"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

1st Reading           Malachi 3: 1-4 Psalm                      24:7. 8. 9. 10 (R. cf. 10bc) R:// "The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory!" 2nd Reading       Hebrews 2: 14-18 Gospel                  Luke 2: 22-40 TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION IN FAITH AND VALUES Beloved, today is not only a Sunday, but it is also the first Sunday of February 2025. We just need to thank God for leading us through the previous month and ushering us into a new month. We ask him to continue to guide and protect us similarly. Additionally, February, in the Catholic Church, is dedicated to devotion to the Holy Family. Just last year, December 29, 2024, we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. In February, we dedicate a whole month to drawing lessons from the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This is very important so that we begin to relook at our families and the ...

1st Reading               Nehemiah 8:2-6,8-10 Psalm                          19:8, 9, 10, 15 (R. cf Jn. 6:63c) R:// "Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life" 2nd Reading            1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Gospel                        Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21 TRANSFORMED BY THE WORD, TRANSFORMED FOR OTHERS Beloved, today, the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time has been marked, since September 30, 2019, the Memorial of St. Jerome, as the Sunday of the Word of God. This is a fruitful opportunity for us to recap the centrality of God's Word both in the liturgical space and in the everyday endeavour of every Christian. We just have to remind ourselves that the Bible, the Word of God, is the voice of God, and every voice is the result of thought. What we read, reflect, and act upon is actually the thought of God.  I...

1st Reading                 Isaiah 62: 1-5 Psalm                            96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 9-10a and c (R. 3) R:// "Tell among all the peopled the wonders of the Lord" 2nd Reading              1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Gospel                          John 2: 1-11 RELATIONSHIPS THAT BRING JOY Friends, today is the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The first reading is from Isaiah 62: 1-5, and the Gospel passage is John 2:1-11. Let's take a quick dive into them.  What is the whole issue in the first reading? Notice that the first reading has a very high matrimonial overtone. It uses the language and image of people in marriage for which reason we hear words like "bride", "bridegroom", "espoused", and "wedded", The section we are reading falls under "Third Isaiah" (Chaps. 56-66). Th...

1st Reading              Isaiah 40:1-5. 9-11 Psalm                         104: 1b-2. 3-4. 24-25. 27-28. 29-30 (R. 1) R:// "Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, how great you are!" 2nd Reading            Titus 2: 11-14; 3: 4-7 Gospel                        Luke 3: 15-16.21-22 BEYOND EXPECTATIONS Beloved, today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This feast also marks the end of the season of Christmas. What it means is that Jesus will no longer be viewed as an infant but as a mature man who will begin his public ministry. We shall begin the Ordinary Time from tomorrow. We should be reading passages about Jesus' ministry from tomorrow. However, let us say a few things about the Word of God for today, especially focusing on the Gospel passage from Luke.  The Gospel passage from Luke 3: 15-16,...

1st Reading                 Isaiah 60: 1-6 Psalm                            71:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 R:// "All nations on earth shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord" 2nd Reading              Ephesians 3: 2-3, 5-6 Gospel                         Matthew 2: 1-12 REVEALED TO ALL Beloved, once again, Happy New Year! Today is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Epiphany celebrates the self-manifestation or revelation of Christ to the world, including the Gentiles. This celebration is filled with the imagery of light, and this is stressed by the name of the feast, Epiphany. From the Greek word "epiphaneia", it is made of two words: "epi" (upon) and "phanō" (shine). Basically, we celebrate the "shining" of Christ on earth. Our readings are also filled with this image of light.  The f...

1st Reading              Numbers 6: 22-27 Psalm                        67: 2-3. 5. 6 & 8 (R. 2a) R:// "O God, be gracious and bless us" 2nd Reading           Galatians 4: 4-7 Gospel                      Luke 2: 16-21 BLESSED AND KEPT IN GOD'S PEACE  Beloved, Happy New Year. Today is the first day of the first month of the new year, 2025. Let's deal with this identification. What we know from Scripture, especially the New Testament, is that the "first day" is the day of Resurrection. The Resurrection marked a new beginning for mankind because, without the Resurrection, our hope would have been in vain. Similarly, today, the "first day" of the Year 2025, we have renewed hope. May the light of our Hope in the blessings of God for us this year never go dim.  The important reason for today's liturgy is the...

1st Reading                1 Samuel 1: 20-22. 24-28 Psalm                         84: 2-3. 5-6. 9-10. 11 (R. 5a) R:// "Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord" 2nd Reading            1 John 3: 1-2. 21-24 Gospel                        Luke 2: 41-52 SEEK AND FIND Beloved, today is Holy Family Sunday and the Last Sunday not only of the month but also of the year. We thank God for how far He has helped us through thick and thin. Today's celebration of the Holy Family puts family life into perspective. I suggest that we pay particular attention to the Gospel passage for this Sunday.  The Gospel passage is from Luke 2: 41-52. Note that we are reading from the Infancy Narrative presented by Luke. The Infancy Narrative relays to us what Jesus' childhood looked like, including the circumstances...