Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, October 11, 2024, Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Galatians 3:7-14,

Psalm 111:1b-2.3-4.5-6,

Luke 11: 15-26                            Full Readings

Saint John XXIII

Overcoming Sin

Today's Gospel presents to us Jesus healing a mute man who was possessed by a demon. The Pharisees as usual could not believe in his power and thought Jesus was using the power of Beelzebul the prince of demons to cast out demons. Jesus however shows them that he is using the finger of God. Do you believe in Jesus' power of exorcism and that it is now in his servants? Jesus also notes that the demons will not give up easily after being cast out, they will keep coming and so we have to keep strong in the Lord and remain holy so that they will not have a home in us again. This coming back of demons, I would like to compare it with habitual sin.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Thursday, October 10, 2024, Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

GAL 3:1-5

Psalm: LK 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

Lk 11:5-13                            Full Readings

Saint Francis Borgia

Why are Our Prayers not Answered?

Dear brethren, in accordance with our today’s readings, I would like you to reflect with me on one of the fundamental questions Christians normally ask: “Why are my prayers not answered sometimes or take long to be answered?” It becomes hard to reconcile this question with Jesus’ teaching today in the gospel as he tells us to, “ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matt 7:7-8). If Jesus himself said this then why are our prayers sometimes not answered, or take long to be answered or answered in a different way?

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, October 9, 2024, Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Gal 2:1-2, 7-14

Ps 117:1bc, 2

Lk 11:1-4                    Full Readings

Saint Denis and Companions

Teach us to Pray.

"Jesus was praying in a certain place..." Of all the Gospel writers, St. Luke shows Jesus praying most often. "Jesus was praying in a certain place...", Luke tells us. And he mentions this multiple times throughout his Gospel. Imagine that. Jesus, the incarnate Second Person of the Holy Trinity, going off alone every day to pray. Why would God himself need to take time away from his pressing activities to pray? This simple fact reveals so much. First, it gives us a glimpse into the life of the Trinity. Remember, the Trinity is three Persons in one Nature. Three real Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with real relationships. Jesus went off to pray because he cared about those relationships, about nourishing them and being nourished by them. Second, in his human nature, our Lord entered into the limits of time and space. His Trinitarian relationships, in some mysterious way, needed to participate in prayer.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, October 5, 2024, Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

JB 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17

PS 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130

LK 10:17-24                                Full Readings

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Acting in the Name of Christ

Brethren, the beautiful story of Job poses several questions to us as we live in times where religious beliefs are not taken seriously and believers only seek a life devoid of suffering – a crossless Christianity, to put it simply. Job tells us that steadfast belief in God is a sure way of spiritual comfort in times of sorrow despite earthly suffering. Furthermore, we must learn that the spirit may flow anywhere it wishes; to some it’s a time for replenishment like Job, to some it is an avenue for signs and wonders like the disciples in the gospel today. The cases of Job and that of the disciples speak to us about having a fervent relationship with God that guarantees our place with our heavenly Father. Outward representation may be short-lived, but the inner satisfaction is so rewarding that it cannot be compared to the outward show. It invites us to always trust and act in the name of Jesus Christ and all will be well in our lives. Today's readings, especially the Gospel, present to us the following aspects.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, October 4, 2024, Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Jb 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5

Ps 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab

Lk 10:13-16                                Full Readings

Saint Francis of Assisi

Tough Love

Jesus' love for people overwhelmed him that he could not resist from rebuking the people and towns which did not heed to his word. His rebuke, even with harsh punishments to those who did not accept him, was not out of anger or disappointment of rejection but out of his much love for his people, and that is why he decided to show them tough love because he knew punishment awaits them. After Jesus had performed many miracles (which were at aimed at showing the power of God and were instruments to bring people together and believe in the kingdom of God) and taught in many towns and villages, proclaiming the kingdom of God and calling for repentance people did not still believe in him they made their hearts stubborn and really hardened them and didn't repent. We see the same thing done by Israelites by deciding not to follow any of God's commandments despite delivering them from Egypt and different exiles; they were never grateful but hardened their hearts the most.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Thursday, October 3, 2024, Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

 

JB 19:21-27

PS 27:7-8A, 8B-9ABC, 13-14

Lk 10:1-12                  Full Readings

Saint Theodora Guerin

Proclaim the Kingdom

Brethren, the Gospel of today shows us the mission of the 72 and how they are going to carry it out. Why seventy-two? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world and so Jesus sending the seventy-two means to go to every nation as a universal mission. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act with his power.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Jb 9:1-12, 14-16

Ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15

Mt 18:1-5, 10                             Full Readings

The Holy Guardian Angels

The Greatest in the Kingdom

On Sunday, we celebrated the feast day of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Today we celebrate the feast of our Guardian Angels. Who are these and what do they do? There are nine orders of celestial beings that we commonly refer to as angels and all these angels are organized traditionally in three spheres.