Reflections

Acts 2:14. 36-41; 1 Pt. 2:20-25; Jn. 10:1-10. Right in the Book of Genesis, we find Abraham in a pastoral civilization, with herds of camels, oxen and sheep. They were a nomadic people moving with their flocks along rivers where they had grazing ground. Thus the image of a shepherd was most familiar to them.…

Acts 2:14.22-33; 1 Pt. 1:17-21; Lk. 24:13-35 Luke’s Gospel is centered on Jerusalem. It begins with Zechariah serving at the temple in Jerusalem and the Archangel Gabriel announcing the birth of John the Baptist and ends up with the Apostles in Jerusalem after the Ascension awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Salvation…

Acts 2:42-47; 1 Pt. 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31 Last Thursday, Lk 24 showed us the hands and feet of Jesus, and we also saw Jesus eating the presence of the Apostles. Today we see some additional quality of the resurrected Jesus, he came and stood in their midst even when the doors were locked, and again…

Acts 10:34a, 37-43; 1 Cor. 5:6b-8; Jn. 20:1-9 While John names only Mary Magdalene going to the tomb early at dawn, and Mathew names another Mary with her, Mark would name Salome, and Luke would name Joanna as a third witness at the tomb. While all the other evangelists would narrate post resurrection apparitions, Mark…

On this day the Church celebrates Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish his paschal mystery. There he would be arrested, imprisoned, falsely accused, condemned, scourged, crowned with thorns, burdened with the cross, pushed around, nailed to the cross, would die and be buried. It was also there that he would triumph by his resurrection. Jerusalem…

1 Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41. After smearing the clay on the eyes of the blind man, Jesus commanded him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. In many occasions Jesus simply said the word and the person was healed. To the daughter of Jairus, Jesus took her hand and commanded, “Little…

This mystery in the life of Christ is so important that we read this gospel two times a year: on the 2ndSunday of Lent and on August 6th. While Jesus was still walking among them, the apostles tended to take him as simply human with extraordinary powers. The transfiguration was intended to help them see…

Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-19; Mt. 4:1-11.  On this first Sunday of Lent, we are presented with the temptations of Jesus. We saw that the Father affirmed Jesus as His Son after the Baptism at the Jordan. Is the Messiah Son of God? Then he must be powerful. Let us see because he is very hungry…

For “repentance”, we need to review the parable of the Prodigal Son in Lk 15. “v.18: I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. v.19: I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of…

Lev 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor. 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48 In the world, vengeance is the rule of human retaliation. When someone throws an insulting word at me, I usually answer back not with one word, but a barrage of insulting words. If someone punches me once, I take it my right to throw many more punches…