Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica John 2:13-22 Undoubtedly, the picture of the prophecy in Ezekiel is one of fullness and abundance.  Things are fully restored and teeming with life.  It is the Lord's doing. In the Gospel, Jesus expelled the money changers inside the temple, shouting, "Don't make my Father's house a marketplace."  In another gospel, Jesus said, "You have made it a den of thieves!" I'm referring to the respect that is due to a church for being the house of God.  But this Gospel can also refer to the people entering the church.  There are those who simply enter and receive communion while being in a state of sin; others simply receive communion without committing themselves to adore, love, and follow Jesus nor serve the church. When we reflect about fullness of life and blessings, it is imperative that we cling to God first of all and give what is due him - all respect, adoration, and service.  Only then can we think ab...

Doing the works of Jesus John 14:15-21 We reflect on the development of the resurrection experience in the sixth Sunday of Easter. In this Sunday, we hear Philip and the apostles doing exactly the works of Jesus like curing the sick and expelling demons.  Easter shifted from the resurrected body of Jesus to the Church where all its members are doing the exact works of Jesus.  The Church now becomes the body of Christ, doing his work everywhere. This is possible because of the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised , " I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be  with you for ever," giving the apostles and us that assurance that he will stay with us forever. This is our challenge  in the 21st century, to do the exact works of Jesus as in the time of the apostles, instead of limiting our Christian responsibility to simply attending 1 hour weekly masses.  In order to be converted to Christ, we need to use up time as long as the on...

An authentic Church John 15:18-21 The Easter experience continues with the expansion of the Church as Timothy and the other disciples proclaim the Good News even to Macedonia and to the rest of the world. In this experience, the resurrection of Jesus now resides in people being resurrected from the world to new life in God, including us in the present moment.  This privilege is not given only the Jews, but offered to the rest of the world.  And the institution carrying this is ecclesia, the Church. Let us deepen the gift given to us when we were baptized and incorporated into the Church, which is universal in nature, "Catholic", reaching to the ends of the earth. The qualities of this Church are: First, it is born of the Spirit.  We may be in the world but not of this world, because our life's meaning is now founded on Jesus crucified and resurrected.  We then incorporate ourselves with others who were also drawn from the earth to be with God forever. S...

Christ's body of earth John 2:13-22 As we celebrate the feast of a dedication of Church, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the seat of Pope, we are reminded of the following: 1. the Church, in reference to Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12, our first reading, is the source of life and grace for humanity. 2. the temple is the very body of Jesus Christ, our source of life and salvation. 3. the temple resides in us as the Lord's living Church on earth. The physical church mirrors the living Church which is us, the Body of Christ.

Friday of the 33rd week, year 1 Have you noticed what the people thought is due to God in the readings? All the rites and rituals are geared toward that utmost reverence to the Almighty God, the Lord of Heaven and earth. Even in the smallest liturgy, one could feel the presence of the Divine, sanctifying the human world and filling it up with His living Spirit.  The world is animated; it becomes the incarnation of the Divine Lord and His love for us. Have we given to God what is due to Him?  Do our lives reflect the Divine Presence?  Is our involvement in the liturgy and the Church a manifestation of the presence of God?  Finally, may it be a challenge for us to reflect the presence of God in the work we are in "In Opus Ministerii"  which means, in the work of the Ministry: the ministry to love, to serve, and to adore God.