Daily Catholic Reflection: August 1, 2020, Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Year A.

Jeremiah 26:11-16.24,

Psalm 69: 15- 16.30-31.33-34,

Matthew 14:1-12 Full Readings

Saint Alphonsus Liguori

 Courageous Witness to the Truth

Today's readings present to us challenges involved in witnessing the truth and carrying out the mission of God. These challenges include even being put to death as we see John Baptist being beheaded in the Gospel due to the hatred of Herodias. This was because John had refused Herod to take Herodias as his wife because she was the wife of his brother. John Baptist's head was cut off because of standing for the truth.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 31, 2020, Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest, Year A.

Jeremiah 26:1 – 9,

Psalm 69:5.8- 10. 14,

Matthew 13:54-58 Full Readings

Saint Ignatius of Loyola

 No Prophet is accepted in His own People

Today's Gospel and indeed the first Reading shows us that really, no Prophet is accepted in his own country. When people are used to you and know your strengths and weaknesses, know your family background and how you grew up, it is very hard to convince them to listen to you even if you have a point.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 30, 2020, Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Last Judgment

Jeremiah 18: I -6,

Responsorial Psalm 146:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6AB,

Matthew 13:47-53 Full Readings

Venerable Solanus Casey

 The Last Judgement

Today's Gospel gives us another image of how the kingdom of God is like. Jesus says that it is like the dragnet which is cast into the sea and catches every kind of fish and then after the fishermen choose the best and throw the rest. This is how it will be at the end of the time when God's Angels will separate the good from the bad, putting the good into the kingdom of God and the bad into everlasting fire.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 29, 2020, Memorial of Saint Martha, Year A.

Jeremiah 15:10.16-21,

Psalm 59:2-3.4.10-11.17.18,

Luke  10:38-42 Full Readings

Saint Martha

 Choosing the Better Part

Today we celebrate the memorial of St Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. In the Gospel of John, Martha is the one who utters the highest profession of faith in Jesus, the resurrection and the life (cf. John 11:19-27). Luke presents to us Mary and Martha hosting Jesus; Martha was busy preparing food and Mary listening to Jesus at His feet.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 28, 2020,Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Jeremiah 14: 17b-22,

Psalm79:8.9. 11.13,

Matthew 13:36-43  Full Readings

Blessed Stanley Rother

 Our Last Reckoning

Today's Gospel presents Jesus explaining the parable of the sower who sowed and at night the enemy came and planted weeds. The sower allowed both the weeds and the wheat to grow together but at last he harvested his wheat and burnt all the weeds. Jesus says that that's how it will be at the end of the world, where we shall be judged according to our actions, if we did good we shall enter the kingdom of heaven and if we misbehaved and didn't repent we shall be sent into hell. That's why today it's worth reflecting on our last reckoning.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 27, 2020, Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Reading 1: Jeremiah 13:1-11,

Responsorial Psalm: DEUTERONOMY 32:18-19, 20, 21

Gospel: Matthew 13:31 -35 Full Readings

Blessed Antonio Lucci

 Making A Difference 

Today's Gospel presents to us another two images of how the Kingdom of God is like. First is that the kingdom is like a small mustard seed which was sowed in the field, grew up into a tree and birds rested in it. The second is that the kingdom of God is like the yeast which is put into the dough and it leavens it.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 26, 2020, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

1 Kings 3:5.7-12,

Ps119:57 and 72.76-77.127-128. 129-130,

Romans.8:28-30,

Matthew 13:44-52  Full Readings

Saints Joachim and Anne

 The Precious Treasure

The first reading and the gospel are joined by the theme of the search for the precious treasure. For King Solomon the greatest treasure was the wisdom to enable him to govern his people well. For us the treasure is the kingdom of God. Whoever discovers it is determined to change their whole life to have it. The second reading tells us that God directs everything so that we may have the courage to make the right choice when challenging options are put before us for when God calls us, He justifies us and gives us grace to pass through anything. Today let's reflect on what our precious treasure is and what we can ask from the Lord  that will enable everything to flow to us as it was to Solomon.

Sheria yako naipenda mno ajabu(O Lord how I love your law) 17th Sunday I...

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 25, 2020, Feast of Saint James, Apostle, Year A.

2 Corinthians 4:7-15,

Ps126:1-2ab.2cd-3.4-5.6,

Matthew 20:20-28 Full Readings

St James, Apostle

 The Road to Heavenly Glory

Today we celebrate the feast of James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John the apostle and evangelist. He was present, with Peter and John, at the special miracles worked by the Lord, at his transfiguration and in the garden of Gethsemane. He was the first of the apostles to be put to death (see Acts 12:1-3) around the year 42.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 24, 2020, Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Jeremiah 3: 14-17,

PSALM: Jeremiah 31: 10.11,

Matthew 13: 18-23 Full Readings

Saint Sharbel Makhluf

 Which type of a Christian are you?

Today's Gospel presents to us the image of a sower who went to sow. Some seeds fell on the path and were pecked by the birds, some on the rocky ground and were scorched by the sun, some in the thorns and withered because of lack of roots and others on good soil and brought forth a hundredfold. Surprisingly, Jesus meant how we receive the word of God and how we allow it to bear fruit in our lives.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 23, 2020, Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13,

Psalm 36:6—7ab.8-9.10-11,

Matthew 13: 10-17 Full Readings

Saint Bridget of Sweden

 Knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdom

Today's Gospel presents Jesus explaining to His disciples why He uses parables in His teachings. The major reason is that the Jews had eyes but they look without seeing, had ears but they listen without hearing or understanding. This made them not to be exposed to the mysteries of the kingdom. This also sounds like another parable which we should try to understand why Jesus said this.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 22, 2020, Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Year A.

Song of Solomon 3:1-4ab,

Psalm 63:2.2-4.5-6.8,

John 20:1-2.11-18  Full Readings

Saint Mary Magdalene

 Deep Love for Jesus 

Today we celebrate the feast day Mary Magdalene, a perfect example of clinging and having deep love for Jesus. Mary Magdalene was regarded as sinful and unworthy  by the Jews, not  even to talk to a Rabbi, for a Rabbi was always a holy person and so no one unclean would relate with him.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 21, 2020, Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Micah 7: 14-15.18-20,

Ps85:2-4.5-6.7-8,

Matthew 12:46-50 Full Readings

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi

 Becoming Part of God's Family

How would you feel to be a mother of the president? What about being a sister or a brother of Bill Gates? What about a child of the Queen of England? I can imagine that feeling; you can feel that you are the top of the world. Brethren, if you can feel like that with these worldly and mortal people, what about if you are the mother, or brother or sister of Jesus or a child of God?

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 20, 2020, Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Micah 6: 1-4.6-8,

Ps 50:5-6.8-9.16bc-17.21,

Matthew 12:38-42 Full Readings

Saint Apollinaris

 Acting Justly, loving tenderly and Walking Humbly

This famous statement of prophet Micah is one of the most quoted verses in the Old Testament. The Lord asks us of this: Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8).

O Lord you are good and forgiving. 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Responsorial Psalm

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 19, 2020, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Wisdom 12:13.16-19,

Psalm 86:5-6.9-10.15-16, (Watch it on Youtube)

Romans 8:26-27,

Matthew 13:24-43 Full Readings

Maint Mary Mackillop

 The Reality of Evil and Good in the World.

Today's Gospel gives us three other comparisons about the kingdom of God with our natural and local images which are sowing and harvesting, the mustard seed and yeast within a dough. Jesus never uses strange images in His preaching but uses images well known and common to us so that we may understand the Kingdom of God very well for those who have ears to hear.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 18, 2020, Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Micah 2: 1-5,

Psalm 10 :1-2.3-4a.7-8b.14,

Matthew 12:14-21 Full Readings

Saint Camillus de Lellis

 Humble Servant

Today's Gospel presents to us how Jesus shows humility in His mission. Though He had power to do any miracles He wanted, He didn't take this as a chance to publicize himself as many of us would do today but in His humility, He would even tell those He healed not to tell anyone.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 17, 2020, Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Isaiah 38 :1-6.21-22.7-8,

Isaiah 38: 10.11.12, (Song of Hezekiah)

Matthew 12:1-8 Full Readings

Saint Francis Solano

 Law and Mercy

Today's Gospel presents to us Jesus giving the true meaning of Sabbath. After the Apostles picked the ears of corn and ate them on Sabbath, the Pharisees blamed them for working on Sabbath for it was prohibited but Jesus responds to them that He desires mercy not sacrifice and that the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 16, 2020, Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Isaiah 26:7-9.12. 16-19,

Ps 102: 13- l4ab and 15.16-18.19-21,

Matthew 11:28-30 Full Readings

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

 Resting in Jesus

Today's Gospel is a continuation of yesterday's Gospel and presents to us Jesus speaking with unique tenderness as He invites us to come to Him with all our burdens and carry His yoke for it's light and easy to carry.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 15, 2020, Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Year A,

Reading 1: IS 10:5-7, 13B-16

Responsorial Psalm 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15

Gospel: MT 11:25-27                                            Full Readings

Saint Bonaventure

Being Childlike

Today’s Gospel presents to us Jesus’ prayer for thanksgiving to the Father for revealing things of the Kingdom to the childlike rather than the learned and the clever ones. By childlike, Jesus means the humble and therefore today's Gospel invites us to be very humble as possible.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 14, 2020, Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time,Year A

Isaiah 7:1-9,

Psalm 48:2-3ab.3c-4.5-6.7-8,

Matthew 11:20-24 Full Readings

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha or Saint Camillus de Lellis

Time for Repentance

We all know that Jesus performed many miracles and taught in many towns and villages, proclaiming the kingdom of God and calling for repentance. Jesus' miracles aimed at showing the power of God and were instruments to bring people together and believe in the kingdom of God. Unfortunately not all believed in these miracles because they made their hearts stubborn and really hardened them and didn't repent.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 13, 2020, Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Isaiah 1:10- 17,

Ps 50:8-9.16bc-17.21,

Matthew 10:34-11:1 Full Readings

Saint Henry (Patron of Childless and Benedictine Oblates)

 Mission of God First

Today's Gospel is  an invitation to put 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.

15th Sunday in Ordinary time Psalm, in Malay language. (The seed that fe...

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 12, 2020, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Reading 1 IS 55:10-11,

Responsorial Psalm PS 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14,

Reading 2: ROM 8:18-23,

Gospel MT 13:1-23 OR 13:1-9 Full Readings

Saints John Jones and John Wall

 Receiving the Word of God.

After finishing our reflection on the Mission Discourse of Jesus, today we start Jesus parables and sayings which he uses and derives  daily images known to us to convey His teachings. For the next three weeks we have some of these pictures, to show us what Jesus is trying to do. Jesus never used abstract things to preach about the Kingdom of God but our daily experiences. Like any good teacher, Jesus uses pictures – or parables. These helped to understand the Kingdom more for those who had ears to hear.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 11, 2020, Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot, Year A.

Isaiah 6: 1-8,

Psalm 93:1AB, 1CD-2, 5

Matthew 10:24-33  Full Readings

Saint Benedict, Abbot

 Proclaiming the Gospel in face of Hostility 

Today we come to the final section of the Mission Discourse which counters the fear of persecution with confidence in divine protection in the face of hostility and persecution. As we have seen, the whole chapter 10 of Matthew's gospel is a mission discourse and brings together and sums up what Jesus has to say to his apostles about declaring his teaching in the face of hostility and persecution. Jesus himself was fearless in proclaiming his message. He ‘taught with authority’, as the gospel constantly tells us. His disciples are sent out to do the same and  to fear nothing but only God who is the overall. Today also Jesus invites that: "Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell." This is an invitation for us to be bold and face all the challenges including those who threaten to kill us because of spreading the word of God.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 10, 2020, Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time A

Hosea 14:1-9,

Ps 51:3-4.8-9.12-13.14,

Matthew 10: 16-23 Full Readings

Saint Veronica Giuliani

 The Role of the Holy Spirit in Mission

We continue to reflect on the Mission Discourse where Jesus commissions and instructs His disciples for mission. Today we see Jesus instructing His disciples to prepare for persecution and rejection as they go for Mission. Jesus therefore tells them to be wise and cunning like the serpent but harmless like the dove, and not to worry for the Spirit of the Lord will guide and give them what to say in such times.

Daily Catholic Reflection: July 9, 2020, Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Hosea 11: 1 - 4.8c-9,

Psalm 80:2ac,

Matthew 10:7 - 15 Full Readings

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions

 God's Providence in Mission.

Today we continue to reflect on the Mission Discourse of Matthew which presents to us sending of disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God which is at hand and the instructions they are to follow. In today's Gospel Jesus is instructing His disciples on how they are to carry out their mission. First of all, they are to proclaim the Kingdom of God and perform miracles. Secondly they are to carry nothing for their journey for the worker deserves  his or her pay, the people they are proclaiming too will take care of them, but they are to give at no cost for they received at no cost.