Daily Reflection

September 25, 2017 Monday

25TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 4 / (Green)

Ps 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
The Lord has done marvels for us.

1^st Reading: Ezra 1:1-6

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Yahweh willed to fulfill the word he had said through the prophet Jeremiah. So he moved the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his kingdom: “Thus speaks Cyrus, king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of heavens, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has ordered me to build him a temple in Jerusalem, in the land of Judah. To everyone belonging to his people, may his God be with him! Let them go up to Jerusalem with the help of their God and, there, build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel; the God who is in Jerusalem. In every place where the rest of the people of Yahweh live, let the people of those places help them for their journey with silver, gold and all kinds of goods and livestock. Let them also give them voluntary offerings for the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem.“

Then they rose up—the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, and all those whose spirit God had stirred up—and they decided to go and build the house of Yahweh. And all their neighbors gave them all kinds of help: gold, silver, livestock and precious objects in great quantity, besides every kind of voluntary offering.

Gospel: Lk 8:16-18

No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a bowl or puts it under the bed; rather, he puts it on a lamp stand, so that people coming in may see the light. In the same way, there is nothing hidden that shall not be uncovered; nothing kept secret, that shall not be known clearly. Now, pay attention and listen well, for whoever produces, will be given more; but from those who do not produce, even what they seem to have will be taken away from them.“

REFLECTION:

Jesus‘s listeners would have laughed at the imagery Jesus used: It is utterly dark in the house, but someone lights a lamp only to cover it with a bowl or place it under the bed! Of course, no one in the right frame of mind would do it. However, Jesus warns us that in our spiritual life, we do such silly things—we do not listen carefully to the Word of God which is a “lamp to our feet“ (Psalm 119:105), but cover it up, effectively blocking its life-giving energy from affecting us. Just as Mary listened to God‘s word and conceived it in her womb and brought forth, we must listen to the word and expose our whole being to it so that it produces fruit abundantly. St. James teaches us about how to listen correctly:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.“ (James 1:22-24)

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.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

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
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com

September 24, 2017 Sunday

25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 4 / (Green)

Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

1st Reading: Is 55:6-9
Seek Yahweh while he may be found;
call to him while he is near.
Let the wicked abandon his way,
let him forsake his thoughts,
let him turn to Yahweh for he will have mercy,
for our God is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways are not your ways, says Yahweh.
For as the heavens are above the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

2^nd Reading: Phil 1:20c-24, 27a

I am hopeful, even certain, that I shall not be ashamed. I feel as assured now, as before, that Christ will be exalted through my person, whether I live or die.

For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I am to go on living, I shall be able to enjoy fruitful labor. Which shall I choose? So I feel torn between the two. I desire greatly to leave this life and to be with Christ, which will be better by far, but it is necessary for you that I remain in this life.

Try, then, to adjust your lives according to the gospel of Christ. May I see it when I come to you, and if I cannot come, may I at least hear that you stand firm in the same spirit, striving to uphold the faith of the gospel with one heart.

Gospel: Mt 20:1-16a

This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven: A landowner went out early in the morning, to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay each worker the usual daily wage, and sent them to his vineyard.

He went out again, at about nine in the morning, and, seeing others idle in the town square, he said to them, ‘You also, go to my vineyard, and I will pay you what is just.‘ So they went.

The owner went out at midday, and, again, at three in the afternoon, and he made the same offer. Again he went out, at the last working hour—the eleventh—and he saw others standing around. So he said to them, ‘Why do you stand idle the whole day?‘ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.‘ The master said, ‘Go, and work in my vineyard.‘

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wage, beginning with the last and ending with the first.‘ Those who had gone to work at the eleventh hour came up, and were each given a silver coin. When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more. But they, too, received one silver coin. On receiving it, they began to grumble against the landowner.

They said, ‘These last, hardly worked an hour; yet, you have treated them the same as us, who have endured the heavy work of the day and the heat.‘ The owner said to one of them, ‘Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on one silver coin per day? So, take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last the same as I give to you. Don‘t I have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Why are you envious when I am kind?‘

So will it be: the last will be first, the first will be last.“

REFLECTION:

Read: God‘s mercy surpasses human categories. Paul expresses his deep desire to belong to God in and through Christ. Jesus gives the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

Reflect: The movie Three Idiots has a revealing moment that sums up human psychology very well: when two of the three engineering students notorious for their campus gimmicks go to check their examination results, they look for their names, as expected, at the bottom of the list displayed. Not finding their names, they feel bad. But then, finding the name of their friend topping the list, they feel miserable. The voice-over then comments: “When our friends fail, we feel bad. But when they succeed, we feel worse.“ Today‘s parable is about similar dynamics of envy. Do you suffer from shades of envy?

Pray: Pray for a heart that delights in the wellbeing of the other.

Act: Make an act of genuine appreciation and delight in the blessings received by someone in your circle of friends.

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

September 23, 2017 Saturday

24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, priest / Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary

Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

1^st Reading: 1 Tim 6:13-16

Now, in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Jesus Christ, who expressed before Pontius Pilate the authentic profession of faith: preserve the revealed message to all. Keep yourself pure and blameless, until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who God will bring about at the proper time; he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone, immortal, who lives in unapproachable light, and whom no one has ever seen or can see, to him, be honor and power, for ever and ever. Amen!

Gospel: Lk 8:4-15

As a great crowd gathered, and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them with a story: “The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the seed fell along the way, was trodden on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground; and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some seed fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit, a hundred times as much!“ And Jesus cried out, “Listen then, if you have ears to hear!“

The disciples asked him, “What does this story mean?“ And Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that, seeing, they may not perceive; and hearing, they may not understand.

Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it; but immediately, the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn‘t want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy; but they have no root; they believe for a while, and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word, but, as they go their way, they are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word, and keep it, in a gentle and generous mind, and, persevering patiently, they bear fruit.

REFLECTION:

Parables of Jesus are revelatory in two ways – it reveals our nature and possibilities as well as God‘s nature and actualities. No committed sower would ever sow precious seeds along the way or on the rock or among thorns; he would rather sow every seed in the most fertile soil. But the sower of the parable is different – he sows it everywhere, with no care for the nature of the soil. Was it an accident? It doesn‘t look so: for, to sow on rocky ground and among thorns, one must walk on the rocks and among thorns, bearing the hardness of the rock and pricking of the thorns. So, what does it tell us about God, the sower? He would walk, bearing every inconvenience and pain, on any way and rock or among thorns and bushes to sow His seed; he would not exclude any kind of soil. He must be doing it with the hope that at least some of the seeds would sprout and mature; or that the soil would change overtime and the seeds would bear fruit.

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

September 22, 2017 Friday

24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green)

Ps 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20
Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

1^st Reading: 1 Tim 6:2c-12

Those, whose masters are Christians, should not show less respect, under the pretext that, they are members of the church. On the contrary, they must give a better service, since they are doing good works, on behalf of believers, and dear friends.

Teach and stress these things. Whoever teaches in some other way, not following the sound teaching of our Lord Christ Jesus, and true religious instruction, is conceited, and understands nothing. This one is crazy about controversies and discussions, that result in envy, insults, blows and constant arguments between people of depraved minds, and far from the truth. For them, religion is merely for financial gain.

In reality, religion is a treasure, if we are content with what we have. We brought nothing into the world and we will leave it with nothing. Let us, then, be content with having food and clothing. Those who strive to be rich fall into temptations and traps. A lot of foolish and harmful ambitions plunge them into ruin and destruction. Indeed, the love of money is the root of every evil. Because of this greed, some have wandered away from the faith, bringing on themselves afflictions of every kind.

But you, man of God, shun all this. Strive to be holy and godly. Live in faith and love, with endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith and win everlasting life, to which you were called, when you made the good profession of faith, in the presence of so many witnesses.

Gospel: Lk 8:1-3

Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed him, and also some women, who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod‘s steward; Suzanna; and others, who provided for them out of their own funds.

REFLECTION:

Just as the Church belongs to sinners and saints, it belongs to men and women as well. Jesus‘s band of followers included both men and women; and going by Luke‘s accounts, some of those women had notorious past – not the kind that people would expect a “holy man“ to associate with. But Jesus was a holy man with a difference - he was one who helped everyone rediscover God‘s image hidden within. For him, both men and women were children of God, worth embracing and redeeming.

When Pope Francis widened the scope of the foot-washing ritual of Holy Thursday, many people swallowed hard (and some could hardly swallow) the image of him washing the feet of women. Several churches around the world still refused to include women among those whose feet were washed. It is a pity that several of us would still cling to our neuroses and serve human traditions, but turn a blind eye to the invitation of the Gospel!

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

Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

September 25, 2017 Monday

Daily Reflection

September 24, 2017 Sunday

Daily Reflection

September 23, 2017 Saturday

Daily Reflection

September 22, 2017 Friday

Daily Reflection

More Articles ...

Daily Reflection

RVA Mass