Forgive As We Are Forgiven

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

13 September 2026

 

First Reading: Sirach 27:30–28:7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

Second Reading: Romans 14:7-9

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

 

Reflection

By: John Paulo Gonzales

 

[WARNING: Contains mention of violence only for the purpose of discourse]

Today is posed another challenge in the Gospel: How do we forgive? It is important that we are reminded of how essential it is to forgive so we are strengthened in our understanding of why we must do it in perpetuity—seventy-seven times, even (Matthew 18:21-22). The importance of forgiveness is stated in the Bible: God’s forgiveness affords us His eternal redemption in Heaven through the shedding of Christ’s Blood (Acts 2:38). On earth, we are forgiven, ourselves, if we forgive our brothers and sisters (Matthew 6:14-15).

So important is forgiveness that God says: if we have any grievance against our brothers and sisters, we must resolve it first before leaving our offering at the altar (Matthew 5:23-24; Mark 11:25). Indeed, it is expressly significant to forgive not that it precedes adoration (as if to establish eminence), but that it personifies our adoration to the Father. That is, as we worship God in prayer, so should we exercise forgiveness in our relationship with our brothers and sisters.

Many accounts give us demonstrations of how it is to forgive: Joseph forgave the brothers who had him almost killed but opted instead to sell him into slavery (Genesis 50:15-21), giving rise to one of the passages we behold today: “What [others] intended for evil, God meant [it] for good” (Genesis 50:20). St. Maria Goretti, a budding adolescent then, was locked into by the eyes of a tormentor whose heated passion subjected her to carnal assault. She died about 24 hours after the attack. 30 years after the perpetrator was put behind bars, one night, Goretti appeared in a dream where she gathered flowers and offered them to him. After the perpetrator’s release, he begged for the forgiveness of Goretti’s mother, and he was seen kneeling among a sea of people, crying tears of joy at Goretti’s beatification in 1947 (Fraciscan Media, n.d.). St. Maria Goretti’s forgiveness paved the way not only for the emancipation of her perpetrator, but also for his radical conversion, with the perpetrator—Alessandro Serenelli—soon becoming a Capuchin brother.

St. John Paul II is another exemplary model of forgiveness. In 1981, amid a general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the former pontiff was shot twice in an assassination attempt. After two years of recovery from sustained wounds, St. John Paul II visited his assailant, talked with him to foster conversation and express his forgiveness, and rallied the faithful to forgive and pray for him as well. More than a decade into the assassin’s incarceration, the former pope appealed to the president of Italy for pardon, leading to the gunman’s release in 2000—symbolically—in a Year of Jubilee (Tornielli, 2021; Szalajko, 2026).

Forgiveness does not always announce itself from the mountaintops. Sometimes, it exists in the stillness of a whisper. St. Thérèse of Lisieux provides a notable example of how to administer forgiveness towards those who, day-to-day, give us a hard time. In her convent life, St. Thérèse suffered reproach from her elders, to which she responded with grace, silent acceptance, and forgiveness, considering such slights as “simple barriers [she needs] to endure [...] to share in God’s holiness” (Melbourne Catholic, 2020).

Amid our many stellar examples of forgiveness, there is One we know from the Bible Who “demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, [He] died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is Jesus—the Christ Who petitioned the Father in ultimate forgiveness: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

While we are in the world, there are many things that can move us; some affecting us so deeply as to stir within us a significant disquiet. There are transgressions that can pierce us so greatly that we struggle to move forward, live in good spirits, let alone forgive perfectly; but the virtue of forgiveness is presented nevertheless, in a measure we can carry out by the strength of God than our own, so we have a means through which we not only absolve others, but also liberate ourselves. Lofty a standard it is to forgive, but it is never a door we cannot walk through, by the grace of God which makes the impossible possible. In our predicaments, we have a “High Priest who is [able] to empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15); One in Whom we can confide our pains; the “Friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

If it is us, in turn, who need forgiveness, the grace of God is replete in the sacraments: Penance and Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist—with the Penitential Act preceding standard liturgical celebrations; and the Church—the Community we are likewise encouraged to convene with when confessing our sins so we can share our struggles, pray for them, and obtain healing together (James 5:16).

Prayer

God, thank You for Your Presence and for reminding us how important it is to forgive, especially that in such a way, we, ourselves, be forgiven. Please help us forgive the faults we have yet to pardon, to be patient with our own errors, to courageously ask forgiveness for the mistakes we commit, and to help create a space in Church where it is healthy to confess our failings and hardships with each other in trust, faith, and love, as You intend.

We also continue to pray for those who suffer the effects of devastating weather conditions, political conflicts, violence, eternal peace for the deceased faithful from the clergy to the lay community, and for spiritual vocations.

These, we ask, in Jesus’ most holy Name, 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

The Holy Trinity's Love

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

31 May 2026

 

First Reading: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9

Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Gospel: 

 

Reflection

By: Carlo Alexis Malaluan

In the seminary, we had a subject called the Mystery of God which is basically a course on the Holy Trinity. For a seminarian it can feel like one of the most demanding subjects. The language is precise, the distinctions delicate, and the stakes high: a misused term can easily slip into heresy, or worse, a failing grade. And yet, when we turn to the Gospel of John, we are met with something startlingly simple: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”

John gives us a verb—loved—and from it unfolds everything else.

The Father is revealed not as distant origin, but as self-giving love. The Son is the concrete expression of that love, “given” into the world, entering its darkness not to condemn it, but to redeem it. And though the Spirit is not explicitly named in this passage, the very possibility of faith, of being drawn into this relationship, already hints at a love that is not closed in on itself but poured out and shared. The mystery of the Trinity is not first a problem to be solved, but a movement to be recognized: love that originates, love that is received, and love that is returned. Not three competing realities, but one living communion.

It is love who saved us from the condemnation of sin. It is love who transformed us. And that love has a name: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But this name is not a label we place on an abstract idea. It is a confession that God’s very being is not solitude, but communion. The Father is love that originates, love that freely gives without being compelled. The Son is love that is sent, love that enters history, assumes our humanity, and refuses to abandon it even in suffering and death. The Spirit is love that dwells, love that is poured into the heart, making that same divine life present within us.

Salvation is not merely God changing our “legal status” before Him. It is God drawing us into Himself. The condemnation spoken is not simply punishment imposed from outside, but the tragedy of remaining outside this love, of preferring darkness not because God stops loving, but because we resist being transformed by that love. And yet, the astonishing claim of the Gospel is that this love does not withdraw in the face of that refusal. “God so loved the world…”—not the ideal world, not the worthy world, but this wounded, resisting, fractured world. The measure of that love is not the world’s goodness, but God’s generosity. To say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” is therefore to speak of a single divine movement: love that gives itself completely, love that enters fully, and love that remains endlessly present.

How do we see the face of God? Love. “God so loved the world.” It is not one action among others in God’s life. It is the revelation of who God is. The face of God is not first seen in thunder or abstraction, but in the resurrected Son. To see the face of God in love, then, is not to find a distant image, but to recognize a pattern of life: wherever love is truly given without calculation, wherever it is received without fear, wherever it is returned without possession, there, the face of God becomes visible.

Because in the end, the face of God is not an object we observe from a distance.

It is love that draws us in.

Ready When It Matters Most

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

10 August 2025

 

First Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22

Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

Gospel: Luke 12:32-48

 

Reflection By:

Bro. Carlo Alexis Malaluan

Diocese of Imus

 

While I was visiting a province, I remember visiting long time friend’s house unexpectedly one day. It was a surprise visit, and I hadn’t told her I was coming. Yet, the moment she opened the door, she welcomed me with a warm smile, a table quickly filled with food, and a heart ready to listen to my stories. It was as if she had been waiting all along, even if she didn’t know I was on my way. She was ready—not just with her hands, but with her heart.

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, speaks about that kind of readiness—not rooted in fear or pressure, but in love and joyful expectation. He begins with a tender word: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” It’s not a warning shouted from a distance, but an invitation whispered close to the heart. The tone is not of threat, but of promise.

And yet, what follows is also a call to be alert, prepared, watchful: “Gird your loins and light your lamps… be like servants waiting for their master to return.” Jesus paints the picture of a master who comes not to assert authority, but to serve—astonishingly, he will have the servants recline at table, and he will wait on them.

It’s a radical reversal. But it reveals something about God: that when He finds us ready, watching, faithful in our ordinary lives, He does not repay us with fear or duty, but with intimacy. He draws near. He serves. He lets us rest in Him

And so we are asked, not to panic about the unknown time of His return, but to live each day as though He were coming at any moment. Not with anxiety—but with love.

But what does being “ready” mean? It doesn’t mean doing something extraordinary every day. Readiness, in the eyes of the Gospel, looks a lot like faithfulness in the small things—keeping the lamp of kindness lit even when no one sees, staying true to our responsibilities when they feel unnoticed, choosing honesty when shortcuts are easier, praying even when God seems silent.

Jesus also warns: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much.” And perhaps this is where it becomes personal. Because many of us carry responsibilities—over families, communities, roles of service, even just being a quiet witness of hope to those around us. We are all stewards of something: time, relationships, talents, opportunities. The question is not whether we have enough, but whether we are using what we’ve been given with love and integrity.

The call to be ready is not a call to paranoia. It’s a call to live awake—to pay attention, to be present, to serve well, to love deeply. Because when the Lord comes—whether in the great moment at the end of time, or in the small unexpected encounters of everyday life—He looks for hearts that are open, lamps that are burning, lives that have been quietly faithful.

So maybe today, we are being asked: Am I living like someone who knows the Master could knock any moment? Not with fear, but with joy. Not as someone trying to impress, but as someone waiting for a Friend.

Because in the end, that is what readiness means: to be found doing what we were created to do, even when no one is watching. To be like my grandmother—whose door, table, and heart were always ready, simply because love lived there.

Prayer

Cast the Net over the right side of the boat

Third Sunday of Easter 

04 May 2025

 

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

Gospel: John 21:1-19

 

Reflection

By: Jose Paulo M. Gonzales

 

"Cast the net over the right side of the boat."

Have you been having trouble lately trying to find out where to lower your net for a good catch? Toiling all day and night, only to be met by an unsatisfying yield?

That must have been the feeling of Peter. Leaving everything behind the moment he found Christ, setting out for mission a great part of his life, trying to live the life of an apostle whatever it could have meant before — as it could have been more difficult a task configuring oneself in character when the groundwork for what is moral is still freshly being laid down. The apostles had Christ to follow; but when Christ died, much to their dismay, who else did they have?

In the Gospel today, some Bible scholars say that when Peter said, "I am going fishing," it was nothing normal — like the average run of the mill — or rather, it was a dejected feeling of getting back to "what was normal" when they still did not know Christ; for if Christ is dead, what else is there to do? What else is there to live for? The apostles could only make do with what they knew before — their former ways of life. They could only say to the just as despirited Peter, "We also will come with you; [for what else but we should rather go fishing with you]."

Have we been anything like this? Seeing Christ faintly to nothing at all, we revert to our old ways of life? We are not alone; we could see how somber Peter and the other apostles had been when they had no sight of Christ; for when you chance upon a Good that surpasses everything, what better is there when it is gone? But one popular saying today would hold wisdom in this: "The eyes that awaken can never go back to being shut again." In Matthew 5:15, it is said: "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." The apostles saw the light of Christ and because it was so good, they knew nothing else but to grow despondent when they could not see it anymore; but the Bible tells us not to turn back. Instead, we must let the light we have seen in Christ illumine ourselves for others to see. No sight of Christ does not mean there is no Presence of Him there. For here He always is with us in Spirit; “Emmanuel.”

That time in the Gospel, as it would seem, Jesus had already shown Himself to the apostles for the third time, but it was not until Christ did anything "Christlike" that the apostles recognized Him; in some Bible interpretations this would reflect not only unfamiliarity but even weak faith — and this is we, too, when we encounter setbacks; but the Bible would tell us to keep walking in faith. For like riding a bicycle, we lose our balance if we stop or look down.

In the Gospel, the word "third" was mentioned multiple times to signify not only frequency, but ultimately, "Divine completion." So when Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" Jesus was not only being repetitive; each time He asked—as some Bible scholars would say—was a chance for Peter to atone for his threefold refusal of any  association with Jesus. "Feed My sheep"—Christ would say—to package how this atonement must take place; three times as well, meaning, in divine perfection.

Today is the third Sunday of Easter. Christ is alive forevermore; but to us who stay sullen upon our immutable woes, there is this question: "Where have we been casting our nets? Have we been casting it over the right side of the boat, as Jesus said?"

Prayer

Dear, Lord Jesus, Thank You for ever being with us even/especially when we feel hopeless about our situations at times. Please be steadfast in Your love and let it teem so richly where we could not.  

Please help our unbelief. May all the gifts we receive from this redound to Your Glory and bring furtherance to Your mission. All these we ask in Jesus' most holy Name, and in Mother Mary's loving and powerful intercession, Amen. 

Of Doubts and Dogs: Finding God in the Unexpected

   

Second Sunday of Easter

(Divine Mercy Sunday)

27 April 2025

 

First Reading: Acts 5:12-16

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Second Reading: Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

Gospel: John 20:19-31

 

Reflection

By: Therese B. Manio

 

It's easier to believe when something reaches your senses, when you've seen it, touched it, smelled it, or felt it deep in your bones. But what happens when the proof you crave never comes? What if you're standing in the middle of heartbreak, and nothing makes sense anymore? What if the silence is louder than hope, and all you're left with is the ache of absence? That's where we find Thomas, not as a skeptic, but as someone whose world just collapsed over the death of a loved one. And honestly, I get him. I think a lot of us do.

I've always found myself relating to Thomas. Not because he doubted out of arrogance, but because he needed something tangible, something real to hold onto when everything around him was falling apart. I imagine the silence after Jesus' death was deafening for Thomas. He had given his life to follow someone he believed in, and then suddenly, it seemed like all of that had come to nothing. It's not hard to understand why he needed to see the wounds.

In many ways, I've had my own "Thomas moments", times when I asked for signs, needed proof, and struggled with trust. One of those moments was when I received Magis in 2019, a shih tzu dog, into my life. He was my first pet, and I wasn't sure if I was ready. I just transferred to Laguna, living by myself, far from my family and friends whom I could easily call in case I need assistance or if she gets sick. My parents doubted my ability to take care of a pet which in a way added more doubts in myself. Could I be responsible for another life? Could I understand her needs? Could I be enough? I was filled with doubt. But as the days went on, Magis quietly taught me about trust, presence, and companionship. She actually took care of my mental health during the pandemic. She never made me feel alone, literally and figuratively. There were moments I cried in bed, she would climb, sit in my lap, or sleep beside me, which she would not do on usual days. Her quiet loyalty mirrored the presence of Christ in ways I didn't expect- faithful, unassuming, always there.

This week, as I grieve the loss of Magis and join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, I'm reminded that faith is not always grand or certain, it is often lived in small, courageous steps. Pope Francis was a shepherd who walked with the wounded, spoke for the voiceless, and loved those on the margins. His legacy challenges us to keep believing even when the world gives us reason to doubt. Like Thomas, we are called to move from doubt to belief, from fear to faith, from self-preservation to radical love.

Pope Francis showed us what Magis truly means not just "more", but the greater good, the deeper yes, the love that risks. His passing is a profound loss, but his legacy lives on in every act of mercy, every choice to love beyond reason, every moment risks in reaching out those in the peripheries, the last, the least, and the lost.

Today, as I remember Thomas' story, grieve the loss of Pope Francis, and look down at Magis curled at my feet, I am learning that faith isn't always bold and loud. Sometimes, it looks like showing up, like choosing to love even when you're scared, like seeing Christ in the ordinary and letting that be enough.

Prayer

Jesus, in my moments of doubt, draw near to me as You did to Thomas. Help me to recognize Your presence, not just in the extraordinary, but in the quiet, ordinary places of my life. Teach me to believe that life can come from death, hope can rise from despair, and love is never wasted. Strengthen my faith to follow You with courage, one step at a time. Amen.

Add reaction

Pointing to the One who Gives True Hope

   

The Baptism of the Lord

12 January 2025

 

First Reading: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 92:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 or Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

Second Reading: Ac 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7

Gospel: Lk 3:15-16; 21-22

 

Reflection

By: Anton B. Ocampo

 

"You are My Beloved Son; with You, I am well pleased" (Lk 3:22). These are the words of God the Father at the end of the Gospel for this Sunday which is dedicated to the celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. By doing this, the Father introduces the Son, Jesus, to everyone. It is Jesus who everyone has been waiting for. As a matter of fact, this is a reference to the inner thoughts and questions of the people who traveled all the way to the Jordan River to be baptized by Saint John the Baptist. God Himself responded to the questions in the hearts of these people by pointing out the promised Messiah Himself. It began with the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, descending on the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son, in the form of a dove and the First Person of the Trinity, the Father, speaking from heaven to introduce the Son. Jesus is the One who everyone has been waiting for. 

In a way, by speaking from heaven at the end of the featured passage in the Gospel, the Father illustrates what each and every one of us must do as Christians. We have a duty to point to the One who gives true hope to each and every person, who is none other than Christ Jesus Himself. No one will find true hope in this world as it is not the world that gives true hope. The one who gives true hope is God who through Christ Jesus has wholeheartedly decided to share it with us. 

The readings for this Sunday focus on the Lord who is the source of true hope. In the First Reading, the Lord God tells the Prophet Isaiah to give comfort to His people. How will someone like the Prophet Isaiah who is a mere human being give comfort to a nation? The gift of comfort will come from God Himself. Isaiah’s task is to share and spread this gift of comfort that the Lord wholeheartedly offers to His people. The Second Reading stresses the wholehearted nature of the arrival of Christ as the promised Savior of all. By wholeheartedly deciding to come to the world as the promised Messiah and Savior, Jesus brought true hope to all. We now have a reason to hope because of Christ Jesus. In the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist stresses the appropriate response to God freely giving us hope through the promised Messiah and Savior, which is authentic praise and worship.

We are tasked with pointing to the One who gives true hope. The Father and the Holy Spirit did this in the narrative that is featured in the Gospel reading for this Sunday. Point out and introduce Jesus to others. Let Him be known to all. Ensure that everyone knows that Jesus is the source of true hope. 

As Christians who truly and wholeheartedly hope in Christ Jesus, let us share the hope that He brings to all. Let us introduce Jesus to others as the source of true hope. 

Prayer

Lord, You are the source of true hope. Give us the strength to introduce You to others and share with them the gift of true hope that You freely offer us. Amen.

Jesus Christ, King of Truth!

    

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

24 November 2024

 

First Reading: Dn 7:13-14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5

Second Reading: Rv 1:5-8

Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37

 

Reflection

By: Benj Santiago

 

"You say I am a king. For this, I was born and for this, I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Jesus' message is clear when He said He came to testify to the truth to expose the falsehood and deception of the world and the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees of His time. He came to reveal the Father's love, mercy, forgiveness, and generosity.

To listen to His voice in my daily activities and interaction with people around me is to follow His teachings, and examples of humility, service, compassion, healing, guidance, and above all, love. It is very challenging in many instances even with the people I love.

I examine my conscience if I am truly listening to Him or to the lies of the world. I find myself still failing in many instances.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, we humbly implore You to continue to make Your truth known to us. Forgive our shortcomings, remove all the lies in our minds and hearts, and send Your spirit of generosity and love. We pray this in Your Name, Amen.

Pointless Obedience

    

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

01 September 2024

 

First Reading: Dt 4:1-2, 6-8

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

Second Reading: Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel: Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

 

Reflection

By: Bernard Borja

 

A well-off man organized an outreach event on a weekend with his friends to help the people in the slum area of the city. During the outreach, an elder woman asked the organizer why he is doing it. The man answered, “It is what our private association has been doing every year. We give donations to the poor because we have been blessed with more than we deserve.” The woman asks the man again about his own reason why he does it aside from the association’s yearly event. The man arrogantly answered, “Why do you question the one who is helping you? Can you just accept what we are giving? Maybe that is why you poor can never be successful in life. You always complain even if it is for your own good!”

A young lady is having her driving exam along with her friend. The instructor then asked a question to test her, “Two people are crossing the street. One is walking slow because he is old. The other is a young kid who is running ahead. What do you hit first?” The young lady smiled and winked at her friend to assure her of a correct answer. She then confidently said to the instructor, “Well, the old person already had a long life, but the kid still has a long life ahead. So, I would hit the old one.” The instructor and her friend could not believe what she said. When the instructor walked away shaking her head, her friend said, “That’s not and will never be the right answer! You should have answered ‘you hit the brakes!’ Why would you even think of hitting a person?” The young lady replied, “Shimenet (She may not) like the content of my answer, but I am answering.”

There are many times when we are too confident, and even proud, that we are not doing anything wrong. We oftentimes think that we are above others who do not follow rules. How many of us have been devoted to offering tithes and services in our community thinking that we are doing more than enough to help the ministries? How many of us feel proud joining an outreach for the poor on a Sunday, only to loathe the commuters who are waiting for a bus on a busy highway because they are blocking the driving lane where we are in? Are we even aware of how we “obey” the rules thinking that we are doing good, but forget how we should build our relationship with God?

Jesus rebuked the people who are so rooted in tradition but are not mindful of how God wants His people to obey His commandments in a loving way. We may eat a meal after carefully washing our hands, but if we waste food or even indulge more than we need to, we are missing the point of valuing food as grace. When we donate hard earned money to the church but despise the poor for not paying taxes, we fail to realize the true meaning of giving. Even if I go to mass every day, or receive the sacrament of reconciliation frequently, if I keep on looking down on people who does not follow rules or laws, this may hinder me in building a better relationship with God.

Everything that is good came from God. Saint Paul said that every perfect gift is from the Father, who planted the word of truth in us. He wants to be doers of the word, not just hearers. This is where we need to be aware of our freedom to choose what is good and loving. Jesus said, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” We are all created by God to be good and loving. It is what we do that makes us good or not. If I see injustice in our society but not speak against it, I am choosing to be unjust and letting the goodness that God planted on me decrease. As we become aware of the good nature within us, may we be reminded how Jesus leads us to have a better relationship with God, for us to understand more and obey His commandments in a loving way.

Prayer

Loving Father, we come to You in our unclean state to ask for Your mercy and compassion. Grant us the grace of awareness of the good in us so that we may choose more of the loving way that Jesus taught us. Help us to find Jesus in every person that we meet and let them guide us in building a better relationship with ou. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, AMEN.

Living Fully, Not Just Existing

    

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

18 August 2024

 

First Reading: Prv 9:1-6

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Second Reading: Eph 5:15-20

Gospel: Jn 6:51-58

 

Reflection

By: Theresa B. Manio

The past weeks were a roller coaster ride for me. All emotions were up and shifted momentarily in just a flicker. I was surprised, excited, and extremely scared, but I could not stop the thrill of the ride. I had to endure until it stopped, and I literally felt the rise of acid inside my gut. Just like any other circumstance in life, it stopped and passed. In God’s grace, I thrived again. 

Last weekend, my husband and I attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar of Bukas Loob sa Diyos Community, and in that seminar, I realized a thought that deeply hurt me, nobody stopped and intentionally  asked me, how I was? Nobody asked me, “kumusta ka?”, someone who would take the time to really listen. I know everyone is busy. I also know that because I was still in the situation, if someone asks, I couldn’t also elaborate my thoughts so I would simply say, “Okay lang”. I was fighting the meltdown upon having this thought. In silence and darkness, all they asked us was to surrender to the Holy Spirit, to talk to Jesus, to be with His presence.

Most often the conversations we have been having  were about the circumstances of life. We might be thriving and busy, competently making our work done, meeting deadlines and expectations, fulfilling obligations, loving and caring for the people around us, to simply say we have been doing life and not necessarily having a life within us. Last weekend made me realize that I have been doing life lately and not having a life, and Jesus was concerned about this, is there a life within me? Is there a life within you? This question pushes us to discover the hunger within us and the life Jesus wants to feed us. All the Gospels these past few weeks, have been all about this. 

Two weeks ago Jesus challenged us to consider the bread we eat. Is it a perishable one or does it sustain us? Last week, Jesus declared himself to be the bread of life. Today, he says, “Eat me. Drink me.” This is the only way to have life within us. Any other diet leaves us empty and hollow, hungry for life. When we depend on people, even on our loved ones to fill in the hunger we have, most of the time we will just be disappointed and later we might be toxic to them too. 

Jesus is talking about the life that is beyond words and yet we know it when we taste it or when we experience it. We get a taste of it when we love so deeply and profoundly that everything about us passes away and somehow we are more alive than ever before.  In this moment we are in the flow, the wonder, and the unity of life, and it tastes good.

Jesus is our healer and our health. He is our life and the means to the life for which we most deeply hunger. We don’t work for the life we want. We eat the life we want. Wherever human hunger and the flesh and blood of Christ meet, there is life. We consume his life that he might consume and change ours. We eat and digest his life, his love, his mercy, his forgiveness, his way of being and seeing, his compassion, his presence, and his relationship with the Father. Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, remains in me and I in him. Let us work on having a life and not just living it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, who offers Himself as the Bread of Life. May we embrace this sacred gift with reverence and faith, finding in Him the sustenance for our souls and the strength for our journey. Help us to live in unity with Christ, ever mindful of His presence and love within us. Guide us to cherish this holy communion and to share its grace with others, so that through our lives, Your love and truth may be made known. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

The Bread of Life

    

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

11 August 2024

 

First Reading: 1Kgs 19:4-8

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: Eph 4:30—5:2

Gospel: Jn 6:41-51

 

Reflection

By: Theresa B. Manio

 

Today’s Gospel is a reiteration of what God told us last Sunday. He once again gives more emphasis on the value of the bread and wine that we are partaking in the Holy Eucharist, more so, how that Bread alone and a profound relationship with Jesus nourishes our Spirit. Jesus begins by declaring, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." To the listeners of His time, this was a controversial statement. They murmured, questioning how He could claim such a divine origin, knowing His earthly parents. Yet, as the reading continues, Jesus challenges their understanding of spiritual reality versus physical reality.

The idea of Jesus as the "bread of life" resonates deeply with me. Bread is a basic, daily necessity—something we rely on for physical sustenance. Similarly, Jesus positions Himself as essential for our spiritual well-being. Just as we cannot live without bread, we cannot thrive spiritually without the sustenance He provides. This comparison makes me ponder my own spiritual hunger.

It is easy to believe in Jesus and His teaching when things are going well with my life. My spirits are high to worship and give thanks but when circumstances are odd and when at times everything seems going wrong, I oftentimes find myself asking where is God in all these. What is He trying to teach me? When and how will help come? It is hard to see the good when everything around is dark. In spite of these, I can feel that tiny spark inside me, telling me to endure and hold on, receive the Eucharist, read His promises in the Bible, attend the weekly worship session, and just let go. Cry if you need to, let go and let God handle it.

The passage also challenges me to reflect on the nature of faith and acceptance. Jesus says, "The one who feeds on this bread will live forever." This is a call to not just acknowledge Him but to fully embrace Him and His teachings. It's about an ongoing relationship where we continually draw from His life-giving presence. In practice, this means prioritizing time for prayer, reflection, and seeking to live according to His teachings. It’s a call to recognize that, like physical bread, the spiritual nourishment Jesus provides is something I must consistently return to. It’s about daily choices to align my life with His will and to rely on His grace.

As I think about these verses, I am reminded that the bread of life is not just a doctrine to be understood but a reality to be lived. It’s an invitation to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Christ, a relationship that transforms not just my spiritual life but the way I approach every aspect of my existence.

 

Prayer

Dear God, 

May we continually seek Jesus, the bread of life, to find our deepest satisfaction and purpose in His presence. We trust that Your profound love and provision is available to us especially when we come to You with open hearts, may we easily recognize Your work in our lives. May we be instruments of Your loving presence in the people we encounter in our daily lives. Amen.