Reflections

Is. 9:1-6; Eph. 1:3-6, 15-18; Mt. 18:1-5, 10 A Jewish child was not considered mature until he reaches twelve years of age when he was given permission to read and study the Law or Torah. Before that age the child did not possess knowledge of the Law which rabbinic teaching held indispensable for salvation. It…

Is 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3:13-17 The first thing that comes to mind when we consider this feast, is the question, “Why does Jesus have to be baptized?” Even John the Baptist asked that same question: “I ought to be baptized by you and yet you come to me?” The answer of Jesus was,…

Nm 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21 Let us take this occasion to reflect on the Biblical passages on the Blessed Mother. The earliest passage is found in Gen 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”…

When God created human kind, He made them in His image and likeness, male and female He created them. Then God commanded that a man shall leave father and mother and cling to his wife and the two shall become one. Since God is love, the love of husband and wife on this earth becomes…

A Tagalog conversation between Jesus and Sta Claus has been passed around, it narrates: Jesus= “Alam mo, naiinggit ako sa ‘yo.”  (You know, I envy you.) Sta Claus= “Bakit naman po?”   (But why?) Jesus= “Kasi sa Kaarawan ko, ikaw ang inaabangan nila.”  (Because on my birthday, they are waiting for you.) Sad but true. Many…

Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24 Ahaz was king of Judah from 735-715 B.C., and Isaiah was then the major prophet alive. Judah was being attacked by the kings of Aram and of Israel and Ahaz was very afraid. Isaiah told him not to fear and the Lord will give him a sign of his…

Is 35:1-6a, 10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11 The 3rd Sun of Advent is known by its entrance antiphon that exhorts us to “rejoice,” in Latin Gaudete; and the reason it gives is: “The Lord is near.” As the Gospel narrates, John is already in jail and sends a delegation to Jesus to inquire, not for…

Is 11:1-10; Rom 15:7-8, 12-13, 17. Mt 3:1-12.             Today we are presented with the figure of John the Baptist dressed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and who feeds on locusts and honey. He is an image of mortification and self-denial.  In the season of Advent we are invited to…

Advent means “coming.” Jesus had come 2000 years ago. He came to each one of us at our baptism to make us adopted sons/daughters of our heavenly Father. He comes to each one of us now when we receive him worthily in Holy Communion. He will come for each one of us at the hour…

2 Sm.5:1-3; Col. 1:12-20; Lk. 23:35-43 Jesus is King because he is Son of God. Because he is Creator: “through him all things were made” (Jn 1:3). In the Book of Psalms, God is King because he rules over the whole of creation. At the Annunciation the Angel Gabriel said to Mary: “The Lord God…