Category: Ordinary Time

2

JESUS SHOWS COMPASSION TO SINNERS

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Lev 13:1-2, 44-46; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11 (R.v.7); 1 Cor 10:31 1:1; Mark 1:40-45 Following the Churchs Liturgical Calendar, the Forty Days of Lent begin with Ash Wednesday in this week. During the period, the voice of the Prophet Joel would ring out once more, “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and tear your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord for he is gracious and merciful.” Providentially, today, being the last Sunday before the Lent begins, the...

0

“THEY ATE, AND WERE SATISFIED” (Mark 8:8)

⏰Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (10 February 2018 – Memorial of St. Scholastica) ????1 Kgs 12:26-32, 13:33-34; Ps 106:6-7ab, 19-20, 21-22 (R.v.4a); Mark 8:1-10 Have you ever paused to reflect on what is the authentic source of satisfaction and security in man? On a daily basis, we struggle to gain those two in our lives. With a deep reflection, one can see that satisfaction and security come more from what we help others to have than what we acquire for ourselves. In other words, generosity and selflessness works better on our behalf than greed and...

0

“EPHPHATHA… BE OPENED” (Mark 7:34)

⏰Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (9 February 2018) ????1 Kgs 11:29-32, 12:19; Ps 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15 (R.v.11a, 9a); Mark 7:31-37 My dear, the scriptures, in Lam 3:37 asks, “Who can command and execute what the Lord has not decreed?” The answer is very obvious, “nobody!” Yes! Nobody can safely do that and go unpunished. Solomon tried it and the result was the division of the kingdom of Israel. So it brings no good to anyone who tries such. Remember that one way that we do that is through sin. Sin is disobedience to the decrees...

1

THE MERCIFUL LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER CEASES

⏰Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (8 February 2018) ????1 Kgs 11:4-13; Ps 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40 (R.v.4a); Mark 7:24-30 Did you find time to make the self-evaluation we recommended yesterday? Hope you were able to put on the veil of Christ so as to reflect him in all that you do. It is actually to our benefits if we could do so. You know why? God is ever faithful to those who put their trust in him. More importantly, this faithfulness has no end. You care to know where I got that insight? Remember...

0

WHO AM I BEFORE GOD?

⏰Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (7 February 2018) ????1 Kgs 10:1-10; Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 (R.v.30a); Mark 7:14-23 We ended our reflection yesterday with a call to allow our lives be transformed by the faith which we profess. The crisis we normally observe among Christians today is that of hypocrisy. It is hard these days to get Christians whose lifestyle could easily be connected to their Christian faith. This is a time of self-evaluation for me. After listening to the words from my mouth, do people give glory to God, whose priest I am as...

0

“… THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE HOUSE OF THE LORD” (1 Kgs 8:11)

⏰Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (5 February 2018 – Memorial of St. Agatha) ????1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13; Ps 132:6-7, 8-10 (R.v.8a); Mark 6:53-56 It is another beginning of a new working week. Just as the presence of the Ark of the Lord made the glory of the Lord to fill the house of the Lord, so shall God make a renewed entrance into your home so that his glory may remain ever fresh in your life. Amen. Jesus is the Ark personified. No longer is the glory of God confined to the Ark in the...

1

BEING ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE (cf. 1 Cor 9:23)

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Job 7:1-4, 6-7; Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (R. see v.3a); 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 1:29-39 In our world of today, suffering abounds in great measure in such a way that the book of Job would not be difficult for most people to understand. What is normally difficult to understand is why righteous men do suffer too, when suffering is often associated with evil. That was the confusion in Jobs case that led to his lamentation. It was also a problem in Jesus time (cf. John 9:2) and very rampant in our time,...

0

“KEEP THE CHARGE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD… THAT YOU MAY PROSPER IN ALL THAT YOU DO” (1 Kgs 2:3)

⏰Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (1 February 2018) ????1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12; 1 Chron 29:10b, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd (R.v.12b); Mark 6:7-13 At long last, the month of January has given way to February. For some people, it was as if the month became longer than 31 days. For such people, they can at least see that nothing lasts forever. It does not matter how long difficulty persists, it shall surely come to an end one day. As we begin this new month therefore, I pray that your difficulties may give way to abundant blessings and...

1

TRUST GOD IN ALL THINGS, AT ALL TIMES

⏰Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (31 January 2018 – Memorial of St. JohnBosco) ????2 Sam 24:2, 9-17; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6-7 (R.v.5a); Mark 6:1-6 It is once again my feast day, the memorial of St JohnBosco. I request your prayers in a special way especially for an increase in faith. I need to possess that kind of faith that moves mountain which will enable me to believe God and obey him in all things without doubt (cf. Matt 17:20). Now, one might begin to wonder what was the big deal with the census which David...

1

“DO NOT FEAR, ONLY BELIEVE” (Mark 5:36)

⏰Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 (30 January 2018) ????2 Sam 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 – 19:3; Ps 86:1-2, -3-4, 5-6 (R.v.1a); Mark 5:21-43 Yesterday, we reflected on the importance of building a deep trust in Jesus despite the situation we may find ourselves. David saw himself in most ugly situations, but he never allowed his quest for solutions drive him away from the presence of God. For that reason, God always came to his aid. Today, in the First Reading, we could see a testimony of how God fights for David. His son Absalom, who...