Category: Ordinary Time (Year 1)

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“IT IS NOT GOOD THAT MAN SHOULD BE ALONE” (Gen 2:18)

⏰Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time 1 (11 Feb 2021) 📖Gen 2:18-25; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 (R.v.1a); Mark 7:24-30 “IT IS NOT GOOD THAT MAN SHOULD BE ALONE” (Gen 2:18) A modern consideration of Gen 2:18-25 might see it as strictly referring to the institution of marriage. But taking it back to the time like 10th Century B.C. and placing it in the context that the Jew of that time would understand might not yield the same result. And I think that that kind of venture is important for us to undertake. At that time, a woman’s position...

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O LORD, INCREASE MY FAITH

⏰Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time 1 (28 Jan 2017 – Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas) ????Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75 (R.v.68); Mark 4:35-41 O LORD, INCREASE MY FAITH We all indeed need an increase in faith. We need to possess that kind of faith that moves mountain (cf. Matt 17:20). Heb 11:1 says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it, the men of old received divine approval.” Abraham was an example of this. He hoped against hope. Even when they were almost passed child...

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“GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THE LORD…HE WILL REPAY YOU SEVENFOLD” (Sirach 35:9-10)

⏰Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time 1 (28 Feb 2017) ????Sir 35:1-12; Ps 50:5-6, 7-8, 14 and 23 (R.v.23bc); Mark 10:28-31 “GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THE LORD…HE WILL REPAY YOU SEVENFOLD” (Sirach 35:9-10) Do you remember what we discussed yesterday concerning charity especially as it concerns that rich young man that came to Jesus to find out what he must do to gain eternal life? The rich young man has obviously been righteous, only that he lacked charity (cf. Mark 10:19-21). On account of his righteousness, the disciples wondered whether they can gain anything from following Jesus (cf. Mark...

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NOW IS THE TIME OF CHANGE; TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE!

⏰Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time 1 (27 Feb 2017) ????Sir 17:24-29; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7 (R.v.11a); Mark 10:17-27 NOW IS THE TIME OF CHANGE; TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE! My dear, I welcome you to this new working week. I pray that it may be a week of abundant rain of blessings and divine protection for you. May God give you a reason to be congratulated and celebrated this week and beyond. Amen Indeed, the Lord wants to bless you and restore your joy. Yet, there is something you must do to gain that blessing. The...

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IN GOD ALONE BE AT REST, MY SOUL (Ps 62)

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A (26 Feb 2017) Isa 49:14-15; Psalm 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (R.v.6a); 1Cor 4:1-5; Matt 6:24-34 IN GOD ALONE BE AT REST, MY SOUL (Ps 62) The Liturgy of today, in a special way, sets out to remind us of the importance of putting all our trust in God because he is the source of our help (cf. Ps 121:2). The First Reading and the Gospel brought this out more clearly while the Second Reading admonishes us to be more concerned rather with what God thinks of us than what men think of us. The...

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“THE MERCY OF THE LORD IS EVERLASTING UPON THOSE WHO HOLD HIM IN FEAR” (Ps 103:17)

⏰Saturday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time 1 (26 Feb 2017) ????Sir 17:1-15; Ps 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18 (R.v.17ab); Mark 10:13-16 “THE MERCY OF THE LORD IS EVERLASTING UPON THOSE WHO HOLD HIM IN FEAR” (Ps 103:17) Do you realise that there is nothing about you that is hidden to God? Why? He created you in his image and placed you in the position you occupy right now. Hence, the book of Sirach reminds us that our ways are always open before him (Sir 17:15). My dear, it is true that, two days ago, we were warned against scandals. But...

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“WHAT THEREFORE GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER, LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER” (Mark 10:10)

⏰Friday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time 1 (24 Feb 2017) ????Sir 6:5-17; Ps 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35 (R.v.35a); Mark 10:1-12 ????”WHAT THEREFORE GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER, LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER” (Mark 10:10) My dear, God has made us for himself, and he continues to take care of us in all situations. Sometimes, difficulties and distractions can come our way and affect us badly to an extent that we begin to question if God is still on the throne. Yet, his presence among us is everlasting (cf. Matt 28:20). So, the book of Sirach tells us...

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“BLESSED THE MAN WHO HAS PLACED HIS TRUST IN THE LORD” (Ps 40:5)

⏰Thursday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time 1 (23 Feb 2017) ????Sir 5:1-8; Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 (R. Ps 40:5ab); Mark 9:41-50 ????”BLESSED THE MAN WHO HAS PLACED HIS TRUST IN THE LORD” (Ps 40:5) Do you know anyone who brags with his wealth or position of authority or intelligence? He indeed needs some pity. This is because whatever we have is given to us by God for the service of others. When we allow those ephemerals to blow us up to the extent that we look down on others and see ourselves as demigods, we are...

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“… IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO SERVE THE LORD, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE TRIALS” (Sir 2:1)

⏰Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time 1 (21 Feb 2017) ????Sir 2:1-11; Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 (R.v.5); Mark 9:30-37 ????”… IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO SERVE THE LORD, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE TRIALS” (Sir 2:1) Some people had often opined that the reason the disciples of Jesus were unable to heal the deaf and mute child was because they were jostling among themselves over who would heal the child and take the glory. This is just an insinuation but we have to take it seriously for our purpose today. Why? Many of us today who claim to...

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JESUS IS THE WISDOM OF GOD

⏰Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time 1 (25 Feb 2019) 📖Sir 1:1-10; Ps 93:1-1bc, 1d-2, 5 (R.v.1a); Mark 9:14-29 🎤JESUS IS THE WISDOM OF GOD The story of the ten virgins in Matt 25:1-10 made a distinction between two sets of virgins, one wise while the other foolish. The wise ones were ready for the bridegroom when he arrived, but the foolish ones were not. So the wise ones were admitted into the marriage feast (eternal life) but the foolish ones were left out. It is wisdom that makes it possible for those wise virgins to gain admittance...