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Category: Ordinary Time

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Ordinary Time / Thirty-Second Week / Weekdays / Year I

“MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH” (Ps 121:2)

⏰Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 1 (15 Nov. 2017) ????Wis 6:1-11; Ps 82:3-4, 6-7 (R.v.8a); Luke 17:11-19 Today, the writer of the Book of Wisdom turns his attention to the kings and leaders. He envisaged the saying of St. Paul that all authority comes from God (cf. Rom 13:1) and can only be well exercised with the help of God. Hence, he advised all leaders to submit themselves into God’s hands in order to be successful in their position and lead the people in freedom and righteousness. Same thing applies to all our affairs. If we turn...

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Ordinary Time / Thirty-Second Week / Weekdays

“THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN THE HAND OF GOD” (Wis 3:1)

⏰Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 1 (14 Nov. 2017) ????Wis 2:23 – 3:7; Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 (R.v.2a); Luke 17:7-10 My dear, as you begin this new day, I pray that the Lord may do something new and beautiful for you and with you today. May you be a sign of God’s favour and a source of testimony today and beyond through Christ our Lord. Amen. Yesterday, we introduced the Book of Wisdom, one of the deuterocanonical (apocrypha) books of the Old Testament which instructs the people to take pride in remaining faithful to God. It is...

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Ordinary Time / Thirty-Second Week / Weekdays / Year I

“LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS… SEEK [THE LORD] WITH SINCERITY OF HEART” (Wis 1:1)

⏰Monday of the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 1 (13 Nov. 2017) ????Wis 1:1-7; Ps 139:1-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10 (R.v.24b); Luke 17:1-6 It is a new working week, and I pray for you that in this week, the favour of God shall follow you wherever you go. This week shall not end in pains for you and your family. As the Lord lives, you shall be blessed, and be a source of blessing to all who encounter you this week through Christ our Lord. Amen. To win such a blessing from God, the psalmist that you must live in the...

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Ordinary Time / Sundays / Year A

“WATCH THEREFORE, FOR YOU KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR” (Matt 25:13)

⏰Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) ????Wis 6:12-16; Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (R.v.2b); 1Thess 4:13-18; Matt 25:1-13 For the second time in two weeks, the readings appear so live to me as if they would be fulfilled immediately. I just told someone with me at the time of making this reflection that it is possible that I may not finish it before the Lord calls me. But in case I remain alive, it reminds me that I am living on a borrowed time. The owner of the time, God, may demand of it at any time. How prepared...

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Feasts and Solemnities / Ordinary Time / Thirty-First Week / Weekdays / Year I

IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT YOU…

⏰Saturday of the Thirty-First Week of Ordinary Time 1 (11 Nov. 2017 – Memorial of St. Martin of Tours) ????Rom 16:3-9, 16, 21-27; Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11 (R.v.1); Luke 16:9-15 Imagine how boring this world would have been if you are the only one living in it. Adam didn’t find it funny (cf. Gen 2:20). There is this sociological saying that further buttresses the point, “Nobody is an island entirely of itself; everybody is a piece of a continent, a part of the main.” It is the same point made in African philosophy, “I am because we are.” It is...

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Feasts and Solemnities / Ordinary Time / Thirty-First Week / Weekdays / Year I

USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO WIN YOUR SALVATION

⏰Friday of the Thirty-First Week of Ordinary Time 1 (10 Nov 2017 – Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great) ????Rom 15:14-21; Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 (R.v.2b); Luke 16:1-8 Yes! I mean that very thing you have as a gift from God – your wealth, wisdom, strength, speech, time, even your phone… Yes, I mean your phone. Great opportunities abound for us to work out our salvation from, but how many of us take notice. Let me talk about your phone, for instance. I believe that is what you are using to read this message; you use it to operate...

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Ordinary Time / Thirty-First Week / Weekdays / Year I

“LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW” (Rom 13:10)

⏰Wednesday of the Thirty-First Week of Ordinary Time 1 (08 Nov 2017) ????Rom 13:8-10; Ps 112:1b-2, 4-5, 9 (R.v.5a); Luke 14:25-33 There is something that happened in Matt 22:34-40 that we need to pay attention to. The Pharisees are the teachers of the Law, and they try to preserve the Law against adulteration. Hence, they parade themselves as models. So, apart from tempting Jesus, they also wanted to prove their sanctity by their keeping of the Law. Jesus then educated them, just as St. Paul reiterates in Rom 13:8-10, that nobody can claim to be keeping the Law if he...

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Ordinary Time / Thirty-First Week / Weekdays / Year I

“WE ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST” (Rom 12:5)

⏰Tuesday of the Thirty-First Week of Ordinary Time 1 (07 Nov 2017) ????Rom 12:5-16a; Ps 131:1, 2, 3; Luke 14:15-24 In 1 Cor 12:12ff, St. Paul made an analogy of the body and how the individual parts of the body work together to achieve sustenance. In the end, as he also did in Rom 12:5-16, he made us to understand that we are those individual parts of the body, which is Christ. Since our goal is to be united with Christ, everyone of us must bring out what he has to assist others in growing. How much effort are you...

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Ordinary Time / Thirty-First Week / Weekdays / Year I

“IN YOUR GREAT MERCY, ANSWER ME, O LORD” (Ps 69:14)

⏰Monday of the Thirty-First Week of Ordinary Time 1 (06 Nov 2017) ????Rom 11:29-36; Ps 69:30-31, 33-34, 36-37; Luke 14:12-14 My dear, it is a brand new working week. On this day, the Lord shall mercifully close down any door that might lead to shame in your life and open for you, doors of fame, miracle and extraordinary favour. Amen Those who used to look down on you will begin to make positive references with your name. The light of Christ will lead you to the place where your blessings wait for you. You shall no longer be pitied but...

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Ordinary Time / Sundays / Year A

“THEY PREACH, BUT DO NOT PRACTICE (Matt 23:4)

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Mal 1:14b – 2:2b, 8-10; Psalm 131:1, 2, 3; 1Thess 2:7-9, 13; Matt 23:1-12 Today, I remember some words that are ascribed to St. Augustine, “For you, I am a priest; with you, I am a Christian. I rejoice at what I am with you, but what I am for you terrifies me.” As I was going through the readings for today’s liturgy, terrible fear enveloped me. I realized once more how delicate is this precious vocation that I embraced. To be frank, I have enjoyed every minute of my priestly life such...