Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent Luke 11:29-32 As we strive to know Jesus, Jesus explicated, "No sign shall be given." Then he quoted the story of Jonah and how he prophesied to the Ninevites.  The Ninevites repented in sackcloth and ashes, but the Jews did not repent because they didn't recognize the ultimate sign:  Jesus himself. Let's reflect on the every sign.  People for one.  Do we recognize Jesus in them enough not to judge them and instead, serve them? Secondly, do we recognize the signs of the times if we are going in the right or wrong direction?  We are going against God if the fruits of our actions lead us to desolation and sin; we are on the road to Jesus if the fruits of our actions are peace and love.

Monday of the 1st week of Lent  Matthew 25:31-46  Where are our lives going? The first reading speaks explicitly of the 10 commandments of God, meant to give order to the world.  In the Gospel, Jesus reveals where our obedience or disobedience will take us - heaven or hell. The 10 Commandments directly affects our moral lives.  We affect each other - either help one another or abuse another.  For Jesus, this has a direct bearing on our relationship with God, "As long as you did this to the least, you do it to me." Let us then be more aware of our dedication to serve our Lord through our service to one another.  Then we shall know where we are really going with our lives.

Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent Matthew 6:7-15 We would like to explore the love of God which goes deeper and deeper until we can see its destination - the perfection of love in God. God says, all of what he says will be fulfilled.  Let the words be proofs that indeed, they can be reach their completion. The prayer of the Our Father is a prayer of completion. It gives the entire essence of a follower and a disciple of the Lord. It speaks of one acknowledging the awesome presence and power of the Lord and his existence. It speaks of ones dependence on the Lord, even for the food. It speaks of the contents of the heart - love. It implores mercy at the last moment of life to lead us to heaven in God. May Lent be a fulfillment of all these - our destination in God.

Thursday of the 1st week of Lent Matthew 7:7-12 Esther's prayer is a prayer of oblation or total offering of self to God.  Her life was a prayer. I would like to focus on prayer as an act of love of God for us. Prayer is God's gift - we pray because it is grace planted into our hearts prayer is a covenant - God's promise that he will stay always with us. Prayer is communion - a picture of heaven in our love for God and one another.

Tuesday of the 7th week of the Ordinary Season Mk. 9: 30 - 37 The readings teach us to be wary about raw ambitions.  St. James rationalized the destruction of the world as arising from a brazen desire to overthrow the other.  This is where we're going if we don't watch our conduct. Jesus pointed to a child as the model for servanthood:  "Whoever received one child such as this in my name received me." Furthermore, he said, "Whoever wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." What does servanthood do? First, it places us at the service of one another.  More generosity awaites those who serve rather than be served. Second, it makes us humble, realizing that all of us humans are as weak as ourselves and thus, need more caring rather that be neglected upon becuase of our pride. Third, it is a sure mark of our unity with Jesus crucified, "who came not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him...

Monday of the 7th Week in Ordinary time Mark 9: 14 - 29 Real wisdom is found in one's conduct or actions.  Wisdom with jealousy is demonic.  It should produce peace and love. Jesus exorcised a man with a mute spirit.  First, he reprimanded the apostles for having a weak faith.  Secondly, he acknowledged the humility of the father, "Help me in my unbelief." And finally, he revealed the secret of exorcising this kind of demon, "Only through the power of prayer." Grant we may see the signs of wisdom in these three things: coming from a pure heart, a humble heart, and a prayerful heart.

Saint Peter's Chair Matthew 16:13-19 This feast brings to mid the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter, and continued in an unbroken line down to the present Pope. We celebrate the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle, and renew our assent to the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, extended both to truths which are solemnly defined ex cathedra, and to all the acts of the ordinary Magisterium. The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Rome has been celebrated from the early days of the Christian era on 18 January, in commemoration of the day when Saint Peter held his first service in Rome. The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch, commemorating his foundation of the See of Antioch, has also been long celebrated at Rome, on 22 February. At each place a chair (cathedra) was venerated which the Apostle had used while presiding at Mass. One of the chairs is referred to about 600 by an Abbot Johannes who had been commissioned by Pope Gregory the ...

Friday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Mark 8:34-9:1  Central to the faith is the willingness to carry our crosses just as Jesus did.  That cross is translated to good works as mentioned in the first reading. St. James underscored the importance of deeds in in manifesting faith: "Faith without works is dead."  A lively faith can be shown through the following deeds: 1. Renouncing - upon knowing what we want, let's have the courage to value others, much more, God himself. 2. Taking up the cross - to understand the whole notion of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and how we are saved everyday if we also do the same. 3.  Following Jesus - which could serve as the greatest joy of our lives, because every moment is spent on actually his will all for the sake of others.

Thursday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Mark 8:27-33 Faith in Jesus entails knowing him, loving him, and serving him. Know Jesus - Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say I am?" Then he asked, "But you?  Who do you say I am?" If we know the heart and mind of Jesus and everything about him, our outlook of ourselves would be affected; we would see the world as God sees. Loving Jesus - search the heart; what do we feel about Jesus?  What do we feel about others as well?  Do we see them simply as the world sees them?  Do we judge people by classes as St. James hinted?  Care and compassion lie in the very heart of Jesus. Serve Jesus - Jesus reprimanded Peter for not following him to the cross.  Serving as Jesus wants to be served is the deepest aspiration of faith, to be one with him and cause the salvation of others. Bibliarasal, Taon A Available in all St. Pauls Bookstore

Wednesday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Mark 8:22-26 Think of every kind of blindness we can think of - physical blindness, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual blindness.  They're all reflected in the readings for today.  From physical blindness, emotional blindness is cured when we would "be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to rouse your temper"; pyschological blindness would be like "like looking at your own features in a mirror and then, after a quick look, going off and immediately forgetting what you looked like"; curing social blindness in "coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it"; and spiritual blindness from being " religious while he still goes on deceiving himself and not keeping control over his tongue". Jesus cured the blind man by means of: 1. touching him - the importance of reaching out to the sick through the power of caring touch; 2. seeing him - the first thing  the blind saw w...

Monday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Mark 8:11-13 The skeptics asked for a sign from Jesus in order to test him.  Jesus retaliated by saying, "No sign shall be given." The real sign is already in their midst, Jesus Christ, Incarnate Son of God.  But the skeptics weren't able to detect the miracle infront of them. Pray that we may recognize the sign in our midst.  In the first reading, James expounded on the world of trials as tickets to discovering God's presence.  We abhor trials, but they could serve as opportunities to deepen our faith and commitment to God.  If in the midst of trials, we remain faithful to God then, trials become graces. Second, trials are given to us so we may discern God's action.  This too is a sign if we opt to stay close to Jesus and discern his will. Thirdly, trials help us to be humble.  This too is a sign. God prunes our hearts according to his own heart. Reflect:  How do we treat the trials in our lives?...

Tuesday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Mark 8:14-21 We shall be entering Lent. In its etymology, it means length or long. We need length of time to deepen our relationship with Jesus.  It takes time to know his leaven.  It takes time to know the leaven of the pharisees.  It takes time and wisdom to know the ways of temptation. The fruit of temptation is sin.  It is rendering nothing what God has made.  It is to destroy what God has built. The starting point of temptation is desire.  The desire to commit sin is not yet sin.  Desire is a free gift from God who have us free will so that we might desire freely heaven and our Lord.  As there is a tendency to use desire to please self, we use more the desire to come closer to God. Thus, we can counter temptations by desiring for the ultimate goodness - God, and serve him.  Be repulsed with temptation.  Counter it immediately as it comes.  Fight nothingness and destruction with pow...

Thursday of week 5, II Mark 7:24-30 St. Therese of the Child Jesus was speaking of the Little Way.  If she could just offer even the smallest part of her life to God, she would experience heaven. "From little things, big things grow" so we came to know.  Each day is a little thing.  Whatever we do each day, even the little thing, accounts for so many when the time is ripe. "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do it to me" points to the relational aspect of the faith. Finally, the smallest crumb of Eucharist contains the fullness of Jesus himself.  If in the Eucharist we cannot give ourselves, how can this whole world be sanctified.

Wednesday of the Week 5 Mark 7:14-23 Is wisdom today a scarce commodity?  All people can have the gift of wisdom as Solomon has. Let's start with the the conventional definitions of wisdom.  It is knowledge gained by experience.  Life itself is a school where we learn the lessons of life.  We need the grace of the Lord to show us the way. Wisdom is also the natural ability to understand. In order to gain wisdom we need the following: knowledge, the heart to discern, and the right judgement untainted by evil intentions. In St. Ignatius' spirituality, he recommends that our decisions should be for the common good, for the salvation of others and for greater glory of God.  All these tie up harmoniously to produce good works on earth, the fruits of wisdom of God. *** Jesus teaches us the nothing from the outside makes us unclean; but rather what comes inside, for inside, there are 'fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, ind...

Monday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time Mark 6:53-56 The first reading mentions a thick cloud covering the Ark of the Covenant.  God sanctifies Solomon's gestures. Where things are made holy, God dwells. From the Churches to the byways and every place made holy, God dwells everywhere.  In God's creation, He dwells. He dwells in us.  by virtue of baptism, we are made holy.  We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "Who are my mother and brothers and sisters?  He who does the will of my Father." Does God dwell in you? *** Everywhere Jesus went, people are cured.  Good News spreads everywhere. Solomon continued what David started - constructing the temple.  Now that he completed it, they performed the ritual of putting in the Ark of the Covenant.  A cloud was hovering over them; it marked the dwelling of the Lord. Where does the Lord dwell in us? In our homes - do we consecrate our families to the Lord? In the C...

Thursday of week 4, II Mark 6:7-13 It would be nice to learn from David's life.  After all the weaknesses and sinfulness, at the end of the day, it will still redound to passing on the knowledge and love of God. In the Gospel, knowing that he would not stay in the world for long, but eventually would pass on his very presence in all generations, he instructed the Twelve and sent them to proclaim his Good News. We are sent to pass on to others and to the next generation all the things that we have experienced from Jesus.  There is so much to share from the love of Jesus. All goodness and sharing; memories that will last forever, especially ones that will lead all people to heaven. Stop passing on sin and hatred.  Pass on the Lord.

Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary time Mark 7:1-13 Faith in God cannot be limited simply be tradition.  God is the author of tradition. What he wants is mercy and not sacrifice. Solomon's prayer reflects true love for the Lord.  He asks for God's constant and abiding presence in the temple. Search for a more dynamic relationship witht the Lord.  Search for him in everyday life. Let us adjust to a living, dynamic form of prayer that is truly reflective of an active relationship of love with God.  This authentic pray moves us now to life as we embrace the mission to share Jesus to others. May the prayer in our hearts moves us to experience Jesus in our daily lives.