Ask God

First Sunday of Lent

22 February 2026

 

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

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

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

 

Reflection

By: Grace B. Madriñan

 

“It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:4

If I were to undergo a temptation in the desert, I would definitely fail at the first temptation. Imagine being hungry and being offered bread!? I love bread! 

We are truly grateful indeed that Jesus is Lord and the Son of God! Though born human, He did not let his humanity prevail. Otherwise we will be doomed in our sins and salvation is farther from reach.

Today’s Gospel shows us one of the reasons why Jesus is born to this world. He came to show us clearly that temptation can be overcome. He did not come as God but as a friend or a brother telling us that He too suffered, He too was tempted yet prevailed.  

Recalling one of the Facebook posts I saw, it tells of a father’s experience in one of the summer camps with his daughter. As part of the exercise, the father was told only three instructions to be said to his blindfolded daughter and he can repeat it as many times as he likes. In the first instance, the father was told to let go of his daughter. Then in the second instance, he was told not to talk to their daughter unless the daughter remembered one of the instructions and used it. During the trek, the daughter was led to a ditch but she remembered one of the instructions and said, “Dad, are you there?” The father was then allowed to respond, “Yes I am here” The father and daughter finished the trek successfully since the daughter remembered the instructions his father gave to her, “I will never leave you. You can ask me anything. You should only listen to the sound of my voice.”

I believe we should do the same in moments of temptation. We should remember that 

“God will never leave us” 

“We can ask God for anything” 

“We should only listen to the sound of His voice”.

Prayer

Father God, there is a lot of noise around us and we are tempted in every way. We need to only remember that Jesus overcame every sin and every temptation. Continue to accompany and speak to us so we too may avoid sin and temptation. Amen.

Tune in to Jesus

   

Second Sunday of Lent

16 March 2025

 

First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14

Second Reading: Philippians 3:17–4:1

Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

I hear a myriad of voices throughout the day, including my own, both those spoken aloud and those that swirl nonstop in my head. Like you, I live in a world filled with noise. These noises, particularly the ones I can view in my phone, can be overwhelming. There are addictive contents that steal away my precious time, health, and energy. Because of this, I often find myself too busy to truly listen. It is a challenge to pause, breathe, relax, and enjoy moments of quiet reflection, or to truly listen during conversations, both to what is said and unsaid. There is always something that steals my attention, making me restless.

Thankfully, God's grace has anchored me to Him. He gently pulls me closer when I drift away. He blesses my plans and grants me serene moments to marvel at the wonders of His creation, especially during family outings to the hills, mountains, forests, or seas. In these peaceful moments, I can hear His whispers and feel His loving presence. He provides me countless opportunities each day to connect with Him, even if only briefly—when I wake, eat, drive, gaze at the sky, trees, sunset, flowers, and plants, or feel the cool wind on my face, or look upon my daughters' faces. These moments fill me with gratitude and turn my heart towards Him.

However, this awareness of His presence in my life is not the same as truly listening to Him. I still need to devote time to genuinely listen to Him, to hear Him through His Son, our Savior, Jesus. As He said, "This is my beloved Son: hear him.", I should take time listen.  And I am certain that this instruction from God is for my best interest and my salvation.

Can you hear Him? Do you want to? I trust that you do, and you have the power to make that choice.

Choose to tune in to Jesus. Hear Him and be blessed!

Prayer

Father, help us to stay still and truly listen to Your Words through Jesus Christ, our Savior. 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. 

Presence

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 21 July 2019
First reading Genesis 18:1-10

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”

Second reading                                                          Colossians 1:24-28

I am happy in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to the divine commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Reflection

By Jose Paulo M. Gonzales

Today’s Gospel shows us how we can lose track of what is important in place of something we think is more expected of us. Like how our sister in faith, Martha of Bethany, acted when Jesus stopped over at their home. We sometimes forget to be like her sister, Mary.

At work, it may be difficult to listen to a colleague when we are too concerned with what we need to do next. 

In school, it may be difficult to participate actively in class when our attention is diverted to what the outline and the content of a certain paper should be.

With our friends, it may be difficult to engage when we are busy to thinking of what to say, even when our friends only want our company.

Sometimes we choose to do what seems most important even when what is needed from us is simply our presence, our attention.

To make a situation work is not bad on its own. After all, preparations help make an event a more delightful experience. However, the fixation becomes a problem when it takes the place of what we should be prioritizing which is listening and being really present at the moment.

We can get lost in the preparations, but we can also be as distracted when we are not in charge of the preparations anymore—when at an event, we come as spectators.

How many times do we catch ourselves swept by how realistic the special effects are in a movie, how fluid the animations are, how masterful the sequencing of events to make a majestic story, but remembering only so little about the lines of the key characters and the lessons from their experiences?

How many times have we heard someone—or even ourselves—lost in the motif, the songs, the layout, the adornments, the entire preparation in a wedding, but could recall only little from his friend—the groom’s message for the bride during the Mass, or the bridesmaid’s heartfelt dedication at the reception?

When someone visits our homes, when someone vents out a negative encounter, when someone recounts a positive experience they treasure… what they could be expecting from us is not how we set the table or  how we organize the furniture or the elaborate intricacies with which we prepare the meal, but simply a listening ear,  someone who is really present.
We nab from ourselves the chance to enjoy someone’s company when we fixate on activities in the sideline. 

We rob from ourselves the privilege to grace somebody else’s presence when we focus too much on the preparations, on the details, on the mechanics. When we do not realize what is most appreciated from us which is to simply be with our visitor, to listen to our friend, and to engage with them attentively.

When was the last time we listened to someone actively as Mary did? Have we listened to someone intently today?

Prayer

Father God, thank You for Your message to us today.

Thank You for the liberty we find in Your call for us to come as we are, to listen to You and not mind other things when we are in Your company. 

May You grant us the grace to listen to You intimately and for us to find a confidant in You whom we can freely share our thoughts and daily activities.

Please grant us the grace to listen to You first before we take our turn to speak, because Your message is more important than ours, and for us to listen first to our brothers and sisters too so that we can show them that their message is important to us. 

May You give us the grace to know when to speak and carry out Your Word, so that our listening bears fruit. 

May we never lose sight of what’s most important in our daily situations.

Thank You so much, Father. May Your Name—Your Glory, be adored forever.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Listen and Obey

Saint Joseph
Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

19 March 2019

First reading                                                                        2 Samuel 7:4-5,12-14,16
The word of the Lord came to Nathan:

  ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Yet I will not withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

Second reading                                                         Romans 4:13,16-18,22

The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.

  Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. This is the faith that was ‘considered as justifying him.’

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

Saint Joseph. Many people know the name. If I am to look while I walk or drive around my hometown, it won’t take me five minutes just to see a street, a building, a school, a hospital, or even stores like hardware and drug stores, with the name of Saint Joseph in it. When it comes to structures, the name is pretty popular not just in churches and non-government organizations. Several places in the Philippines, may it be cities or small towns, are named after the man who faced a lot of controversies that still goes on up to the present day.

Many images of Saint Joseph reflects wearing a traditional green and gold colors, sometimes holding a staff with flowers in it, sometimes holding carpentry tools, holding baby Jesus in his arms, or beside the child Jesus holding his hand. Most common images are the sleeping Joseph and, of course, the Holy Family. But how well do we really know Saint Joseph?

His story was only mentioned in two Gospels of the Bible - Matthew and Luke. His name was only mentioned once in the Gospel of John when Jesus came back to His hometown (John 6:41), but was never mentioned in the Gospel of Mark in the same scene at Nazareth (Mark 6:3). In Mark’s Gospel, the neighbors called Jesus “the son of Mary” instead of mentioning his father. For someone who had a very important role in the life of Jesus, there is surprisingly little information about him. However, these information are always enough to point to Jesus. Though we may have read very little about the one called “the foster father of the Messiah”, this does not alter the fact that Saint Joseph, with his wife Mary, became one of the most implored intercessor by people up to this day.

As I child, I’ve known Saint Joseph as the father of Jesus through the image of the Holy Family in our house. Growing up, I learned that he is a worker and a good provider. I used to join processions and celebrations in honor of Saint Joseph as the patron of our parish. I remember the time when I was looking for a job. Months after graduation I was not lucky enough to land on the right job until I prayed and asked for Saint Joseph’s intercession. I got hired after a month and stayed with the company for years. Ever since, I constantly prayed for strength of body and mind to do my work well. Saint Joseph became my inspiration of hard work and perseverance. And maybe it’s because my perception of Saint Joseph is like the titles given to him during his time - the carpenter, the father, the Son of David, the just, compassionate and caring man, a righteous man. But it did not end there.

We may have known him through these titles but we rarely focus on him being the husband of Mary and the details he may have gone through even before they got married. Christmas will always be about the reason for the season - Jesus Christ, the begotten Son of God, given to the world for the forgiveness of sins. While we also remember Mary, the mother of God, let us also honor her husband whose life has always pointed to who matters most and that is Jesus.

I can relate to Saint Joseph with his worries and anxieties. But when we think about it, he always had a very simple antidote to his struggles. He listens and obeys. He has always been faithful to God even though he knew the difficulties he may face. From the time he worried about Mary’s pregnancy and taking her as his wife, to taking care of the child Jesus to prepare for his mission, his life has always been a reflection of every virtue and title given to him that manifested the goodness of God. We can also say that Saint Joseph has given his all to save and protect the one who eventually saves the whole world. Even though his story was only a brief part of the Scriptures, he has been and always will be a big part of this world who inspires and remind us to be faithful, to listen and obey, and surrender everything to God


Prayer
Saint Joseph, we honor you as the true husband of Mary. Your marriage to Mary was a sacred contract by which you and Mary gave yourselves to each other. Mary really belonged to you with all she was and had. You had a right to her love and obedience; and no other person so won her esteem, obedience, and love. Saint Joseph, we thank God for your privilege of being the virginal husband of Mary. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for us the grace to love Jesus with all our heart, as you did, and love Mary with some of the tenderness and loyalty with which you loved her.  Amen. (From a novena in honor of St Joseph)

Open Your Heart

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

09 September 2018

First reading                                                                  Isaiah 35:4-7
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the desert, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

Second reading                                                     James 2:1-5

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

Gospel                                                                     Mark 7:31-37

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Reflection

By Art B Reyes

An elderly man had serious hearing problems for many years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the man to hear perfectly.

The old man went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is great. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.” The man replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”

In today’s Gospel (Mk. 7, 31-37), Jesus healed a deaf man who had a speech disability. Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." 

When Jesus healed the man away from everyone else, it tells us that He does not see His healing powers as proofs of His divinity, but rather as signs that the God of mercy and goodness is close to us. 

Hearing is not a problem for most of us, but listening is. Our problem is that we are too busy to listen to Jesus. Maybe some of us are too busy making money that we don’t enjoy the fruits of our labor. We are so busy that we don’t enjoy the house that we built for our family. And maybe we are so busy making money that we don’t spend time with our loved ones.

Jesus is speaking to us but more often we only “hear” Him for our heart is not silent. We rather listen to ourselves, to what others have to say, and leave no room for God’s words. Sometimes we say prayers with empty words but we need to pray with our heart, to reflect and meditate. We all need silence and space for ourselves and also for God. Jesus is constantly speaking to us in prayer and in ordinary times of our lives. May we be open to Him.


If we are too busy we can be “deaf” to the real meaning of life. Life is short; it is slipping away so quickly that we need to slow it down. Life is about getting to know God, loving God, and serving God. 

Prayer

Lord, open my ears so I can listen to Your words. Unfold the door of my heart that I may grow in sensitivity to the suffering of others. Liberate my tongue so that I may speak in gratitude of your loving kindness. Amen.

Listen First!

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
 17 July 2016    

First reading
Genesis 18:1-10

The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. ‘My lord,’ he said ‘I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant’s direction.’ They replied, ‘Do as you say.’

  Abraham hastened to the tent to find Sarah.’ ‘Hurry,’ he said ‘knead three bushels of flour and make loaves.’ Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.

  ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘She is in the tent’ he replied. Then his guest said, ‘I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will then have a son.’

 

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 14:2-5

Second reading
Colossians 1:24-28

It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now, and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church. I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we proclaim, this is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone, to make them all perfect in Christ.

Gospel	Luke 10:38-42

Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

  Reflection
By Arthur B. Reyes

Last week, we were all invited to “think outside the box”. That is, to do the unconventional, the uncommon. Jesus wants us to reach out regardless of our social standing, religion, ideology, race, and class. Service is not just for the missionaries like the men in church and the officials in the government alone. We too can be a servant, a good one in our own ways.

The gospel today tells us how to balance our lives amidst the many things and worries we may have. Listening is indeed an important aspect of living in relationships with others, more than money or material things. The story of Martha and Mary gives us an opportunity to realize that our presence to other people is significant and necessary as it allows openness of our heart.



I remember a story about a father and son. A man came home from work late, tired and irritated finding his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. The young son asks his dad how much he earns an hour. The man said angrily he makes Php50. "Daddy, may I please borrow Php20?", asked the son.



The father was furious. The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that Php20 and he really didn’t ask for money very often. He went to his son’s room.
 

Reaching under his pillow the young boy pulled out some crumpled up bills.“Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled. “Daddy, I have Php50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”



If only the man had “listened” to his son’s longing for his physical presence he would not become so absorbed on worldly things to the neglect of people waiting for his love, care, and attention.
 

There is a “Martha” and a “Mary” within each of us. While part of ourselves is active and busy, another part listens and trusts in the Lord. We need to be active to accomplish His will but listening is more important. It’s good to serve the Lord, but it’s even better to first listen to Him.

Prayer

Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those who are hopeless, forgotten, and oppressed. Teach me to listen for your voice, in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence.

Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen.

Listen

Fourth Sunday of Easter

17 April 2016  

First reading
Acts 13:14,43-52

Paul and Barnabas carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.
  When the meeting broke up many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.
  The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:
I have made you a light for the nations,
so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’
It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.
  But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 99:1-3,5

Second reading
Apocalypse 7:9,14-17

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’

Gospel	John 10:27-30

Jesus said:

‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’

 

Reflection
By Fely C. Santiago

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”

We would hear many people say, “God did not answer my prayers.” But have we really learned to LISTEN to God? Normally when we pray we do all the talking. Lord give me this, give me that. We feel uncomfortable in silence. We get used to all the talking because we want to be in control. Let go. The Lord is asking us to be STILL. Let us spend time with the Lord in SILENCE. Be aware of His presence. Be conscious of the outpouring of His limitless LOVE for us.

“Jesus’ voice is unique,” Pope Francis says. “If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond even the abyss of death.” It is that path that my heart longs to follow, to listen to the voice of Jesus calling to me. And when I finally realize I have lost my way and wandered off the path, I can follow that voice to be safe and secure.

Robert H. Schuller wrote a book, “Positive Prayers for Power-filled Living, where he talked about the different ways God answers our prayers. He said that when you are not right, God says, “NO”. When the time is not right, God says, “SLOW”. When you are not right, God says, “GROW”. And when everything is all right, God says, “GO”

When you grow in intimacy with the Lord, you will learn to be still at all circumstances knowing that God has the BEST for you. He has never, never forsaken us. He loved us so much that He even died on the cross out of His great love for us. Allow Him to care for you. “Slow down” and do not to rush through life. TRUST Him. Listen to Him. If we hear His voice, let us follow Him..

At any time of the day or night we can call on Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He is always waiting, listening for our call. What a wonderful blessing. No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for helping me to listen to Your voice. When I am too busy and distracted, I cannot hear You calling me to come home to the warmth of Your love. Whether I pay attention or not, I know You are waiting there for me, always, with Your open arms and Your endlessly loving gaze. Help me to take time each morning to sit in the quiet with You and to thank for this great gift of Your love. Help me recognize Your voice and to recognize that Your guidance and comfort are all that I need. Open my heart at all times to listen to You. All this I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen .