Arms Wide Open

   

Fourth Sunday of Lent

30 March 2025

 

First Reading: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

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

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

 

As the mass began, we found ourselves settling into the serene surroundings of SVD farm. The sign that read "Confession Area" caught my eye, and I followed the arrow to a small hut where a priest was hearing confessions. Seeing no one else waiting, I hesitated a bit, but with the encouragement of smiling ushers, I approached the hut. The priest welcomed me warmly, and despite the ongoing mass, he assured me it was fine to proceed with my confession.

We waited until the sermon began, and then my confession followed. The setting, though informal, offered a surprising sense of privacy and intimacy amid the crowd. As I poured out my heart, emotions overwhelmed me, and I felt enveloped by a powerful spiritual embrace. That reconciliation moment was perfect—a rare opportunity I hadn't experienced in a long time. The confession brought huge relief and a sense of renewal, of being clean again and reconciled with the Lord.

Although I ask for forgiveness in my daily prayers, confessing in front of God's anointed representative offered a deeper comfort and liberation. It is a way of unburdening my heart, just as writing down my thoughts or speaking with someone can be. When overwhelmed by emotions or life's challenges, turning to the Lord, and sharing my innermost feelings always brings solace. God, the ultimate listener and guide, lights my path, forgives, and embraces me in times of need. He is my True North, so easy to find and always there to protect, provide, heal, and guide me.

God's arms remain wide open, inviting us to seek His loving embrace. Let us turn to Him now, for He is always ready to welcome us.

Prayer

Father, thank You for constantly waiting for our return and for always welcoming us with love, mercy, and generosity. Please forgive our sins, our selfishness, our busyness, and our vanity. in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Mastery in Resisting Temptation

   

First Sunday of Lent

09 March 2025

 

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15

Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

 

After a long day at work, I often find myself yearning to unwind with activities that require minimal effort. Sometimes, I enjoy going around the garden, capturing the beauty of the sunset through my phone camera, tidying up different areas of the house, watering our indoor plants, or even organizing my clothes for the next day. However, there are also moments when I succumb to the allure of online live selling, scrolling through Facebook, or binge-watching movie series. These habits have become temptations in my life that I strive to manage or eliminate entirely. It's no easy feat, especially since they've become ingrained as habits. Mastering the ability to switch off these cravings at will, such as stopping a series even when the episodes ends on a cliffhanger, requires immense self-discipline or self-mastery.

As the old saying goes, self-mastery is not easy. The pursuit of self-mastery is filled with challenges and is often a lifelong journey. It demands unwavering dedication, self-discipline, and a willingness to confront one's flaws and weaknesses. The path is often marked by setbacks and failures that test one's resolve. However, it is through overcoming these obstacles that we grow stronger and develop the ability to resist temptations.

Achieving self-mastery on our own can be challenging, but when anchored in our relationship with God, we may find it more attainable. God can provide us with the conviction, grounding us in values centered on Him, calming our spirits during times of emotional turmoil, and offering supportive circumstances that help us move away from temptations. We just need to reach out to Him and ask for help.

Embracing the path to self-mastery not only empowers us to achieve our personal goals but also enriches our overall well-being, including our relationship with God.

Prayer

Father, give us the strength and the mastery to resist temptations. With Your help, we can achieve progress. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Better Than Self-talk

   

Ash Wednesday

05 March 2025

 

First Reading: Joel 2:12-18

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6;2

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

 

I struggle with overthinking and intense emotions in some  days. I have tried several methods to regain my equilibrium and find peace amidst the chaos.

I tried writing down my thoughts to unload the burdens in my head, giving me a clearer perspective on my worries and anxieties. This helped me organize my thoughts and reduce my stress levels. Whenever I feel overwhelmed with emotions, I take a pause, breathe, and try to write down or process how I feel and why. This somehow brings me a sense of relief and clarity.

I do self-talk as well. I use self-talk for various reasons, such as comforting myself in a calm and reassuring manner or brainstorming solutions to problems, or when confronting myself for perceived mistakes that I did.

However, I found an even more profound way to deal with life's emotional landscape which is my daily and frequent informal conversations with God. These conversations are normally spontaneous where I reach out to Him whenever and however I can.

When I am happy, I give thanks to Him, no matter where I am or what I am doing. When I am confused, worried, or sad, I would reach out to Him, lift things up and ask for help. When I need ideas, I ask for an inspiration. When I struggle with vanity, self-centeredness, and addictions in worldly things, I turn to Him for help to grant me better control of myself, of my worldly desires. I would bring up to Him even the smallest things. When I see His beautiful creation, even the tiniest grass, leaves or flowers, I can't help but give thanks. And I don't need to kneel and be formal in doing all these. I feel like He is with me all the time, so close and can hear everything that I say, even in silence. It has become an automatic impulse to turn to Him, as if He is part of me. And I am glad of this realization for I cannot imagine navigating life without His guidance, blessings, and protection.

So yes, prayer or frequent conversation with God has helped me better. I am given better perspectives inspired by the Holy Spirit when I reach out to Him. He calms my heart, gives peace of mind, and comforts my soul, drawing me closer to Him. He is my compassionate, loving, and merciful Listener Who is Most Powerful and makes things happen for me.

Talking to Him benefits my entire being, and I am grateful for His favor despite my unworthiness. I believe He also favors everyone. We just need to reach out to Him and humbly seek His forgiveness and blessings. And today, Ash Wednesday, is a good day to start.

I love the Lord; He is filled with compassion.

Prayer

Father, thank You for listening to my mumblings every now and then. Forgive me if I get distracted while talking to You. Help me spend quality time of worship to You, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Getting into Jesus' "Nerves"

    

Third Sunday of Lent

03 March 2024

 

First Reading: Ex 20:1-17

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:22-25

Gospel: Jn 2:13-25

 

Reflection

By: Gharri Tulabut

 

In some of my lectures in management, whenever we talk about cheating in business, I usually vent, rant, or even lament asking the question, “why is it better for others to cheat on a first time customer, than to build the trust of a potential 'suki'?"

Example: cheating with the net weight of a sale of meat products; cheating on expiration dates, ingredients, and many other fake claims about the products they're selling; or just not telling everything a customer must know.

Because I’m sure that when these customers learn that they’ve been cheated on or have been had, they are not going to make a repeat purchase. Just a one time deal.

Today in the Gospel, Jesus was furious of traders in the Temple vicinity, driving them away.

When I was younger, I thought that God just didn’t like turning the house of worship into a market place. Though I still believe that’s true, but listening to homilies and talk about that incident, I’ve learned that there was a deeper root to it. That Jesus was concerned about the corrupt temple officials during that time, rejecting the people’s offerings, and forcing them to buy “unblemished” animals at a higher price. These people cheated upon are usually poor and those who have no voice in society. If you want to get in Jesus “nerves?”, abuse His favorites—the least, the last, and the lost.

Yet another important significance of our Gospel reading is Jesus' declaration of his passion, death, and resurrection which we are commemorating in this Lenten season.

Prayer

Father, make our motives pure that in everything we do, we bring glory to You, Amen.

Jesus Cries

  

Fifth Sunday of Lent

26 March 2023

 

First Reading: Ez 37:12-14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Second Reading: Rom 8:8-11

Gospel: Jn 11:1-45

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

When was the last time you cry for the death of a loved one?

In 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, my two uncles, the brothers of my mother, have died, one after another, just two months apart, in June and August. I was so devastated that time to the point that I had to utter a prayer to the Lord begging Him to please stop and that it should be enough for that year. We were so tired emotionally and we couldn't help losing another loved one if ever. If I was so heartbroken that time, how much more my mother?

In today's Gospel, Jesus also wept at the death of his beloved friend, Lazarus. It is one of the three times He became vulnerable and cried as written in the Bible. In the continuation of the Gospel, we also heard Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead so the Jews would believe Him and the One who sent Him.

It is only three times that Jesus was recorded crying in the Bible, but I do believe that every time we sin, Jesus actually cry.

Years ago, I had a very raw conversation with a 6-year old girl while looking at the image of Jesus. She asked who is that, I told her Jesus Christ. She said, "Oh, Jesus Cry". I kept on correcting her it's Jesus Christ, but she also kept repeating Jesus Cry. Then it registered to me that the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ is rhymed with Jesus cries. I also came to realize that maybe Jesus cries when we continue to commit sin and disregard His overwhelming love for us.

Next Sunday, we will formally start the Holiest Week of the Year, we will commemorate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that instead of going on a vacation on these declared regular Holidays, may we also give time going to Churches to participate in the church activities especially in the Easter Triduum, the heart of our faith. May this be a time for reflection and see the importance of Jesus' saving sacrifice for the world. May we realize that His Passion, Death, and Resurrection should always be enough for us to believe in Him.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for this Season of Lent. We pray that we are able to prepare ourselves for the greatest Solemnity, Your Resurrection. Help us to obey Your will and strive hard to avoid sin so as to prevent You from crying. We look forward to the day that we will see Your sweetest smile, face to face, in heaven. Amen.

Beautiful in White

    

Second Sunday of Lent

05 March 2023

 

First Reading: Gn 12:1-4a

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

Second Reading: 2 Tm 1:8b-10

Gospel: Mt 17:1-9

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

Today's Gospel narrates the Transfiguration of Jesus, the moment up a high mountain when His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light, as witnessed by Peter, James, John and his brother. His disciples also saw Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus. They even heard a voice came from the cloud that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him."

At the end of the Transfiguration event, Jesus charged His disciples to "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

In line with the transfiguration, my father always tells me that I am God's daughter and I am robed in white garment. He then challenges me to keep my garment white until death by loving God and my neighbors in preparation for eternal life.

But isn't it difficult to make your spiritual garment white all the time, same with washing your white clothes? Sometimes, we need to try different detergents to find the perfect one that will make our clothes as white as new.

Good thing, Jesus has already given us the secrets to transfiguration: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the three pillars of Lent.

In fact, immediately, after descending the mountain, Jesus has mentioned about prayer and fasting in His next encounter where at the multitude, He healed a demon-possessed boy. 'Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, "Why were we unable to cast him out?" Jesus said to them: "Because of your unbelief...But this kind is not cast out, except through prayer and fasting."' Following that, Jesus also taught almsgiving as He instructed Peter to pay the temple tax. "But so that we may not become an obstacle to them: go to the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish that is brought up, and when you have opened its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them, for me and for you."

We are now on the Second Sunday of Lent, exactly 28 days before the Holy Week, may we spend well the remaining days of preparation for the much-anticipated Easter, the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Jesus, help us to prepare not only our garments but also our hearts in our journey to Holy Week and to eternal life. Help us to become prayerful, generous, and deny ourselves for a much better purpose. All these we ask in Your Mighty Name, Amen.

    

First Sunday of Lent

26 February 2023

 

First Reading: Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7

Responsorial Psalm: PS 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

Second Reading: Rom 5:12, 17-19

Gospel: Mt 4:1-11

 

Reflection

By: Benj Santiago

 

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil...One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Today is the first Sunday of Lent. The first reading reminds me of the "original sin" the sin committed by Adam and Eve at the garden in Eden. Eve was tricked by the serpent to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. In the Gospel reading, Jesus went through three temptations. First one was again about satisfying hunger. But unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus did not fail into the temptation of the devil. Jesus was able to rebuke the devil by the power of "what was written" or the WORD OF GOD.

Every day of our lives is filled with temptations to be tricked by the devil to do something that is not according to HIS Words. Temptations to be concerned with material possession, wealth, power, and prestige for selfish motives. We are surrounded by people who are obsessed with wealth, position, and power that influences and tempts us to do the same. As we begin our Lenten Season this year, I pray that like Jesus who possesses all the power and glory as the Son of God; we won't be tempted to love money or material wealth, to usurp our position and power for personal gains. But instead we use our wealth and power for service of others and to worship the Lord!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise and glorify You. We give You thanks for all the provisions You have given us. We pray that as we enter the Lenten Season that we fast, abstain, and pray like Jesus. Amen.

Believe in the Resurrection

Fifth Sunday of Lent 29 March 2020
First reading Ezekiel 37:12-14

(The Lord said to Ezekiel)
“Prophesy to my people and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.’

I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.

Second reading                                                  Romans 8:8-11

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Gospel                                                                   John 11:1-45

A man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)  So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is ot in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.”

The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to wep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  “Take away the stone,” he said.

Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Reflection

By Fely C. Santiago

“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

  

Lent is not just the time to make sacrifices, to abstain, to fast and to experience suffering. The essence of Lent is really Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of our Lord!

Many people at this time abstain from Facebook or their social media accounts. We also abstain from eating meat on Fridays. We fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Fridays. We give alms. We pray often. But can’t we do this even on ordinary days? Why only during Lent?

Everyday all year round is a time to grow in our relationship with the Lord. And the graces abound when we live every day for God. Experience His love and mercy every day! You will experience Good Friday not only during the Lenten Season, but you can always look forward to Easter Sunday again, the resurrection of the Lord where He triumphed over evil and death. We can experience that even on ordinary days. Grow in our relationship with the Lord every day. His mercy never ends. Experience His resurrection everyday where we triumph over temptations and evil every day.

Many people today are losing hope because of so much sufferings and pain. Loss of a loved one. Loss of a job. Loss of income. Loss of health. Loss of self-worth. They give in to depression and desperation. The Lord reminds us today that He is the resurrection and life. Whoever believes in Him even if he dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes will never die. Many people don’t just understand this. There is hope and that is the message of Lent. There is resurrection after Good Friday. God is still in charge. He has the perfect solution to every problem we are going through. We just have to ask, seek and knock and God provides for all our needs…just BELIEVE…

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for being our resurrection and life. Thank You for giving us hope amidst all the anxiety, fear and uncertainly of this world. Even if we die we shall live if we trust in You and believe. Continue to increase our faith. Let us always trust in Your love and mercy for all of us. You are bigger than our biggest problems. Thank You, Lord. Be with us always. Amen. 

I Do Believe, Lord

Fourth Sunday of Lent 22  March 2020
First reading 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve that I have rejected Saul from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and set out. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”

Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Second reading                                                  Ephesians 5:8-14

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Gospel                                                                   John 9:1-41

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, who had already agreed that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask himself.”

Yet again they called the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” They then asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!  We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to whoever worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Reflection

By Fely C. Santiago

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

  

Covid19 is real. It has filled us with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. It has really put people to a STOP. Stop socializing, stop big events, stop parties, stop going to the malls, stop businesses, stop traveling, and even have to stop Masses on Sundays! I will surely miss my daily Mass!

But amidst all these fear, anxiety, and uncertainly, we need to keep the faith. And the word from the Responsorial Psalm gives us hope. “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. With your rod and your staff that give me courage.” We may be walking right now in the dark valley. We do not know where we are going. We do not know when the light will shine again. We are afraid. It’s so dark. It’s so scary.  But one thing is for sure, the Lord is our Shepherd. He will take care of us. He will carry us through this. He will never abandon us. He will guide us. He will heal us. He never fails. He is our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. He will provide us with strength, with courage, and yes even provide for our food every day. So there is no need for panic buying! He is always with us and will surely take us out of this darkness we are experiencing right now. We just have to believe. Keep trusting the Lord. Hopefully this experience will bring us closer to God our Father. 

Maybe this is also the time that the Lord is calling everyone to pray, to go back to Him, to put Him again on the Throne, to humble ourselves and submit to the will of our Heavenly Father. His very own Son our Lord Jesus Christ submitted to the will of His Holy Father.  This is really the essence of Lent: to repent and go back to God. Really at the end of the day, we are not in control. This Covid19 does not exempt anyone. Whether you are the president of a country or an ordinary citizen you can get affected. But I truly believe in Romans 8:28 “all things will work for good to those who LOVE the Lord.” So we just have to stay in faith. One day, this too will pass and we can look forward to the Resurrection, Easter Sunday where suffering will end. We will be triumphant because the Lord is our Shepherd!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for allowing us to experience darkness in our lives. To experience suffering so we realize we are not in control. Thank You that You are our God who never fails us, who loves us, and who is very merciful to us. Forgive us our sins and humble ourselves before You. Fill us with Your love and mercy so we can also share this love and mercy to others. Increase our faith and trust in You. All this we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Listen...

Third Sunday of Lent 15 March 2020
First reading Exodus 17:3-7

The people thirsted for water in the desert. They complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Second reading                                                  Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Gospel                                                                   John 4:5-42

Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, an the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jeusalem.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour.. Others have labour.ed, and you have entered into their labour..”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.”

Reflection

By Fely C. Santiago

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts”

Lent is a great time to pause, be still, have a retreat to listen to what the Lord has been saying to us. Unfortunately, we can never hear because of the noise of the world, the voice of confusion, the voices of discouragement,  the voices of condemnation or the many voices of our worries and anxieties…

Today we really have so many distractions that even while praying we don’t stay focused. I am guilty of that. I would wake up early in the morning to pray, but sometimes Facebook or Messenger gets in the way! Then I start scrolling the messages and start replying to them! I am distracted! 

We need to stay focused. We have to clear our minds and come offer to the Lord all our concerns of this world. Let’s be single-minded on the things of the Lord. If we get distracted in our prayer time, offer them to the Lord. Talk to God about your anxieties. He meets you where you are, no matter how you feel even when you're angry or lonely or lazy to pray. Just keep on praying. The important thing is to take time to be one-on-one with God. After all you’ve said, be still and listen. Let God have his say. Be still. Cherish your oneness with God. People in love don’t always have to converse. Their presence together is more than enough. Same with God. Just sit still even if no words will come out.

Eventually you will develop a rich and loving relationship with the Lord if you just spend time with Him. My life have never been the same again after I took my 19th Annotation or Retreat in Daily Life (RDL) on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. I really have to allot time in prayer every day for almost a year and sometimes I get frustrated as no words will come out or I don’t hear the voice of God. But with loving patience, I came out spiritually nourished and full of graces when I complete the RDL. The fruits that came out of that has really increased my faith in God that I worry less anymore. I have become aware of God’s presence and listen to His voice in my conversation with friends, when I travel and feel God’s presence in His creations, etc. It’s really finding God in all things. So if today you hear His voice, listen!

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Lent is really a perfect time for us to pause from this busy world. Help us to be still. Give us the grace to be deliberate, to really allot time in prayer because we know Your words will be a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Continue to increase our faith, Lord especially in difficult times. One with Mary, we make this prayer.  Amen.