Daily Catholic Reflection: July 1, 2020, Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Amos 5: 14-15.21-24,

Psalm 50:7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 16BC-17

Matthew 8:28-34 Full Readings

Saint Junipero Serra

 Conquering the Evil One.

In yesterday's reflection, we saw that Jesus has power over all natural forces. Today's Gospel presents to us Jesus's Power over the demons and the demonic kingdom. When the devils that possessed two men saw Jesus, they knew He was very powerful and had come to destroy them. They then pleaded with Him to send them to the pigs (swine), and then commanded them with only two words, "Go then" just as He commanded the storm, "Be still"  and to Lazarus, "Lazarus arise". This really shows Jesus' power over everything for the Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to Him (John 3: 35).The demons quickly ran into the pigs and the pigs were drowned in the lake. The unfortunate thing is that people could not withstand this and they told Him to leave their town. Not all who hear about Jesus believe in Him, that is why we need to keep fostering the work of evangelization wherever we go so that all will come to believe in Him.

Daily Catholic Reflection: June 30, 2020, Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12,

Psalm 5:5-6,7,8,

Matthew 8:23-27  Full Readings

First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

 Don't be afraid of Storms of Life 

Today's Gospel presents to us Jesus' miraculous calming down of the heavy storm when He was with his Apostles on the boat. The Gospel tells us that Jesus was asleep when the storm attacked the boat, and when He was woken up, He said to the Apostles that they had little faith and then rebuked the storm. Some questions may come to our mind: Did Jesus know the storm and left it to attack them? Probably Yes. Then Why? He wouldn't have let the storm attack them, but it was to show that He also has been power over the forces of nature, after a series of healing miracles. Does Jesus then allow storms to come into our lives too? Is there anything we can learn from the storms of life? Probably the answer to these questions is Yes.

Daily Catholic Reflection: June 29, 2020, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Mass during the Day, Year A

Acts 12: 1- 11,

Ps 34:2-3.4-5.6-7.5-9,

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17- 18,

Matthew 16:13-19 Full Readings

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

 Who is Jesus to You?

Today we celebrate the solemnity of two great apostles, Peter was chosen by the Lord to be the leader of the Church and given the task to preach the Gospel especially among the Jewish communities. Paul became the chosen instrument of God to bring the Good News to the whole world. In the process of conversion, both apostles experienced the gratuitous compassion and forgiveness of the Lord. They are our ancestors in the faith, the ones who have handed over to us the message of life.

Daily Catholic Reflection: June 28, 2020, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

2 Kings 4:8-11.14-16a,

Psalm 89:2-3.16-17. 1 8- 19,

Romans 6:3-4.8-11,

Matthew 10:37-42 Full Readings

Saint Irenaeus

 Mission of God First

Today's Gospel and indeed the first reading is  an invitation to our God's mission in the forefront of our lives. Others will come after and when the mission of God leads, others all will be a success.  

The Gospel presents a collection of sayings of Jesus about the mission of the Christian apostolate and  Matthew puts a whole series of daunting challenges. These sayings of Jesus remind us and make known to us the challenges involved in being a Christian not to take up Christianity without serious forethought for there is no such thing as non-apostolic Christianity, but by becoming Christians we take on a share in Christ’s own task of spreading the Good News. The challenge is great but the reward is certain.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 28th 2020: Responsorial Psalm

Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Lamentations 2:2.10-14.18-19,

Psalm 74: 1-2.3-4.5-7.20-21,

Matthew 8:5-17 Full Readings

Saint Cyril of Alexandria

 Lord, I am not Worthy

It is significant that after the first healing story of the Jewish leper comes the healing of the gentile centurion’s servant – not necessarily a Roman centurion, for there is no trace of Roman soldiers in Galilee at the time; the territory was ruled by Herod Antipas, who may well have used foreign mercenaries. Matthew is telling us that Jesus came to save and heal not only Jews but gentiles as well. This was not the case with the Jewish thought, they thought the Messiah was to come only for them, and in fact they might have been astonished to see Jesus conversing with a Gentile for Gentiles were considered pagan and Jews as chosen people of God. Jesus however shows that he came for all.

Daily Catholic Reflection: June 26, 2020, Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

2 Kings 25:1-12,

Psalm 137:1-2,3,4-5,6,

Matthew 8: 1-4 Full Readings

Josemaria Escriva or Blessed Raymond Lull

 Be cured

Yesterday, we finished our yearly reflection on the Sermon on the Mountain and today Jesus goes down the mountain being followed by the crowd to continue His mission. Before we move on to today's reflections, let's first evaluate ourselves on how we have been reflecting on the Sermon on Mount. How has the reflection on beatitudes changed your Christian way of living? What benefits have you got from reflecting on the Sermon on the Mount? How has it changed your Christian way of living? What is the role of the Sermon on the Mount in your life? You can reflect on many aspects of the sermon on the Mount and if you have not fully internalised it, revisit it and read it again.

Daily Catholic Reflection: June 25, 2020, Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

2 Kings 24:8-17,

Psalm 79:1-2.3-5.8.9,

Matthew 7:21-29  Full Readings

Blessed Jutta of Thuringia

 Doing the Will of God.

Brethren, Jesus in today's Gospel challenges us that "Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven." (Mat 7:21). This challenge comes at the end of Jesus' direct teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, before we go to His parables in the sermon. This challenge is followed by an encouragement to build our houses on strong rock foundations so that nothing can shake them, this is building our house foundations on  Christ, who is our rock.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Year A.

Isaiah 49:1-6,

Psalm 139:1-3. 13- 14.15,

Acts 13:22-26,

Luke 1:57-66.80 Full Readings

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

 His Name is John (God is Gracious)

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of that Nativity of John the Baptist, a precursor of Jesus and the one who prepared the way for Jesus. He is such an important figure in the preparation of the people for the coming of Jesus Christ as well as the Kingdom of God. He bridges the Old Testament and the New Testament and he is on top of the Old Testament prophets as well as the first Evangelist.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

2 Kings 19:9b - 11.14-21.31-35a.36, 

Psalm 48:2-3ab.3cd-4.10-11, 

Matthew 7:6. 12-14 Full Readings

 The Golden Rule

Today's Gospel presents to us a Golden Rule along with other fundamental teachings like  entering the narrow gate and not profaning the holy. 

The Golden Rule "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you." (Mt 7:12) was a most common teaching among the Jews and the Greeks though it was said and written in the negative way: "Do not do to others what you would not like them to do you." Jesus uses the positive way to present it. However the underlying teaching is the same. What does this golden rule teach us as Christians especially in our way of living and treating others?

Daily Catholic Reflection: Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

2 Kings 17:5-8.13-15a.18,

Psalm 60:3.4-5.12-14,

Matthew 7: 1-5 Full Readings

Saints John Fisher, Thomas More,

or Saint Paulinus of Nola,

 Am I Judgmental?

In today's Gospel Jesus  challenges us of our judgmental attitudes with a stern warning not to judge so that we shall not be judged because the way we judge others is the way we shall be judged. If we judge with mercy and justice we shall also be judged with mercy and justice and the vice versa is true. 

It's very easy to misunderstand Jesus when he says don't judge so that you will not be judged. This doesn't mean that we should keep a blind eye to the faults and failings of people around us. When we decide to act like that we shall give ourselves a hard task which we will not manage. People make mistakes, they sin, some are stubborn and do stupid things around us. To pretend that we are not seeing these things and not to do anything about them, we are cutting ourselves off from reality. For instance, parents have to correct their children if they do wrong, the law has to take its course when one does  a crime and a right punishment has to be given. Therefore, Jesus does not mean we stop noticing these things and leave living the reality. Now what does Jesus mean by saying that don't judge that you will not be judged?