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). You Will Be My Witnesses “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and…
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At our very center is a gifted dignity deeper than any good that we do, which puts us at ease with God. Ephesians says we have received something like a “down payment” or “first installment” of eternal life, just as a pregnant woman has within her a new life, yet…
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The beginning of the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians starts as a prayer of thanksgiving. Thus, we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens….” We have here a revelation of…
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We are created in His image We must start where God started, in the beginning. We were created in His image and likeness, unlike all the rest of creation and creatures. As such we possess an intellect that seeks truth and a will that seeks happiness. While God saw that…
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Today’s gospel recounts the story of a Pharisee inviting Jesus to dine with him. The Pharisee is horrified that Jesus neglected to wash hands before the meal. Jesus rebukes the Pharisee, saying “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled…
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Throughout my childhood I considered myself a skilled reader, until in fourth grade when I received an embarrassing critique from my teacher: I was reading the words and sentences of the story but wasn’t actually comprehending the meaning. Reading, I discovered, was not simply about deciphering individual words, but understanding…
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“The LORD has revealed to the nations His saving power!” (Psm 89:2b) This refrain from today’s Responsorial Psalm is the theme of our Mass readings. Because “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God,” we are all commanded to sing joyfully to God and praise…
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The readings of today illustrate the qualities of faith in comparison to law or tradition. The first reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Gal 3:22-29) centers on justification by faith. On its part, the Gospel (Lk 11:27-28) reminds us of the imperative obedience to God’s word. Whether in Christian…
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Growing up, I belonged to a popular pious society of young children known as the Bloc-Rosary Crusade. This is a movement that brings together children from our local villages and communities every evening after dinner to pray the Rosary, in line with the Fatima message. It was in this association…
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We know from experience that we do not receive everything we ask for in prayer. There are some intentions we have often brought to God in prayer and for a long period but we are yet to get answers to these prayers. Yet the Lord promised in today’s gospel reading,…
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