Wednesday, September 21, 2016

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

September 21, 2016


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9:9-13. 



As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. 
Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."


Reflection:

Sometimes we tend to dissociates with the sinners. We are so judgemental and self righteous. We often believe that we are more good than others. We don't like to accompany with persons whom we believe are sinners because we might be influenced by them. But Christ is very specific with His mission here on earth. "He come not to call the righteous but sinners". As followers of Christ, we must also do what Christ has done. We should convince those people whom we believe are sinners to come back to Christ and live a modest and Christ-centered lives.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Secrets will always come out

Monday, September 19, 2016

Monday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 8:16-18.

Jesus said to the crowd : "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed ; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. 
Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." 

Reflection:

The Gospel is very clear that whatever secret do you have will come out. So, do good always because people will rejoice to those who are good but the evil one will be cursed. Whatever goodness you do will make you proud but the evil thing you have done will put you in shame.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Parable of the sower

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Saturday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 8:4-15. 


When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. 
A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. 
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." 
Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. 
He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.' 
This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. 
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial. 
As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. 
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."

Reflection:

We must be those persons who heard the word of God and live the life which God wants us to live. Let us embrace God's word with good heart and be fruitful by spreading the Gospel to others. Do not let the evil tempt you not to follow God's command through His word in the Gospel. Because if we persevere to be good to ourselves and to others, we will surely go to paradise which God has promised.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Sick People Need Doctors

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:1-32. 



Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, 
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 
So to them he addressed this parable. 
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? 
And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy 
and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' 
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." 
Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.' 
In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 
Then he said, "A man had two sons, 
and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. 
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 
When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 
Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 
I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' 
So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 
His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' 
But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, 
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. 
Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 
The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 
He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 
He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. 
But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.' 
He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. 
But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"


Reflection:

There are three parables that Jesus shared in this Gospel. But there is only one reason why Jesus told this parable. Because He was criticised by the Pharisees that he welcomed sinners and eat with them. Sometimes we are like the Pharisees, we often criticised others because of mingling with the sinners. We have the tendency to be self-righteous and not knowing those sinners need us. They need us because they are also longing to come back to righteousness. Brothers and sisters, we should not be so judgemental to others, because we might be an instrument for our sinful brothers to come back to Christ. We must remember in the other Gospel. Sick people need doctors. We must must influenced sinners to come back to God and be righteous again.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Giving Hope to the Poor

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Wednesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6:20-26. 


Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

Reflection:

The Gospel of today goes beyond human understanding. It is hard to decipher because what Jesus said is contradictory to human nature. Saying "woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." would tantamount to a warning that we should not be rich, otherwise, later we will suffer great sorrow. It is hard for us not to ambition of being rich. We wanted to be rich because we want to satisfy our human nature. However, this Gospel is also giving hope to the poor because Jesus promises the satisfaction on Judgement day. We must understand that being rich is not prohibited, but being greedy is sinful.

Saturday, September 3, 2016

When is the Sabbath Day?

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6:1-5. 

While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 

Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" 
Jesus said to them in reply, "Have you not read what David did when he and those (who were) with him were hungry? 
(How) he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions."
Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."


Reflection:

People nowadays seems no longer observe the Sabbath day. But usually, we are observing the Sabbath day as Sunday. However, is Sunday really the Sabbath day? We will not delves with the history on this matter. We must bear in mind that we don't have any calendar before. At the time of Jesus, calendar is not yet invented. When God created the universe, there was no calendar. So, the best thing we should do is always observed the Seventh day as the Sabbath day. So, anybody can set any day as Sabbath day. The important thing is you set at least a day in a week for the Lord. 

Friday, September 2, 2016

The Old is Good, Why Need New?

Friday, September 2, 2016

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:33-39.


The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same ; but yours eat and drink." 

Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." 

And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.

Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. 
(And) no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

Reflection:

If the old is good, never mind the new one. Do not replace the old if you think that it is better than the new one. There are old bad habits that we need to eliminate but the old good deeds should remain. Our attitude should be in accordance with the will of God. We must submit to him. If you think your old habit is not good then you have to throw it away and replace it with the new good one.



Thursday, September 1, 2016

Be Fishers of Men

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:1-11. 

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Reflection:

Each of us are called to follow Jesus. We need to proclaim the gospel so that everyone may know who is Jesus Christ. The gospel are talking about how the disciples convinced themselves to follow our Lord. They saw a miracle. The miracle of fishing a lot of fish from the sea that their boats seems almost going to sink. Opposite of what they had when they just fishing themselves without Jesus.  We are like the disciples. Sometimes, we pray to God and ask for abundant blessings but sometimes because of lack of faith, abundance never seems to come. So, we tend to lose faith in God. Not knowing, if we will not lose faith in God abundance of blessings will come. So, continue to pray and proclaim the gospel so that we can be fishers of men and bring them to the kingdom. Through this, blessings will follow.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Find the Pasture to be Saved

Gospel, John 10:1-10

Today, Monday, April 18, 2016


1 'In all truth I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a bandit.
2 He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock;
3 the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.
5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.'
6 Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold.
8 All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep took no notice of them.
9 I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.

Reflection:
The word that I found it very relevant to this certain time is "I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture." This particular declaration of Jesus, is you will accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then you recognise Jesus as the gate and you have entered to that gate. Once you have entered to that gate then you will find pasture. Pasture means a vast of grass that the sheep can eat. If you can eat then you will live. We are likened as a sheep that we eat some grass from the pasture. If we will eat the word of God then we nurture our soul. Hence, we will be save.