Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, April 1, 2023, Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Year A

Ez 37:21-28

Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13

Jn 11:45-56                Full Readings

Saint Hugh of Grenoble

Why Jesus was Killed and Why He Died?

I am always accustomed to ask 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 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 can 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: Thursday, March 30, 2023, Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Year A

Gn 17:3-9

Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Jn 8:51-59                    Full Readings

Saint Peter Regalado

Whoever Keeps my Word will Never See Death

Brethren today's readings point us to the Graces involved in heeding to the word of God, to the word that Jesus brings to us. In the first Reading, Abraham was made the father of a multitude of nations because he heed to the word of God and followed whatever was instructed to him by God. However, he didn't not only heed to God's word but also had unwavering faith in God; that's why he is the father of faith. Thus, from Abraham, we see that whoever keeps the word of God and believes in him, will never taste death but will reign forever with God.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Year A

Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

Psalm: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

Jn 8:31-42                     Full Readings

Saint Ludovico of Casoria

Sinning is Slavery

When we think of freedom as a mere physical freedom forgetting of the spiritual and psychological freedom, then we are not free but in slavery. The Jews who criticized Jesus after telling them that the truth will save them free claiming that they are free forgot that they were spiritually enslaved because of their sins and not believing in Jesus, the awaited Messiah and in his teachings. Whoever sins is a slave of sin. If we are stuck in our sins, we are not free but slaves of sin and the only way to be free is to accept the truth for the truth will set us free. What is this truth? It is Jesus Christ who alone gives freedom of body, mind and soul. As Bishop Robert Barron says, freedom is “not so much liberty of choice, but rather the disciplining of desire so as to make the achievement of the good first possible and then effortless.”

Daily Quote

True happiness in love comes only when one understands love as wishing the other well rather than enjoying the warmth of one another.

Wilson Karugaba 

Daily Quote

Secrets have weight, the more you keep them, the harder it is to move on 

Wilson Karugaba

 

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year A

Is 49:8-15

Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

Jn 5:17-30                     Full Readings

Saint Nicholas Owen 

Perfectly United with His Father

Brethren, as we move towards Holy Week and Easter, the readings continue to reveal gradually who Jesus is gradually and more importantly why he was killed. In the eyes of Jews, Jesus was a law breaker: eating with and welcoming sinners, performing miracles on Sabbath day as we saw yesterday healing a sick man at the sheep pool of Bethesda. This was the first accusation laid on him. Today, the gospel gives us the second accusation: calling himself God by claiming authority which only belongs to God, calling himself Son of God and God his Father, and made himself equal to God.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year A

Ez 47:1-9, 12

Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

Jn 5:1-16                     Full Readings

Blessed John of Parma

Life Flows from Jesus

Brethren, today’s readings speak of the healing power of water. Next to air, water is the other element that living organisms most need to survive and thrive. Human beings, animals and plants cannot go for so long without water before they die. Communities, nations have been known to go to war in order to secure access to water, and many people and animals, as we watch news, are dying of drought because of lack of water. Some of the water shortage is as a result of human error, and numerous communities across the globe are experiencing water shortage. Humans, animals and plants in those places are threatened with extinction. We may not be able to do much to solve the water problems of the world. But we can at least do all in our power to meet the water needs of those around us – “I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.”

Daily Catholic Reflection: Monday, March 20, 2023, Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Year A

2 Samuel 7:4-5a.12—14a. 16, 

Ps 89:2-3.4-5.27, 

Romans 4: 13.16-18.22, 

Matthew 1:16.18—21, or Lk 2:41-51a                    Full Readings

Saint Joseph, the Husband of Mary 

The Proto Saint Joseph

Brethren, what a Great Man, St Joseph is! He was made great not because of any privileges but because of the choices he made in life. Today’s Gospel refers to him as a “righteous man” and as a man who “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Thus, his greatness is primarily on account of his moral righteousness and obedience to the will of God. The first reading proclaims an everlasting kingdom and how God decided to grant it to a “son of David.” The Gospel proclaims the accomplishment of the promise made to David: one of his descendants has fulfilled the words of Nathan beyond all expectations. The second reading speaks of Abraham, the man who placed his trust in God. Like Abraham, Joseph too believed that the dreams of God would be fulfilled. Abraham and Joseph prove that whoever puts their trust in God will never be disappointed.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Sunday, March 19, 2023, Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday), Year A

1 Samuel 16:1b.6-7.10-13a; 

Psalm 23:I-3a.3b-4.5.6;

Ephesians 5:8-14; 

John 9:1-41                      Full Readings

Saint Joseph, the Husband of Mary (Solemnity to be celebrated tomorrow)

Christ, The Light of the World

Today’s Sunday is traditionally called Laetare Sunday. It is called so following the first word of the opening antiphon: "Rejoice, Jerusalem and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were mourning, exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast." Laetare means Rejoice and therefore this Sunday is a Sunday of joy. The joy of this Sunday is a symbol of life; amidst all sadness in life, there is always some joy. It marks the half of the Lenten season (though strictly speaking, it is on Thursday of the third Sunday of Lent) and Easter is enticingly near. The vestments worn by the celebrant are rose-colored, not violet. Laetare Sunday is paralleled to Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, March 17, 2023, Friday of the Third Week of Lent, Year A

Hos 14:2-10

Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

Mk 12:28-34                         Full Readings

Saint Patrick

Challenges to the Greatest Commandment

When Jesus was asked by the Scribe of which the greatest commandment is, Jesus replies with an impeccable Rabbinic answer, bringing together two texts from different books of the Bible. First is Deuteronomy 6.5, recited by every faithful Jew three times a day, ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind and strength’, as straightforward a priority as you could wish. But the exciting thing about the answer is that Jesus couples that with another text from Leviticus 19.18, ‘And you shall love your neighbour as yourself’. The command is not new, but it is only staggering that Jesus puts it on a level with the love for God. By this he clearly states the greatest commandment: love for God with our whole being and love for neighbour as we love ourselves. But this greatest commandment faces some challenges today.

Daily Catholic Reflection: March 16, 2023, Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year A

Jer 7: 23-28.

Ps 95: 1-2, 6-9.

Lk 11: 14-23                      Full Readings

Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer

The Finger of God at Work

Dear brethren, listening is a virtue in itself, for it is only when we listen that we can learn and understand.  Listening to the voice of God keeps us informed, wise and safe.  Rebellious people never listen because they are stubborn.  The Lord rejects those who harden their hearts and rebuff His voice, but He blesses those who listen and adhere to His voice.   Today God calls us to believe in Him and to gather with Him. Let us therefore heed the voice of God and lead holy lives as a people. The Jews in the first reading did not heed to the voice of God and what he was telling them and finally their temple was destroyed, and many taken to exile. To experience the finger of God at work in our lives, we have to listen attentively, learn and act according to God's will. “O that today you would listen to His voice harden not your hearts!

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, Year A

Dt 4:1, 5-9

Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

Mt 5:17-19                           Full Readings

Saint Louise de Marillac

Fulfilling the Law

One of the ways God showed his love to his people, Israelites, was through giving them the Law the book of the Deuteronomy brings out clearly the importance of this law. We do not often associate law with love, but the book of Deuteronomy, though it is a law-book, and indeed all the Pentateuch and the prophets, is vibrant with the love of God. How is the law a sign of love to his people?

Daily catholic Reflection: Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, Year A

Jer 18:18-20

Ps 31:5-6, 14, 15-16

Mt 20:17-28                         Full Readings

Saint John of God

Can You Drink the Cup?

In today's Gospel, after Jesus gives us the third of his great prophecies of the Passion, there follows immediately the request of the mother of Zebedee’s sons for a high position in the Kingdom. Perhaps it was a bit bold of her to ask that of Jesus, but it was clearly a mother’s love that was behind her request. In Mark, it is the disciples themselves who asked Jesus for this favour. But did they understand what she and her sons were asking? No, if they did realise what they were asking, they may not have asked Jesus for this “favour” at all. Instead, the mother would have asked her sons to remain faithful to Jesus, carry their crosses and follow Jesus promptly in order for them to be able to sit at the side of Jesus in his kingdom. They were only thinking in worldly terms, taking Jesus as a political Messiah.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Monday, March 6, 2023, Monday of the Second Week in Lent, Year A

Dan 9:4b-10

Psalm 79:8-9,11,13

Luke 6:36-38                            Full Readings

Saint Mary Ann of Jesus of Paredes

Be Merciful. Stop Judging. Stop Condemning. Forgive. Give

Brethren, today's gospel presents to us five fundamental teachings of Jesus suitable for an authentic Christian. In the same way, Jesus shows us very clearly that Christian life, practices and virtues are twofold and so Jesus calls us to be merciful just as our heavenly father is merciful, not to judge so that we will not be judged, not to condemn so that we will not be condemned, to forgive so that we will be forgiven and to give much so that much will be given to us. These are simply put but may be hard to practice for a Christian who does not walk in the real footsteps of Christ who was perfect in all of these. Jesus does not call us to do what himself never did, he is our role model, if we follow him closely, we will find these easier to do.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, March 4, 2023, Saturday of the First Week of Lent, Year A

Dt 26:16-19

Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

Mt 5:43-48                               Full Readings

Saint Casimir

Love and Pray for Your Enemies

Brethren, God is love and where there is love, there is God. In the first readings God calls us his people, but we shall remain his people when we love him and follow his commandments. All his commandments are summarized into one, which is love. This implies that we shall remain God's people if we love. In the Gospel, Jesus defines what this love is. It is the sacrificial love given to everyone even your enemies. He invites us to love and pray for our enemies for this is what makes us unique as Christians different from other beliefs. People will know that we are Christians only by our love, and therefore, Christian life must be a life of love.