Category: Sundays

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JESUS IS THE TRUE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, THE SON OF DAVID, THE SON OF MARY

⏰FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT, YEAR B 📖2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29 (R.2a); Rom 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 🎤JESUS IS THE TRUE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, THE SON OF DAVID, THE SON OF MARY It is the last Sunday before Christmas! The liturgy of today exposes to us the real identity of Jesus and challenges us on our contribution in revealing that identity of Jesus to the world. In the First Reading, God makes a promise through the prophet Nathan to build an eternal dynasty for David and that his son would sit on...

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JOY TO THE WORLD!

⏰Third Sunday in Advent (Year B) 📖Isa 61:1-2a, 10-11; Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 (R. Isa 61:10b); 1 Thess 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 🎤JOY TO THE WORLD! Today is traditionally called the “Gaudete Sunday,” a special day in which we are reminded that Christianity brings joy to all things. With less than two weeks to the proper celebration of the Christmas, this reminder is important to keep our minds focused on the real things that matter in this season and the real attitude we ought to embrace. Both the First Reading and the Gospel announce the presence of the Messiah among...

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PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

⏰Second Sunday in Advent (Year B) 📖Isa 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14 (R.v.8); 2 Pet 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8 🎤PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD At the beginning of Advent last Sunday, we were informed of the basic components of Advent period. It is a period of waiting for the King of kings, which is why we use the purple colour in the Church at this time, indicating expectancy, repentance and royalty. Last Sunday, being watchful dominated the message. But on this Second Sunday, the theme of preparing the way for the Lord runs through all the readings....

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COME LORD JESUS

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT YEAR B Isa 63:16d-17, 64:1, 3b-8; Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16a, 18-19 (R.v.4); 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37 It is the first day of the Church’s Liturgical Year, and I say happy new year to you. My prayer is that in this new liturgical year, our spiritual strength would be more strengthened and we be more prepared to meet Christ any time he calls us to come back to him. Amen. We also call this Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent. It is a period of waiting for the coming of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah...

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BE HUMAN! BE HOLY!!

⏰THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS (01 November 2020) 📖Rev 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 (R.v.6a); 1 John 3:1-3; Matt 5:1-12a 🎤BE HUMAN! BE HOLY!! Back in our seminary days, this is a day to remember and anticipate, not just for the beautiful Latin chants but also for the beautiful liturgy that reminds us what we are called to do, “You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy” (Lev 20:26). There is that prayerful hymn that we normally took: “O when the saints, go marching in (2x); O Lord I want to be in that number. O when...

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BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM (Matt 7:20)

⏰Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) 📖Ezek 18:25-28; Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (R.6a); Phil 2:1-11; Matt 21:28-32 🎤BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM (Matt 7:20) It is said that actions speaks louder than voice. That is the major focus of our Liturgy today. The Gospel brings out this point clearer in that parable of the two sons of a man, both of whom he asked to go into his vineyard to work. While the Gospel seems to pay more attention on the action, the First and Second Readings help us to understand that the action that is meant...

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THE ASCENT OF FAITH AND THE UNIVERSAL MERCY OF GOD

⏰Twentienth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) 📖Isaiah 56:1.6-7; Psalm 67:2-3.5.6 and 8 (R.4); Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Matt 15:21-28 🎤THE ASCENT OF FAITH AND THE UNIVERSAL MERCY OF GOD In the readings of last Sunday, we saw audacity of faith that Peter displayed by daring to accept Jesus invitation to come to him walking on the sea. However, the insufficiency of that faith showed up when he was faced with the troubled sea and took his gaze off Jesus. In the gospel reading of today, the Canaanite woman is set before us as example of undoubting faith which does not...

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LOOK ONTO JESUS!

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a; Psalm 85:8ab and 9,10-11, 12-13 (R.v.7); Rom 9:1-5; Matt 14:22-33 LOOK ONTO JESUS! Every sportsman knows the importance of fixing his gaze on the target that would win him the desired point. For instance, every goalkeeper that wants to be efficient at the goalpost must not keep his eyes away from the ball. The same thing happens in our journey of faith. Jesus is object of faith. To win the prize, which is salvation, we must focus our gaze on him. Consider the drama that occurred in today’s Gospel...

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“YOU OPEN YOUR HAND, LORD, AND YOU SATISFY US” (Ps 145:16)

⏰Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) 📖Isa 55:1-3; Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18 (R.v.16); Rom 8:35, 37-39; Matt 4:4b; Matt 13:44-523 🎤”YOU OPEN YOUR HAND, LORD, AND YOU SATISFY US” (Ps 145:16) After their return from Babylonian exile, the Israelites observed that their once glorified city has been reduced to a state of ruin. Many of them could not just bear the sight of that and they started losing the hope of ever rising again. That was the origin of the invitation which the prophet Isaiah gave out to the people in the First Reading of today. There was the...

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GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL YOUR PROBLEMS

⏰Fourtenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) 📖Zech 9:9-10; Psalm 145; Rom 8:9,11-13; Matt 11:25-30 🎤GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL YOUR PROBLEMS Are you a Christian? Then you must be a friend of Jesus, and if you are a friend of Jesus, you have nothing to worry about because Jesus always takes care of the worries of his friends. The Gospel says that much. In the first place, Jesus thanks God for revealing the mysteries about God and salvation to those considered as the little ones of the world. Mark that word, ‘little ones’. That does not just mean little...