Our Loving God

Third Sunday of Lent

08 March 2026

 

First Reading: Exodus 17:3-7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

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

Gospel: John 4:5-42

 

Reflection

By: Anton B. Ocampo

As we progress on our Lenten journey, the Church invites us to reflect on the readings as a form of revelation. The One we humbly exalt with all our hearts continues to reveal Himself to us. In the readings for this specific Sunday, the Third Sunday of Lent, the One we humbly exalt with all our hearts and minds, introduces Himself as the source of mercy. He does not withhold His mercy but wholeheartedly shows it to us and gives it to us, despite our sinful nature.

In the First Reading, the Lord God shows His mercy and compassion to His chosen people, the Israelites, by providing them water from rock. Even though He instructed Moses to strike the rock in Horeb with his staff so that water will flow from the said rock, it is not Moses who gave the Israelites water. Rather, it is God Himself who provided the water. This is His response to the complaints made by His chosen people as they were journeying through the desert for 40 years before they made it to the Promised Land. By doing so, God showed His people how merciful and compassionate He is. The Second Reading focuses on the greatest act of God in which He showed His grace, mercy, compassion, and love to all. God did it through His Begotten Son who is also the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and the Word Made Flesh, Christ Jesus. Even though humanity has committed numerous sins and offenses towards Him, which can no longer be counted by hand given how many there are, He still chose to show His grace, mercy, compassion, and love through Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus introduces Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well as the source of living water. By presenting Himself as the source of living water, Jesus highlights His mercy for all. His decision to become the source of living water stems from His great mercy, compassion, and love for all.

What should our response be to the Lord who has decided to show His great mercy, compassion, and love for us? Open ourselves to Him. As stated in the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Psalm 95:8). In doing so, we exalt the Lord with wholehearted humility in our hearts and minds. This is what the Lord is looking for in us. 

Despite our sinful nature, the Lord has chosen to show His great mercy, compassion, and love to us. In response, let us exalt Him by opening our whole selves to Him and obey His will. 

    

Prayer

We humbly thank You, O Lord, for continuing to show us Your mercy, compassion, and love to us, despite our sinfulness. Help us to humbly open ourselves to You. Grant us the strength to listen and follow You throughout the days of our earthly journey. Amen.

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.

Biggest Blessing in Biggest Problem

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
03 July 2011


We are God’s people, the sheep of his flock: come, let us worship him, alleluia.

First reading Zechariah 9:9-10
The Lord says this:
Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!
See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will banish chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem;
the bow of war will be banished.
He will proclaim peace for the nations.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.

Psalm: Psalm 144:1-2,8-11,13-14

Second reading Romans 8:9,11-13
Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him, and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.

Gospel Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Reflection
By Fely Santiago

Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.


Rest? How can you find rest when you’re in the midst of a BIG problem? What rest is Jesus talking about? Rest in Peace? Your mind could explode anytime, you don’t know what to do? You’re buried in debts and your creditors keep haunting you. You son is into drugs and doesn’t go to school anymore. Your 16-year old daughter just told you she is pregnant. Your husband is deep into ABS (alak [alcohol], babae [women], sugal [gambling]). Your most loved one just died. You just heard the news of a family member with stage 4 cancer. You just lost your job!

In the midst of these BIG problems most people would really question God. Worst they stop praying and going to church. Will you find rest?

YES! It is precisely for this reason that God is asking us to COME to Him. Those of us heavily burdened and find life so difficult. We need the grace of God. We need to allow Him to carry us. We are invited to place our trust in God. When we are able to find MEANING amidst all the trials and difficulties, meaning amidst the pain and sufferings then grace comes. Peace enters our hearts. We can find rest knowing that God will supply our every need. We just have to see that God is BIGGER than our problems! Our biggest problem can be our biggest BLESSING! God is the Master of turning burdens into blessings! Even when we don’t know why something bad happened, we know God has the power to use it for GOOD. Our biggest problems will be good stories to tell in the future! Our greatest testimony that our GOD is a LOVING God!!

In 2 Cor 17-18 –“ and this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. For we fix our attention not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.”

Also in James 1:2-8 “My brothers consider yourself fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should pray to God, who will give it to him; because God gives generously and graciously to all. But when you pray you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. A person like that, unable to make up his mind and undecided in all he does, must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord”

So there you are, the scriptures are rich with words from God that really, in moments of heavy trials and difficulties, the MORE we need to go to GOD. When we do that, we find REST. God’s grace will see us through.

I know of someone who lost P80M during the financial crisis in 1997. His mind was about to explode anytime. He couldn’t sleep anymore. One time he decided to open the Bible and God led him to Phil 4:19 “My God will fully supply whatever you need according to His riches and glory." After reading that ,he BELIEVED and he was able to sleep like a baby. Years after, he recovered and even earned double than what he lost!

Dear Lord, it feels impossible to believe that my life can change, that I can move out of this rut I am in. I know I don't always live my life feeling Your love and being my best self. Help me to trust in You, to drop my defenses and to feel how deeply I am loved and forgiven by You. Give me the courage to feel it in my heart when You say, “Don't be afraid” and “Peace be with you.” I so long for that peace in my life but it feels so far away sometimes. Help me to believe in You, to drive away the doubts and unbelief that harden my heart. I know my life can change, if only I can say with all my heart, “I trust in You, Lord. I believe in Your mercy and I know that with Your help, my life can be healed.” Amen.