Matthew 28:16-20, Solemnity of the Ascension In our Gospel today, the eleven disciples climb a mountain to meet the risen Jesus, and we read, “When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted” (Matthew 28:17). There was Jesus, flesh and blood proof of the resurrection, showing them that his promises had been fulfilled and that…
Tag: sunday
What happens when we forgive? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
John 20:19-31, Diving Mercy Sunday “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:23). The verse above has often been used to speak about the grace given to priests to absolve sins in the Sacrament of Confession. But I think it can also be read – in a…
Evangelize – Rudolf Horst, SVD
John 4:5-42, Third Sunday of Lent We are so used to hearing this beautiful story that we don’t realize how shocking it actually is. So, let us use our imaginations to picture this scene. Jesus was tired after his journey. He sat down by the well, thirsty, hungry, worn out. The Well, Jacob’s Well, still…
Thirsting – Rogel Abais, SJ
John 4:5-42, Third Sunday of Lent Our readings for today give us interesting perspectives and insights into thirsting and quenching one’s thirst. In the first reading, we encounter the Israelites who are wandering in the desert where there is no water and everyone is complaining to Moses about their thirst. In many of the translations,…
What are your priorities? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Matthew 6:24-34, Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them… Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all…
How do you imagine the Kingdom? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Matthew 4:12-23, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time In our Gospel today, we hear Jesus preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The Greek word translated as “repent,” metanoeite, comes from meta (beyond) and nous (mind). Literally, metanoeitemeans “to go beyond the mind.” More elegantly, it can be rendered “to go…
New Year’s Eve – James Donelan, S.J.(✝)
If you were to enter a home in ancient Rome, you would find in the doorway a dog with two heads. A statue of course. It is Janus, the Roman god of the doorway. One head looked to the past, the other to the future. Since the first month of the year has this two-fold…
The Signal Birth of Jesus – Jose Mario C. Francisco, SJ
Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord On this special night, we take time to focus our attention on the belens we put up weeks ago. We bend low to gaze on beloved familiar characters usually set in an animal shed or a cave—the newborn babe, mother Mary and guardian Joseph, the adoring three kings…
Life Interrupted – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 1:18-24, Fourth Sunday of Advent There’s painfully little written about Joseph in the Gospels. We know he was a carpenter, but this from a very passing comment by people who were trying to make out his son, Jesus, when he finally returned to his hometown. “Isn’t this the son of the carpenter?” they said….
His Silence Invites Us – Johnny Go, SJ
Matthew 1:18-24 Today we listen to the story of the silent man of the Gospel. All through the Infancy Narrative, Joseph, the chosen foster father of Jesus, speaks not a word. Even the father of John the Baptist, the priest Zechariah, who was stricken temporarily mute by the angel, at least manages to get two…
Addiction – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 3:1-12, Second Sunday of Advent What might God be telling us these days? Perhaps he is saying something to us through the populism that we see on the rise, the popular disenchantment with the established order, and the growing disconnection between the powerless and those who have been known to wield economic and…
Who is the God you are waiting for? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Matthew 24:37-44, First Sunday of Advent Twenty-eight days before Christmas! Some people begin numbering the days to December 25 as soon as the “ber” months arrive. Last year, I chanced upon a website that started a Christmas countdown on December 26. But I wonder: Would people be as excited for Christmas if our Gospel today…
One Lost Sheep 