Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ (the Son of God).
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"
John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day : 

Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church
Sermon for the fourth Sunday of Advent

"Prepare the way of the Lord"

Since our divine Savior is so near, what are we to do to prepare ourselves for his coming ? Saint John the Baptist teaches us : « Repent! » he says, « bring low those mountains of pride, fill those valleys of laziness and pusillanimity, for salvation is near at hand. » The ‘valleys’ are nothing other than fear which, when it becomes too great, leads to discouragement. The sight of the great sins we have committed brings with them a shock and fear that strikes the heart. These are the valleys we have to fill with trust and hope for the coming of our Lord.

« Bring low mountains and hills » : what are these but presumption, pride and self-esteem, which is a very great hindrance to our Lord’s coming, who is accustomed to humble and bring low the proud, for he penetrates right to the bottom of our hearts to uncover the pride hidden within them. “Level the highways, the crooked ways make straight to make them a plain.” This is as though he were to say: “Put right all those doubtful intentions so that you may have none but that of pleasing God by doing penance, this being the goal to which we should all aim.”

Make straight the path, smooth down your feelings by the mortification of your passions, inclinations and aversions. Oh, what a desirable thing it is, this equanimity of mind and feeling; how faithfully we ought to work to acquire it! For we are more changing and inconstant than can be told. People are to be found who at one moment, being in a good temper, will be of a pleasant and joyful conversation; yet look on the other side and you will find them sad and restless – in sum, the winding and uneven ways are to be made straight for the coming of our Lord.

 

“Great signs in heaven”

Luke 21:5-11.

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said,
"All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."
Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. 

Commentary of the day : 

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350), Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church
Baptismal catechesis 15

“Great signs in heaven”

The Lord who was lifted up in the clouds will come from heaven on the clouds (Acts 1,9). Indeed, it was he who said: “And they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, (Mt 24,30). But what will the true sign of his coming be, for fear that the powers of our enemies dare to deceive us by simulating them? “And then the sign of the Son of Man,” he said, “will appear in heaven,” (Mt 24,30). Now, the true and distinctive sign of Christ is the cross. The sign of a shining cross goes before the king designating the one who had first of all been crucified so that those who beforehand had pierced him with nails and surrounded him with snares might beat their breasts at this sight (Zec 12,10), saying: “Behold him who was buffeted, whose face was spat upon, the one who was bound with chains, who in times past was humbled on the cross.” “Where shall we flee from the face of your anger?” they will say. And, surrounded by the angelic hosts, they will find no hiding place anywhere, (cf Rv 6,16-17).

Fear will be the sign where enemies of the cross are concerned; but joy for its friends, who have believed in, preached or suffered for it. Who will then have the happiness of being found a friend of Christ? This glorious king, whom a guard of angels surrounds and who sits on the same throne as his Father, will not shun his servants (Rv 3,21). So that the elect are not confused with his enemies, “he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds,” (Mt 24,31). He did not forget Lot in his isolation (cf. Gn 19,15; Lk 17,28); how could he forget the great multitude of the just? “Come, you who are blessed by my Father,” (Mt 25,34) is what he is going to say to those who will be carried off on chariots of cloud and whom the angels will gather together.

"If this day you only knew what makes for peace"

Luke 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it,
saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

 


Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938), Spanish Trappist monk
Spiritual writings, 23/02/1938


"If this day you only knew what makes for peace"

I leaned out of the window… The sun was beginning to rise. A great peace reigned over nature. Everything began to wake up: earth, sky, birds. Everything began, little by little, to wake up under God’s order. Everything obeyed his divine laws without complaint or sudden spurts, gently, smoothly, the light as much as the darkness, the blue sky as much as the hard earth covered with morning dew. How good God is, I thought! There is peace everywhere except in the human heart.

And delicately, gently, by means of this sweet and peaceful dawn, God taught me, too, to obey : a very great peace filled my soul. I thought how God alone is good, how all is ordained by him, how nothing is of importance in what people do or say, and how, where I am concerned, there must be nothing else in the world but God. God who will arrange everything for my good. God who causes the sun to rise each morning, who makes the ice melt, who cause the birds to sing and changes the clouds of heaven in a thousand soft colors. God who offers me a little corner on this earth for prayer, who gives me a little corner in which to wait for what I hope.

God is so good to me that, in the silence, he speaks to my heart and teaches me, little by little, sometimes in tears, always with the cross, to detach myself from creatures, not to look for perfection except in him, and who shows me Mary and says to me : « Here is the only perfect creature ; you will find in her the love and charity you fail to find in men. What are you complaining about, Brother Raphael? Love me; suffer with me; it is I, Jesus!”

"for today I must stay at your house."

Luke 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Reflection:

Our Gospel for today is inspiring us every moment of our life. Let me share to you 2 points as my reflection of our Gospel for today. Let me talked about our desire and openness to God. I chose the line for "today I must stay at your house."Because it struck me most and good phrase to reflect. 

Firstly, our desire to know Gd and be with God is always innate in us. We search for Him in our life without knowing and recognizing that it is God who finds us first. This desire like Zacchaeus will lead us to a better sight of looking God in our life. The bright side of life is to be with God despite of our trials and tribulations in life. As Zacchaeus desired to see Jesus we too need to have that desire so we can see Him in the dept of our heart. Seeing Jesus to other people is difficult but, if we ask for the grace he will surely provide us.

Secondly, because we desire for God or to see Jesus working in us then we must open our heart for Him. Remember the openness of Zacchaeus' heart that he even welcomed Jesus. Have you seen or have you observed how these encounter change Zacchaeus' life. His conversion right then and there save him and his faith to Jesus was really evident. For Jesus reminds us that "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." 

Many times we were lost in our Christian way of life, but always remember and ponder that God is always there waiting for all of us. We just need to desire and ask for God's grace of openness to see Him in our day to day life encounter. 

Have a blessed day to all of us.

Seminarian Carlito Brazil -Gemina

St. Joseph Seminary of Ipil

Mathew 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately
the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'
(Then) the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'”

 Commentary of the day :

Saint Jerome (347-420), priest, translator of the Bible, Doctor of the Church

"A man... called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them"

There is no question but that this householder is Christ. After his resurrection, when he was about to return triumphantly to the Father, he called his apostles and entrusted them with the Gospel teaching, giving more to one, less to the other, never too much or too little but according to the abilities of those who received it. In the same way the apostle Paul said that he had fed with milk those unable to take solid food (1Co 3,2)...

Five, two, one talent: let us take these to be the different graces granted to each, whether the five senses for the first; understanding of faith and works for the second; the reasons for distinguishing us from other creatures for the third. “The one who received five talents went away and traded with them and made another five.” That is to say, besides the physical and material senses he had received he added knowledge of heavenly things. His knowledge was raised from the creatures to the Creator, from the corporal to the incorporeal, from the visible to the invisible, from the transient to the eternal. “The one who received two made another two.” This one likewise, according to his ability, doubled in the school of the Gospel what he had learned in the school of the Law. Or perhaps we could say that he understood that knowledge of faith and the works of this present life lead to future happiness. “But the man who received one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.” In the grip of works here below and of worldly pleasures the wicked servant neglected God's commands. However, let us note that, according to another evangelist, he wrapped it in a linen cloth: by this we could understand that he took away the force of his master's teaching by a life of softness and pleasure...

The master welcomed the first two servants… with the same words of praise. “Come,” he said, “share in your master's joy and receive what eye has not seen and ear has not heard and what has not entered the human heart” (1Cor 2,9). What greater reward could be bestowed on a faithful servant?

"The kingdom of God is among you"

Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, 

and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."

Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 

There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. 

For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be (in his day). 

But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation. 

Commentary of the day :

Isaac the Syrian (7th century), monk near Mosul, saint of the Orthodox churches
Discourse, 1st series, no.30

"The kingdom of God is among you"

Thanksgiving and the gratitude of the receiver encourages the giver to give yet more. But someone who does not say ‘thank you’ for the smallest of things can only be a liar and unjust in great ones. Someone who is sick and knows about his sickness is able to ask for healing; someone who acknowledges his suffering is close to healing and will easily find it…

Remember the fall of those who believed themselves strong and be humble in the midst of virtue… Cast out your ‘self’ and your enemy will be cast at a distance. Set yourself at peace and heaven and earth will fill you with peace. Strive to enter into the treasure house of your heart and you will see the treasure house of heaven. For both are the same thing; entering one you will see both. The ladder to this Kingdom is within you, concealed in your soul. Plunge within yourself to uncover your sins there: it is there that you will find the steps by which to raise yourself up… “The Kingdom of heaven is within you.” 

A farewell to my big sister sarah....

Luke 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Let me deal with my reflection today on 'we have done what we were obliged to do".

This reflection is more of a tribute to my big sister Sarah, who has somehow influence me in my way of life. If i am in WMSU i make it sure i pass by her or else ambot nalang. 

She's brave i would say and she does things with sincerity and hardworking. A good leader i would say. She does when it can help her or even others. She's one of a kind of specie that will be honest to you and will not leave you hanging unless other wise. 

May she be blessed in all her endeavor and think that she is obliged to do the will of God and not of any others will. She's a little bit singer too. talented, i can vouch that.

Be of help to those in need and continue to serve others. The Lord is always in your side if anything goes for better or for worst PRAY. Prayer is our obligation to God and can strengthen our relationship to our God. 

Always in prayer,

Carlito