Reflections of Faith
Read and be inspired by a reflection based on today's Gospel made by members of the Verbum Dei Family in Manila.
3/26/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 26, 2018March 26, 2018, Holy Monday
Gospel: Jn 12:1-11 Poor in Spirit? Receive Me.As we enter the Holy Week, we might find ourselves still preoccupied with a lot of things. For some, it’s finally vacation to spend time with families, a break to rest from stressful days of work, and a chance to ponder on things that happened at the start of this year. To start this important week, we can have a few moments of silence and ask ourselves: are we prepared for this awaited week as we continue to deepen our Lenten Journey?
In our gospel today, Martha anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and filled the house with fragrance. On the other hand, Judas Iscariot opposed this act and said a lot of things about these gestures. This week, we are invited to have a welcoming heart like Martha who receives Jesus warmly by doing things freely and willingly, following God’s will. However, we are like Judas who is negative and unwilling because we are absorbed with our own intentions and worldly ideas which impoverish our spiritual life. Today, Jesus wants to enter in our hearts so we can have his intention in our daily options. He wants us to have Him in our decisions, emotions and in our heart to deepen our relationship with Him. He wants to enter into the midst of our being. Let today be the start of filling ourselves with His spirit. Ask for the guidance and grace to be filled with Jesus spirit.
3/25/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 25, 2018March 25, 2018 - Palm Sunday
Gospel: Mk 14:1-15:47 Sparks in the DarknessOur Gospel reading is the whole passion of the Lord, the darkest hour of Jesus has come. Amidst this darkness, we can find many details of love: the woman who anointed him (14:3); the disciples who offer themselves to prepare the Passover (14:12); the man who allows Jesus to use the best room in his house (14:15); the helping hand of Simon of Cyrene (15:21); the soldier who proclaims his identity (15:21); the attentiveness of the women to where his body was being placed (15:47) . . .
These gestures of love shine like sparks amidst the dark background of Jesus’ pain and the hate of so many. It can be said of them what Jesus said of the woman who anointed him, “They have done what they could.” Today Jesus is suffering again his passion in so many brothers and sisters around us. Let us do what we can to alleviate his suffering, for he himself told us, “What you did to them, you did to me.”
3/24/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 24, 2018March 24, 2018 - Saturday
Gospel: Jn 11:45-56 Till The End“Are you gonna run the marathon and not cross the finish line?” These are the first lines of a song that came to my mind after reading today’s gospel. People were wondering if Jesus would finish what he started: “What do you think? Will he come to the feast?”
We know the answer. Jesus will culminate his work. He will be faithful until the end to his mission, and so fulfilling the (unintentional) prophecy of the High Priest--gather into one the dispersed children of God with his death for all. Let us learn today from him to finish what we start--commitments, apostolic initiatives, projects--even if it entails taking pauses to recharge energies or refresh our motivations, just as he did by withdrawing to the town of Ephraim for a while. Lord grant us determination to carry out or our own mission till the end. Amen.
3/23/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 23, 2018March 23, 2018 - Friday
Gospel: Jn 10;31-42 Do You Understand?A week from now, we will commemorate the Passion of the Lord. Today's Gospel reveals precisely what seems to be the core of the conflict that led Jesus to such a death: his revelation as the Son of God and the close-mindedness of the authorities.
Today Jesus keeps searching for hearts that can welcome and try to understand his message. He knocks at the door of our hearts and asks us, “Do you understand?” This is not about theological or intellectual understanding alone, but those who understand that Jesus is the Son of God embrace the lifestyle of the children of God. Lord, Grant grant us understanding hearts that are not contented with being your admirers and spectators but rather decided imitators. Amen.
3/22/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 22, 2018March 22, 2018 - Thursday Gospel: Jn 8:51-59 I know Him And I Keep His WordIf you have been following this week's readings, it'll be easy for you to guess what the trend is: #conflict. Such a conflict around the identity of Jesus, that today it arises to the point of wanting to stone him to death!
But Jesus cannot take a step back. His whole life and his identity are defined by his relationship with the Father, and he will not compromise this even at the cost of his own life. In front of a world in which everything is relative or “fluid”--political opinions, ideologies, values--Jesus continues to challenge us to witness to the truth. Let us not deny who we are; let us stand for love and life knowing that whoever keeps his word will never see death.
3/21/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 21, 2018March 21, 2018 - Wednesday Gospel: Jn 8:31-42 Make SpaceJesus continues to face conflicts and misunderstandings with courage and determination. Today's confrontation is with those who had believed in Him. He asks from them a step of maturity and invites them to not only render lip service, but to show their faith in truth and with deeds: “Do what you've heard from the Father.” Then he confronts them with these words, “My word has no room among you.”
Let us take the place of those believers today and allow Jesus to challenge us to take a step of maturity in our following of him. In what areas of your life do you see that you need to take a step of coherence? What are the areas wherein your life can be more gospel-like? Holy Spirit, guide us in our prayer, for without you we cannot make space for God's word in our lives. Amen.
3/20/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 20, 2018March 20, 2018 - Tuesday Gospel: Jn 8:21-30 Who Are You?We are entering in the last week of Lent. The readings prepare the setting for us to understand what will be the core of the celebrations to come on Holy Week. We will witness these days the conflict between Jesus and his own people.
Today's Gospel portraits his misunderstanding with the Pharisees. They asked him a question that they were not yet ready to understand, “Who are you?” It's amazing how, even knowing that he will not be understood, Jesus takes time to answer, “I am the one who does nothing on his own, but does only what is pleasing to the one who sent me.” As the most important days of our faith draw closer, let us ask Jesus the same question, “Lord, who are you?” Grant me the grace of openness so that I may experience personally the extreme of your love. Amen.
3/19/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 19, 2018March 19, 2018 - Monday Gospel: Mt 1:26, 18-21, 24a the Loudest SileNceToday is the feast day of Saint Joseph. He is one of the most important persons in the life of Jesus, yet he doesn't say a word in any of the gospels. It is his life which speaks the loudest.
There are many situations that we face wherein we would like to shout and make our voices heard: injustice at work, corruption, violence, abuses of all kinds . . . And many times we get discouraged because even if we’d shout or loudest, nothing would change. Saint Joseph teaches us today that perhaps what is needed are persons that, like him, welcome and live faithfully the will of God in their lives--silent witnesses that do what is right, and doing so open ways for God's word to take flesh in the world. Saint Joseph, help us to be, like you, faithful doers of the will of God. Amen.
3/18/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 18, 2018March 18, 2018 Sunday Gospel: John 12:20-33 “Unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”(c.f. Jn 12:24) In today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling His disciples that He has to be persecuted to fulfill His mission, comparing Himself to a grain of wheat that needs to die in order for it to bear fruit. The Gospel also prepares us as the Holy Week approaches our liturgical calendar making it’s way to the culminating celebration of our faith – the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus calls us to forget our worldly selves willingly offering our lives to Him in order for us to follow His ways and walk in the light with Him; and to serve and live for Him. And the grace for all of this is the Father’s honor to those who would accept the call.
3/17/2018
Daily Guidelines: Mar. 17, 2018March 17, 2018 Saturday Gospel: John 7:40-53 “Courage ‘means speaking the truth openly and without compromise.’”These are some of the words Pope Francis said in one of his homilies at Santa Marta. Encouraging the people to speak the truth of their faith.
Jesus, in today’s Gospel, has experienced being rejected by the people whom He has spoken of the truth. But despite this rejections He still stood tall proclaiming it, unfazed of the consequence of openly speaking the truth. Today’s Gospel invites us to courageously stand for the truth as we speak of it. Though we may be contradicted as we stand for the truth, it will always be worth standing for. |
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