Please consider using this excellent guided reflection prepared by Fr Weng Bava SJ for each day of the Paschal Triduum. This is for personal and group mediation on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord through the mundane and often unnoticed tiny details in Gospel narratives. A Reader-Friendly Prayer and Reflection Guide Introduction The…
Author: ninangdeb
Walk the Road, Flip the Script – Noel Bava, SJ
Luke 22:13-23:56, Palm Sunday We began today’s Mass with palms raised high, welcoming Christ into Jerusalem with hosannas. But we know what lies ahead in the story. By the end of this liturgy, we will walk with Him toward the Cross. The shouts of “Hosanna!” will turn into “Crucify Him!” And that shift—so sudden, so…
When Love and Hate Collide – Noel Bava, SJ
John 8:1-11; 5th Sunday of Lent I have always been intrigued by the lyrics and melody of the song by Def Leppard and how it easily lends itself to our deeper understanding of God’s mercy and compassion. It begins with this line: “You could have a change of heart, if you would only change your…
When the Manna Stops – Jordy Orbe, SJ
Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 In today’s first reading, there’s a detail that’s easy to overlook: “The manna ceased.” For 40 years, God fed the Israelites in the wilderness with manna—daily bread from heaven. It was how they survived. But once they enter the Promised Land and eat the produce of…
Chance – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 13:1-9, Third Sunday of Lent I once missed the last bus to Davao from CDO that was scheduled to leave 12midnight. Arriving about 15 minutes past departure, there I was trying to figure out how on earth I was going to get to Davao where I was supposed to speak the next morning. Along…
Due Process – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 16:19-31, Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent The rich man, also called Dives, “dined sumptuously each day.” He had all the chances to help Lazarus who would’ve “gladly eaten of the scraps that fell from the table.” Would’ve. Ibig sabihin, dedma talaga si Dives. Hindi man lang namigay kahit kaunti. Well, both of…
Privileged – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 9:28b-36, Second Sunday of Lent I can’t blame Peter. Ang ganda ganda sa Mt. Tabor. It’s not certain though if the church up there today is exactly on the same spot where the Transfiguration really happened. But it’s still breathtaking to be in that general area. It was approaching dusk when we were there…
More – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 1:4-13, 1st Sunday of Lent You don’t have to agree with me on this, sisters and brothers. But I don’t think Jesus was tempted just that one time. We believe and profess that the Son of God is “like us in all things but sin;” in all things…except sin. Which is why I personally…
Why We Sacrifice for Lent – Arnel Aquino, SJ
This is a an annual repost of a bonus Lenten Special: My personal thoughts on taking on some measure of asceticism during Lent, Deb, is that all throughout the year, we protect ourselves from being vulnerable. And rightly so because we don’t wish to be made doormats by the forces of life. The downside of…
Remainder – Jett Villarin SJ
Luke 6:27-38, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Lk 6:38).” Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? … How about love? Well, how about love? How do you measure love? Do we measure it: In daylights,…
Love’s Touch – Pat Nogoy SJ
Sometimes, it is more comfortable to rely on rules to structure our ways of loving. You tell your children a list of commandments, do’s and don’ts, what to get and how to pay, (and the list goes on) with the hope that the household is managed effectively. In religious life, we commit to de more, job descriptions, timetables, and clear goal-setting to determine how we should treat each other and live…
Underdog – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 6:17; 20-26; 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time The word “underdog” came out of dogfights where some people would bet on the dog with the greater chance of losing. They had a gut-feel that the underdog had what it took to win in an upset. An upset, as we know, is when the weaker challenger…
One Lost Sheep 