Daily Reflections
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). It is Lenten season. It is the season the Church calls us to reflect deeply on the sufferings, passion, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the…
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Bountiful Compassion “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful.” Pardon must be bestowed so generously upon anyone who has hurt us, that it runs over and pours into the folds of one’s own garments. We are expected to bestow twice as much love as the other person showed us…
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In the Transfiguration humanity is adopted by God so that we understand more our identity as children of God. The voice of God the father confirms the identity of Christ before his disciples saying, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” God the Father preaching the Good News to…
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Can I Ever Be Perfect? YES. Jesus confirms that perfection is attainable by uttering the command. To believe otherwise, is to suggest that Jesus commands the impossible. Perhaps it helps to look at ‘how’ Jesus defines perfection by looking at the context of today’s Gospel. Let’s summarize: • You shall…
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Sin. Sin results in death. Turning away from sin and occasions of sin. Anger. Saving your life. Forgiveness. Fear of the Lord. Hope. Mercy. Reconciliation. Today’s readings are packed with wisdom and advice for obtaining eternal salvation. “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord,…
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Today’s Gospel reading, in its seeming simplicity, can baffle our modern sensibility. Jesus insists upon the efficacy of prayer, telling us that “everyone who asks receives.” Surely, we say, he doesn’t mean everyone. We all know of prayers in our hearts that seem to have gone unanswered; and we all…
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“A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” Psm 51:17b This refrain from our responsorial psalm was King David’s cry of repentance for his sins of adultery and murder. It is a groan full of remorse, acknowledging his sins against others and his God. Yet it is…
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Today’s gospel (Mt 6:7-15) presents us with the charge to forgive others their transgressions. It is said that forgiveness is divine because it is seemingly not in the nature of human beings to let go of hurts done to them by others. The normal human instinct would be to retaliate…
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One of the most exciting and interesting facts about this life is that nothing is perfect here, everything only gets better or worse. Our lives are conditioned by spacio-temporal factors. What we call the best today loses its importance tomorrow and gives way to something better. Records are set and…
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The devil came to Jesus after his forty days fast and urged him to use his divine powers to turn stones into bread and satisfy his hunger. I did not fully capture the devil’s maneuver here until I visited Israel for a pilgrimage. Our group of pilgrims visited the desert…
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