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

1st Reading              2 Kings 5:14-17 Psalm                        98:1,2-3ab, 3cd-4 (R. cf.2) R:// "The Lord has shown his deliverance to the nations" 2nd Reading           2 Timothy 2:8-13 Gospel                      Luke 17:11-19 AVOID THE LEPROSY OF INGRATITUDE Peace and Goodness, friends! Today is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), and the 2nd Sunday of October. Our first reading is from 2 Kings 5:14-17 and the Gospel is from Luke 17:11-19. For this Sunday, I suggest we pay particular attention to the Gospel from Luke. The first reading and the Gospel harmonize in talking about the issue of leprosy. Let us understand that leprosy, as described in Scripture, is not leprosy as we know it today. Leprosy in Scripture is any scar, wound, defect, or disorder, on the body, animal, or cloth. What happens is...

1st Reading              Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 Psalm                         95:1-2, 6-7abc, 7d-9 (R. 7d, 8a) R://"O that you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts" 2nd Reading            2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14 Gospel                       Luke 17:5-10 JUST WAIT Peace and Goodness, Friends! Today is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), and it is the 1st Sunday of October, the month of the Holy Rosary. In this month, we shall all the more seek Mary's intercession. We also unite with the Holy Father, Leo XIV, in praying for unity and respect for all people of different religious expressions and ideologies. The first reading for today is from Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4. We barely read from this book. Habakkuk is actually one of the 12 minor prophets. He prophesied close to the start of the Babylonian ...

First Reading              Amos 6:1a, 4-7 Psalm                            146:6c-7,8-9a,9bc-10 (R.1b) R:// "My soul, give praise to the Lord" 2nd Reading              1 Timothy 6:11-16 Gospel                         Luke 16:19-31 ATTEND TO THE LAZARUS AT YOUR GATE Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today, the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) is the last Sunday of September. We thank God for his providence, granting us the strength to go through even the hard times. The Word of God for this Sunday is taken from the same books as last Sunday. Therefore, we should see a particular trend or thematic development here. Let us delve into them. The first reading is from Amos 6:1a, 4-7. Again, the prophet Amos is working within a difficult economic system. The issue is that while things look very ec...

1st Reading               Amos 8:4-7 Psalm                          113:1-2,4-6,7-8 (R. see 1a, 7a) 2nd Reading             1 Timothy 2:1-8 Gospel                         Luke 16: 1-13 WEALTH WITHOUT WORSHIP DESTROYS JUSTICE Peace and Goodness! Today, the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), our first reading is from Amos 8:4-7 and the Gospel is from Luke 16:1-13. We shall give particular attention to the first reading. The personality of Amos will make a good foundational start. Prior to being called to be a Prophet,  Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of Sycamores (Amos 7:4). What becomes clear is that his prime occupational language will feature prominently in his speech and in the book. Noticeably, he spoke within his understanding of agriculture and livestock rearing. In that vein, going b...

1st Reading              Numbers 21:4b-9 Psalm                        78: 1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 (R. cf. 7b) R:// "Never forget the deeds of the Lord!" 2nd Reading           Philippians 2: 6-11 Gospel                      John 3:13-17 LOOK AND LIVE Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast, celebrated on September 14, commemorates the finding of the true Cross on which Jesus was crucified. The finding was led by St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. The Word of God for this Sunday aligns with the celebration. Let us consider a few thoughts from them for our reflection. The first reading is from Numbers 21:4b-9, and the Gospel is from John 3:13-17. Let us start with the first reading from Numbers 21:4-9. In Hebrew, the name of the Book is ' Bəm...

1st Reading            Wisdom 9:13-18b Psalm                       90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17 (R. 1) R:// "O Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation" 2nd Reading           Philemon 9b-10, 12-17 Gospel                      Luke 14: 25-33 DISCIPLESHIP BEYOND HUMAN CALCULATIONS Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). It is also the first Sunday of September. With September, we start the "Ber" months, months ending in "Ber". The first reading is from Wisdom 9:13-18b, and the Gospel is Luke 14: 25-33. Let us tackle them quickly. The first reading from Wisdom 9:13-18b comes from a Deuterocanonical book. Wisdom is one of the Deuterocanonical books, along with six others. It was written in Greek in Alexandria (in Egypt). It was written in the 1st Century BC. This is ...

1st Reading        Ecclesiasticus (or Sirach) 3:17-20,28-29 Psalm                   68:4-5ac,6-7ab,10-11 (R. 11b) R:// "In your goodness, O God, you provided for the poor" 2nd Reading      Hebrews 12:18-19,22-24a Gospel                 Luke 14:1,7-14 SIT LOW TO RISE HIGH Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). It is also the last Sunday of the month of August. Our first reading is from Ecclesiasticus (or Sirach) 3:17-20,28-29 and the Gospel is from Luke 14:1,7-14. Let us look at a few points from them. At first read, both readings point in the direction of the theme of humility. Therefore, we shall toe that same line. However, what in particular do the readings have to say about humility? Let us say a few preliminary words about the first reading from Ecclesiasticus 3:17-20,28-29. Ecclesiasticus is also called Sirach. The book w...