes an essential part of the Christian ethical life, he challenges us, especially those who have, to share with those who have not. This connotes doing acts of charity to those in need with pure intent. We are reminded that what makes us clean is not just established ritual practices but crossing boundaries to help those in need. For He who made the outside, also made the inside, and He judges both.

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

October 16, 2017 Monday

28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green/White)
St. Hedwig, religious / St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin

Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
The Lord has made known his salvation.

1^st Reading: Rom 1:1-7

From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle, called and set apart for God‘s Good News, the very promises he foretold through his prophets in the sacred Scriptures, regarding his Son, who was born in the flesh a descendant of David, and has been recognized as the Son of God, endowed with Power, upon rising from the dead, through the Holy Spirit. Through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and for the sake of his name, we received grace, and mission in all the nations, for them to accept the faith.

All of you, the elected of Christ, are part of them, you, the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy:

May God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give you grace and peace.

Gospel: Lk 11:29-32

As the crowd increased, Jesus spoke the following words: ”People of the present time are troubled people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah‘s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah.

REFLECTION:

Every day we are surrounded by signs. There are signs that could guide us (traffic signs), warn us (siren) or invite us to make preparations (heavy rain that lead to flashflood).

In the gospel, there are two evident signs: Jonah‘s preaching and Jesus‘ presence. Both signs could guide people towards God, warn them to repent or invite them to remain with God. Jesus speaks about the sign of Jonah, i.e., his preaching of God‘s word that leads to the mass conversion of Ninevites. Though he portrays how powerful Jonah‘s preaching was, but he speaks further about a greater sign, not a mere preaching but the presence of the ”Word-made-flesh” himself. Just as ”Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh,” the Son of Man is ”a sign for this generation.”

Today, we encounter Christ himself in the Liturgy, in the sacraments, in the proclamation of the Word of God, in the tradition of the Church, and in the Magisterium. If we pay attention to the external signs that surround us daily, we must all the more be aware of the signs of Christ‘s presence among us–signs that could guide us to the path of holiness, warn us of the severe effects of sins, and invite us to prepare always for Christ‘s second coming.

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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