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Showing posts from July, 2019

The Lord's Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer Lk 11: 1- 13 17 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Introduction Today’s reading is about prayer. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray and tells them to persevere in prayer. Jesus also tells his disciples that the basis of prayer is God’s goodness, a goodness that we can count on at any moment of our lives. The Gospel The Gospels document those times when Jesus would withdraw to a quiet place and pray. This must have made quite an impact on his disciples. Our reading today in fact informs us that one of them asked Jesus, saying: “ Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” Then Jesus said to them, “ When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us and do not subject us to the final test. “ Then Jesus tells them the reasons why one should persevere in praying. He said to them: “ Supp...

The Journey of the Seed of God’s Word

#DAYLIGHT – Daily #MenOfLight#GospelReflection July 24, 2019 Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 13: 1 - 9 Sharer: Bro. Mike Lapid ++++++++++++++++ The Gospel 1  On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. 2  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. 3  And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. 5  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, 6  and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. 7  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. 8  But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. 9  Whoever has ears ought...

Martha and Mary

Martha and Mary Lk 10: 38 – 42 16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Introduction Today’s reading is the story about Jesus and two sisters, Martha and Mary who welcomed him into their home. In this story, Jesus praises Mary who has chosen to sit beside  his  feet and listen attentively to every word he said. The Gospel Jesus enters a village and is welcomed by a woman named Martha. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Naturally, Martha as the good host was busy preparing something to eat for the Lord. Perhaps this burdened her a bit and in deep exasperation came to Jesus and said, “ Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving! Tell her to help me. “ The Lord said to her in reply, “ Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her. “ Reflection Today...

The Revelation of God to the Little Ones

The Revelation of God to the Little Ones Matthew 11: 25 - 27 The Gospel 25  At that time Jesus said in reply, [ a ] “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26  Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27  All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. Reflection Today’s reading speaks about God’s revelation of himself. In this short reading, we hear Jesus exclaiming with so much joy, his deep gratitude to the Father for having revealed himself to the little ones and for having hidden himself from the wise and the intelligent.   This statement of Jesus says a lot about who God is. Apparently, God doesn’t disclose himself to all. And because he doesn’t disclose h...

The Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan Luke 10: 25 – 37 15 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Introduction Today’s reading is a very familiar story. It is the story about the good Samaritan. This story surprises us even today as we see how Jesus points out how love and mercy can be found even in the least expected places. The Gospel The gospel of Luke situates this story in a somewhat unfriendly environment where a teacher of the law came and began putting Jesus to the test. Here was an expert on the law trying to see Jesus’ own knowledge and understanding of the law. And this teacher asked Jesus: “ Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?” To this, Jesus replied: “ What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” The man answered, “ It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. “ Jesus replied, “ What a good answer! Do thi...

Working in the Lord's Rich Harvest

Working in the Lord’s Rich Harvest Luke 10: 1-12, 17 – 20 14 th Sunday in Ordinary time Introduction Our reading today tells us how the Lord sent his disciples two by two to proclaim the kingdom of God. This reading contains theological insights and pastoral advice regarding the work of spreading the good news. The Gospel             In this reading, we see the Lord appointing seventy-two disciples who are sent two by two to every town and place where he himself would go. He tells them about the bountiful harvest awaiting their missionary endeavor but acknowledges the lack of laborers in the field. So he exhorts them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers. Jesus then tells them about the nature of their missionary activity, exhorting them to take courage as he is sending them like lambs among wolves. The image of lambs among wolves is taken from Isa 11:6. This p...