 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To strengthen our faith and commitment to the Gospel through acts of compassion, outreach, and perseverance. MONDAY Genesis 28:10-22; Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it[a] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[b] I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel,[c] though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord[d] will be my God 22 and[e] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” Matthew 9:18-26; While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region. "In you my God, I place my trust."(Ps. 91:2) There are times that we are beset by unfavorable circumstances. We feel that life is so unfair and we are overwhelmed with burdens and trials. Let us not be carried away by our downfalls. We know Jesus who is always there for us instead, let us ask Him to help us carry our burdens and heal our pains and transform our sorrows into joy. In this gospel account of Matthew, the two people who are desperately troubled cling to Jesus and are relieved from their anguish because of their great faith. How about us? This is a picture of how we must live as believers of Christ. Even though we have individual difficulties, we should not dwell on them but be hopeful, focus on the Lord and believe His saving power to heal and transform us that though we have burdens to carry but certainly joyful. Suffering is a blessing in disguise to help us grow into better and mature followers of Jesus. It is an opportunity to trust in the Lord, persevere in our prayers and experience His healing power and grace. Blessed are we who experience difficulties because in the Lord we place our trust. It is also a call to reach out to our brothers and sisters to share how great is the Lord, especially those who do not know Jesus. Let us be a blessing to them by helping them recognize the compassionate heart of Jesus.
TUESDAY Genesis 32:23-33; After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[a] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[c] and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon. Matthew 9:32-38; While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus heals and restores. The mute man’s healing is a sign of the Kingdom breaking into the world. Where there is silence, now there is speech. Where there was bondage, now there is freedom. This is what the Gospel does-it restores what was broken and gives voice to the voiceless. When Jesus looks at the crowds, He doesn’t see inconvenience or weakness. He sees people in need of love, guidance, and truth. His heart is moved, not with pity but with deep compassion that leads to action.
WEDNESDAY Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7,17-24; When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere. So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also. Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” And he put them all in custody for three days. On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do. They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.” Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. Matthew 10:1-7; Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ As followers of Christ, we are called and sent to be Christ to others especially to those who are in need. To bring Christ to others is to bring the kingdom of heaven closer to our brothers and sisters. It is our mission to carry out forgiveness, providence, and the slow work of reconciliation, in spite of all the injustices that we may encounter in our life. We are shown how God equips ordinary people to be His messengers of guidance, healing, and to live in His wonders through healing and liberation. As disciples of Christ, we are called in our daily lives to carry His message - not always through preaching, but through compassion, action, and presence. Are we willing to answer that call?
THURSDAY Genesis 44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5; Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’ But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’ But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. Matthew 10:7-15; As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. As VDMD, we are commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the kingdom of God with ardent passion. We received the kingdom first and lived it with conviction. It is then our duty as disciples, to proclaim it to others. We are reminded in the passage 1 Cor. 16 of this obligation before God: For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. We are convinced that the Good News is the antidote that can heal the spiritual dryness of our modern society today. We witness current situations of lack of hope, peace, joy and love thus, the urgency of the Gospel to be proclaimed. We do not need to go on mission trips to proclaim the Good News because the mission is right before our very own home with our loved ones, in our school, in our workplace and in our very own neighborhood. Let us remember that what we received freely should be given freely. Jesus reminds us that our love for Him will lead us to be sensitive for our love of others. And this is enough to embark, to wear the sandal and to proclaim the Gospel each day; and be an instrument of hope, peace, joy and love to others.
FRIDAY Genesis 46;1-7, 28-30; So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring. 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[a] and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” Matthew 10:16-23; “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. How are we today as disciples of Christ Jesus? We are again invited to listen to him attentively. So that we can hear his voice clearly as he calls us. For he needs us to be sent out as laborers of the Gospel. Jesus is so clear that as we are sent, we really have to face difficulties. Though he gives a consoling assurance that we are under the care of our loving Father in heaven. As he said, "When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."( Matthew 10:19-20) No matter what happens, we need to strengthen our faith and commitment that God is in charge! Especially when we are in difficulty as his followers, when we reach out for others. We only need to focus on his presence. By being close to him through listening more of his words in prayer. In order to be always aware of his presence in us. Remember we are not the only one hoping and trusting the Lord. He himself is also hoping and trusting us being the laborers of his words. Yes, we may face contradictions. But this will also be the moment where we are tested and sharpened to be more compassionate in the middle of hardships. This can make us more stronger and determined to go further in our journey as his disciples. This can also make us persevere in holding on our faith that God is always with us. He himself is guiding us all the time through the whole journey. What he needs from us, is our sincere "YES" to be sent out. Having a sincere acceptance that the Lord does not call us to be comfortable, successful, or popular. But he does call us to be faithful and committed. He hopes that when we are called by him we will respond with an obedient faith. Let us ask the help of our Mother Mary, that we may have an attitude as in Ps 37:4 that says, " Take delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's request." Let us thank the Lord for trusting and sending us to transform the world. But this will only happen if we are also open and willing to be transformed through God's power of love at work in us. Where we learn to seek our happiness in the Lord our God.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen
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General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To be trustful and hopeful for the merciful love of God, as chosen disciples of Christ Jesus. MONDAY Genesis 18:16-33; When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[a] For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[b] Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[c] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. Matthew 8:18-22; When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” "The Lord is kind and merciful."(Ps. 103:8) This statement is very true and clear in the dialogue with the Lord and Abraham, who beg His mercy for the people of Sodom. Abraham keeps on bargaining with the Lord to spare his people from wrath. He spoke to God straight from his heart that shows a father-son relationship and subsequently, God listened to him with intimacy. God did not turn down Abraham's requests, however, God is not after destruction but rather, restoration- restoration of our broken relationship with Him due to sin. That is why our commitment is essential for Him so that others may restore their trust and confidence in Him. He wanted all of our brothers and sisters to experience his unconditional love. It is said in Ps.95:8, "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts." This is our invitation because God's word is our light and strength to fulfill the mission. And so we must beg for His grace and mercy not to falter in our following but with filial trust in His great mercy like Sts. Peter and Paul who we celebrated their feast yesterday. We give honor to them for their steadfast love in the Lord even death cannot conquer their love for Jesus.
TUESDAY Genesis 19:15-29; With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,[a] please! Your[b] servant has found favor in your[c] eyes, and you[d] have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.[e])By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. Matthew 8:23-27; Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” “He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm”, Yes it’s true, worries, problems, fears and difficulties are indispensable in our day to day living and it is normal to feel in this way while facing them, yet we are not hooked up with this feeling all day long else we have no life within. Jesus is telling us today just to disturb him and wake him up, to call him and to put our trust and hope in him and all will be completely calm, the problems in life will never end but the assurance that Jesus will always be there to respond to our call of distress. Hopefully, we will not be counting the problems we have rather count the daily amazement of the beautiful things Jesus has been doing in our life.
WEDNESDAY Genesis 21:5.8-20; Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[a] will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[b] began to sob. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. Matthew 8:28-34; When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[a] two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. Both readings reflect on rejection, fear, and divine intervention. We are reminded that God hears and provides, even when hope seems lost. God sees those who are pushed aside, and He has a plan for everyone, including those who seem forgotten. He hears the outcast. Sometimes, we respond with fear when confronted with God's actions because of our own thoughts and desires. This fear can reject what is good for us. It shows how fear and attachment to comfort can blind us to the work of God. Yet God chooses to care for the vulnerable, the oppressed, the rejected. In this truth, we can move forward despite the criticism or rejection from our peers, for our hope in Christ Jesus can lead us to what is right.
THURSDAY Ephesians 2:19-22; Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. John 20:24-29; Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Today in the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle let us be reminded to nourish our faith as Jesus points out on today’s gospel. Like St. Thomas who doubted because he undergone moments of fear and sadness due to the death of Jesus on the cross, we too, can experience that our faith shakes due to many realities that we are facing. St. Thomas was so engrossed on his sorrows and doubts, thus blinding him of Christ’s resurrection after the cross. We too can be like St. Thomas who can focus only on our crosses and challenges and failed to see the resurrected Christ. But Jesus will always remind us of His constant presence and that, He is always in control. He offers “peace be with you” in times of doubts, anxieties and fears. Peace that Jesus alone can give. He will always come to us on our “locked doors” of unfaithfulness and lukewarmness in order to increase our faith. Let us then, continue to dialogue with Jesus constantly for He is our nourishment and strength in this challenging journey of pilgrims of life and as disciples. Let us frequent the sacraments offered by our Church especially the Eucharist to strengthened us. So, as we allow Jesus to draw us near to Him, we can be more hopeful and trusting on him; we then we can be channels of hope to others who are in many hopeless realities. Let us be like St. Thomas, who truly recognizing Jesus, strengthened his conviction with a strong renewal of his love, hope and trust to the Jesus by uttering the words “my Lord and my God”! May these words give us constant hope of the presence of Jesus in us as well.
FRIDAY Genesis 23:1-4.19; 24:1-8,62-67; Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.[a] He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?” “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. “The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[a] I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[a] and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. Matthew 9:9-13; As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."( Matthew 9:13) Here are again the beautiful words of Jesus . Where he strongly expresses his mercy and love. We need to listen and contemplate every word, for we are the Matthew of this present time. Today, Jesus passes by in our lives and chooses us to follow him. What is our immediate response? Are we going to respond like Matthew did? In our prayer today let us fix our eyes again on Jesus. Let us be sensitive to his gaze of mercy and love for each one of us. Like Pope Francis's papal motto, " Miserando Atque Eligendo" which means " he looked at him with mercy and called him". This is what Jesus is doing in our lives being his chosen ones. We are called to follow him not because we are pure, but because we make ourselves available for him in the midst of our sinfulness.The Kingdom of God is not for the flawless, but for those who let him reign in the middle of their mess. How trustful and hopeful are we of his loving choice? For our Lord and Savior will constantly look at us with mercy and love. Then he doesn't hesitate to call us by our names. Remember this " gaze of mercy" never ceases. He always looks at us with compassion and love. Where he never stops calling us . For we are his chosen ones. Let us come closer to our Lord Jesus Christ and say: " Visit me with your saving help, That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of your people, and glory with your inheritance." (Ps 106:4b-5)
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To remain faithful to our calling and our hope in the promises of the Lord. INTRODUCTION After the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we continue our journey during this Jubilee Year with the perspective of increasing our faith, love and hope. We are now in the ordinary time of the liturgical year. For the following weeks we will focus our reflections on the passages for the daily mass hoping that it will lead us to walk as Pilgrims of Hope. MONDAY Genesis 12:1-9; The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. Psalm 33:12-13,18-19, 20,22 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Matthew 7:1-5; “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. "Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen to be his own." (Ps. 33:12) As the Lord called Abraham to go to the land he promised and do what he commanded him to do, we too are personally called by our name to be his own and to do his commands to go forth spiritually by leaving our comfort zone to reach the promised land which is heaven. Leaving our comfort zone is a journey of sacrifice to follow his will. Being in this community is a great blessing to recognize his calling, his voice deep within our soul if we do right actions and decisions. It doesn't mean that we are in this community, we are better than others and make harsh judgments on them. We are all alike, we are imperfect, we have flaws and are trying hard to make perfect in our individual journey. As Jesus said in the gospel, "Remove the wooden beam from your eye so that you may be able to see clearly the splinter from your brother's eye."(Mt. 7:4) Being chosen, let us fix our eyes on the Sacred Heart of Jesus who does not make harsh judgment but is full of mercy and compassion to everyone. By our obedience we can be a blessing to everyone who is astray on their journey to heaven. Let us walk with faith making Jesus the center of our hearts. Be obedient to his commands by taking a step of sacrifice by being compassionate and forgiving to one another. Let us also ask Mother Mary to pray for us to endure temptations in order to reach the land the Lord had promised us.
TUESDAY Isaiah 49:1-6; Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he had spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” And now the Lord says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength-- he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Acts 13:22-26; After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. Luke 1:57, 66, 80; When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. And the child grew and became strong in spirit[a]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. God's call to His chosen people is profound and multifaceted that resonates deeply in us. At its core, it's about God's sovereignty and love, as seen in the history of the Church in the Scriptures. God chose, not because of one's size or merit, but to fulfill His promises and show His faithfulness. We were called to be light to the nations. God's plan extends beyond Israel, aiming to bless all nations through His chosen people.
WEDNESDAY Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[d] be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi[a] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates Matthew 7:15-20; “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Faith in God is not based solely on evidence that can be seen. Trust that is not without struggle or questioning is enough for God to pour upon His boundless blessings toward us. When we spiritually discern the outcomes of our prayer in word and action, we can recognize God’s will for us. Christ calls us to always be alert, vigilant, wise, and rooted in truth. We are reminded that faith involves trusting God completely and responsibly discerning what or who to follow.
THURSDAY Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16; Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan for ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think is best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Matthew 7:21-29; “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of today that the firm foundation in our discipleship is to listen to His words and obey it! Active listening through constant dialogue with Him is very much essential. Prayer with His Word is our first call and acting on it as a result of our prayer is our second call, in Verbum Dei, we call it testimony of life. Jesus is pointing to us, that the way to an authentic discipleship is through obedience, as He said in Jn 4:24“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. We are reminded today of our missionary intentionality, to do everything for God and for our obedience to His will, rather than for our self vested interest and false recognition. May our prayer and obedience to do His will make us always faithful to our call as disciples, as we continue to be hopeful for His eternal promises.
FRIDAY Ezekiel 34:11-16; “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. Romans 5:5b-11; And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Luke 15:3-7; Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since LOVE is abstract then the HEART is the best symbolism for it. The heart of Jesus is radiant with love and a heart that is wounded because of love. Through this heart we are constantly reminded that he is our Good Shepherd. The person who is always willing to search for the lost sheep and rejoices as he found the sheep. He even carries the sheep on his shoulders with great joy as he finds it.( Lk 15:3-6) How faithful are we to his call as he proclaims about the Kingdom of Heaven. Where he asks all of us to repent. For he is very willing to forgive the sins for those who believe in him. For, " God proves his LOVE for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."(Rom 5:8) That is why we need not to stop hoping, for "heaven is more joyful over one sinner to repent than over the ninety - nine righteous people who have no need for repentance."(Jn 15:7) Today we are reminded to listen intently to his call and also to his teachings. Emphasizing that we have a God whose heart we have wounded, but has never given up on us. Despite what he has done to us, he never expects us to pay back to him. Let us ask the help of our Mother Mary. That like her we may have a heart that is ready to beat in unison to the heart of Jesus. For Jesus and Mary show us the way of unity in love.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To prepare ourselves for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. INTRODUCTION The Sunday after the Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the “Corpus Christi.” The words Corpus Christi means “Body of Christ”, and, for that reason, this liturgical feast is also known as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. We celebrate the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As the Church teaches, the Eucharist is the “source and summit of Christian life” (Lumen Gentium, 11; Catechism of Catholic Church, 1324). In the Catholic Church we have the tradition to have foot procession after the celebration of the Eucharist. We desire to give public witness to the faith of the Christian people and to manifest our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament but the celebration of Corpus Christi is impoverished if we limit ourselves to the adoration or to the foot procession. We need to understand the Eucharist in the context of Jesus’ life especially of his suffering and death and what this means to our lives. In the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (Mk 14:12-16,22-26), Jesus says: “Take it, this is my body” and “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many”. In the Bible, “body” and “blood” signify and indicate the very life of the person, his very self. Therefore, the bread and wine at the Last Supper are no other than Jesus, He whose body will be broken by suffering and death on Calvary, and whose blood will be poured out in death for the salvation of all. The Holy Eucharist is also a source of spirituality in the Verbum Dei. “In the sacrifice and sacrament of the Eucharist, we are given the divine-human love of our God. And we renovate in a graphic and palpable way the real presence of the Trinity in us.” (Statutes VDMF 221). MONDAY John 6:32-35 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Sir, they said, always give us this bread. Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Pope Francis says: “The Feast of Corpus Christi is a time for Christians to remember that God will meet their basic needs to eat and to be filled with the joy and amazement of receiving loving nourishment from Jesus Christ. In the Eucharist, everyone can experience this loving and concrete attention of the Lord. Those who receive the Body and Blood of Christ with faith not only eat, but are satisfied. To eat and to be satisfied: These are two basic necessities that are satisfied in the Eucharist.” (Feast of Corpus Christi 2022).
TUESDAY John 6:53-58 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” “The person of Christ, Sacrament of the Father, his flesh and blood made bread and wine, is the nutrition with which Jesus has wanted to help the divine life of all mankind, until the end of time.” (Statutes VDMF, 222) We are nourished spiritually every time we are fed by Jesus’ love.
WEDNESDAY John 4:10 “If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water.” John 10:10 “I have come in order that you might have life- life in its fullness.” Pope Francis says: “Sometimes there is the risk of confining the Eucharist to a vague, distant dimension, perhaps bright and perfumed with incense, but rather distant from the straits of everyday life. The Lord takes all our needs to heart, beginning with the most basic. We certainly need to nourish ourselves, but we also need to be satisfied, to know that the nourishment is given to us out of love. In the Body and Blood of Christ, we find his presence, his life given for each of us. He not only gives us help to go forward, but he gives us himself — he makes himself our traveling companion, he enters into our affairs, he visits us when we are lonely, giving us back a sense of enthusiasm. We are satisfied when the Lord gives meaning to our life, our obscurities, our doubts; he sees the meaning, and this meaning that the Lord gives satisfies us. Everyone is looking for the presence of the Lord, because in the warmth of his presence, our lives change.” (Feast of Corpus Christi 2022) In front of the Blessed Sacrament we can pray: “Lord, give me that daily bread to go forward. Lord, satisfy me with your presence! THURSDAY Luke 9:10-17 The apostles came back and told Jesus everything they had done. He took them with him, and they went off by themselves to a town named Bethsaida. When the crowds heard about it, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed it. When the sun was beginning to set, the twelve disciples came to him and said, "Send the people away so that they can go to the villages and farms around here and find food and lodging, because this is a lonely place." But Jesus said to them, "You yourselves give them something to eat." They answered, "All we have are five loaves and two fish. Do you want us to go and buy food for this whole crowd?"(There were about five thousand men there) Jesus said to his disciples, "Make the people sit down in groups of about fifty each." After the disciples had done so, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God for them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and had enough, and the disciples took up twelve baskets of what was left over.” Reflecting on the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, Pope Francis says: “Jesus Christ’s self-giving presence is key to understanding the Eucharist. The Lord present in the Eucharist is calling us to be citizens of heaven, but at the same time he takes into account the journey we have to face here on earth. If I have hardly any breath in my sack, he knows and takes care of it himself. The miracle of the loaves and fishes does not happen in a spectacular way, but almost secretly, the bread increases as it passes from hand to hand. And as the crowd eats, they realize that Jesus is taking care of everything. We can evaluate our Eucharistic Adoration when we take care of our neighbor like Jesus does. There is hunger for food around us, but also for companionship; there is hunger for consolation, friendship, good humor; there is hunger for attention, there is hunger to be evangelized. We find this in the Eucharistic Bread — the attention of Christ to our needs and the invitation to do the same toward those who are beside us. We need to eat and feed others.” (Feast of Corpus Christi 2022)
FRIDAY Today we´ll focus our reflection on the Statutes of the Verbum Dei. Through it we can grasp more why the Holy Eucharist is a source of spirituality for those who partake in the Verbum Dei´s charism and mission. “The Sacrament is the forge where, in intimate dialogue that transforms us, the genuine personality of the disciples of Christ is forged. It is the Sacrament of the real presence of Christ among us and in us, who unceasingly elaborates the essence and the bond of vital communion of all the Fraternity.” (Statutes VDMF 227). “We will make the effort so that our intimacy with Jesus and reciprocal hope with him may be long-lasting. We would be going only halfway and our dialogue and love would be very mediocre and infantile if we limited ourselves to admiring the Sacrament and the greatness of the love of Jesus, and if we stayed contemplating and admiring. That would be far from the ideal for which Jesus aspires in us in his Eucharistic Sacrifice and in his permanency in the Tabernacles. More than worshipers and admirers, Jesus seeks decided imitators.” (Statutes VDMF 224) “Our attendance to the Eucharistic Sacrifice should not be as mere spectators. We receive the constant call to be participants in the same offering and consecration, to become the same Eucharistic Love that we receive.” (Statutes VDMF 225) “Along with the bread and wine, the disciples of Jesus can be consecrated. This can be achieved by uniting in the pure and perfect love of the Lord. Happy with Jesus and living like him, one can live through similar challenges and approach a similar destination. One can surrender one's flesh and blood in a similar way. With Christ, and following Him, our life will follow the steps of the Lamb to cure the sins of the world.” (Statutes VDMF 229)
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen. 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To deepen the fruits of the Holy Spirit. INTRODUCTION The Solemnity of Pentecost is at hand. We will continue in our reflection and prayer to deepen on the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We are constantly under the action of the Holy Spirit who wants us to be joyful children of the Father and faithful disciples of Jesus. We have again in our hands the option for openness to His action so that we can live this Jubilee Year full of hope. Let´s intensify our close relationship with the Spirit of love and truth during this week. MONDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of kindness and goodness” Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. Synonyms for kindness are altruism (selfless concern for the wellbeing of others), compassion, sympathy, hospitality, tolerance and patience. Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return. Colossians 3:12-13 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Kindness is important because it fosters positive emotions, strengthens relationships, and can even improve physical and mental health. It encourages gratitude, reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes empathy, leading to a more joyful and fulfilling life. Furthermore, kindness can create a ripple effect of positivity, inspiring others to be kind and contribute to a more compassionate community. In the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Goodness is virtue and holiness in action. It results in a life characterized by deeds motivated by righteousness and a desire to be a blessing. It’s a moral characteristic of a Spirit-filled person. The Greek word translated “goodness,” agathosune, is defined as "uprightness of heart and life." Agathosune is goodness for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous. Someone with agathosune will selflessly act on behalf of others. Confronting someone about a sin demonstrates goodness. So do giving to the poor, providing for one’s children, visiting the sick, volunteering to clean up after a storm, and praying for an enemy. Expressions of goodness are as varied as the Spirit is creative. Goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own. James 1:17 says, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." This certainly includes a life characterized by goodness. In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are blessed with the fruit of goodness. Luke 6:45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does what is good is of God; whoever does what is evil has never seen God. Galatians 6:1 So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith. As others see our good works, they will praise our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16) Thanks be to God whose constant love manifests in us through the Holy Spirit, our advocate, inspiring us to incarnate Christ by doing goodness and kindness to others. As listeners and sharers of the gospel is a great opportunity for us to get closer to Jesus. A time to ponder his words and be reminded of our way of living if we have lived the way Christ lived and loved. There are moments that we are like Christ in a way that we become sensitive to the feelings of others. We move to pity and trying to understand their situations, and if we brush them off, we start feeling uncomfortable and guilty of neglecting them. This is the invitation of the Holy Spirit to be one in the suffering of our brothers and sisters who need us. We, the VD disciples, are being reminded by our great responsibility to one another. As we open to the Holy Spirit, he works and moves in us to live as Jesus lives to respond to the needy ones without expecting something in return. These acts of goodness and kindness are the fruits of the Holy Spirit indicating that we are alive in Christ. However, it is not easy to be kind and to be good to others by our human capacity alone for we are too weak to do it; we are influenced by our fears, pride, and prejudices and we rationalize to overcome our guilt. But let us be grateful to the Holy Spirit who empowers us to do simple acts of goodness and kindness so that others may be able to open to the Holy Spirit that move them to see Christ in us. "As others see our good works, they will praise our Father in heaven." (Mt. 5:16)
TUESDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of joy of deliverance” The Greek word for joy is chara. The Greek chara is closely related to charis, which means “grace” or “a gift.” Chara is the normal response to charis—we have joy because of God’s grace. The next step in the progression is to allow our joy to become an action as we express it, although sometimes joy can be so great it is inexpressible (1 Peter 1:8). Possessing joy is a choice. We choose whether to value God’s presence, promises, and work in our lives. When we yield to the Spirit, He opens our eyes to God’s grace around us and fills us with joy (Romans 15:13). Joy is not to be found in a fallen world; it is only fellowship with God that can make our joy complete (1 John 1:4). The joy, fruit of the Holy Spirit can be manifested in different ways: a) The joy of deliverance b) The joy of salvation c) The joy of spiritual maturity d) The joy of God´s presence *The joy of deliverance: When God sets someone free, rejoicing is in order. 1 Samuel 2:1 Hannah prayed: "The Lord has filled my heart with joy; how happy I am because of what he has done! I laugh at my enemies; how joyful I am because God has helped me! Acts 12:13-16 Peter knocked at the outside door, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer it. She recognized Peter's voice and was so happy that she ran back in without opening the door, and announced that Peter was standing outside. "You are crazy!" they told her. But she insisted that it was true. So, they answered, "It is his angel." Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last, they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed. Most often than not, we are trapped with the idea or in a situation where we find ourselves stagnant with the pressing concerns that haunt us again and again. With the grace of God, through The Holy Spirit, He opens our eyes to that truth that grace of God abounds all the more when we need it the most, it is always His desire and His Joy to deliver us from all infirmities, destruction, oppressions or our spiritual battles. It is also our Joy to be rescued and be freed by God through all these challenges and difficulties, this can only happen through the grace of God and our daily recognition of his continuous work of deliverance for all of us that our joy may be in Him and for Him. all of us, I guess, had experiences of doing the right thing amidst the prejudice of the world yet God prevailed because we decide in discernment and for God’s favor instead of Men, in the end we are joyful and freed from whatever guilt because we do what God wills at that very moment.
WEDNESDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of joy of salvation” *The joy of salvation: Our greatest reason to be joyful is that God wants to save us and spend eternity with us. Nothing is better than this. Luke 15:7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent. Acts 8:5-8 Philip went to the principal city in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there. The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. Evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. So, there was great joy in that city. Acts 13:47-52; 15:3 For this is the commandment that the Lord has given us: "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that all the world may be saved.” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers. The word of the Lord spread everywhere in that region. But the Jews stirred up the leading men of the city and the Gentile women of high social standing who worshiped God. They started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their region. The apostles shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went on to Iconium. The believers in Antioch were full of joy and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us understand more the heart of God and the joy of salvation. We might be tempted to focus on numbers, prestige, or impact of others, but God rejoices when even one heart turns back to Him. The Spirit reminds us to never overlook the small moments or individuals that God puts in our path. When Christ is truly preached - whether through words or compassionate action - hearts are lifted and lives are changed for the better. The Gospel work isn’t always easy or universally accepted, but when people embrace the truth, joy and the Holy Spirit follow powerfully. The joy of salvation isn’t limited to the newly converted - it overflows into the Church, for joy is contagious when it is rooted in God’s work.
THURSDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of joy of spiritual maturity” *The joy of spiritual maturity: As the Holy Spirit works in us to bear more fruit, we become confident in God’s promises and rejoice in our walk with Him and with other believers. John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 2 Corinthians 1:24; 2:3; 7:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 3:9. In these passages Paul knew joy as the churches gave evidence of the Holy Spirit working among them. Philippians 2:2 I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. Hebrews 10:34 Remember how it was with you in the past. In those days, after God's light had shone on you, you suffered many things, yet were not defeated by the struggle. You were at times publicly insulted and mistreated, and at other times you were ready to join those who were being treated in this way. You shared the sufferings of prisoners, and when all your belongings were seized, you endured your loss gladly, because you knew that you still possessed something much better, which would last forever. Do not lose your courage, then, because it brings with it a great reward. As human beings it is our natural tendency to avoid suffering, to fear difficulties and pain. This is the very reason why many opted to avoid commitments: in marriage, in friendship and even in missionary works. Many do not want the cross. But as Christians, we know that we cannot follow our Master Jesus Christ if we will not embrace the cross. To be a witness to His unconditional love and to imitate Him, is to bear the cross itself. As disciples of Christ, how can we then be joyful in face of our own personal, marital, family and Christian community struggles? It is through the power of the Holy Spirit! The source of joy of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is when we can be joyful in our following amidst all the challenges/trials that we met along the way. It is maturity that disposes us to place our total trust and confidence on the One who is Most Powerful and Omnipotent. It is the maturity that we will not abandon Jesus when we are persecuted or humiliated because of Him. Let us always invite the Holy Spirit to give us this spiritual maturity, to battle against our very own weaknesses and to stand up for Jesus as a daily option. When we lack the zeal to continue the mission, when we are spiritually dry-we can always go back to our dialogue to the Holy Spirit, to give us inspiration. This will empower us once again to continue our discipleship.
FRIDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of joy of God's presence” *The joy of God’s presence: The Holy Spirit draws us to God in whose presence we can know true joy. Without the Holy Spirit, no one would seek God. Psalm 16:11 “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Matthew 2:10; Luke 1:14. In these passages Mary and the shepherds were joyful because Immanuel had been born. Matthew 28:8; Luke 24:41. In these passages we discover that the women who went to Jesus’ tomb and the disciples were overjoyed that He rose from the dead. How do we comprehend about the Holy Spirit being the third person in the Holy Trinity? This week has started in the Ascension of the Lord Sunday. This is also the 7th and the last week after Easter. This Ascension of Jesus culminates his earthly life. This is one of the very important events in the life of Jesus, to be taken up to heaven. Why? Because without his ascension, the Holy Spirit our advocate, cannot come to us. As Jesus ascended to the Father, he also ensured us the effusion of the Holy Spirit, of his Spirit. In this way, making Jesus be always present in us up to this very moment of our lives. The Holy Spirit is the very source of Joy of God's presence in us. Jesus is also very clear in his words in Jn 15:11 that says," I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." Jesus our Lord is always seeking our presence. For he himself finds joy in our presence in front of him. He even leaves the 99 just to find 1 that is lost. It is through this action of Jesus that we are able to see and experience the love of our Father in heaven. Always seeking for his lost children. What about us? Do we seek God's presence with a joyful heart? Our worldly nature never seeks God's presence. It even makes us blind to see the real joy that our hearts need. Because of this human nature in us, Jesus assures us that after his ascension we can receive the gift from the Father, the Holy Spirit. Without his presence we can never find the joy in God's presence in us. It is the Holy Spirit who can make us thirsty and seek the very presence of God. For it is in his presence that can bring us true and eternal happiness that the world cannot give. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to come and breathe in us the fire of his love. A love that can make us become faithful Christian Catholics. Disciples of Christ Jesus bringing joy to others for God is with us, within us, and very present in us.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To deepen the fruits of the Holy Spirit. INTRODUCTION We will take for our introduction this week some numbers from the Catechism of Filipino Catholics which can enlighten our reflection and preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. CFC 1276. Difficulties in recognizing the Spirit. But it is not always easy to recognize the Holy Spirit. This is due, first, to the Spirit Himself because, as Spirit, He has no shape or form. Consequently, in contrast to our many personal images of the Father and Christ our Lord, we are forced to represent the Spirit through impersonal symbols such as water, fire, cloud, wind and breath, or the image of a dove, white and innocent and airy (cf. CCC 694-701). Moreover, the Spirit always acts in a completely self-less manner, leading us not to Himself but to Christ and the Father (cf. CCC 687). He “does not speak on his own,” but “only what He hears” from Christ, the Word (cf. Jn 16:13). Thus, instead of praying directly to the Spirit we more often pray in the Spirit through the Son to the Father. CFC 1277. A second source of difficulty in recognizing the Spirit comes from our own limitations. First, in thinking about the Spirit. Unlike Christ and the Father, the Spirit is not something objective, “in front of us” as it were, but rather within our subjective experience. We do not so much think about the Spirit with our “head”, making Him the object of our thought. Rather, it is more like becoming conscious of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the deepest level of our hearts, our loob. This is where we feel He is at work, making us aware of the Risen Christ and of God our Father alive and present to us. Christ promised his disciples at the Last Supper the Spirit of truth whom “you can recognize because He remains with you and will be within you” (Jn 14:17). CFC 1278. A second “limitation” which impedes recognizing the Spirit is our self-centered tendency to seek extraordinary spiritual gifts. We Filipinos seem especially attracted to ecstasies, miracles, visions, and prophecies. This fascination can lead to many distorted notions of the Spirit. It also obscures the more important “ordinary gifts” of the Spirit, especially the highest gift, divine Love (cf. Gal 5:22; 1 Cor 13). Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” “Fruit,” here, means "beneficial results," the good things that come from the Spirit’s indwelling. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of a Christian. The Bible makes it clear that everyone receives the Holy Spirit the moment he or she believes in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14). One of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit coming into a Christian’s life is to change that life. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to conform us to the image of Christ, making us more like Him. In the guidelines sheet we will deepen on the fruits of the Holy Spirit for the two following weeks before the Solemnity of Pentecost on June 8. MONDAY “Holy Spirit is the source of faith and hope” 1 Corinthians 12:3 I want you to know that no one can confess "Jesus is Lord," without being guided by the Holy Spirit. Faith means believing strongly in God and believing strongly that everything that He says is true. It means to be firmly persuaded. We must have faith in the grace and mercy of God. The only way we can obtain God’s grace and mercy is by faith – we cannot work for it. If you could earn God’s grace then you would not need faith in God. Our faith is essential – not only to ensure our salvation, but in order that we may receive the fulfillment of every promise of God that has been made to us. Romans 4:16-21 And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God's free gift to all of Abraham's descendants - not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did. For Abraham is the spiritual father of us all; as the scripture says, "I have made you father of many nations." So, the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed - the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist. Abraham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became "the father of many nations." Just as the scripture says, "Your descendants will be as many as the stars." He was then almost one hundred years old; but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, which was already practically dead, or of the fact that Sarah could not have children. His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised. Romans 15:13 May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. A man whose life is away from God can do nothing and is nothing, for what gives content and meaning to life is the grace of God. The only thing that can make life beautiful amidst this challenging world is to be connected to Christ. If we believe in Christ, then, we believe that He has the Spirit left in us and it is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, who is reaching and guiding us to the truth about the love of God that remains in us. The Holy Spirit helps us discover the sensitivity of God's heart to His people. His steadfast love brought Him to death and rose again to fulfill His promise of redemption. Let us be open to the Holy Spirit to make our hearts His indwelling. He is the source of our faith to enter into the life and love of God that enables us to hope and endure our afflictions. When the Spirit of God is upon us we possess the Christlike behavior: peaceful and calm, loving and kind, patient and with self-control.
TUESDAY “Holy Spirit is the source of love” Love is the first fruit of the Spirit. It is based on God's love for us in Christ. It is a virtue produced in us by the Holy Spirit which enables us to love God and others, including even our enemies. Love is one of the greatest realities in life. When Christ redeemed us, he gave us his Spirit and united us to himself, giving us new life. The Spirit now works in us to bear fruit for God’s glory. Thus, love is produced in us by the Spirit. The fruit is one aspect of Christianity that gives our lives meaning, significance, purpose, and direction. The fruit makes life more pleasant. 1 John 4:10-13.19 This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, if this is how God loved us, then we should love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and his love is made perfect in us. We are sure that we live in union with God and that he lives in union with us, because he has given us his Spirit. We love because God first loved us. 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. Love is eternal. The Holy Spirit as the source of love reminds us of the transformative power of God’s love in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s fruit of love enables us to love others. This love is rooted in God’s love for us in Christ and it is a love that never gives up. The Holy Spirit makes a profound difference and can help us to be more patient, kind and compassionate towards others. God's love is made perfect in us when we love others. May this motivate us to continue seeking the Holy Spirit´s guidance and empowerment to love more fully. May the fruit of love be evident in our lives, bringing joy, meaning, and purpose to our relationships and experiences.
WEDNESDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of peace and patience” In the Bible, "peace" (Hebrew: shalom, Greek: eirene) signifies more than just the absence of conflict; it encompasses wholeness, well-being, and the right relationship with God, others, and oneself. It's a state of completeness and harmony, both physically and spiritually. John 14:27 Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid. In John 14, Jesus speaks of the Advocate who will remain with us once he is gone. This Advocate will remind us of Jesus's teachings and guide us into all truth as we continue to follow him. That's why peace is a fruit of the Spirit — our reliance on him leads us to experience and walk in the peace of Christ! The Bible says patience is a result of the Spirit, reminding us to wait on the Lord with hope and keep going. You can develop patience through prayer, putting the word of God into practice, and asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. The Bible teaches that patience is an important aspect of our relationship with God and our relationships with others. One of the most well-known verses about patience is found in James 1: 3-4, which says, "For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." The world’s peace is often temporary, conditional, or dependent on circumstances - freedom from conflict, financial stability, or physical safety. The peace that Christ offered goes deeper. It is a calm and security rooted in His presence, His victory over death, and His promise of eternal life. When fear or anxiety creeps in, we are reminded that we can anchor ourselves in a divine peace that surpasses understanding. We are also challenged to view trials not as setbacks, but as tools for growth. In a world that often seeks comfort and quick results, the peace that Christ gives invites us into something deeper: transformation through struggle. It acknowledges that trials will come—but rather than destroying us, they refine us. God allows these tests not to break our faith, but to strengthen it.
THURSDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of humility” St. Augustine said in one of his letters, “The way to Christ is first through humility, second through humility, third through humility” (Letters 118:22). He also said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” Thomas Aquinas defines it this way: “Humility means seeing ourselves as God sees us: knowing every good we have come from Him as pure gift” (Summa Q161). It is pride, more than anything, that tempts us to see ourselves through the eyes of the world and through the lens of others' opinions. If you want to see yourself in the light of truth, you must humbly seek to see yourself only as God sees you. His understanding of your soul is all that matters. Romans 12:3 And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 1 Peter 5:5-6 God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever.That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches.I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest. As Christ followers, we come from different upbringings, affiliations and backgrounds to which the human tendency is to compare. But it is the Holy Spirit that grounds us and points us to the lived example of the humility of our Master, Jesus Christ Phil. 2:6-11. So that if we truly listen to the Holy Spirit, we will remain humble no matter what we have attained in our life. Pondering on the actions of the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are simply pilgrims of this life and everything is temporary: title, fame and fortune. As VDMD, it is humility that unites us into one and makes us remove our crowns for the love of God and neighbors. May we always be open to the insinuation of the Holy Spirit so we can become true witnesses of our humble Master, Jesus Christ.
FRIDAY “The Holy Spirit is the source of self-control” Self-control is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our baser desires and fleshly lusts. The Greek word found in Galatians 5:23 is enkrateia. It comes from the other Greek word: egkrateia, which means “mastery, self-control.” The Bible defines self-control as the ability to restrain one's emotions and desires, and to act with thoughtfulness and discipline. It is an essential fruit of the Spirit, helping believers resist temptation and make good decisions. One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. 1 Corinthains 9:24-27 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest. Self-control ultimately leads to love. This is a quality of a believer in Jesus. This is increasing in the life of a Christian. However, if we lack self-control, we are being ineffective and unfruitful. Notice it does not say that we are ineffective; our identity has not changed, but our obedience has wavered, so we miss the fruit. An apple tree that produces one apple is still an apple tree. The tree’s identity has not changed; however, its effectiveness has changed. 2 Peter 1:2-9 May grace and peace be yours in full measure through your knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature. For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love. These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it. How do you walk in your Christian life this 6th week after Easter? Today we are taught about self-control as a fruit from the Holy Spirit. There was a saying from an unknown writer that says, " a man who can control himself, is greater than a man who conquers a city". Meaning, how great we are if we possess such virtue. Now we are also reminded that self-control must be practiced and exercised regularly where we need to submit in strict discipline and training (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Imagine a world where all people don't have self-control. What kind of world would that be? Is it a world of more chaos and sins? Self-Control can help us to resist temptation and sin. Like for example: How much effort is exerted to control yourself between prayer time and fb time? The efforts needed to develop self-control between helping others and gossiping about others. It means that in all things that we do we need self-control for it will help us make good decisions being a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. This ability to control our thoughts, words, and actions are proof that God is working in our lives. Because of Jesus' great love to us, he equipped us through his teachings about everything about himself, his connection with the Father in heaven, and the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit, our advocate, that will make all his teachings complete in our lives. (John 14:26) Today we are again invited to be open to the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Where these two, "understanding" and " wisdom" are with them. These gifts can make us bear self-control. One of the essential fruits of the Holy Spirit. This ability can lead us to LOVE as the main quality of a follower of Christ. (John 15:1) We are encouraged to develop self-control abundantly in our lives for this will make us active and effective disciples of Christ Jesus. Self-Control can make our knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ visible to others so that they can say, " he/she is a true Christian". Let us ask the help of the Holy Spirit that we may not be shortsighted in our Christian lives. We must not forget that we have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus through his passion and death. Where we also received eternal life through his resurrection.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To deepen the activity of the Holy Spirit in us and among us. INTRODUCTION We will continue preparing ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit to be celebrated on June 8, 2025. During this week we will basically focus our reflection on the Catechism for Filipino Catholics. The main intention is to rediscover and value the role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian life. CFC 1334 Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. As “Giver of Life,” the Spirit vivifies the Church, our sacramental and moral life, and our resurrection to life everlasting. “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us” (Rom 5:5). CFC 1274. What is the Spirit doing? We realize, of course, that it is the Holy Spirit that animates “what we do” in following Christ the Son. He inspires our living according to “who we are” as sons/daughters of our Father. Basically, the Spirit unites us with the Risen Christ and with one another in Christ’s Church. The Spirit is doing this now, and by this action is moving us daily toward the future which God promised us - life everlasting. CFC 1307. The Holy Spirit joins us to Christ. The Spirit joins us intimately with Christ in two basic ways. First, the Risen Christ is present within and among us today in his Spirit. Second, the Spirit is the inner source of our life of faith by which we accept Jesus. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3; cf. PCP II 64, 68). This means that we can come to know, recognize, and experience Jesus only because the Holy Spirit makes it possible. CFC 1309. But by linking us to Christ, what actually does the Holy Spirit do? To spell out in some detail what the Spirit does within and among us, the following paragraphs set forth six particular activities. The Spirit: 1) adopts us as children of the Father; 2) enables us to love as Christ commanded; 3) empowers us to bear witness to Christ, and 4) to know the truth; 5) draws us into community unity and service; and 6) inspires us to live a truly Christian life. MONDAY “The Spirit Adopts Us” CFC 1310. The Spirit is first of all the “Spirit of adoption” by which we become “children of God” (cf. Jn 1:12; CCC 693). Jesus is the only begotten, God’s own Son, but through him and his Spirit we are adopted by the Father, and are “called children of God - [for] that is what we are” (1 Jn 3:1). We can truly call God “Abba, Father.” “The proof that you are sons is the fact that God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of His Son who cries out ‘Abba, Father!’” (Gal 4:6) It is over two thousand years ago after the death of Jesus, but why are we still connected and are in communion with Him? What factor that possibly unites us with the risen Lord? The Holy Spirit is the unifying force that can make us one with Him. "The love of God that has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."(Rom.5:5) It is the Holy Spirit which enables us to have a personal relationship with God calling Him, "Abba, Father" because he accepted us as we are as children despite our shortcomings and weaknesses. He knows who we are and what we need; He knows how limited we are, but His extravagant love gives us the chance to recognize Him to draw us closer to Him, and to mold and renew us in His love. It is the spirit of God that gives us faith in times of adversities that impels us to be strong and trust in Him. By our faith, we can proclaim joyfully the risen Christ our Savior whose love works amazingly in us. It speaks that we are one in God's family and we belong to Him.
TUESDAY “The Spirit Empowers Us to Know the Truth and to Love” CFC 1313. To know the truth is a further power which the Holy Spirit inspires in us. PCP II points out that “all persons are bound to seek the truth, especially in religious matters” (PCP II 362). Jesus promised his apostles the Spirit of truth who “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” and “guide you to all truth” (Jn 14:26; 16:13). John Paul II adds that this means “that the Spirit will help people understand the correct meaning of the content of Christ’s message; He will ensure the continuity and identity of understanding . . . the same truth which the Apostles heard from their Master” (DViv 4). CFC 1311. The Spirit thus enables us to love God, and love everybody else through His Spirit. “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). And “if God has loved us so, we must have the same love for one another . . . If we love one another, God dwells in us and His love is brought to perfection in us” (1 Jn 4:11-12). St. Paul stresses this gift of love above all charisms. “If I speak with human and angelic tongues. . .have the gift of prophecy. . . comprehend all mysteries. . . have faith enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:1-2,8). The nature of the Holy Spirit is Truth and Love. He helps, leads believers of Jesus and illuminates their hearts with spiritual understanding. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit reveals God's truth to all followers of Jesus making it possible for them to discern the genuine teachings from false doctrines helping believers differentiate between what is true and what is not, guarding them from deception and false teachings. Going against the prompting of the Holy Spirit disturbs us and takes away our peace for we are also created by God who is Love. Our happiness and fulfillment in life comes only in the Truth of the Love of God and the truth that we can also love God and our brothers and sisters the way God loves us all.
WEDNESDAY “The Spirit Empowers Us to Bear Witness” CFC 1312. In addition, the Holy Spirit empowers us to bear witness to Jesus Christ. At the Last Supper Jesus told the apostles: “When the Paraclete comes, . . . he will bear witness on my behalf. You must bear witnesses as well” (Jn 15:26f). Just before his Ascension, the Risen Christ promised: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem . . . even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Therefore, not only are we saved by Christ and the Spirit __ God working in us __ but we share in Their redeeming work as well __ God working through us. In sending the Holy Spirit, the Risen Christ calls us to give witness to him before others by sharing his own triple mission of Prophet, Priest and King. The call to be a witness is a call for every disciple of Christ. The Spirit helps us to see with eyes of faith. We are reminded that the Spirit not only comforts us, but also testifies Christ’s truth, and empowers us to give testimony as well. On our own we sometimes doubt our capabilities. Yet we are not sent out to carry on the mission alone and empty-handed. We are continually guided by the Spirit to encourage us and strengthen our faith in order to move ever onward. We are called not just to preach, but to live in a way that will reflect Christ’s love wherever we may be.
THURSDAY “The Spirit Draws Us into Community, Unity and Service” CFC 1314. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is the principle of unity and service in the community. “The Spirit is for the Church and for each and every believer, the principle of their union and unity in the teaching of the apostles and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayer” (LG 13). PCP II explains how the lay faithful are called to “animate the temporal order with Christ’s Spirit” (PCP II 427). This unity in loving service is made possible through the Spirit’s manifold gifts and charisms, the same promised in Isaiah the prophet: “a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord” (Is 11:2). We have witnessed the unifying power of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles who were once scattered after the death of Jesus, due to fear and hopelessness. It is the Holy Spirit who draws them back to being one community once again, as their Master has gathered them always as one. Do you ever wonder why you continue to be part of the community even after years of being part of it? Why do you continue to unite and be one in the service of the Word of God to others in spite of the many imperfections that you have experienced on the structure, of your co-disciples, of the missionaries? It is the work of the Holy Spirit! The Spirit always draws us to continue to take part of the charism Verbum Dei. This is where the Spirit continues to invite us to partake in the service of the body of Christ-the Church, no matter all the challenges and weaknesses of the community. So no matter what, we continue to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit to unite us to a common goal: to spread the kingdom of God to others.
FRIDAY “The Spirit Inspires True Christian Life” CFC 1315. Lastly, the Spirit vivifies us to live a truly Christian life. PCP II describes how “in the depths of the Filipino spirit is a longing for kaayusan, . . . a longing for the life that the creative Spirit of Jesus gives as a gift, a gift which is likewise a challenge” (PCP II 257). The Spirit not only strengthens us in our struggle against the powers of evil, but frees us by his interior transforming presence. “All of us, gazing on the Lord’s glory . . . are being transformed from glory to glory into his very image by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18). But it is especially in times of temptation and trial that we Filipino Christians learn to pray for the Spirit’s purifying and strengthening power:A clean heart created for me, O God,and a steadfast spirit renewed within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me (Ps 51:12-13). When we are troubled, in doubt, or on slippery ground, we learn to pray: “May your good Spirit guide me on level ground” (Ps 143:10). Very often we do not really know what God is doing or what He is talking to us. It is the Holy Spirit who is truly moving and very active in working within us and among us. He is the one who inspires and motivates us to live a true Christian life. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the gift of understanding when we can comprehend the words of God talking to us. It is the same Holy Spirit who gives us the eyes of faith in order to see what God is doing in our lives. He is the Spirit of the Lord that satisfies our longing to be where Jesus is, in eternal glory, and in communion with the Father while we are still here on earth. Today we are reminded again that He is the Spirit of God inviting us to fix our gaze to the Lord's glory by constantly connected to the words of God. For it is in gazing to His glory that can transform us into the very image of a true Christian. What does it mean to be a Christian? An image of Christ, the Risen Lord. A person that truly lives a life being a follower of Christ, His " disciples". Then how can we be identified as such? Jn.13:35 says “If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." This is what the Holy Spirit will be accomplishing in our lives. A "Filipino Christian" bears the love and mercy of Christ Jesus for others. With peace, orderliness, and compassion we can comfort our brothers and sisters whose hearts are sad, restless, and hopeless. Let us allow the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. By opening our hearts and minds without reservation and hesitation. In this way His transforming power can move freely within us and among us so that we can live a true Christian life.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To pray on how Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit in St. John. INTRODUCTION We continue our journey in the resurrection of the Lord, and He is faithful to His promise, to be with us forever until the end of time (Cf. Mt 28:19). The invitation is to be open for this coming of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Jesus prepared us as his disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Why is it necessary to prepare for it? Because we need to learn that this work was not yet finished: that salvation was given, but it is the Spirit who will continue to work till the end, until all men know the gift of God in them. It is only then when the work is actually accomplished. This is the time of the Holy Spirit, the time of the action of God, coming to dwell in us and to make us his place. The place where He lives and completes his work of sanctification, to bring us up to the perfection of Christ: " Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body." (1 Cor.6, 19-20). This week we will start preparing for our journey towards Pentecost. Our prayer will focus on who is the Holy Spirit according to the proclamations of Jesus in the Gospel of St John. MONDAY “Be united in the love of Christ” John 14:15-16 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us to deepen our faith because Jesus is alive and is present among us. The love that he had shown must manifest in our present time. He commanded us to keep his commandment of love. This is a call to love without jurisdiction. A love that is self-giving, willing to sacrifice, and free from doubts and inhibitions. A love that serves and forgets himself for the sake of others and sees Christ in them. This is a serious invitation for us to do good as we offer our lives to them without expecting something in return. To live the covenant of love is to be open to the Holy Spirit, our counsellor and comforter who will guide us to the truth and mold us to become His dwelling place and mere reflection of Jesus' life. Our love becomes the living presence of God which means that we are one with Jesus and Jesus is one with us. Only love unites us with him in others. As Jesus and the Father are one in the bond of love, we too must become one with them.
TUESDAY “Embracing the Holy Spirit within” John 14:23-26 Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that told you. John 14:17 The Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. We are the dwelling place of God. It carries an immense sense of responsibility—knowing that within our very being, there exists something sacred, something divine. But it also brings comfort. It means we are never truly alone, that God is not some distant figure watching from afar but is present within us. The beauty of being God’s dwelling place is not about perfection. Perhaps it’s about embracing the journey, allowing grace to work within us. It’s in the everyday moments—the kindness we show, the patience we practice, the love we extend. It’s in acknowledging our struggles but choosing to keep moving forward, trusting that even in our brokenness, we are still His. The comfort is even greater: God does not abandon us to figure it all out alone. He sends the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, to teach and guide us, to remind us of His truth when we forget or when we struggle.
WEDNESDAY “Trusting the Holy Spirit” John 15:26 “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. Matthew 10:19-20 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. We are reminded of Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit—the Advocate or Helper—to be with His followers. The Holy Spirit is not only our source of consolation and guidance but also a witness to the truth of Christ. In times of uncertainty or fear, we are not alone for the Spirit strengthens us, reveals the truth, and helps us bear witness to Jesus through our words and actions. We are invited to deepen our relationship with the Holy Spirit. As His disciples, we are called not only to receive the Spirit but to allow the Spirit to work through us in truth and love. We are challenged to surrender our need for control and instead rely on God’s Spirit. The Spirit reminds us that our mission as followers of Christ is not based on our own strength or eloquence, but on God's presence within us. Living out and speaking the truth of the Gospel may bring opposition, but we are never alone in those moments.
THURSDAY “Holy Spirit advocates righteousness” John 16:7-11 But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. The world today can water down sin, misleading countless to follow the wrong way. Many are doing things that are not right just because most are doing it anyway. That is why darkness can spread out rapidly to the corners of the world since it is devoid of the light of righteousness. Our sins of omission aggravate it further. We need to pray for the source of light, the Holy Spirit, which Jesus gives us so we can discern righteousness from sin. When we pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment, we will truly stand on what Jesus taught us, and we will opt not to sin.
FRIDAY “The ‘Spirit of Truth’ That Guides Us to All Truth” John 16:13-15
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming .He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Today we need to reflect on Jesus' teaching about the "Spirit of Truth." The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the same Spirit of Jesus. Where this Spirit of God is the presence of God in us. This Holy Spirit is the one who will continue the mission of Jesus here on earth. He is the one who will guide us into all complete truths. The Spirit who reveals the significance of Christ's death and the new order of things. These all happened as the result of Christ's death and resurrection. This is the hidden depths of the mystery of Christ from whom the Holy Spirit makes his glory known. Let us be attentive to the Holy Spirit who is the source of revelation about the Father communicated and taught by Jesus to the whole humanity while he was still on earth. This work of the Holy Spirit glorifies both Son and Father. Where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is "ONE" God, a great mystery of faith in all of us Christian Catholics. We are invited today to listen attentively to the teachings of Jesus about the Spirit of Truth. Jesus wanted us to fully understand about the Holy Spirit in order for us to have a total openness of our mind and heart as He comes after Jesus' ascension.
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To rediscover the significance of Jesus’ Resurrection and its implication in our Christian life. INTRODUCTION We are at Easter time up to Pentecost: The Lord is Risen, alleluia! (Mt 28:6; Mk 6:6; Lk 24:34) The risen Lord appeared to the disciples confirming to them that He is alive. “Why are you looking among the dead for one who is alive? He is not here; he has been raised” (Lk 24:5-6) They began a new life when the Risen Lord appeared to them, renewed their discipleship, and started spreading the Good News that He came back from death to life. We also believe in the Resurrection of Jesus, and we live with Him. We are witnesses of His Resurrection in us and in others. We will pray during this week on some passages which disclose the significance of the Resurrection of Jesus for those who believe. MONDAY “The living God is the faithful companion” Matthew 28:20 “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." Luke 24:36-39 “While the two were telling them this, suddenly the Lord himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said to them, "Why are you so agitated? Why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; yes, it is I indeed” The season of Easter is the concrete fulfillment of Jesus' promise that He will be with us until the end of age (Mt. 28:20). He rose from the dead and told us not to be afraid. This is the proof of God's great love that even sin and death cannot defeat. "God loves us with an everlasting love." (Jer. 31:3) which means that His love will never fail no matter what. How blessed are we to have a God who is faithfully loving us. As we are blessed, we must also become blessings to others by being sensitive to their concerns. Let the spirit of doubts and anxiety flee from us instead, let the Risen Christ accompany us who is our hope. The wounds of His hands and feet are strong revelations of the promise of love because the love of the Father manifests in Jesus that even in our sorrows and in happiness He is there for us to bring us new life. Let us be glad and rejoice.
TUESDAY “The love of the living God never fails” 1 Corinthians 13:8 “Love is eternal” Jeremiah 31:3 “People of Israel, I have always loved you, so I continue to show you my constant love” Jeremiah 33:11 “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, because he is good and his love is eternal” Romans 8:38-39 “For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord” Isaiah 54:8 “I turned away angry for only a moment, but I will show you my love forever." So says the Lord who saves you. The rising of Jesus from the dead implies God’s unfailing love to all of us, oftentimes the quality of human love is merely based on logic, of what ones get in return, of what was given, or when giving or sharing will not entail discomfort. The disciples of Jesus, because of fear, were scattered when He was captured by the soldiers, Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter also denied him. In spite of all these, when Jesus met them again when He rose, He offered peace and remembered not all those acts of failure made by His disciples. Jesus is showing us an example to follow, to fail not in loving like Him in spite of the discomforts, humiliations and betrayals and remember not the faults of our brethren.
WEDNESDAY “His unfailing love and mercy endure forever” Micah 7:18-19 “There is no other god like you, O Lord; you forgive the sins of your people who have survived. You do not stay angry forever, but you take pleasure in showing us your constant love. You will be merciful to us once again. You will trample our sins underfoot and send them to the bottom of the sea” Psalm 136:26 “Praise the God of heaven, for his mercy endures forever” 1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing” Lamentations 3:22-23 “The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise” Our Lord’s resurrection is a call to hope for anyone burdened by failure. For God delights in forgiving. He does not just tolerate repentance - He welcomes it with compassion and mercy. His will is not to punish, but to redeem. When we continue to live under guilt or shame, we are continually called to return to Him for He is the only one who cleanses, forgives, and restores. His love moves us to live our life with honesty and trust in His grace. In life, we can always be busy, burdened and tired but when we look at Christ we are sure to find rest in His unending love. Even in seasons of loss, failure, or uncertainty, we are invited to start again - anchored not in our own strength, but in His consistent and daily mercy.
THURSDAY “We experience the power of His Resurrection” Philippians 3:7-11 “But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life” Philippians 4:13 “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 “But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. But his answer was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” We rejoice with the resurrection of our Lord! He is risen! As Christians, what is the significance of Christ's resurrection? What power does it give us? It gives us hope, renewal and joy to continue our following. It means that in spite of the challenges and crosses that we have as disciples of Christ, there lies the promise of redemption. That our journey with Jesus does not end on Good Friday, rather it opens the door for our salvation on Easter Sunday. As VDMD, we are to bring this power of resurrection to others, to give hope to others that they too may be empowered by Christ's resurrection.
FRIDAY “The power of His Resurrection through His Word” Psalm 119:89 “Your word, O Lord, will last forever; it is eternal in heaven” Isaiah 40:8 “Yes, grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever." Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Luke 24:31-34 “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, "Wasn't it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" They got up at once and went back to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven disciples gathered together with the others and saying, "The Lord is risen indeed!” Hebrews 4:12 “The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart” John 6:67-68 “Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” How is the "Risen Lord" within us, as we live these days after Easter Sunday? Does the freshness of the power of His resurrection still remain in our Christian lives till this day? We are reminded that the power of His resurrection is in his WORD. The Word of God that is alive and active in us (Hebrews 4:12). How can others see that it is alive and active in us? It is in the way we "live out" each word that we have listened. Every time we commit each day to pray where the center is to listen to the words of God. This is the very heart and the foundation of our mission as Verbum Dei disciples. People may ask, where is the Risen Lord these days? Our way of life is the answer. For it is the hope of our God that we will be the bearers of the WORD that made flesh, “Jesus the Risen Lord". Our life concretely expresses the real experience of Christ's resurrection through his WORD when the Word of God becomes the transforming power of our lives and when people can say "it is a life that becomes a true follower of the Risen Lord". How wonderful if we make ourselves always aware that nobody can take away from us the Word of God that is already rooted in us. Jesus our Lord and savior hopes in us greatly that being his followers we must also become the "Christ of Today". He needs us to show that through this identity, dignity, and consistency we can bring the Risen Lord to others. This is heaven while we are still on earth. Remember, the Word of God is the concrete presence of the Risen Lord as in Lk 24: 32 says, They said to each other, " Wasn't it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" How good if we allow the Risen Lord to explain the Scriptures to us each day when he shares to us his Word of Love. Jesus always wants us to enjoy every bit of it. It is in this way where we can always see his "HOPE" in us. That others may experience the Risen Jesus in their lives through us. God also is hoping that like Peter we can value every WORD that comes from the mouth of God. As John 6:38 says, Simon Peter answered Him, " Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life."
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
INTRODUCTION We are still in the Octave of Easter. The first objective of this guidelines sheet is to pray on the Gospel and the reflection done by Pope Francis for the Divine Mercy Sunday which will take place on April 27. The second objective is to pray also on the Gospel and the reflection done by Pope Francis for the 3rd Sunday of Easter (May 4). There are some passages in between the two Sundays to pray during the week. DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY (APRIL 27) John 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. We Should Not Fear the Crises of Life and Faith for They are a Part of Our Journey A Spiritual Reflection by Pope Francis Today, the last day of the Octave of Easter, the Gospel recounts the first and second apparitions of the Risen One to the disciples. Jesus comes at Passover, while the Apostles are shut in the Upper Room, out of fear, but since Thomas, one of the Twelve, is not present, Jesus returns eight days later (cf. Jn 20:19-29). Let’s focus on the two main characters, Thomas and Jesus, looking first at the disciple, and then at the Master. There is a good dialogue between these two. The Apostle Thomas, first of all. He represents all of us, who were not present in the Upper Room when the Lord appeared, and did not have other physical signs or apparitions from him. We too struggle at times like that disciple: how can we believe that Jesus is risen, that he accompanies us and is the Lord of our life without having seen him, without having touched him? How can one believe in this? Why does the Lord not give us some clearer sign of his presence and love? Some sign that I can see better… Here, we too are like Thomas, with the same doubts, the same reasoning. But we do not need to be ashamed of this. By telling us the story of Thomas, in fact, the Gospel tells us that the Lord is not looking for perfect Christians. The Lord is not looking for perfect Christians. I tell you: I am afraid when I see a Christian, some associations of Christians who believe themselves to be perfect. The Lord is not looking for perfect Christians; the Lord is not looking for Christians who never doubt and always flaunt a steadfast faith. When a Christian is like that, something isn’t right. No, the adventure of faith, as for Thomas, consists of lights and shadows. Otherwise, what kind of faith would that be? It knows times of comfort, zeal, and enthusiasm, but also of weariness, confusion, doubt, and darkness. The Gospel shows us Thomas’ “crisis” to tell us that we should not fear the crises of life and faith. Crises are not sins, they are part of the journey; we should not fear them. Many times, they make us humble because they strip us of the idea that we are fine, that we are better than others. Crises help us to recognize that we are needy: they rekindle the need for God and thus enable us to return to the Lord, to touch his wounds, to experience his love anew as if it were the first time. Dear brothers and sisters, is better to have an imperfect but humble faith that always returns to Jesus, than a strong but presumptuous faith that makes us proud and arrogant. Woe to those, woe to them! And, faced with Thomas’ absence and his journey, which is often also our own, what does Jesus do? The Gospel says twice that he “came” (vv. 19, 26). First once, then a second time, eight days later. Jesus does not give up, he does not get tired of us, he is not afraid of our crises, our weaknesses. He always comes back: when the doors are closed, he comes back; when we are in doubt, he comes back; when, like Thomas, we need to encounter him and to touch him up close, he comes back. Jesus always comes back, he always knocks on the door, and he does not come back with powerful signs that would make us feel small and inadequate, even ashamed, but with his wounds; he comes back showing us his wounds, signs of his love that has espoused our frailties. Brothers and sisters, especially when we experience moments of weariness and crisis, the Risen Jesus wishes to return to stay with us. He only waits for us to seek him, to call on him, or even, like Thomas, to protest, bringing him our needs and our unbelief. He always comes back. Why? Because he is patient and merciful. He comes to open the upper rooms of our fears and unbelief because he always wants to give us another chance. Jesus is the Lord of “other chances”: he always gives us another one, always. So let us think about the last time – let’s try to remember a little – that, during a difficult moment or a period of crisis, we closed in on ourselves, barricading ourselves in our problems and shutting Jesus out of the house. And let us promise ourselves, the next time, in our fatigue, to seek Jesus, to return to him, to his forgiveness – he always forgives, always! – to return to those wounds that have healed us. In this way, we will also become capable of compassion, of approaching the wounds of others without inflexibility and without prejudice. May Our Lady, Mother of Mercy – I like to think of her as the Mother of Mercy on the Monday after Mercy Sunday – accompany us on the journey of faith and love. Pope Francis, Regina Caeli Divine Mercy Sunday, April 24, 2022
JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE John 11:7.11-15.17-27 Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." Then he added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up." The disciples answered, "If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well." Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days before. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for." "Your brother will rise to life," Jesus told her. "I know," she replied, "that he will rise to life on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord!" she answered. "I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." 1 Corinthians 15: 1-20 And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it - unless it was for nothing that you believed. I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared also to me - even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. For I am the least of all the apostles - I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me. So then, whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe. Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death - but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world. But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.
JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness." John 1:4-5 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. 1 John 1:5-7 Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. But if we live in the light - just as he is in the light - then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin. Ephesians 5:8-14 You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Try to learn what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light (It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, "Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you." "Sons of the light" in a Christian context, refers to those enlightened by faith. This term describes disciples of Jesus, indicating a spiritual state of being enlightened through faith. These individuals are called to embody Christian virtues, reflecting Christ's teachings. They walk in the light, reflecting His goodness and truth, distinct from darkness.
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER (MAY 4) John 21:1-19 At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing. “They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So, they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So, the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So, Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” Even After Our Failures, Jesus Invites Us to Set Out Again with Him, to Put Out into the Deep A Spiritual Reflection by Pope Francis The Gospel of today’s Liturgy (Jn 21:1-19) recounts the third time the Risen Jesus appears to the Apostles. It is a meeting that takes place by the Lake of Galilee, and above all involves Simon Peter. It all begins with him saying to the other disciples: “I am going fishing” (v. 3). There was nothing strange about this since he was a fisherman, but he had abandoned this work from the time he had left his nets on the shore of that very lake, in order to follow Jesus. And now, while the Risen One keeps them waiting, Peter, perhaps a little disheartened, proposes to the others that he return to his former life. And the others accept: “We will go with you.” But “that night they caught nothing” (v. 3). It can happen to us too that, out of tiredness, disappointment, perhaps out of laziness, we forget the Lord and neglect the great choices we have made, to settle for something else. For example, not dedicating time to talking together in the family, preferring personal pastimes; we forget prayer, letting ourselves be wrapped up in our own needs; we neglect charity, with the excuse of daily urgencies. But, in doing so, we find ourselves disappointed: it is that very disappointment that Peter felt, with the nets empty, like him. It is a road that takes you backwards, and does not satisfy you. And what does Jesus do with Peter? He returns again to the shore of the lake where he had chosen him, Andrew, James and John. He had chosen all four of them there. He does not reproach them — Jesus does not reproach, he touches the heart, always — but calls the disciples tenderly: “Children” (v. 5). Then he invites them, as before, to cast their nets again courageously. And once again, the nets are filled to overflowing. Brothers and sisters, when our nets are empty in life, it is not the time to feel sorry for ourselves, to take our minds off things, to return to old pastimes. It is time to begin again with Jesus; it is time to find the courage to begin again; it is time to put out to sea again with Jesus. Three verbs: to set out again, to begin again, to put out into the deep. Faced with a disappointment, or a life that has somewhat lost its meaning — “today I feel as if I have gone backwards” — always set out again with Jesus, start again, put out into the deep! He is waiting for you. And he is thinking only of you, me, each one of us. Peter needed that “jolt.” When he hears John cry: “It is the Lord!” (v. 7), he immediately dives into the water and swims towards Jesus. It is a gesture of love, because love goes beyond usefulness, convenience, or duty; love generates wonder, it inspires creative, freely-given zeal. In this way, while John, the youngest, recognizes the Lord, it is Peter, who is older, who dives towards him. In that dive is all the new-found enthusiasm of Simon Peter. Dear brothers and sisters, today the Risen Christ invites us to a new impetus — everyone, each one of us — he invites us to dive into the good without fear of losing something, without calculating too much, without waiting for others to begin. Why? Do not wait for others, because in order to go towards Jesus, we need to go out on a limb. We need to go out on a limb with courage – to resume, but to resume by going out on a limb, taking risks. Let us ask ourselves: am I capable of an outburst of generosity, or do I restrain the impulses of my heart and close myself off in routine, or in fear? Jump in, dive in. This is today’s word from Jesus. Then, at the end of this episode, Jesus asks Peter, three times, the question: “Do you love me?” (vv. 15-16). The Risen Lord asks us too today: Do you love me? Because at Easter, Jesus wants our hearts to rise too; because faith is not a question of knowledge, but of love. Do you love me? Jesus asks you, me, us, who have empty nets and are often afraid to start again; to you, me and all of us who do not have the courage to dive in and have perhaps lost our momentum. Do you love me? Jesus asks. From then on, Peter stopped fishing forever and dedicated himself to the service of God and to his brothers and sisters, to the point of giving his life here, where we are now. And what about us, do we want to love Jesus? May Our Lady, who readily said “yes” to the Lord, help us to rediscover the impulse to do good. Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, May 1, 2022
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About the Guidelines SheetThe Guidelines sheet is a prayer guide with the Word of God to help us journey together and be one in our weekly prayer as one community. This contains daily passages from scriptures together with reflections focused on a common theme and intention for the week. Archives
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