daily Catholic Reflection: Sunday, May 11, 2025, Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, Year C

Acts 13:14, 43-52

Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5

Revelation 7:9, 14b-17

John 10:27-30                 Full Readings

Saint Ignatius of Laconi

Jesus the Chief and Good Shepherd

Brethren, this Good Shepherd Sunday, is mostly dedicated to praying for increase in vocations in the church as well as praying for priests, and religious so that they may serve God and his people diligently and with love following the example of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Thursday, May 1, 2025, Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

Acts 5:27-33

Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

John 3:31-36                       Full Readings

Saint Joseph the Worker

Revealed by His Son

"The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to Him." Brethren, yesterday we saw that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son for us who believe in him to have eternal life. Today's Gospel reading shows us that it was because the Father loves his Son that he entrusted everything to him, even the task of saving us. Jesus was not forced to come into the world, but he willingly accepted to come out of his Father's Love for him and for all humanity as the Father's true revelation.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, on Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Acts 4:32-37

Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

Jn 3:7b-15      Full Readings

Saint Casilda

Being Born Again

Brethren, as soon as the first week of rejoicing at the Resurrection of Jesus is over the Church begins to put before us the great discourses of Jesus (the teachings rather than the happenings) in the Gospel of John. These readings from John will continue right through Paschaltide. Today Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, praising Jesus as being a great teacher and being with God. Jesus tells him that unless one is born again (in water and Sprit), he or she cannot enter the kingdom of God. It is surely not an accident that the series begins with the response to Jesus from the faithful in the great sacraments of initiation, Baptism (and confirmation) in John 3 and Eucharist which we will read in John 6. Or, to be more exact, the offer of Jesus in these two great sacraments to which the faithful respond.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, April 23, 2024, Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Acts 3:1-10 

Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

Lk 24:13-35      Full Readings

Saint George

Recognising Jesus in the Eucharist

Brethren, we continue to celebrate Easter, and Jesus continues to appear to different groups of people. On the other hand, the Apostles are using the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the light of the Risen Lord to perform miracles and show that the Lord who was crucified died, was buried, and now is indeed alive; he has risen. Do we ourselves believe in this Resurrection? If yes, let us take that light of resurrection to others.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, Wednesday of the Holy Week

LENT SERIES DAY 43: Wednesday of the Holy Week (Chrism Mass, Why are there Many Priests?) (https://youtu.be/-sN0ne3aXPE)

Isaiah 50:4-9a,

Ps 69:8-10.21-22.31,

Matthew 26: 14-25         Full Readings

Saint Bernadette Soubirous

Never Start a Conversation with the Devil

Brethren, today we are again presented with the third servant song of Isaiah in the first reading. It has a darker yet more confident tone than the others. Although the song gives a first-person description of how the servant was beaten and abused, here the servant is described both as a teacher and learner who follows the path God places him on without pulling back. Echoing the first song's "a bruised reed he will not break," he sustains the weary with a word. His vindication is left in God's hands. Isaiah 50:4-9. Isaiah 50:4-7 is seen by New Testament commentators to be a Messianic prophecy of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 50:6 is quoted in Handel's "Messiah" of Jesus. There is an allusion in Luke 9:51 to Isaiah 50:7 ("Therefore I have set my face like a flint"), as Jesus "set His face steadfastly" to go to Jerusalem.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, May 12, 2025, Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

 

LENT SERIES DAY 39: SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT: Why was Jesus Killed and Why did He Die? (https://youtu.be/qOkbX0vtrDI?si=gJ1Bqvu-xdtMWS9r)

Ez 37:21-28

Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10,11- 12abcd,13

Jn 11:45-56                Full Readings

Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo

Why was Jesus Killed and Why Did Jesus Die?

I am always accustomed to asking these two questions in my talks and presentations, and wherever I go. These questions may seem to be the same and similar, but actually, they are totally different. There are reasons why Jesus was killed and also reasons why Jesus died. For the last few weeks of Lent, the readings, especially the gospels, have presented to us a list of accusations as to why the Jews killed Jesus. These accusations are very important for growth in our Christian life because, as Christians (followers of Christ), we have to follow in his footsteps so that when what happened to him also happens to us, we can respond like him. Knowing these reasons makes us strong and courageous to face all the challenges involved in following Christ, knowing that we shall conquer as Jesus himself did.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, April 5, 2025, Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

LENT SERIES DAY 32: SATURDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF LENT (The Purpose of Receiving the Eucharist) (https://youtu.be/L52EpfJDWrE)

Jer 11:18-20

Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

Jn 7:40-53                     Full Readings

Saint Vincent Ferrer

Nobody Has Ever Spoken Like Jesus

Brethren, today's readings continue with the theme of rejection, abandonment, and passing wrong judgement. Though the time for Jesus to be arrested has not come, these readings point to us the reality that Jesus will be rejected, abandoned, even betrayed by his own disciples and then judged and sentenced to death unjustly. They also show us that, as Christians who speak in the name of God, we can have such experiences, and therefore we must stand firm in faith until we reach our destiny.