Daily Catholic Reflection: Sunday, January 26, 2025, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, Sunday of the Word of God

Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21                   Full Readings

Saints timothy and Titus

The Nature of Jesus' Mission

Brethren, on this third Sunday in the Ordinary Time, we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God. Pope Francis established the Sunday of the Word of God on September 30, 2019.  This day is celebrated on the third Sunday of Ordinary Time and is dedicated to the celebration, reflection, and dissemination of the Word of God. The Pope wrote a Motu proprio “Aperuit illis" in response to requests from the faithful around the world to celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God. The timing of the document is significant. 30 September is the Feast of Saint Jerome, the man who translated most of the Bible into Latin and who famously said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. Let us today receive the Word of God, not just be hearers but also doers of the Word. The Word of God always calls us not only to love Him but also to become Jesus himself for others here on earth.

Daily catholic Reflection: Saturday, January 25, 2025, Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22

Psalm 117:1bc, 2

Mark 16:25-18           Full Readings

Conversion of St Paul

From Persecutor to Gospel Proclaimer

Brethren, today we celebrate the feast of the conversion of Saul, the persecutor of the people who followed "The Way." His conversion was not only a turning point for the spreading of the Christian faith all over the Roman Empire but also for the spread of Christianity throughout the whole world. His conversion on the way to Damascus is so significant that it is recounted three times in the Acts of the Apostles. Paul was a tireless missionary and a great theologian, the one who shaped the Christian message, as his letters contained in the New Testament clearly show.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, January 24, 2025, Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Hebrew 8:6-13,

Psalm 85:8, 10, 11-12, 13-14

Mark 3:13-19            Full Readings

Saint Francis de Sales

Called to be With Jesus and to be Sent

Brethren, we continue to reflect on the letter to the Hebrews, which centres mostly on the High Priesthood of Christ and how Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Today, the letter shows us that Christ established a new covenant, which replaced the old covenant that God had established with his people, the Israelites, at the time of coming out of Egypt. This is what we call the Old Covenant, but unfortunately, this covenant was not adhered to by the Israelites by disobeying God and turning to their own ways. Then, through prophet Jeremiah 33, as quoted in our first reading today, because God loved them beyond compare, He promised to make with them a new and eternal covenant which will be written on their hearts and where every individual will follow it without excuse, because it will be written in one's conscience and not by being taught by anyone or anything external. Jesus came to establish this new covenant.

Daily Catholic Reflection: January 23, 2025, Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

 

Hebrews 7:25—8:6

Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

Mark 3:7-12                   Full Readings

Saint Marianne Cope

The Believing Crowd

Brethren, Jesus is increasingly becoming famous because of his miracles, and in today's Gospel we see that a “great multitude” followed Jesus from Galilee. “Hearing all that he had been doing” impelled them to seek him out and believe in him. Who was this mystery man? Some were intrigued by his words. Many sought physical healing, and Jesus was their last hope. Would they believe that Jesus was more than a prophet, more than a teacher? Would Jesus impress upon them his authority, majesty, and individual love for each of them? An encounter with Jesus brings with it great promises of abundant grace, spiritual awakening, forgiveness, and more. What did this great multitude experience? Love, healing, compassion, mercy and teaching from Jesus. We can experience the same graces every day when we pray.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Tuesday, January 21, 2024, Memorial of Saint Agnes, on the Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

  

Hebrews 6:10-20

Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c

Mark 2:23-28                      Full Readings

Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

Sabbath is Made for Man

Brethren, in God, nothing about us is forgotten, except our sins, through His mercy. This is why the Book of Hebrews tells us that our good efforts and deeds can never be forgotten. Our every good deed for God and His Church will be repaid. This is how God repaid Abraham, fulfilling the promises He had made him. It is not our past good deeds that give our present blessings, but the good deeds we have continued to do in perseverance. The good deeds of David that were sustained gave him and his followers the privilege to eat the meal of the High Priests. God can waive laws to see us saved. We in turn must not be inhumanly strict.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Monday, January 20, 2025, Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 5:1-10

Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4

Mark 2:18-22                                Full Readings

Saint Sebastian 

Feasting and Fasting

Today's first reading teaches us that obedience to God’s word brings about acceptance, but disobedience brings rejection. Jesus' obedience to the Father's will made him the high priest, and this teaches us that if we want to be great in God's kingdom, we have to follow God's will and obey his commandments. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that the bridegroom's presence (Jesus) is a cause for rejoicing and celebration. However, when the Lord has ascended and the Church, experiencing the descent of the Holy Spirit and carrying out its mandatory missionary work, will of course need to fast for the graces needed for the tasks ahead. We should therefore pray and fast as Christians to be obedient to God’s word always.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, January 17, 2025, Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

Hebrews 4:1-5, 11

Psalm 78:3 & 4bc, 6c-7, 8

Mark 2:1-12                                Full Readings

Saint Anthony of Egypt, Abbot

Leading Others to Jesus for Healing

Brethren, what are friends for? Many of us will give many different answers: perhaps for feeling their warmth, helping with financial problems, providing guidance and counselling, going out with them, texting and calling, and many other things. Very few, however, would give the answer that friends are for leading us to Jesus. Today's Gospel really shows us that true friends are for leading us to Jesus so that we can receive healing and blessings from him.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 2:14-18

Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

Mark 1:29-39                                Full Readings

Saint Devasahayam Pillai

Prayer: A Strong Companion to Mission

After a powerful day of miracles and preaching, Jesus rose early the next morning to go to a “lonely place in the desert” to pray in communion with His heavenly Father (Mk 1:35). It is from this place of deep communion with the Father that Jesus comes out to minister with power and authority. He shows us that prayer is a strong companion to mission; without prayer, our mission might not bear fruit as expected. Jesus going off to pray in the early morning shows that the wellspring of all his activity was his union with the God whom he called his Father. We cannot say what Jesus’ prayer was any more than I can say what your prayer is, but the confident communication between Father and Son must have been the source of his strength and compassion.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Monday, January 13, 2025, Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Hebrews 1:1-6

Psalm 97:1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9

Mark 1:14-20                             Full Readings

Saint Hillary of Poitiers

The Kingdom of God is Here

Brethren, Christmas time is over, Jesus has been baptised, and his baptism marked the beginning of public ministry because through his baptism he received the power of the Holy Spirit, the divine confirmation from heaven as a Son of God, so that all may believe in him and his works. Now, Jesus is starting his mission, which he picked from John the Baptist after being arrested, according to Mark's gospel. But as we see in today's gospel, before Jesus began his mission, he chose his disciples, and today he calls the first disciples. These disciples would stay with Jesus, learn from him all that concerns the kingdom, and later he would commission them to go out to the world to proclaim the good news. Jesus, calling his first disciples, formed a new and first Christian community, which will help him in his mission. Jesus cannot do everything by himself; though he is capable, he calls us and invites us today to participate in his mission, as he called his disciples. Are we ready to participate in the mission of Jesus as we start this Ordinary Time?

Daily Catholic Reflection: Sunday, January 12, 2024, The Baptism of the Lord

Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 or Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30 

Acts 10:34-38 or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22                             Full Readings

Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys

The Baptism of Jesus

Brethren, today we celebrate the feast day of the Baptism of Jesus. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord concludes the Christmas Season and transitions us into the beginning of Ordinary Time I up to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, an invitation to move and act with Jesus in his public ministry. From a Scriptural point of view, this event in Jesus’ life is also a transitional moment from His hidden life in Nazareth to the beginning of His public ministry. As we commemorate this glorious event, it’s important to ponder some simple yet profound questions: Why was Jesus baptised? Recall that John’s baptism was one of repentance, an act by which he invited his followers to turn away from sin and to turn to God. But Jesus was sinless, so what was the reason for His Baptism? What is the significance of his baptism to me? What would we have lost if Jesus was not baptised? What is the invitation to me on this day of Jesus' Baptism?

Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, January 11, 2025, Saturday after Epiphany

1 John 5:14-21

Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

John 3:22-30                           Full Readings     

Blessed William Carter

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease

Brethren, today we conclude our sequential reading of the First Letter of John. It is good to recall and meditate on the overall message of the three parts of the letter. The first part invites us to walk in the light of God and Jesus. Walking in the light means being honest about our failings, struggles, and sins. We need to imitate the way Christ walked, heed the new commandment to love, choose to love God rather than the world, and reject the denial of truth. In the second part of the letter, John invites us to walk in the righteousness that belongs to the children of God. In the third part of the letter, John encourages us to walk in love and seek the perfection of love. God loved us first, and when we walk in love, we are responding to the generous and total self-giving of the Father. The final message of John, which we read today, is that we need to pray for one another, for our brothers and sisters, that as the Bride of Christ, they can be victorious in the struggle to overcome sin.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, January 10, 2024, Friday after Epiphany

1 John 5:5-13

Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-207

Luke 5:12-16                             Full Readings     

Saint Gregory of Nyssa

Jesus' Healing Power

Brethren, from Jesus' Epiphany, we have been reading a series of Gospels pointing us to the mission of Jesus, and yesterday we saw him declaring his mission: mission to the lowly of society. Today's Gospel presents to us Jesus healing the leper, which shows that really Jesus had come for the lowly ones and the abandoned of society. Lepers were isolated and were not allowed to associate with anybody, and even worse, they were not allowed to reach near the Rabbi. Jesus, however, showed everyone that he could touch and heal the leper, something that was against the law. He shows his love and compassion for these people.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Thursday, January 9, 2025, Thursday after Epiphany

1 John 4:19–5:4

Psalm 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17

Luke 4:14-22                            Full Readings     

Saint Adrian of Canterbury

Jesus' Manifesto

Brethren, today's Gospel reveals the mission of Jesus, the true Messiah. Having entered the synagogue in his hometown, Nazareth, he was given the scroll to read and he read where it was written that the Spirit of God is upon him for he was sent to bring good tidings to the poor, prisoners, abandoned, oppressed and declare the year of peace. This was a declaration of his manifesto, that is, his mission as the messiah. He did not meet the expectations of the political Messiah who was expected by the Jews; Jesus had come for the lowly of the society. We are invited to take part in the mission of Jesus, to show love to the lowly and the looked upon of the society.