Maging Handa

Unang Linggo ng Adbiyento

Nobyembre 30, 2025

 

Unang Pagbasa: Isaias 2:1-5

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Ikalawang Pagbasa: Roma 13:11-14

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 24:37-44

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Marami sa atin, ‘pag tumatanda na, laging mas maaga nagigising. Siguro’y mas gusto kasi nating mas maaga matulog na para bagang may pinaghahandaan tayo pagsapit ng kinabukasan. Napansin ko rin na marami sa ating matatanda na gumigising nang maaga para pumunta sa simbahan na karaniwan ay mga lingkod ng Diyos. Sila ang madalas na makita nating nagsisilbi sa Banal na Misa. Sa ibang bansa, halimbawa sa Singapore, maraming senior citizen ang gumigising din nang maaga, hindi para pumunta sa simbahan, kundi para maghanapbuhay pa, ito’y ayon sa kanilang kultura na kahit matanda na ay pinapayagan pa ring maging empleyado. Sa ating kultura, madalas na sinasabing kapag matanda na ay umiikli na ang panahon para mabuhay at kinakailangan nang magbalik-loob at magbayad puri sa mga kasalanan sa pamamagitan ng paglilingkod sa simbahan. Subalit marami ring kabataan sa atin na maagang nasumpungan ang tawag ng Panginoon kaya’t mabuting maaga pa’y naglilingkod na sila. Bata o matanda, tayong lahat ay laging inaanyayahan ng Diyos na maglingkod upang mapaghandaan natin ang pakikipagkita sa ating Panginoong Hesus. Ang paghahanda ay hindi lamang pag-aabang sa darating o pag-iisip at pag-aayos ng mga bagay na kailangan para sa paparating pa lang.

Papaano gagawin ang paghahanda? Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng pagyakap sa kung ano ang mayroon na tayo na grasya ng Diyos sa atin upang tayo’y tulungan sa paghahanda. Halimbawa’y ang pagkikipag-usap at paghingi ng tulong sa mga guardian angels natin; ang pagtanggap at paggabay sa atin ng Banal na Espiritu at ang pagsasalo natin kay Hesus sa Banal na Misa; ang pagpapatawad ni Hesus sa atin sa tuwing tayo’y nangungumpisal sa pari; ang pagtulong natin sa kapwa sa panahong higit na kailangan nila tayo (pagsasabuhay ng beatitudes); at ang pagpapakita ng pagmamahal sa ating pamilya ay paraan din kung papaano laging nasa gitna ng ating buhay si Hesus. Kaya nga ang paghihintay at paghahanda ay hindi naman talaga kawalan ng pananampalataya o literal na naghihintay tayo sa wala pa, sapagkat hindi tayo iniiwan ng Diyos sa lahat ng panahon. Kaya’t hilingin natin ang biyaya ng Diyos na tanggalin ang anumang takot sa ating paghahanda o gawing kalakasan natin sa pananampalataya ang takot na ito dahil hindi nga natin alam ang oras o araw na tayo’y haharap sa ating Panginoong Hesus. Amen.

 

Panalangin

Mahal naming Diyos Ama, lubos ang pasasalamat namin sa Iyo sa pagpapadala ng Banal na Espiritu upang dumaloy ang maraming biyaya sa aming paghahanda at hinihiling namin na manatili ang pagpapadaloy ng Iyong grasya na magpapalapit lalo sa amin sa aming Panginoon Hesus. Amen.

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

We were on a Break

    

First Sunday of Advent

03 December 2023

 

First Reading: Is 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:3-9

Gospel: Mk 13:33-37

 

Reflection

By: Bernard M. Borja

 

Some TV shows have an impact in such a way that even part of a dialogue or script can make a core memory in a viewer’s heart and mind. It can be carried on to the next generation of viewers where it continues to be talked about and even debated. Perhaps one of the most famous examples of these is the 90’s TV show Friends. The famous dialogue, “We were on a break!” was from the character Ross addressing his love interest Rachel. For some context and for those who aren’t familiar with the show, Ross and Rachel were a dating couple. Their complicated feelings and desire for each other developed in the first two seasons of the show. Fast forward to the third season when they were about to celebrate their anniversary. Rachel’s job took away most of their time together, Ross became jealous of Rachel’s boss, then they had a huge fight that ended with “we should take a break”. That “break” would go on to mean differently to both, which lead to Ross getting drunk and sleeping with another woman on that same night. The reasoning of Ross “We were on a break!” would go on until the last season of the show.

Disclaimer: the recap was a very short detailing just for the context (for the fans, please don’t bash me). There are many factors other than job, time, or relationship with other people, that affect how people deal with relationships. Some may say that if Ross truly loves Rachel, he will understand the amount of time that her job takes. Others may also say that Rachel should have assured Ross and distanced herself from her boss.  But if we really think about it, were they mindful of each other often? And if we also ask ourselves, how are we being mindful of our loved ones when they are not around?

Jesus said to his disciples, “Be watchful! Be alert!” He instructed them of the need for watchfulness by also saying, “May he (the master) not come suddenly and find you sleeping.” What if the master caught a servant, whom he placed in charge, sleeping and failed to watch his coming? Will saying, “I was on a break.” excuse him from being watchful? What if the gatekeepers “took on a break” and failed to open the gate when the master returned? Are they still considered mindful of their master when he’s not around?

One of the verses in the first reading that struck me were, “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we might be mindful of you in our ways!” During the day, I do my best to make the house clean and orderly so that when my wife comes back home, she won’t have to worry about doing most chores (though she still redoes the cleaning sometimes). A small gesture of “I got this.” and doing what needs to be done so that our loved ones won’t have to worry about it, is being mindful of them.

Being mindful of Jesus’ ways should remind us to grow more like Him. That even in non-convenient situations or standing up for what is right should not make us bail from Him. When we stand up for justice which Jesus fought for, we should not “take a break” by being silent. When we witness oppression and cruelty, we should not put exceptions on who to be compassionate with. If one can say that he or she found Jesus in the church, surely, he or she can bring Jesus to wherever he or she goes. How would Jesus feel if I go someplace and do something that offends Him, and then say to Him when I go back to church, “We were on a break”? Jesus has ever been mindful of all of us, and He does not take a break in it. Saint Paul said, “In Him you were enriched in every way… so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are being continually equipped as servants and gatekeepers to be watchful. May we remind ourselves always to be mindful of Jesus so we can remain vigilant in our ways.

We also remember Saint Francis Xavier (whose feast day is December 3), one of the greatest Roman Catholic missionaries of modern times who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan. His legacy involves that he always provided for the continuing pastoral care of the communities he founded and did not abandon them after baptism. The areas he evangelized in India have remained Catholic to the present day.

Prayer

Dear Father in heaven, our Lord and forever Redeemer, we thank You for keeping us in Your ways and letting us turn to You in our difficult times. May we always remind ourselves of the good deeds that we ought to do as we wait for the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ. Teach us to be mindful to prepare ourselves and look forward to celebrating the Christmas season with grateful hearts. We pray with our dear Mother Mary, whom you have chosen for Your Son and be our inspiration in being mindful of Your ways, Amen.

Better Today than Yesterday

   

  Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

07 August 2022 

 

First Reading: Wis 18:6-9

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:1, 12, 1819, 20-22

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

Gospel: Lk 12:32-48

 

Reflection

By: Grace Madrinan

 

"Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." - Luke 12:39-40

If the Son of Man comes tomorrow, are you ready? Am I ready? Your answer is most likely the same as mine, "I do not know". But they said the way to find out is to ask ourselves, "What have I done to the least of my brothers?"

Oh no! If you had asked me five years ago, I must have been beaming with pride and would have said "Yes, I am ready!" I was so active in the community that my mom would miss me since I am barely home. But now, I have come back to my usual Sunday mass-goer kind of thing. How would I answer this question? I do tithe and give to charities every now and then. Does that count?

And then, some of nudge of light came in and heard these questions. "How are you with your neighbor or your friends? Have you been a good daughter or sister? Have you forgiven your enemies?" I was thinking of grander gestures of righteousness when I had not even considered the basic yet often overlooked aspect of our Christianity.

I cannot completely say I am ready if Jesus is to come today, but I am a work in progress. I know my journey is not perfect but I believe my efforts will not go in vain. "What have you done to make yourself better today than yesterday?" This is what Fr. Dave Concepcion says in most of his sermons. Let us examine ourselves and prepare for what is to come.

Prayer

Prepare our hearts for Your second coming oh Lord, that you may find us pleasing. May we welcome You not with fear but with a joyful heart. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

Prepare!

First Sunday of Advent  3 December 2017

First reading

Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1-8

For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
Why, O Lord, do you make us stray from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage.
that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence –
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil
– to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.

We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

                

Second reading

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge-even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you-so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel

Mark 13:33-37

Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.

Therefore, keep awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Reflection

by Jessa Janelle Padilla

Today is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year, Advent Season.  Advent is from the Latin word advenire, meaning to come to. This is the season where we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Messiah. During this season we prepared an Advent Wreath that has  four candles (three purple and one rose in colors), representing the four weeks of Advent. The Advent Wreath is shaped in a perfect circle to remind us that God is eternal. Today we light one of the purple candles that symbolizes prayer.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus told his disciples to be watchful and alert. In the driving school, the driving instructor always reminds his students to be watchful and alert every time. The student must be watchful of the road condition, stop lights, road signs, and incoming vehicles. Also, to be alert to step on the break or pull the hand break immediately whenever there is someone or another vehicle that will cross the road unexpectedly. The reminders of the driving instructor are important to keep his student safe when they are no longer under his guidance because no one knows when an accident may happen. 

Also, a security guard or police officer who is in charge to guard an establishment or an area, is instructed by their supervisors to be alert and watchful all the time (24/7) since he/she doesn’t know when a crime might be committed.

These are the circumstances where we can picture out Jesus’ message to us. We must always be watchful and alert all the time, day or night. We must prepare ourselves not just physically but also spiritually because we are not aware when He will come to judge us and grant us our salvation. Oftentimes, we treat the Lord's Coming with fear and worry. The Prophet Isaiah, in the First Reading, acknowledged God as father. Meanwhile, St Paul, in the Second Reading, tells us that God has called into fellowship with Jesus.  If God is our father, if we are in such fellowship with His Only Son, why fear and worry? The best way to prepare is to pray. It alerts the soul to our Father's presence. It keeps it awake on those many moments when He comes when we least expect it.

Prayer

Loving Father, teach us how to become watchful and alert in all circumstances. Teach us to become obedient even when no one sees us. Be our guide all the time and direct our path towards the path You have prepared for us. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Keep the Lamp Burning

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time   12 November 2017

First reading

Wisdom 6:12-16

Wisdom is bright, and does not grow dim.
By those who love her she is readily seen,
and found by those who look for her.
Quick to anticipate those who desire her, she makes herself known to them.
Watch for her early and you will have no trouble;
you will find her sitting at your gates.
Even to think about her is understanding fully grown;
be on the alert for her and anxiety will quickly leave you.
She herself walks about looking for those who are worthy of her
and graciously shows herself to them as they go,
in every thought of theirs coming to meet them.

                

Second reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

Reflection

by Art B. Reyes

Were you at one time had a low battery power in your mobile phone? There is no worst situation than having a dead phone in the middle of something. If you are like the majority of people, that low battery warning will leave you feeling panicked and hunting for a spare charger. One major mobile company in the US describes this condition as 'Low Battery Anxiety' and says that nearly 9 out of 10 people suffer from the fear of losing power on their phone.

Our Gospel for today talks about the parable of the ten bridesmaids. It is one of the well known parables of Jesus. According to the Gospel, the five bridesmaids who are prepared for the bridegroom's arrival are rewarded, while the five who are not prepared are disowned.

The story is a big warning to be prepared for God whenever our “time” has finally come. We must ensure that our ‘lamps’ would not run out of gas – and are kept alive with the light of God’s Word. Being always ready is not about just preparing and doing more. We make ourselves ready by recognizing the grace of God. The Lord tells us to stay focused on Him so that we won’t get adrift. 

The distress of daily life can also take away our focus on the Lord. Our never ending concern for power and wealth distracts us from welcoming God in our life. Life is a short journey, let us live it right. We might struggle from time to time, veer away from the way the Lord wants us to take; but God is merciful. We can always rise up and steer back to the right direction if we ask for His forgiveness. 

Prayer

Lord, our God, grant that we may be ready to receive Christ when He comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven, where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

1st Sunday of Advent
December 1, 2013

Behold, the heavenly king will come with power and great glory to save the nations. Alleluia.

First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5 

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In the days to come

the mountain of the Temple of the Lord

shall tower above the mountains

and be lifted higher than the hills.

All the nations will stream to it,

peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:

  ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

  to the Temple of the God of Jacob

  that he may teach us his ways

  so that we may walk in his paths;

  since the Law will go out from Zion,

  and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’

He will wield authority over the nations

and adjudicate between many peoples;

these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,

their spears into sickles.

Nation will not lift sword against nation,

there will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Psalm: Psalm 121:1-2,4-5,6-9

Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14

You know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.

  ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

Reflection

By  Theresa Ballo

If a V.I.P. will come to your house, what would you do?

If a loved one will be leaving, what will you say?

If tomorrow you will die, what would you do today?

As a child, I wished that I had the special ability to see what will happen in the future. I would have worn knee pads to avoid getting scratches when my bicycle hit the plant box. I would have advance studies to perfect a surprise quiz. Lastly, I would have worn a dress and fix my fair instead of jogging pants and messy hair when my crush passed by our street.

If I just had the ability to know what will happen next, I would have been more prepared.In the recent earthquake in Bohol and super typhoon in Tacloban, where heritage churches collapsed and thousands of men died and lost their properties respectively. Church leaders were commenced to check old churches in the country. It aroused people’s consciousness about climate change and local government’s accountability to its people. More importantly these two natural disasters awakened everyone’s desire to help and be of service to its fellow. Still, debates are ongoing on whether preparedness can do something to lessen the radical destruction and number of deaths that befell the Visayas regions.

Talking about preparedness and knowing what lies ahead the present time, this Sunday’s Gospel informs us to keep our eyes wide open for the Lord’s coming. It talks about being ready for the second coming of Christ when all nations will be assembled before Him. We, as Catholics mark this day as the start of the new liturgical year and the beginning of the joyous Advent season. The Gospel is an invitation for us to spiritually prepare ourselves for both the last judgment and Christ's birth this Christmas.  In spite of what happened in our country, we are challenged to be hope-filled Christians awaiting Jesus’ coming into our lives and into the world.

It is clear to me now that I cannot have my wish granted. No one knows when the last judgment would be. I cannot cram kindness and repentance on the last minute. As pilgrims journeying towards fullness of life, everyday offers us opportunity to do genuine kindness and expand our horizons on to a new spiritual practice that leads us closer to Jesus or revisit an old one we once neglected when we’re going to the flow of a fast-paced society.  Instead of allotting money for grand gifts and parties, why not feed people in the refugee centers? Spend time hearing our neighbors’ stories. Cleanse our spirit through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Find a quiet place and be attuned to our inner self. Christ's coming is certain. No doubt about it. Yet, the exact day and time still remains to be unsaid. To be always in a state of preparedness is necessary. The season of Advent deepens our waiting in hope for the realization of God’s saving promise on Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 

Prayer

Lord, we come before You to ask for the state of grace to be prepared for Your coming. We know that all things work for good and for those who love You. Guide us and be with us through the hard times. There, we shall see you in all Your glory. Amen.