Category: Ordinary Time

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“EARNESTLY DESIRE THE HIGHER GIFTS OF LOVE” (1 Cor 12:31; 13:13)

⏰Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (19 Sept. 2018) 📖1 Cor 12:31 – 13:13; Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22 (R.v.3c); Luke 7:31-35 Yesterday, we reflected on the importance of using our gifts for the healing of our societal wounds of division. Today, St Paul tries to encourage us on acquiring right disposition in seeking the gifts (cf. 1Cor 12:31 – 13:13). Why would St Paul encourage us to seek love as the greatest gift? It is because God is love and he who abides in love abide in God (1 John 4:16). Love indeed is what...

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WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME BODY OF CHRIST

⏰Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (18 Sept. 2018) 📖1 Cor 12:12-41; Ps 100:1-2, 3, 4, 5 (R.v.3c); Luke 7:11-17 My dear, whatever you have that is lacking in others is meant to be used to supply for such lack. This includes your possession, position and race. Never look down on people because of what they are or where they come from; it annoys God. This is the point that St Paul makes in 1Cor 12:12-41. Anyone who discriminates is working against the very manifesto of Jesus in Luke 4:18-19. That means, he works against the plans...

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WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B) Isa 50:5-9a; Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (R.v.9); Jam 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35 For about two weeks now, we have been reflecting on becoming authentic followers of Christ by being a reflection of the faith which we profess. Last two Sundays, Jesus accused the Pharisees of living hypocritical lives, and in the liturgy of last Sunday, he shows us what we need to do to prove that our faith is authentic. Remember also that in the last two Sundays, we did note that the reason most people live hypocritical lives is for the avoidance...

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BE WARY OF SCANDAL!

⏰Thursday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time 2 (13 September 2018 – Memorial of St. John Chrysostom) 📖1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13; Ps 139:1-3, 13-14ab, 23-24 (R.v.24b); Luke 6:27-38 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit dwell and abide with you. Amen. Do you remember that saying that, “A clear conscience fears no accusation?” It is still very much valid. But now, that clear conscience must also embrace the virtue of PRUDENCE in order not to be deceitful. In Matt 18:6, Jesus warned, “If anyone should cause one...

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“LEAD ME, LORD, IN YOUR JUSTICE” (Ps 5:9a)

⏰Monday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time 2 (10 September 2018) 📖1 Cor 5:1-8; Ps 5:5-6, 7, 12 (R.v.9a); Luke 6:6-11 My dear, it is the beginning of a new working week. This new week promises good tidings for you. And you know what! God is out to intervene in whatever that concerns you. No matter the effort of the enemy to the contrary, you shall continue to make progress. Indeed the enemy labours day and night to ensure that your miracle and progress are blocked. Consider the action of the scribes and the Pharisees at seeing the man...

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HE HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL; HE EVEN MAKES THE DEAF HEAR AND THE MUTE SPEAK (Mark 7:37)

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B) Isa 35:4-7a; Ps 146:6c-70, 8-9a, 9bc-10ab (R.v.1b0); Jam 2:1-50; Mark 7:31-37 Last Sunday, we reflected on the need to make what we profess in faith to be represented by the kind of life we live if we claim to worship God who is love, we must be ready to love as God loves. That is the message which our liturgy of today tries to pass across to us even as it promises us that God will make all things well for us. The Second Reading was very emphatic on that point. We must...

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“AT YOUR COMMAND I WILL LOWER THE NETS” (Luke 5:5)

⏰Thursday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 2 (06 September 2018) 📖1 Cor 3:18-23; Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 (R.v.1ab); Luke 5:1-11 May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ ever remain and abide with you. Amen. Nobody can really be a true disciple, no matter his/her position in the Church or in the society if he/she has not learnt to listen and follow the voice of the Lord. Jesus himself said, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). Sometimes, that voice of the Lord might...

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WE ARE MERE SERVANTS (cf. Luke 17:10)

⏰Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 2 (05 September 2018 – Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta) 📖1 Cor 3:1-9; Ps 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21 (R.v.12b); Luke 4:38-44 Who do people give praise to when you render service among them? Do you make it appear as if the strength to serve comes from you? It would be a sign of spiritual immaturity to begin to distinguish yourself for the service you are able to render instead of giving the honour to God. St Paul called the Corinthians to order because they started to create factions over which minister to...

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BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN AND A CHURCH MEMBER

⏰Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 2 (04 September 2018) 📖1 Cor 2:10b-16; Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14 (R.v.17a); Luke 4:31-37 May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ abide with you both now and forever. Amen. My dear, what is really your relationship with Jesus? It is not enough to say that we began going to Church for a very long time now; what impact has that number of years on our spiritual life? In Christian morality, we have what we call the ethics of doing and the ethics of being. Ethics of doing can...

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I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE CRUCIFIED

⏰Monday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 2 (03 September 2018 – Memorial of St. Gregory the Great) 📖1 Cor 2:1-5; Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 (R.v.97a); Luke 4:16-30 My dear, may I once more thank you for your spiritual support yesterday as we kept watch with our sick mother. Not only did she make it through the surgery, I have spoken with her. There is so much joy in me now that is really choking. Thank you for being there for me. At least, from my experience yesterday, you can now see better that we, priests,...