Paghahanda sa Kaharian ng Diyos

Ika-28 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

11 Oktubre 2026

Unang Pagbasa: Isaias 25, 6-10a

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 22, 1-3a. 3b-4. 5, 6

Ikalawang Pagbasa: Filipos 4, 12-14. 19-20

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 22, 1-14

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

Sa susunod na buwan ay dadalo kami ng aking misis sa isang kasalan sa Baguio upang maging isa sa mga ninong at ninang. Enero pa lang ay naimbitahan na kami kaya’t halos sampung buwan na kaming naghahanda para sa kasalang ito. Ang ilan sa pinaghahandaan namin ay ang pansamantalang tutuluyan namin, ang budget na gagatusin para sa transportasyon, ang aming tutuluyan at destinasyon sa pamamasyal pagkatapos ng piging. Mabusisi rin ang paghahanda namin sa mga isusuot tulad ng kulay ng aming damit na kailangang akma sa ibinigay na tema ng ikakasal. Inaasahan din naming mas malamig na rin ang klima sa Baguio dahil sa paglakas ng hanging amihan kaya’t kasama rin ito sa paghahanda ng iba pang kasuotan. Tulad sa talinghaga ng ating Panginoong Hesus, kung tayo ay tumugon sa paanyaya ng hari, marapat lamang na paghandaan ito nang mabuti upang maging angkop ang kasuotan sa piging ng kasal. Sa pakahulugan ng ating simbahan, ang piging ay paanyaya sa kaligtasan sa lahat, walang pinipili ang ating Panginoon sa mga iimbitahan dahil nga ang kasal ay larawan ng Kaharian ng Diyos. Siguradong maraming imbitadong mga banal at kahangan-hanga ang buhay ng mga taong pinili mismo ng Diyos upang makasalo sa piging at mayroon ding mga kilala o mga sikat na personalidad na inanyayahan. Subalit hindi naman lahat ay tumutugon sa paanyaya dahil siguro’y nasilaw na sa kaharian ng mundo ang karamihan at marahil ay nagbibingi-bingihan na lamang sa pagtawag sa kanila. Sa walang-hanggang kabutihan at awa ng Diyos ay kahit paulit-ulit pa tayong tumanggi ay hindi Siya nagsasawa na paulit-ulit din tayong iniimbitahan sa Kanyang Kaharian.

Ang nakapagtataka talaga ay kahit pa tayong mga walang pangalan sa lipunan o mga makasalanang tunay na lagi na lamang nadadapa sa kasalanan sa mundo ay patuloy ding iniimbitahan ng Panginoon sa Kanyang Kaharian. Kaya nga dapat na ipagpasalamat talaga na tayong lahat ay iniimbita ng Diyos sa Kanyang Kaharian sa langit kahit pa hindi naman tayo karapat-dapat. Ang paghahanda ng ating pananamit naman sa pagdalo sa kasalan ay ang ating pagsisikap na maging mabuting Kristiyano. Ang isa sa paghahanda sa piging ay ang malimit na pagtanggap natin ng mga sakramento ng ating simbahan. Tila magarbong damit na akma sa kasalan ang pagsasabuhay ng mga sakramento para sa mga grasyang dulot ng pakikipagkaisa kay Hesus. Tulad ng sakramento ng pangungumpisal na nagpapalinis ng ating kaluluwa at nagpapaputi ng ating kasuotan para sa dadaluhang piging. Higit na magpapakinang sa ating kalooban ang malimit na pagtanggap sa ating Panginoong Hesus sa sakramento ng Eukaristiya sa banal na Misa. Hindi ba’t napakalaking biyaya ng ating Panginoong Hesus para sa ating lahat na Siya na nga mismo ang nagbigay sa atin ng mga biyaya ng kabanalan para sa paghahanda sa piging sa pamamagitan ng mga iniwan Niyang Sakramento? Ang simula ng hamon sa atin bago pa nga ang paghahanda ng lahat ng kasuotan ay ang pagtugon sa Kanyang paanyaya. Kung naging pusong bato na tayo, nalunod na sa kasakiman ng kayamanan sa mundo, nabaliw na sa pagyakap sa kasalanan, at napagkakamalan nating hindi na tayo makakaahon pa sa putikan, lagi lang nating isipin na ang paanyaya ng Diyos sa atin ay walang hanggang awa at pagpapatawad. Kung parang ang lahat ay madilim na sa ating buhay, kung halos iniwan na tayo ng lahat at wala na tayong malapitan, kung nasadlak na tayo sa mapapait na karanasan at kabiguan, ang pagmamahal ng Diyos sa atin ay nananatili, kailanma’y hinding-hindi tayo bibiguin ng ating Panginoon. Muli nating tugunan ang patuloy na pag-anyaya sa piging ng Kanyang Kaharian at doon sa banal na pagsasalo ay yakapin natin nang mahigpit ang ating mapagmahal na Diyos. Amen.

 

Panalangin

Panginoong Hesus, pasasalamat at papuri ang aming dalangin para sa walang hanggang pagmamahal mo sa amin dahil sa patuloy na pag-anyaya sa amin sa iyong Kaharian kahit pa hindi kami naging karapat-dapat. Kami po ay mapagpakumbabang tumutugon sa Inyong paanyaya at pahintulutang kaming makapaghanda para sa pakikipagkaisa sa aming Panginoong Hesus. Amen

Faith Rooted in Love, Not Just Promise

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 

07 June 2026

 

First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Gospel: John 6:51-58

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle Balla

 

Today, I reflected on what it truly means to believe in Jesus—not just believing in His promises but believing in who He is.

As I searched my heart, I realized that my faith is not driven by fear or reward, but by a deep desire to stay close to Him, to worship Him, and to remain in His presence.

For me, attending Mass and receiving the Holy Eucharist is a personal declaration of my love for Jesus—an act of gratitude and praise for His precious gift of His body and blood given for us.

This realization brings me peace and joy. This is my reason, and I am grateful to understand it more clearly.

May the Solemnity of Body and Blood of Christ bring us closer Him.

Prayer

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ sanctify me

Body of Christ save me

Water from the side of Christ wash me

Passion of Christ give me strength

Hear me Jesus

Hide me in Thy wounds that I may never leave Thy side

From all the evil that surrounds me, defend me

And when the call of death arrives

Bid me come to Thee that I may praise Thee with Thy saints

Forever

Hear me Jesus

Hide me in Thy wounds that I may never leave Thy side

From all the evil that surrounds me, defend me

And when the call of death arrives

Bid me come to Thee that I may praise Thee with Thy saints

Forever

Katawan ni Kristo

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

14 June 2020

First reading                                                                        Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart — whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
‘Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.’

Second reading                                                                1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Though we are many, we form a single body because we share this one loaf.
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

Gospel                                                                     John 6:51-58

‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh
and drink my blood has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,

but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection

By Carlo Alexis R. Malaluan

I attended one mass and the choir sang Ricky Manalo’s “Ang Katawan ni Kristo” during communion. The lyrics of the song goes this way: “Ang Katawan ni Kristo! Ang Katawan ni Kristo! Behold the Body of Christ! Rejoice, O People of God, we are the Body of Christ!”

In the Second Reading, Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians poses a very good question: Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? Is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. I must admit, that for me, the most beautiful image of the Catholic Faith is none other than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There, in different parts of the world and during the different times of the day, we are gathered together in Christ as one community of believers. In the Mass, we are no longer classified by our social status, academic attainment, political beliefs and titles. We are gathered together as one. We are the Katawan ni Kristo! We are the body of Christ! In communion, Christ calls us to none other than Himself. In the Gospel according to Saint John, Christ invites us to partake in His body so that we may remain in Him and He remain in us. Communion does not only nourish our soul but also strengthen our relationship with Christ. As if he is saying: I am all yours! I give you my entirety! 

But as a part of this Mystical Body of Christ, we are also called to be sensitive to the plight of other people – who are also, like us, members of this one body. We must  be considerate of those who suffer, for those who cry silently, for the victims of oppression, discrimination and violence. They who are wounded are the very wounds of Christ. We cannot let the cry of these people fall into deaf ears.  In simple acts of kindness and compassion, we can heal these wounds. We are not strangers to one another. We are one. As Christ continually gives Himself in the form of bread and wine, we are also called to offer up our small and insignificant selves for others maybe not in the highest altars of the cathedrals but in the altars of daily mundane life. There we will find our altars, our places of sacrifice and life. Through them, we can participate in the eternal offering of the Body and Blood of Christ. As the song reminds us: Rejoice! We are the Body of Christ.

Prayer

O EUCHARISTIC LORD! You have called us to your banquet. Make us one in Your body. Make us one Your love. Lead us to a life that gives, that loves, that offers just as You continually give, love and offer Yourself in the form of bread and wine. Amen.

Blessed are We!

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ 

18 June 2017

First reading                                                                                               Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16

Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
  ‘Do not become proud of heart. Do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.’

---

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20

---

Second reading	1 Corinthians 10:16-17

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,
says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.
Alleluia!

---

Gospel	John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowd:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection

by Benj Santiago

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

In the Last supper, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and instructed the Apostles to do it over and over in remembrance of Him. This event makes it more clear how the apostles (and their successors) will execute the teaching Jesus spoke to the Jews in today's Gospel.

Imagine if we were part of the crowd whom Jesus spoke to. Telling us that salvation and eternal life can only be attained by drinking His Blood and eating His Flesh! I guess we would react the same way as the Jews who were present. But I believe that Jesus wants to show how much He loves us that He is willing to give His life for all of us. He wants to show us that God cares for all of us.

And we are so blessed as Catholics for the institution of the Holy Eucharist. It allows us to perpetually commemorate the Last  Supper where we are able to eat the Body and drink the Blood of Christ in the form of Bread and Wine. We are so blessed that we can partake of His Body and Blood every time we go to Mass. An opportunity for us to receive the love of the Lord that will bring us to eternal life.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for coming down from heaven to offer Your Body and Blood as our food and drink so that we can have an everlasting life. We thank You for Your presence in the Holy Eucharist as a manifestation of Your Father’s Love for all of us. We pray that with Your Holy Blood you will cleanse away all our sins, and by Your Holy Body, we can all be united in peace. We ask this through the most holy intercession of our Mother Mary . Amen.

Remembering Christ

Corpus Christi 29 May 2016

First reading
Genesis 14: 18-20

Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He pronounced this blessing:

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth,

and blessed be God Most High for handing over your enemies to you.’

And Abram gave him a tithe of everything.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 109:1-4

Second reading
1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.  

Gospel	Luke 9:11-17

Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing.

  It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.

  Reflection
By Benj Santiago  

“This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remebrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

This last Sunday of May is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Otherwise more popularly known as Corpus Christi. Today's Second Reading from St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians relate the story of the Last Supper of Jesus with His disciples.  It was the night before Jesus was betrayed and they were all gathered up in an upper room to celebrate the Passover. Jesus took the bread and broke it and gave it to His disciples and told them that the bread is His flesh and told them to eat it to remember Him. And then the Lord commanded His disciples to do it in remembrance of Him. Before leaving His disciples, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist.

The Holy Eucharist is one of the sacraments of our Church instituted by Christ Himself. It is the supreme manifestation of Christ's love for all of us that He offered Himself, His own Body and Blood to be the Living Sacrifice, the Ultimate Offering. I am sure the disciples did not grasp what Jesus commanded them to do. They must have wondered why they have to eat and drink the body and blood of Christ.  But they took  this to heart as they themselves offered their lives to protect and perpetuate the Church. And to to this day, the Church repeats the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of Jesus' supreme sacrifice on the cross to save us all from our sin.

May the love of Christ that is perpetually shared in the Eucharist permeate into our hearts to love and serve one another!

Prayer

 

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for instituting the Holy Eucharist to remember that You willingly suffered and died on the cross for our salvation. We praise and thank You for Your supreme offfering, for your amazing love!  May our reception of your Body and Blood transform us to be merciful like You. Amen.

Complete Nourishment

The Body and Blood of Christ
26 June 2011


Come, let us worship Christ, the bread of life.


First reading Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16 3
Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
‘Do not become proud of heart. Do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 147:12-15,19-20

Second reading 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

Gospel John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection
By Benj Santiago

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven”

One of my favorite family activities is going on an “eat-out”. We love to check out what’s new and good in a place, be it local or outside the country. We have not found anything yet that can sustain us for several days. We always end up eating our five (5) meals a day. The Israelites during the 40 years they were in the desert, did not have the same luxury as we now experience. They cannot order their pack lunch, nor do they have the luxury of planting, harvesting, and growing what they need for their daily sustenance. At one point, they complained to Moses that they want to return to Egypt and be slaves rather than be free and die of hunger. They asked for food to sustain them. Moses admonished them by saying “that not by bread alone does man lives, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Dt 8:3). Now, what really sustain us? What food do we crave for? The Pharisees were completely baffled when they heard Jesus say that “I am the living bread that came down from heaven, whoever eats this bread will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6: 51). In the last supper before Jesus offered His life on the cross, Jesus left us a wonderful celebration in which we can eat the food that sustain our souls. This is the Holy Eucharist which is continuously celebrated everyday in all churches around the world. And we love to partake in this Holy Meal, where we fully believe that we do receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of the bread and wine. We are completely nourished, body, heart, and soul. Truly, Jesus was the Word made flesh. And do understand that it is not just by believing in Him and living what He preached and commanded to all of usshall we inherit eternal life. It is also by eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

Lord, transform me to be more like You through Your Holy Eucharist, so that like You, I may be able to transform other people’s lives. In Jesus' name. Amen

Celebrate the Holy Eucharist constantly!