Rejoice and welcome a person from being lost

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:1-10

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."

Reflection:

whatever we have lost we always tend to find it. Jesus in this Gospel tells us the comparison of lost person to a lost coin and a lost sheep. He compared the lost person to the lost coin and sheep because almost everyone would be happy if you loose and find a coin and a sheep. A lost coin will give value to a million peso because if you loose one it is no longer a million peso. That is why you will rejoice if you loose and find the lost one. We will never get envy if we will welcome a lost person from our community or our family who happens to have lost himself to sinfulness. We must be happy to welcome them and rejoice so our family and community would be complete.

Never give an excuse of God's invitation

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God."He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything is now ready.'But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.'And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.'And another said, 'I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.'The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.'The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.'The master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

Reflection:

Sometimes we are so busy doing something not to go to the church anymore. Even if what we have done is not so important. Nowadays, even watching tv is already an excused of our obligation to go to the church. We always wanted to have an excuse of God's invitation to eat dinner with Him. Jesus gave us the warning that whoever will not accept God's invitation to his dinner will never taste His dinner anymore. Be sure to have an honest excuse for whatever God invitation, otherwise, we will no longer be invited by God.

The secrets to be blessed

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew5:1-12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. "

Reflection:

The gospel of Jesus teaches us on how to be blessed. Everyone of us are longing to be blessed by God. Jesus simply told us that in order to be blessed, we have to follow the Eight Beatitudes which are mentioned above. 

The first will be last

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13,22-30.

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them,Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Reflection:

The last sentence of this gospel is very familiar to us. In fact, this particular instance might be experienced by mostly among us. Jesus, in this gospel, teaches us to be humble, especially during the success of our life because life is not permanent. Sometimes we are so low and sometimes we experience the highest point of our life. Jesus emphasised that even if we are first but there are point of our life that we are last. So, be humble for what you are and for what you have.

Glorifying God can be done Anytime

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering?This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?"When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Reflection:

The teaching of Jesus manifest that whenever necessary to cure the sick or anything we wanted to do, can be done anytime. Whatever we do to glorify God can be done anytime. 

Be Vigilant

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12:54-59.

Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot--and so it is.You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison.I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

 

Reflection:

 

There are signs of time that are so clear what really happening in the society. Nowadays, lies are so rampant in the social media. Even political leaders directly commit lies right in front of our face. Despite all the lies presented by these leaders, there are still people who will believe in them. There are people who even fight for them despite the fact that lies are so clear. It is up to us to choose whether to be blinded by the truth. We can easily determine the truth and lies because as what Jesus told us such can be determined just like seeing the clouds and predict that the rain is going to come. Let us be observant about the happenings that surrounds us. 

Division as an effect of different beliefs

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12:49-53.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three;a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Reflection:

The Gospel of today is quiet confusing. Jesus tells us about the division as an effect of the Gospel. Many of us suffers being excommunicated by family just because of different belief. The one who preach is being the target of this effect. Many of us Christians are being persecuted in several situations. We believe to make good to those who hate us. But if you will always stand for God and for being Christians, God promised us with everlasting joy in heaven. So, we must continue preaching to others by showing to other believers that we are true Christian living with the teachings of Christ.