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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 value the grace of Plenary Indulgence BRIEF EXPLANATION ABOUT THE PLENARY INDULGENCE GRANTED DURING THE JUBILEE YEAR 2025 In our guidelines sheet for this week, we will explain about the Plenary Indulgence granted by the Catholic Church during the Ordinary Jubilee Year of 2025. We will also pray on some biblical passages on the mercy of God. In the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC) and in the CATECHISM FOR FILIPINO CATHOLIC (CFC), published by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on 1997, we find some numbers which can help us to know more about Plenary Indulgence. A) In the first place, in these two documents, we find a clear definition of sin and its consequences: CFC 1860. What really is sin? Sin is: a) a moral attitude, power, action, or refusal to act, b) that leads us into evil, c) alienates/separates us from • our true selves, • our neighbors, the community, and • God. It often becomes “compulsive” or “addictive,” and weakens our power of resistance. Despite its often-glamorous cover, actually sin injures, destroys, dishonors, poisons, and corrupts. CFC 1820. By its very nature sin has two effects. When grave/mortal, it destroys our communion with God, thus depriving us of eternal life (eternal punishment). But all sin also weakens and wounds our union with God and our relations with others and the community (temporal punishment). Both these “punishments” are not imposed by God, but rather flow from the very reality of sin. Eternal punishment of sin is remitted when the guilt of our sins is forgiven and we are restored to communion with God. Yet the temporal consequences remain. We are called to work against these temporal effects by patient suffering, toil, prayer, and acceptance of death as term of our earthly human condition. We are urged to put aside “the old self” corrupted through deceitful desires, and “put on that new man created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are we born of truth” (Eph 4:22-24). CCC 1472. To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand, every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain. CFC 1821. But we carry on this effort precisely as members of one great communion, Christ’s Body, the Church. Now the Church, as “communion of saints,” helps its members by granting indulgences, that is, by authoritatively assigning the penitent a portion of the treasury of merits of Christ and the saints to remit the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. These indulgences remit before God either all (plenary indulgence) or part (partial indulgence) of the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven. B) Secondly, in the CFC and CCC we can discover the meaning of Plenary Indulgence: CFC 1865. What are “indulgences”? Indulgences are the remission of all (plenary) or part (partial) of the temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven. They are granted in view of the merits of Christ the Redeemer, and the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. Upon reading these numbers from the CCC and CFC, we can emphasize that “Punishment is not imposed by God, but rather flows from the very reality of sin.” We believe that our God is an eternal merciful Father. In fact, in the “Decree on the Granting of Indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025” given in Rome, from the Offices of the Apostolic Penitentiary on 13 May 2024, is emphasize that the indulgence is a grace from the merciful God who loves us. As it is written in this Decree: In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015, Pope Francis emphasized how indulgences acquired in that context had "a particular importance" (Misericordiae vultus, 22), since the mercy of God "becomes the indulgence of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, reaches out to the forgiven sinner and frees him from every residue of the consequence of sin". Similarly, for this Holy Year, the Holy Father emphasizes that the gift of the Jubilee Indulgence "is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms ‘mercy’ and ‘indulgence’ were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds." (Spes non confundit, 23). The Indulgence is, therefore, a very real Jubilee grace. PASSAGES FOR THE WEEK ON THE MERCY OF GOD Psalm 103:8 “Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.” Jeremiah 3:12 “Go, proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, rebel Israel—oracle of the Lord—I will not remain angry with you; For I am merciful, oracle of the Lord, I will not keep my anger forever.” Do I return to God because I believe that He is a merciful Father welcoming me? Psalm 33:1-5 “Rejoice, you righteous, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise. Sing to him a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant. For the Lord’s word is upright; all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.” How often do I give thanks to God for His mercy? Do I rejoice in the mercy of the Lord? Matthew 9:27-29 Jesus left that place, and as he walked along, two blind men started following him. “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” they shouted. When Jesus had gone indoors, the two blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I can heal you?" "Yes, sir!" they answered. Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen, then, just as you believe!" Do I pray to God for all those in need of His mercy? Do I trust in His mercy seeing the conflicts and hard situations in this world? Matthew 18:25-35 “You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.” Matthew 5:7 "Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them” Do I know somebody expecting from me to be merciful to him/her? Psalm 26:3 “Your mercy is before my eyes; I walk guided by your faithfulness.” What does it mean for me to be guided by His mercy? When do I lose sight of His mercy? HOW TO OBTAIN A PLENARY INDULGENCE DURING THE 2025 JUBILEE As we have said above, the basis document to explain to earn the Plenary Indulgence is the “Decree on the Granting of Indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025” given in Rome, from the Offices of the Apostolic Penitentiary on 13 May 2024. In order to gain a plenary indulgence, a person must:
1) Specific acts to which the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence is attached: a. Perform works of mercy. The Jubilee Year is a time when Catholics are especially encouraged to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Apostolic Penitentiary states: In a special way "during the Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind" (Spes non confundit, 10). Therefore, the Indulgence is also linked to certain works of mercy and penance, which bear witness to the conversion undertaken. The faithful, following the example and mandate of Christ, are encouraged to carry out works of charity or mercy more frequently, especially in the service of those brothers and sisters who are burdened by various needs. More especially, they should rediscover these “corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead" (Misericordiae vultus, 15) and rediscover also "the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear patiently those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead" (ibid.). In this way, the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they visit, for an appropriate amount of time, their brothers and sisters who are in need or in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, lonely elderly people, disabled people...), in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25, 34-36) according to the usual spiritual, sacramental and prayer conditions. The faithful can repeat these visits throughout the Holy Year, even daily, acquiring a plenary indulgence each time. b. To develop a spirit of penance and fasting. The Decree stays: “The Jubilee Plenary Indulgence can also be obtained through initiatives that put into practice, in a concrete and generous way, the spirit of penance which is, in a sense, the soul of the Jubilee. In particular the penitential nature of Friday can be rediscovered through abstaining, in a spirit of penance, at least for one day of the week from futile distractions (real but also virtual distractions, for example, the use of the media and/or social networks), from superfluous consumption (for example by fasting or practicing abstinence according to the general norms of the Church and the indications of the Bishops), as well as by donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor; by supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in support of the defense and protection of life in all its phases, but also by supporting the quality of life of abandoned children, young people in difficulty, the needy or lonely elderly people, or migrants from various countries; it can also be obtained by dedicating a reasonable portion of one’s free time to voluntary activities that are of service to the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment. c. Formation in the teaching of the Second Vatican Then Decree states: In addition, the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, with a devout spirit, they participate in popular missions, spiritual exercises, or formation activities on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, held in a church or other suitable place, according to the mind of the Holy Father. d. Visit your local cathedral The Decree states: The faithful, pilgrims of hope, will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence granted by the Holy Father if they undertake a pious pilgrimage by visiting the Cathedral or other church or sacred place designated by the local Ordinary. Bishops will take into account the needs of the faithful as well as the opportunity to reinforce the concept of pilgrimage with all its symbolic significance, so as to manifest the great need for conversion and reconciliation. Likewise, the faithful can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any Jubilee site and there, for a suitable period of time, engage in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to Mary, the Mother of God, so that in this Holy Year everyone "will come to know the closeness of Mary, the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children" (Spes non confundit, 24). 2) Conditions for obtaining an Indulgence In addition to the specific acts required to obtain Plenary Indulgence, the faithful must fulfill all the usual conditions, which are:
3) Plenary Indulgence in special cases The Decree takes also into consideration all those in special situations: The faithful who are truly repentant of sin but who cannot participate in the various solemn celebrations, pilgrimages and pious visits for serious reasons (especially cloistered nuns and monks, but also the elderly, the sick, prisoners, and those who, through their work in hospitals or other care facilities, provide continuous service to the sick), can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence, under the same conditions if, united in spirit with the faithful taking part in person, (especially when the words of the Supreme Pontiff or the diocesan Bishop are transmitted through the various means of communication), they recite the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any approved form, and other prayers in conformity with the objectives of the Holy Year, in their homes or wherever they are confined (e.g. in the chapel of the monastery, hospital, nursing home, prison...) offering up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives. 4) Benefits of a Plenary Indulgence
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 know the meaning of the Jubilee Year BRIEF EXPLANATION ABOUT THE ORDINARY JUBILEE YEAR 2025 We will resume our “guidelines sheet for prayer” with an explanation about the Ordinary Jubilee Year. This week we will develop three parts: 1) What is a Jubilee Year; 2) Some passages for personal prayer and reflection; 3) Meaning of the Jubilee Logo. What is the Jubilee Year all about? We are celebrating during 2025 a Jubilee Year. This Catholic Jubilee, or Holy Year, began on December 24, 2024 and will end on January 6, 2026. The theme of the 2025 Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope”. It is a special year of forgiveness, reconciliation and renewal that takes place every 25 years. On February 11, 2022, Pope Francis wrote a letter to Msgr. Rino Fisichella, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, for the Jubilee 2025. Here below is the complete copy of the said letter for us to read slowly and to understand better the meaning and the reasons for the celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025. To My Dear Brother the Most Reverend Rino Fisichella president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church. Ever since 1300, when Boniface VIII instituted the first Holy Year – initially celebrated every hundred years, then, following its biblical precedent, every fifty years, and finally every twenty-five years – God’s holy and faithful people has experienced this celebration as a special gift of grace, characterized by the forgiveness of sins and in particular by the indulgence, which is a full expression of the mercy of God. The faithful, frequently at the conclusion of a lengthy pilgrimage, draw from the spiritual treasury of the Church by passing through the Holy Door and venerating the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul preserved in Roman basilicas. Down the centuries, millions upon millions of pilgrims have journeyed to these sacred places, bearing living witness to the faith professed in every age. The Great Jubilee of the year 2000 ushered the Church into the third millennium of her history. Saint John Paul II had long awaited and greatly looked forward to that event, in the hope that all Christians, putting behind their historical divisions, could celebrate together the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of humanity. Now, as the first twenty-five years of the new century draw to a close, we are called to enter into a season of preparation that can enable the Christian people to experience the Holy Year in all its pastoral richness. A significant step on this journey was already taken with the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, which allowed us to appreciate anew all the power and tenderness of the Father’s merciful love, in order to become, in our turn, its witnesses. In the last two years, not a single country has been unaffected by the sudden outbreak of an epidemic that made us experience first-hand not only the tragedy of dying alone, but also the uncertainty and fleetingness of existence, and in doing so, has changed our very way of life. Together with all our brothers and sisters, we Christians endured those hardships and limitations. Our churches remained closed, as did our schools, factories, offices, shops, and venues for recreation. All of us saw certain freedoms curtailed, while the pandemic generated feelings not only of grief, but also, at times, of doubt, fear and disorientation. The scientific community quickly developed an initial remedy that is gradually permitting us to resume our daily lives. We are fully confident that the epidemic will be overcome and that the world will return to its usual pattern of personal relationships and social life. This will happen more readily to the extent that we can demonstrate effective solidarity, so that our neighbours most in need will not be neglected, and that everyone can have access to scientific breakthroughs and the necessary medicines. We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope. This will indeed be the case if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity. Here I think in particular of the many refugees forced to abandon their native lands. May the voices of the poor be heard throughout this time of preparation for the Jubilee, which is meant to restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone. As the Bible teaches, “The sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who lives with you; for your cattle also, and for the beasts that are in your land, all its yield shall be for food” (Lev 25:6-7). The spiritual dimension of the Jubilee, which calls for conversion, should also embrace these fundamental aspects of our life in society as part of a coherent whole. In the realization that all of us are pilgrims on this earth, which the Lord has charged us to till and keep (cf. Gen 2:15), may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home. It is my hope that the coming Jubilee Year will be celebrated and experienced with this intention too. Growing numbers of men and women, including many young people and children, have come to realize that care for creation is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will. To you, dear Brother, I entrust responsibility for finding suitable ways for the Holy Year to be planned and celebrated with deep faith, lively hope and active charity. The Dicastery charged with promoting the new evangelization can help make this season of grace a significant stimulus to the pastoral outreach of the particular Churches, both Latin and Eastern, which are called in these years to intensify their commitment to synodality. In this regard, our pilgrimage towards the Jubilee will express and confirm the shared journey that the Church is called to make, in order to be ever more fully a sign and instrument of unity in harmonious diversity. It will be important to foster a renewed awareness of the demands of the universal call to responsible participation by enhancing the charisms and ministries that the Holy Spirit never ceases to bestow for the building up of the one Church. The four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, together with the Magisterium of these recent decades, will continue to provide direction and guidance to God’s holy people, so that it can press forward in its mission of bringing the joyful proclamation of the Gospel to everyone. As is customary, the Bull of Indiction, to be issued in due course, will contain the necessary guidelines for celebrating the Jubilee of 2025. In this time of preparation, I would greatly desire that we devote 2024, the year preceding the Jubilee event, to a great “symphony” of prayer. Prayer, above all else, to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him. Prayer, moreover, to thank God for the many gifts of his love for us and to praise his work in creation, which summons everyone to respect it and to take concrete and responsible steps to protect it. Prayer as the expression of a single “heart and soul” (cf. Acts 4:32), which then translates into solidarity and the sharing of our daily bread. Prayer that makes it possible for every man and woman in this world to turn to the one God and to reveal to him what lies hidden in the depths of their heart. Prayer as the royal road to holiness, which enables us to be contemplative even in the midst of activity. In a word, may it be an intense year of prayer in which hearts are opened to receive the outpouring of God’s grace and to make the “Our Father,” the prayer Jesus taught us, the life programme of each of his disciples. I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to accompany the Church on the journey of preparation for the grace-filled event of the Jubilee, and to you and your co-workers, with gratitude, I cordially send my Blessing. Rome, Saint John Lateran, 11 February 2022, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes. FRANCIS What are the main points of this letter from Pope Francis?
Passages for prayer during this week Jeremiah 29:11 For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. Do I trust in God´s plans for my/our future in the circumstances I´m living now? 1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. How can I explain to myself and to others that Jesus is my hope? Romans 5:5 Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. Do I acknowledge that the Holy Spirit leads me to hope? How is He doing it? Psalms 71:5 You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth. Can I say with the psalmist that my trust in God is constant? Romans 8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? We are invited to live out the authentic hope when we don´t clearly see what is going to happen or how it is going to happen. What is my motivation to hope in these moments? The meaning of the Jubilee Logo
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: Preparation for the coming of Jesus General Objective: Advent is the time for us to welcome Jesus, the Holy one of God Objective of the week: To practice the virtues of hope, patience, love and joy INTRODUCTION The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means ‘coming.’ This year we begin advent on 1 December and end this season of prayerful anticipation on 24 December. Pope Francis in his Angelus message for the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, reminded us that “Advent is a time of expectation and a time of hope. Advent reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate goal and to lead us to its fullness, which is the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. God is the 'God-with-us', God is not distant…. God walks beside us to support us…. He accompanies us through the events of our lives to help us discover the meaning of the journey, the meaning of everyday life and to give us courage when we are under duress or when we suffer." Pope Francis in his Angelus message in 2018, explains that “Advent invites us to a commitment to vigilance, looking beyond ourselves, expanding our mind and heart in order to open ourselves up to the needs of people, of brothers and sisters, and to the desire for a new world.” Advent is the perfect time to reignite our faith and start anew. It is a time to practice the virtues of hope, patience, and joy in our preparation to be ready for the coming of the Lord. We will reflect during this week of Advent some numbers of Gaudete et Exsultate (GE). Advent is also a time to go to the sacrament of reconciliation as part of this preparation. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, we continue our preparation for the coming of the Lord. Being aware that He “dwells among us” (Jn 1:14), let us address our prayer to Him as one Verbum Dei Family: “Maranatha- come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20) and “Grant us your peace” (Jn 14:27). MONDAY Advent is a time to hope for the coming of the Lord As Pope Francis said on the first Sunday of Advent in 2013, it is a time to hope: "Just as in each of our lives we always need to begin again, to get up again, to rediscover the meaning of the goal of our lives, so also for the great human family it is always necessary to rediscover the common horizon toward which we are journeying. The horizon of hope! This is the horizon that makes for a good journey. The season of Advent restores this horizon of hope, a hope which does not disappoint for it is founded on God’s Word. A hope which does not disappoint, simply because the Lord never disappoints! He is faithful! He does not disappoint!" Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 49:23 Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Romans 5:5 5 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. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:3-7 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[b] behalf. Advent is a season of hope, it is an invitation to renew our hope that might have been extinguished due to the many challenges we have faced. With the hard realities of the aftermath of pandemic and natural calamities that resulted in the economic crisis, with our present political unrest, with the experience of death in the family, of sickness, of loss of job and many more hard blows of life, it is truly easy to lose hope. It can cast us down. In moments like this, we become hopeless. However, in this Advent season, we are once again invited to look up and be filled with hope for the coming of our Savior who saves us from our hopelessness. He who is coming will lift us up. In Is 40:31 “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength”. This is a beautiful promise, that when we place our hope in Him, we will not be disappointed, we will constantly be renewed. Let us continue to listen to His words of hope in prayer this Advent season, so we can be hopeful and be messengers of hope to so many who are hopeless.
TUESDAY Advent is a time to keep vigilant in our prayer and actions GE 159 We are not dealing merely with a battle against the world and a worldly mentality that would deceive us and leave us dull and mediocre, lacking in enthusiasm and joy. Nor can this battle be reduced to the struggle against our human weaknesses and proclivities (be they laziness, lust, envy, jealousy or any others). It is also a constant struggle against the devil, the prince of evil. Jesus himself celebrated our victories. He rejoiced when his disciples made progress in preaching the Gospel and overcoming the opposition of the evil one: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Lk 10:18). GE 162 God’s word invites us clearly to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11) and to “quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16). These expressions are not melodramatic, precisely because our path towards holiness is a constant battle. Those who do not realize this will be prey to failure or mediocrity. For this spiritual combat, we can count on the powerful weapons that the Lord has given us: faith-filled prayer, meditation on the word of God, the celebration of Mass, Eucharistic adoration, sacramental Reconciliation, works of charity, community life, missionary outreach. If we become careless, the false promises of evil will easily seduce us. GE 164. The path of holiness is a source of peace and joy, given to us by the Spirit. At the same time, it demands that we keep “our lamps lit” (Lk 12:35) and be attentive. “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess 5:22). “Keep awake” (Mt 24:42; Mk 13:35). “Let us not fall asleep” (1 Thess 5:6). Those who think they commit no grievous sins against God’s law can fall into a state of dull lethargy. Since they see nothing serious to reproach themselves with, they fail to realize that their spiritual life has gradually turned lukewarm. They end up weakened and corrupted. Ephesians 4:25-32 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 4:6-8; But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”[a] 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 1Jn 3:8; 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. The path towards holiness is not without challenges and temptations. The choice on how we live our life is up to us. Yet when we remain firm and turn to God in every struggle, suffering and temptation, He assures us of His saving power, His secure hand, a safe place in His presence. In this season of Advent, as we prepare for Christ’s coming, may we be fully aware of how we long to greet Him as a disciple who is clean and ready to accept Him.
WEDNESDAY Advent is a time for reconciliation with God and with others GE 166 How can we know if something comes from the Holy Spirit or if it stems from the spirit of the world or the spirit of the devil? The only way is through discernment, which calls for something more than intelligence or common sense. It is a gift which we must implore. If we ask with confidence that the Holy Spirit grant us this gift, and then seek to develop it through prayer, reflection, reading and good counsel, then surely, we will grow in this spiritual endowment. GE 169 Discernment is necessary not only at extraordinary times, when we need to resolve grave problems and make crucial decisions. It is a means of spiritual combat for helping us to follow the Lord more faithfully. We need it at all times, to help us recognize God’s timetable, lest we fail to heed the promptings of his grace and disregard his invitation to grow. Often discernment is exercised in small and apparently irrelevant things, since greatness of spirit is manifested in simple everyday realities. It involves striving untrammeled for all that is great, better, and more beautiful, while at the same time being concerned for the little things, for each day’s responsibilities and commitments. For this reason, I ask all Christians not to omit, in dialogue with the Lord, a sincere daily “examination of conscience.” Discernment also enables us to recognize the concrete means that the Lord provides in his mysterious and loving plan, to make us move beyond mere good intentions. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Colossians 1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Matthew 5:23-24 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. "How can we know if something comes from the Holy Spirit?"(GE166)A very good question that we need to ask ourselves today. We are again reminded that a very good start when we pray is always to implore from the Holy Spirit to come and help us to understand the message of God to us from his words. How wonderful to say this prayer, " Come Holy Spirit, I need you. Come Holy Spirit I pray. Come like a spring in the desert. Come to the weary of souls. Touch me and make me whole." For it is the Holy Spirit that will guide us on how to discern. The only way to discover the gifts from the Holy Spirit, " is through discernment which calls for something more than intelligence or common sense."(GE166)How beautiful to note that the kind of prayer we learned from Verbum Dei is a good venue for this purpose. From here we can have that spiritual endowment. How privileged we are, if we oftenly exercise discernment to any situations of our life. Why? , because " the greatness of spirit is manifested in everyday realities!"(GE169) How are we today in our following as disciples of Christ Jesus? Pope Francis in GE169 emphasizes this, "I ask all Christians not to omit in dialogue with the Lord, a sincere daily examination of conscience." How good if we aim to have a clean heart and mind. The real manger where Jesus is desiring to lay down. For he wanted to be very close to us. The " Emmanuel, God is with us!" How to become one with him this advent season? Today we are reminded that Advent is a time for reconciliation with God and others. How is our relationship at home, workplace, school, and neighborhood? In 2 Cor. 5:20 says " Here we are then speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!" God wanted us always to have peace and goodwill to everyone. God is appealing to all of us today that our reconciliation to him will only be completed if we are also reconciled to our brothers, sisters and to all people around us. Who are the person/s that God is presenting vividly in front of you? Whom he is whispering loudly in your heart. Saying, " be reconciled with them, now is the great time!" As in Matthew 5: 23-24 that says, " So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, then come back and offer your gift to God."
THURSDAY Advent is a time to patiently love ourselves and others GE 140 When we live apart from others, it is very difficult to fight against concupiscence, the snares and temptations of the devil and the selfishness of the world. Bombarded as we are by so many enticements, we can grow too isolated, lose our sense of reality and inner clarity, and easily succumb. GE 143 The common life, whether in the family, the parish, the religious community or any other, is made up of small everyday things. This was true of the holy community formed by Jesus, Mary and Joseph, which reflected in an exemplary way the beauty of the Trinitarian communion. It was also true of the life that Jesus shared with his disciples and with ordinary people. GE 144 Let us not forget that Jesus asked his disciples to pay attention to details. The little detail that wine was running out at a party (Jn 2: 6-9) The little detail that one sheep was missing (Mt 18:12-14) The little detail of noticing the widow who offered her two small coins (Lk 21:2-4) The little detail of asking the disciples how many loaves of bread they had (Mk 6:37-39) The little detail of having a fire burning and a fish cooking as he waited for the disciples at daybreak (Jn 21:9-12) 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. Ephesians 4:1-3 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. The Holy Family is our model of unity and love, where there is joy in simplicity and humility. Our family and the people around us are God's grace for us. Through them, we can exercise love and our love is measured by being patient and kind to them. If we claim that we love God with all our heart and soul, words are not enough to express that we love him because of the moments that we are spiritually good by our prayers, retreats, and preachings; yet, uneasy to be with haughty people. We are uncomfortable to be with children, loud and cranky people. We easily get irritated by circumstances or when our silence is disturbed. The Lord has a beautiful reminder to each one of us that Jesus himself never gives up on us even to the point of rejecting him, but all the more his heart moves to pity when we tend to make wrong decisions to get rid of troubles and disappointments. Jesus the good Shepherd shows us how to be patient. He is patiently looking for the lost sheep, leaving the ninety nine just to find the lost one. See how risky it is to leave the flock, but when he found the sheep he cuddled it with great joy. (Mt.18:12-14) Jesus is inviting us to love ourselves because if we love ourselves, it reflects how we patiently love our neighbors. Jesus wanted us not to settle only in prayers but he wanted us to do more, walk extra miles with our prayer by living out what we have prayed for. Like the little detail that the wine was running out at a party (Jn.2:6-9) There are moments that we ran out of "water from the jars" or shall we say ran out of patience. This is the moment that we seek Jesus and he is there for us telling us, "Fill your jar with water" and he will surely fill our jars, our hearts with precious wine. It is similar to the disciples who got tired of fishing the whole night that caught nothing, then Jesus said to them, "Throw your net out of the right side of the boat and you will catch some."(Jn.21:6). Then Jesus said, "Come and eat."(Jn. 21:12) Jesus is always inviting us to come and eat with him as we continue our spiritual journey. To eat with him is to nourish our soul to capacitate us to be like him, being loving, patient, kind, and compassionate so that we can learn to accept individual differences and uniqueness. Let us hold on to Jesus who is the real treasure to sustain in loving ourselves and our neighbors. He is there for us at times we need him. Just like the poor old woman who dropped little coins in the Treasury temple from her poverty. Let us invest our life for Jesus, that from our busyness we must spare a little time for him and it is more than enough for him. In this season of advent, let us do more than our prayers to extend a little sacrifice of being loving and patient to the unloved and unaccepted ones.
FRIDAY Advent is a time to rejoice in God's action and to be grateful GE 123 The prophets proclaimed the times of Jesus, in which we now live, as a revelation of joy. “Shout and sing for joy!” (Is 12:6). “Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem!” (Is 40:9). “Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and he will have compassion on his afflicted” (Is 49:13). “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he” (Zech 9:9). Nor should we forget Nehemiah’s exhortation: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (8:10). GE 125 Hard times may come, when the cross casts its shadow, yet nothing can destroy the supernatural joy that “adapts and changes, but always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved” (Evangelii Gaudium 6). That joy brings deep security, serene hope and a spiritual fulfilment that the world cannot understand or appreciate. GE 127 With the love of a father, God tells us: “My son, treat yourself well... Do not deprive yourself of a happy day” (Sir 14:11.14). He wants us to be positive, grateful, and uncomplicated: “In the day of prosperity, be joyful... God created human beings straightforwardly, but they have devised many schemes” (Eccl 7:14.29). Whatever the case, we should remain resilient and imitate Saint Paul: “I have learned to be content with what I have” (Phil 4:11). Saint Francis of Assisi lived by this; he could be overwhelmed with gratitude before a piece of hard bread, or joyfully praise God simply for the breeze that caressed his face. GE 128 This is not the joy held out by today’s individualistic and consumerist culture. Consumerism only bloats the heart. It can offer occasional and passing pleasures, but not joy. Here I am speaking of a joy lived in communion, which shares and is shared, since “there is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35) and “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). Fraternal love increases our capacity for joy, since it makes us capable of rejoicing in the good of others: “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Rom 12:15). “We rejoice when we are weak and you are strong” (2 Cor 13:9). On the other hand, when we “focus primarily on our own needs, we condemn ourselves to a joyless existence” (Amoris Laetitia, 110) Isaiah 12:1-6 In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a]; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Let us all rejoice and be more aware of God’s salvific action for all of us, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in flesh and dwells amongst us is something very especial and supernatural that we could never imagine and think of yet God is God, His overflowing Mercy and Love for us abounds. Let us all immerse in this most beautiful gift of God for all of us humans and engrave in our hearts the Joy that it brings. Let us all proclaim and be forever grateful to God’s wondrous deeds and let it remain in us.
SUNDAY Fourth Sunday of Advent 1st Reading: Micah 5:1-4a
Psalm Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 2nd Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10 Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 ![]()
General Theme: Preparation for the coming of Jesus General Objective: Advent is the time for us to welcome Jesus, the Holy one of God Objective of the week: To intensify contemplative and transforming prayer in Advent INTRODUCTION We are in Advent. We are preparing ourselves to welcome the Holy One, Jesus Christ who paved the way for us to be holy. Mk 1:23-24. Lk 4:34 “In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jn 6: 67-69 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. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Holiness is not a norm to follow or an external commitment. It means to live the style of life that Jesus lived. 1 Jn 2:6 “Whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived.” When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we are able to discover His life as the path of holiness for us to assimilate and to follow. That's why Advent is a time to focus more attention on Him, to give more time to prayer. From prayer we receive the lights on how to prepare ourselves to welcome Jesus in our lives during this time of Christmas 2024. With Him in our hearts we can continue our journey towards holiness. We will continue taking for this week some number from Gaudete et Exsultate (GE) from Pope Francis. MONDAY Prayer connects us to what is essential GE 147 Finally, though it may seem obvious, we should remember that holiness consists in a habitual openness to the transcendent, expressed in prayer and adoration. The saints are distinguished by a spirit of prayer and a need for communion with God. They find an exclusive concern with this world to be narrow and stifling, and, amid their own concerns and commitments, they long for God, losing themselves in praise and contemplation of the Lord. I do not believe in holiness without prayer, even though that prayer need not be lengthy or involve intense emotions. GE 148 Saint John of the Cross tells us: “Endeavour to remain always in the presence of God, either real, imaginative, or unitive, insofar as is permitted by your works”. In the end, our desire for God will surely find expression in our daily lives: “Try to be continuous in prayer, and in the midst of bodily exercises do not leave it. Whether you eat, drink, talk with others, or do anything, always go to God and attach your heart to him”. Psalm 62:1-6 1 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. 3 How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down-- this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 4 Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.[b] 5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Isaiah 55:1-3 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David In this season of Advent we can be taken with so many concerns in preparation of the Christmas celebration. This same preparation however, may take us away from what is essential-our connection to Him who is to come. Prayer will connect us to Him and it is a beautiful invitation to find our “strength, peace, hope and rest with Him”. We can be very tired and stressed with many commercialized preparations this Christmas, but if we connect to Him, we will be reminded of what is essential: our spiritual preparation that will bring us the light and joy of forgiveness, peace, hope and renewal. In one of a social media post that marked me it goes: “This Christmas season some families may not need to exchange gifts or presents, rather some may need to exchange warm hugs, smiles, non-judgmental gestures and forgiveness to each other”. This will happen when we reflect our lives in prayer. As the line of the song goes: and so this is Christmas, and what have you done? Pausing and reflecting in prayer can truly pave the way to a more fruitful and meaningful Christmas.
TUESDAY Silence in the presence of God GE 149 For this to happen, however, some moments spent alone with God are also necessary. For Saint Teresa of Avila, prayer “is nothing but friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with him who we know loves us.” I would insist that this is true not only for a privileged few, but for all of us, for “we all have need of this silence, filled with the presence of him who is adored.” Trust-filled prayer is a response of a heart open to encountering God face to face, where all is peaceful and the quiet voice of the Lord can be heard in the midst of silence. GE 150 In that silence, we can discern, in the light of the Spirit, the paths of holiness to which the Lord is calling us. Otherwise, any decisions we make may only be window-dressing that, rather than exalting the Gospel in our lives, will mask or submerge it. For each disciple, it is essential to spend time with the Master, to listen to his words, and to learn from him always. Unless we listen, all our words will be nothing but useless chatter. Deuteronomy 15:5 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. Isaiah 41:1 “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; Let us meet together at the place of judgment. Jeremiah 7:23 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. In silence we can discern God’s plan for us. Sometimes, all we need is to cancel out the noise in our lives to truly listen to God. It is in silence that we can contemplate on what we truly need in our life and who we are meant to be. When we focus our mind and heart to what we are discerning, we discover that there is more to our life than our earthly desires. In this season of Advent, may the silence in our hearts help us to prepare for the joy that is to come.
WEDNESDAY The Power of the WORD To Transform Lives GE 156 The prayerful reading of God’s word, which is “sweeter than honey” (Ps 119:103) yet a “two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12), enables us to pause and listen to the voice of the Master. It becomes a lamp for our steps and a light for our path (cf. Ps 119:105). As the bishops of India have reminded us, “devotion to the word of God is not simply one of many devotions, beautiful but somewhat optional. It goes to the very heart and identity of Christian life. The word has the power to transform lives” Psalm 119:103-105 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Is 55:6-11 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. We thank God for giving us another advent season. A grace for another moment of waiting for his WORD made flesh,"JESUS".The word of God of both "testimony of Jesus" (Rev 1:12) as well as"Jesus himself "(Rev 19:13). In Rev 19:9 says “Then the Angel said to me, 'Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb", And the Angel added, "These are the true words of God." This prophetic message given to John aims to keep us faithful to JESUS. This is a strong invitation for us to be very close to the WORD of God everyday. Because the word of God as in GE156 says "It goes to the very heart and identity of Christian life. The word that has the power to transform lives." Jesus is now reminding us again that we must be faithful to our prayer life. Why? Because his words are what we need for our journey of life as in Ps119:105 that says "Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.” How good it is if we always depend on our God by listening to his words. This is our nourishment and strength so that we can live our life according to God's purpose. As Isaiah 55:1 says, "So also will be the word that I speak - it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do." What is the plan of God for us? That each one of us can also be the word of God made flesh. God needs us to be Christ of this present time. He hopes in us that his WORD will become flesh in our lives for others to taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Ps 119:103 says "How sweet is the taste of your instructions - sweeter even than honey!"
THURSDAY Be vigilant; focus what is essential GE 156 We need to remember that “contemplation of the face of Jesus, died and risen, restores our humanity, even when it has been broken by the troubles of this life or marred by sin. We must not domesticate the power of the face of Christ.” So, let me ask you: Are there moments when you place yourself quietly in the Lord’s presence, when you calmly spend time with him, when you bask in his gaze? Do you let his fire inflame your heart? Unless you let him warm you more and more with his love and tenderness, you will not catch fire. How will you then be able to set the hearts of others on fire by your words and witness? If, gazing on the face of Christ, you feel unable to let yourself be healed and transformed, then enter into the Lord’s heart, into his wounds, for that is the abode of divine mercy. Luke 10:38-42 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 24:28-32 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 10:38-42 "Martha was upset over the work she had to do, so she came and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me." Many times in our life we are like Martha who are so anxious about many things in life. We focus more on our daily routines, jobs, finances, and problems without knowing that we have neglected our spiritual life. We are not vigilant to what is essential in this world. When Jesus is absent in our hearts, we are filled with insecurities, boredom, and disappointments. We tend to cling to the pleasures thinking that could heal our brokenness; yet, unaware that our soul is thirsting for the Lord. Now, is the season of Advent a time to ponder ourselves to what delights our soul? It is the time to open our hearts and prepare the way for the Lord. ( Lk. 24: 28-32 ) "Without recognizing Jesus, the apostles told him, 'Stay with us.' And so he went and stayed with them, took the bread, blessed it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight." He disappeared because the Lord is within them, this event continues today to all disciples of Christ, to all of us. We have met Jesus by our faith. Let us recognize him and prepare ourselves to welcome him into our hearts. Jesus broke, and gave himself to us in the eucharist to live in us. Let us "stay awake" and not allow ourselves to become lazy or focus on worldly things and live in mediocrity so our life will not be burdened with insecurities. Let us ignite our hearts in prayer and return to God making our hearts his dwelling place.
FRIDAY God listens to our heart’s supplication GE 154
Prayer of supplication is an expression of a heart that trusts in God and realizes that of itself it can do nothing. The life of God’s faithful people is marked by constant supplication born of faith-filled love and great confidence. Let us not downplay prayer of petition, which so often calms our hearts and helps us persevere in hope. Prayer of intercession has particular value, for it is an act of trust in God and, at the same time, an expression of love for our neighbor. There are those who think, based on a one-sided spirituality, that prayer should be unalloyed contemplation of God, free of all distraction, as if the names and faces of others were somehow an intrusion to be avoided. Yet in reality, our prayer will be all the more pleasing to God and more effective for our growth in holiness if, through intercession, we attempt to practice the two-fold commandment that Jesus left us. Intercessory prayer is an expression of our fraternal concern for others, since we are able to embrace their lives, their deepest troubles and their loftiest dreams. Of those who commit themselves generously to intercessory prayer we can apply the words of Scripture: “This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people” (2 Mac 15:14). Matthew 8:5-13 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Mark 10:46-52 46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. In this advent, let us ask Jesus for help, guidance, and intervention in preparing ourselves well for His coming. Let us pray for healing, forgiveness, and a clean heart in this time of Advent so that we may be capable of receiving Christ himself. Let us also pray for the goals of our respective families and our common goal in the Verbum Dei family. Advent is a perfect time for us to ask for the grace of humility, faithfulness, hope, openness, oneness, and abandonment of self to and for Jesus Christ. Let us recognize the compassion and mercy of Christ in every prayer of supplication, and with faith He will hear and grant us according to His will what is best for us. Let us also recognize that supplication can lead to our spiritual growth, self-awareness, and profound sense of belonging within the Catholic Church. May our prayers for supplication lead us all to holiness.
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General Theme: The call to holiness General Objective: Each one can believe and live out the call to holiness Objective of the week: To realize how Jesus is encouraging us to achieve His happiness INTRODUCTION We continue this week praying on the Beatitudes as the path to happiness. Let us listen again to the Pope through his Apostolic Exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate” to deepen more about the Beatitudes. Gaudete et Exsultate (GE) will be the foundation for our reflection during this week as it was in the previous one. MONDAY Seeing and acting with mercy: that is holiness Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” GE 80. Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and understanding. Matthew 7:12 sums it up in one golden rule: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.” GE 81. Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God’s perfection, which gives and forgives superabundantly. For this reason, in the Gospel of Luke we do not hear the words, “Be perfect” (Mt 5:48), but rather, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” (Lk 6:36-38). Luke then adds something not to be overlooked: “The measure you give will be the measure you get back” (6:38). The yardstick we use for understanding and forgiving others will measure the forgiveness we receive. The yardstick we use for giving will measure what we receive. We should never forget this. GE 82. Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who plot revenge.” He calls “blessed” those who forgive and do so “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven. All of us have been looked upon with divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with sincerity and listen carefully, there may well be times when we hear his reproach: “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33). Matthew 18:21-35; 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven,[a] 23 because the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants' accounts. 24 He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt. 26 The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’ 27 The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go. 28 “Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said. 29 His fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!’ 30 But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. 32 So he called the servant in. ‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to. 33 You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.’ 34 The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he should pay back the whole amount.” 35 And Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Luke 6:36-38; 36 Be merciful just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. 38 Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands—all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.” All of us are receivers of the mercy of God. His love and mercy is abundant for each one of us and does not keep records of wrongs 1Cor 13:4-5. He forgives and forgets Jer. 31:34. He invites us to do the same to our brothers and sisters. As we receive mercy, we should transmit mercy. We are invited to be transmitters of mercy. Mercy to those who are in need and forgiveness to those who wronged us. We know indeed, that it is not an easy task to do. But if we remember how many times God blot out our transgressions to Him (Is. 43:25) and how His mercy abounds, it will be possible to do it to others. We just have to remember what He has done to us. We give what we receive. We are indeed His channels of mercy and forgiveness.
TUESDAY Keeping a heart free of all that tarnishes love: that is holiness Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” GE 83. This Beatitude speaks of those whose hearts are simple, pure and undefiled, for a heart capable of love admits nothing that might harm, weaken or endanger that love. The Bible uses the heart to describe our real intentions, the things we truly seek and desire, apart from all appearances. “Man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1Sam 16:7). God wants to speak to our hearts (cf. Hos 2:16); there he desires to write his law (cf. Jer 31:33). In a word, he wants to give us a new heart (cf. Ezek 36:26). GE 84. “Guard your heart with all vigilance” (Prov 4:23). Nothing stained by falsehood has any real worth in the Lord’s eyes. The Father, “who sees in secret” (Mt 6:6), recognizes what is impure and insincere, mere display or appearance, as does the Son, who knows “what is in man” (cf. Jn 2:25). GE 85. Certainly, there can be no love without works of love, but this Beatitude reminds us that the Lord expects a commitment to our brothers and sisters that comes from the heart. In Matthew’s Gospel too, we see that what proceeds from the heart is what defiles a person (cf. 15:18), for from the heart comes murder, theft, false witness, and other evil deeds (cf. 15:19). From the heart’s intentions come the desires and the deepest decisions that determine our actions. Matthew 15:15-20; Peter spoke up, “Explain this saying to us.” Jesus said to them, “You are still no more intelligent than the others. Don't you understand? Anything that goes into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body. But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make you ritually unclean. For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others. These are the things that make you unclean. But to eat without washing your hands as they say you should—this doesn't make you unclean.” Holiness comes from a change from within our heart. Humans can easily be fooled by looking at the physical appearance or actions but God sees beyond all this - He sees what’s in our heart and minds. He knows us. Yet He waits on us.
WEDNESDAY Sowing peace all around us: that is holiness Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” GE 87. This Beatitude makes us think of the many endless situations of war in our world. Yet we ourselves are often a cause of conflict or at least of misunderstanding. For example, I may hear something about someone and I go off and repeat it. I may even embellish it the second time around and keep spreading it… And the more harm it does, the more satisfaction I seem to derive from it. The world of gossip, inhabited by negative and destructive people, does not bring peace. Such people are really the enemies of peace; in no way are they “blessed.” GE 88. Peacemakers truly “make” peace; they build peace and friendship in society. To those who sow peace Jesus makes this magnificent promise: “They will be called children of God” (Mt 5:9). The word of God exhorts every believer to work for peace, “along with all who call upon the Lord with a pure heart” (cf. 2 Tim 2:22), for “the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (Jas 3:18). And if there are times in our community when we question what ought to be done, “let us pursue what makes for peace” (Rom 14:19), for unity is preferable to conflict.” GE 89. It is not easy to “make” this evangelical peace, which excludes no one but embraces even those who are a bit odd, troublesome or difficult, demanding, different, beaten down by life or simply uninterested. It is hard work; it calls for great openness of mind and heart, since it is not about creating “a consensus on paper or a transient peace for a contented minority,” or a project “by a few for the few.” Nor can it attempt to ignore or disregard conflict; instead, it must “face conflict head on, resolve it and make it a link in the chain of a new process.” We need to be artisans of peace, for building peace is a craft that demands serenity, creativity, sensitivity and skill. Jn 14.27; 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. Mark 9:50; 50 “Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? “Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.” Ephesians 2:11-18; 11 You Gentiles by birth—called “the uncircumcised” by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)—remember what you were in the past. 12 At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God's promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God. 13 But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.[a] 14 For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. 15 He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with himself, in this way making peace. 16 By his death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into one body and brought them back to God. 17 So Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to all—to you Gentiles, who were far away from God, and to the Jews, who were near to him. 18 It is through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into the presence of the Father. God trusts us so much as "makers of peace." GE 89 says," we need to be artisans of peace for building peace is a craft that demands serenity, creativity, sensitivity and skill." Who can teach us this craft and skill of being a peacemaker? It is only Jesus, for he is the real source of peace. Let us listen to Jesus as he tells us that he needs us to be the "peacemakers that truly builds peace and friendship in society."(GE88) He encourages us to be "sowers of peace "in the whole face of the earth. GE 88 says, "To those who sow peace, Jesus makes this magnificent promise; "They will be called children of God."(Mt.5:9) How can we become the sowers of peace, when we are not connected to the very source of peace? Jn 14:27 says, " Peace is what I leave with you, it is my own peace that I give." These are concrete words from Jesus telling us to connect to him strongly each day as trusted peacemakers. How? By being faithful to our commitment in our daily prayer as Verbum Dei disciples. It is in this way that we can listen to the words of God. The WORD that allows us to personally encounter Jesus and learn from him on how to become real peacemakers of today. We are also reminded of the importance of the Holy Eucharist as the center of everything as makers of peace. For it is the great moment where Jesus gives himself to us. In this way we can receive the "seeds of peace" that can readily be sown wherever we are: home, school, work, and neighborhood. Let us be attentive to what Jesus will be telling us on how to sow peace. Though, Jesus is very clear that sowing peace entails hard work. But he assures us that he will be the one to capacitate us in everything we need. What is to be a peacemaker in action? To forgive , ready to ask forgiveness, and to show kindness and mercy for others even in our own human judgment they don't deserve it. To practice having a sincere listening ear and many other acts of kindness, mercy, and love for others with all humility. As a peacemaker of today's society, are you aware of the so-called "World of Gossip"? It is the number one cause of many conflicts nowadays. GE 87 says,"The world of gossip inhabited by negative and destructive people, does not bring peace. Such people are really the enemies of peace; in no way are they blessed." Today we are invited to fix our eyes on Jesus. For he wanted us to walk the path of holiness being sowers of peace. Let us be open in mind and heart to his words in Mk 9:50 that says, "Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another. "Mother Mary , Queen of Peace, Pray for us.”
THURSDAY Accepting daily the path of the Gospel, even though it may cause us problems: that is holiness Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” GE 90. Jesus himself warns us that the path he proposes goes against the flow, even making us challenge society by the way we live and, as a result, becoming a nuisance. He reminds us how many people have been, and still are, persecuted simply because they struggle for justice, because they take seriously their commitment to God and to others. Unless we wish to sink into an obscure mediocrity, let us not long for an easy life, for “whoever would save his life will lose it” (Mt 16:25). GE 91. In living the Gospel, we cannot expect that everything will be easy, for the thirst for power and worldly interests often stands in our way. GE 92. Whatever weariness and pain we may experience in living the commandment of love and following the way of justice, the cross remains the source of our growth and sanctification. We must never forget that when the New Testament tells us that we will have to endure suffering for the Gospel’s sake, it speaks precisely of persecution (cf. Acts 5:41; Phil 1:29; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 2:20, 4:14-16; Rev 2:10). GE 94. Persecutions are not a reality of the past, for today too we experience them, whether by the shedding of blood, as is the case with so many contemporary martyrs, or by more subtle means, by slander and lies. Jesus calls us blessed when people “utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Mt 5:11). At other times, persecution can take the form of gibes that try to caricature our faith and make us seem ridiculous. Matthew 5: 11-12; 11 “Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted. Matthew 7:13-14; 13 “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. 14 But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it. Acts 5:41; 41 As the apostles left the Council, they were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus. Philippians 1:29; 29 For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for him. 1 Pe 2:20 “For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it.” 1Peter 4:14-16 “Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you. If you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people's affairs. However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.” The love of God covers the multitude of sins. Humans as we are, frail and vulnerable to the deceptions of the world, are called to be holy. The heart of Jesus welcomes everyone who humbly turns to Him. He knows all our struggles, problems, and pains; yet, we must learn to embrace them as Jesus does to his cross. To embrace our cross is to embrace Jesus; we suffer for him and with him, where we can find meaning, fulfillment, and joy. It is a process of emptying ourselves so that Christ may be in us making our life as living witnesses of the Gospel. Witnessing is difficult because it is against the invitation of the world where persecutions like personal judgment, labeling, ridicule, and indifference are evident, but an opportunity to be holy. It is an awakening that prayer is essential that we need Jesus and fix our eyes on Him so not to be carried by our pride and any temptations. A call to be humble before the Lord to have the strength and endure temptations and persecutions to remain holy and close to Him. As St. Paul says: "For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in Him, but also by suffering for Him."(Phil. 1:29) And St. Peter emphasizes: "Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers, this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God is resting on you." (1P 4:14)
FRIDAY To live the Beatitudes in fidelity to the Master GE 95. In Mt 25: 31-46, Jesus expands on the Beatitudes that call the merciful blessed. If we seek the holiness pleasing to God’s eyes, this text offers us one clear criterion on which we will be judged. GE 96. Holiness, then, is not about swooning in mystic rapture. As Saint John Paul II said: “If we truly start out anew from the contemplation of Christ, we must learn to see him especially in the faces of those with whom he himself wished to be identified”. Mt 25:35-36 is a call to recognize him in the poor and the suffering. In this passage is revealed the very heart of Christ, his deepest feelings and choices, which every saint seeks to imitate. GE 104. We may think that we give glory to God only by our worship and prayer, or simply by following certain ethical norms. It is true that the primacy belongs to our relationship with God, but we cannot forget that the ultimate criterion on which our lives will be judged is what we have done for others. Prayer is most precious, for it nourishes a daily commitment to love. Our worship becomes pleasing to God when we devote ourselves to living generously, and allow God’s gift, granted in prayer, to be shown in our concern for our brothers and sisters. GE 109. The powerful witness of the saints is revealed in their lives, shaped by the Beatitudes and the criterion of the final judgement. Jesus’ words are few and straightforward, yet practical and valid for everyone, for Christianity is meant above all to be put into practice. It can also be an object of study and reflection, but only to help us better live the Gospel in our daily lives. I recommend rereading these great biblical texts frequently, referring back to them, praying with them, trying to embody them. They will benefit us; they will make us genuinely happy. Matthew 25:31-46; 31 “When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, 32 and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. 34 Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; 43 I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’ 44 Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?’ 45 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’ 46 These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.” Luke 11:28; 28 But Jesus answered, “Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” Matthew 7:13; 13 “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. Jesus summarizes our should be disposition and attitude (Be Attitude) in the Beatitudes in our pursuit to holiness (The desire of God for all of us and the fulfillment of our life here on earth). Jesus is inviting us and showing us how to live this life, it may sound challenging and difficult but the narratives of the life of the saints would tell us and encourage us more to live this life of holiness with our life coach and master Jesus Christ. He always understands our baby steps and side sways, He is there supporting us all the way to our process of becoming holy, be still, be patient, it is a daily exercise and conversion of heart till we get used to it and become a way of living, honoring and praising God always in all circumstances till the end of our life.
SUNDAY The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 1st Reading: Dn 7:13-14
Psalm Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5 2nd Reading: Rv 1:5-8 Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37 ![]()
General Theme: The call to holiness General Objective: Each one can believe and live out the call to holiness Objective of the week: To realize how Jesus is encouraging us to achieve His happiness INTRODUCTION We continue our prayer during this week on THE CALL TO HOLINESS. The Chapter Three of Gaudete and Exsultate is entitled “In the light of the Master.” Pope Francis explains about The Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23) related to holiness. Gaudete et Exsultate 64. The word “happy” or “blessed” thus becomes a synonym for “holy.” It expresses the fact that those faithful to God and his word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness. Gaudete et Exsultate 63. There can be any number of theories about what constitutes holiness, with various explanations and distinctions. Such reflection may be useful, but nothing is more enlightening than turning to Jesus’ words and seeing his way of teaching the truth. Jesus explained with great simplicity what it means to be holy when he gave us the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23). The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card. So, if anyone asks: “What must one do to be a good Christian?” the answer is clear. We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount. In the Beatitudes, we find a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives. We will pray on chapter III of Gaudete et Exsultate for two weeks. It may be a guide to assimilate and live in our daily life not only the Word of God but also the teaching of Pope Francis. For us, disciples of Jesus and Catholics, it is very necessary to listen to the voice of the Vicar of Christ. The titles of every day are also taken from Gaudete et Exsultate. Let us give thanks to God for this opportunity to get closer to Him. At the same time, we realize that this path to holiness entails daily options during our earthly life. (Note: In all our quotations from Gaudete et Exsultate we will write the abbreviation GE) MONDAY Going against the flow GE 65. Although Jesus’ words may strike us as poetic, they clearly run counter to the way things are usually done in our world. Even if we find Jesus’ message attractive, the world pushes us towards another way of living. The Beatitudes are in no way trite or undemanding, quite the opposite. We can only practice them if the Holy Spirit fills us with his power and frees us from our weakness, our selfishness, our complacency and our pride. GE 66. Let us listen once more to Jesus, with all the love and respect that the Master deserves. Let us allow his words to unsettle us, to challenge us and to demand a real change in the way we live. Otherwise, holiness will remain no more than an empty word. We turn now to the individual Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. Mt 5:3-12). Romans 8:1-2,5-6; Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Galatians 5:1,13-17; It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. John 16:33; 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The values of the world dictate us to go with the flow, of what is easy, comfortable and pleasurable. These worldly values shun us from the values of our Master, Jesus Christ who taught us to love unconditionally and to sacrifice. The call to holiness is a call to go against the flow. Our being blessed is a choice to live the Beatitudes in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. This choice is freedom Gal 5:5 and will set us free from worldly attachments/values that are opposed to the Holy Spirit. Jesus knows how difficult it is to live against the flow but He reminds us to be trusting and have confidence in Him in Jn 33:16 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
TUESDAY Being poor of heart: that is holiness Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” GE 67. The Gospel invites us to peer into the depths of our heart, to see where we find our security in life. Usually, the rich feel secure in their wealth, and think that, if that wealth is threatened, the whole meaning of their earthly life can collapse. Jesus himself tells us this in the parable of the rich fool: he speaks of a man who was sure of himself, yet foolish, for it did not dawn on him that he might die that very day (cf. Lk 12:16-21). GE 68. Wealth ensures nothing. Indeed, once we think we are rich, we can become so self-satisfied that we leave no room for God’s word, for the love of our brothers and sisters, or for the enjoyment of the most important things in life. In this way, we miss out on the greatest treasure of all. That is why Jesus calls blessed those who are poor in spirit, those who have a poor heart, for there the Lord can enter with his perennial newness. GE 70. Luke does not speak of poverty “of spirit” but simply of those who are “poor” (cf. Lk 6:20). In this way, he too invites us to live a plain and austere life. He calls us to share in the life of those most in need, the life lived by the Apostles, and ultimately to configure ourselves to Jesus who, though rich, “made himself poor” (2 Cor 8:9). Luke 12:16-21; 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” 1 Timothy 6:10-13; 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 2 Corinthians 9:6-12; 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”[a] 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Earthly wealth, while convenient, can lure us away from holiness. Wealth is a gift that God blesses us with, and as with all gifts, it gains value when being shared. Storing up wealth distances us from God and from others, as the more wealth is acquired, the more difficult it is to part, even when there is something to spare. The riches of the world hold little value in the eyes of God. But in generosity with a cheerful heart and without ulterior motives like fame, we are enriched with the spirit of love and compassion that brings us all the more closer to being holy.
WEDNESDAY Reacting with meekness and humility: that is holiness Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” GE 71. These are strong words in a world that from the beginning has been a place of conflict, disputes and enmity on all sides, where we constantly pigeonhole others on the basis of their ideas, their customs and even their way of speaking or dressing. Ultimately, it is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person thinks he or she has the right to dominate others. Nonetheless, impossible as it may seem, Jesus proposes a different way of doing things: the way of meekness. This is what we see him doing with his disciples. GE 72. Christ says: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29). If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity consists in putting up with others’ mistakes, and not being scandalized by their faults.” GE 74. Meekness is yet another expression of the interior poverty of those who put their trust in God alone. Indeed, in the Bible the same word – anawim – usually refers both to the poor and to the meek. Someone might object: “If I am that meek, they will think that I am an idiot, a fool or a weakling.” At times they may, but so be it. It is always better to be meek, for then our deepest desires will be fulfilled. The meek “shall inherit the earth,” for they will see God’s promises accomplished in their lives. In every situation, the meek put their hope in the Lord, and those who hope for him shall possess the land… and enjoy the fullness of peace (cf. Ps 37:9.11). For his part, the Lord trusts in them: “This is the one to whom I will look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word” (Is 66:2). GE 73. Paul speaks of meekness as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:23). He suggests that, if a wrongful action of one of our brothers or sisters troubles us, we should try to correct them, but “with a spirit of meekness,” since “you too could be tempted” (Gal 6:1). Even when we defend our faith and convictions, we are to do so “with meekness” (cf. 1 Pet 3:16). Our enemies too are to be treated “with meekness” (2 Tim 2:25). In the Church we have often erred by not embracing this demand of God’s word. Galatians 6:1 Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Ephesians 4:1-3 I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. 1 Peter 3:15-16 15 Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth, and that they may return to their senses out of the devil’s snare,where they are entrapped by him, for his will. Pope Francis said that the terms poor and meek are synonyms. He also affirms that Jesus was poor and meek during his earthly life. What is the benefit of being poor and meek? The spiritually poor person acknowledges that he/she is a creature God is his/her Creator. He/she depends on Him and accepts his guidance, knowing that He wants the best for each one of us. To be meek leads us to a committed fraternal love. A meek person accepts others as they are with their good actions and their shortcomings or wrongdoings. In the passage of 2 Tim 2:24-25 we are encouraged to be patient, to correct others gently because we believe that God is giving to each one of us many opportunities to repent and to come to know the truth. Our hope is founded on the unconditional love of God who wants each one to turn always back to Him. THURSDAY Knowing how to mourn with others: that is holiness Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” GE 75. The world tells us exactly the opposite: entertainment, pleasure, diversion and escape make for a good life. The worldly person ignores problems of sickness or sorrow in the family or all around him; he averts his gaze. The world has no desire to mourn; it would rather disregard painful situations, cover them up or hide them. Much energy is expended on fleeing from situations of suffering in the belief that reality can be concealed. But the cross can never be absent. GE 76. A person who sees things as they truly are and sympathizes with pain and sorrow is capable of touching life’s depths and finding authentic happiness. He or she is consoled, not by the world but by Jesus. Such persons are unafraid to share in the suffering of others; they do not flee from painful situations. They discover the meaning of life by coming to the aid of those who suffer, understanding their anguish and bringing relief. They sense that the other is flesh of our flesh, and are not afraid to draw near, even to touch their wounds. They feel compassion for others in such a way that all distance vanishes. In this way they can embrace Saint Paul’s exhortation: “Weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. Isaiah 61:2; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, Isaiah 35:4; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Romans 12:15-16; 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited. To be holy is to go beyond our comfort zone to unite with Christ. Blessed are we when we face our sufferings with faith and trust in God, because it is the time to witness God's loving mercy and compassion working within us. As Jesus helps us, we too are invited by Jesus to share His love to others to let them feel that they are not left and abandoned. St. Paul says: "He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others using the same help that we have received from God." (2 Cor. 4) To mourn with others is one of the Beatitudes taught by Jesus that teaches us to be sensitive to the needs of others and to be of service to them for life is full of struggles, confusions, and temptations. We are fortunate when we give ourselves selflessly to those who need our care and attention. This is the moment that they can experience the love of Jesus and at the same time our moment of holiness where we become a little Jesus to others. Jesus is calling us to live in holiness not to fear taking the risk of helping others but to be Christ-centered. Let us offer our shoulders to cry on, our hearts to sympathize, and our ears to listen to them. Make Jesus become flesh in us so that they may feel loved, accepted and understood as St. Paul says: "Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Have the same concern for everyone. (Rom.12:15-16)
FRIDAY Hungering and thirsting for righteousness: that is holiness Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” GE 77 Hunger and thirst are intense experiences, since they involve basic needs and our instinct for survival. There are those who desire justice and yearn for righteousness with similar intensity. Jesus says that they will be satisfied, for sooner or later justice will come. We can cooperate to make that possible, even if we may not always see the fruit of our efforts. GE 78 Jesus offers a justice other than that of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated in various ways. Experience shows how easy it is to become mired in corruption, ensnared in the daily politics of quid pro quo, where everything becomes business. How many people suffer injustice, standing by powerlessly while others divvy up the good things of this life. Some give up fighting for real justice and opt to follow in the train of the winners. This has nothing to do with the hunger and thirst for justice that Jesus praises. GE 79. True justice comes about in people’s lives when they themselves are just in their decisions; it is expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor and the weak. While it is true that the word “justice” can be a synonym for faithfulness to God’s will in every aspect of our life, if we give the word too general a meaning, we forget that it is shown especially in justice towards those who are most vulnerable: “Seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Is 1:17). Isaiah 1:17; Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.[a] Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 56:1-2; This is what the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. 2 Blessed is the one who does this— the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.” Ephesians 5:1-2,8-10; 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. Matthew 6:19-21; 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus is consistent in His love for the poor, deprived, and those who suffered injustice. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and for the things of God are blessed because they are pursuing holiness. To hunger and thirst for God is at the very root of our being. It is the way God made us. When there is no hunger and thirst for the presence of God, it is an indicator that something is wrong spiritually. In contrast to our worldly desires that leave us longing and hungry for more, our satisfaction in Christ only increases with our hunger and thirst for Him. The more we seek first the kingdom of God, the more we will be fulfilled by His goodness, the more we become just and the more it leads us to holiness.
SUNDAY 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Dn 12:1-3
Psalm Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11 2nd Reading: Heb 10:11-14, 18 Gospel: Mk 13:24-32 ![]()
General Theme: The call to holiness General Objective: Each one can believe and live out the call to holiness Objective of the week: To realize that the call to happiness is for all INTRODUCTION We continue in the Guidelines sheet with the theme “THE CALL TO HOLINESS.” We celebrated “All saints day” last November 1. It is a significant day to give thanks to God for the courageous faithfulness of many holy people to love God and their neighbors along the centuries. There are many saints beatified or canonized. Pope Francis affirms in Gaudete et Exsultate 5: “The processes of beatification and canonization recognize the signs of heroic virtue, the sacrifice of one’s life in martyrdom, and certain cases where a life is constantly offered for others, even until death. This shows an exemplary imitation of Christ, one worthy of the admiration of the faithful.” But the Pope also says in Gaudete et Exsultate 6-7: “Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people. I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbors, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence.” Holiness is a call and is a task. Lumen Gentium 42: “Therefore, all the faithful are invited and obliged to holiness and the perfection of their own state of life”. Each one of us can be a saint today. It seems to be impossible for us but it is possible for God. Luke 11:13 “As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him!” We can only be holy with the help of the Holy Spirit. Do I ask the Father in heaven for the Holy Spirit? Is my mind and heart open to the active and living guidance of the Holy Spirit? Gaudete et Exsultate 19: “A Christian cannot think of his or her mission on earth without seeing it as a path of holiness, for “this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). Each saint is a mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody, at a specific moment in history, a certain aspect of the Gospel.”. MONDAY We are all called to be holy Lumen Gentium 39: “The Church, whose mystery is set forth by this sacred Council, is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as "alone holy” (Lk 1:35; Lk 4:34; Ac 3:14; Ac 4:27.30), loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her (cf. Eph 5:25-26); he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. Therefore, all in the Church, whether they belong to the hierarchy or are cared for by it, are called to holiness, according to the apostle's saying: 'for this is the will of God, your sanctification' (1 Th. 4:3; cf. Eph. 1:4).” Gaudete et Exsultate 10: “All this is important. Yet with this Exhortation I would like to insist primarily on the call to holiness that the Lord addresses to each of us, the call that he also addresses, personally, to you: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44; cf. 1 Pet 1:16).” Lumen Gentium 11: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect.” 1 Peter 1:13-16; 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3; As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; Ephesians 1:3-5 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. The celebration of All Saints’ day just very recently reminds us that we can also be saints like them. Why? Because they are also people who were once like us, people from all walks of life, many of them had their personal goals on what they want to accomplish in their lifetime. But what makes them saints is this common denominator: they opened to the will of God above their own will. Thus, holiness is a call of obedience: so we can be holy, blameless and perfect before God. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified, “that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (1 Th 4:3-4). In the world that “goes with the flow”, goes with what is pleasurable, let us remember that we are called to be holy. This is a difficult call but not impossible with the help of the Holy Spirit.
TUESDAY Call to holiness rooted in our baptismal consecration Lumen Gentium 32: “There is, therefore, one chosen People of God: "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4.5); there is a common dignity of members deriving from their rebirth in Christ, a common grace as sons, a common vocation to perfection, one salvation, one hope and undivided charity. In Christ and in the Church, there is, then, no inequality arising from race or nationality, social condition or sex, for "there is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor freeman; there is neither male nor female. For you are all 'one' in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3: 28; cf. Col. 3 :11).” Gaudete et Exultate 15: “Let the grace of your baptism bear fruit in a path of holiness. Let everything be open to God; turn to him in every situation. Do not be dismayed, for the power of the Holy Spirit enables you to do this, and holiness, in the end, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life (cf. Gal 5:22-23). When you feel the temptation to dwell on your own weakness, raise your eyes to Christ crucified and say: “Lord, I am a poor sinner, but you can work the miracle of making me a little bit better.” In the Church, holy yet made up of sinners, you will find everything you need to grow towards holiness. The Lord has bestowed on the Church the gifts of scripture, the sacraments, holy places, living communities, the witness of the saints and a multifaceted beauty that proceeds from God´s love “like a bride bedecked with jewels” (Is 61:10).” VDMD Regulations 104: “As baptized persons, we aspire to maturity in love, assuming our Christian identity proper to our baptismal consecration.” IMVDMFa 7: From the particular call to live out the Verbum Dei charism, all the members of the VDMFa will seek to live out in full the grace of our baptismal consecration. As members of the VDMFa, we strive to develop the common vocation to love. Ephesians 4: 1-7.12-13 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Galatians 3:27-28 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Living up to God’s call for us to be holy is not for the few chosen ones nor for those who only choose it. The call for holiness is for all of us, for through our baptism we are already dedicated to God and thus we are called to be holy. Through this one family of Christ, we are blessed and equipped to help each other through the means in the community towards holiness. We only need to draw near to the source of all the graces to find our identity as one who is with Christ. Knowing that we are one with Him, we may come to understand that all of us are the same, and strive for holiness.
WEDNESDAY A Holy Person is Constantly Searching To Love Lumen Gentium 42: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him' (1 Jn. 4:16). God has poured out his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (cf. Rom. 5:5); therefore, the first and most necessary gift is charity, by which we love God above all things and our neighbor because of him. Lumen Gentium 40: “The Lord Jesus, divine teacher and model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and every one of his disciples without distinction: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5:48). For he sent the Holy Spirit to all to move them interiorly to love God with their whole heart, with their whole soul, with their whole understanding, and with their whole strength (cf. Mk. 12:30), and to love one another as Christ loved them (cf. Jn. 13:34; 15:12)” Gaudete et Exsultate 21: “The Father’s plan is Christ, and ourselves in him. In the end, it is Christ who loves in us, for “holiness is nothing other than charity lived to the full.” As a result, “the measure of our holiness stems from the stature that Christ achieves in us, to the extent that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we model our whole life on his.” Every saint is a message which the Holy Spirit takes from the riches of Jesus Christ and gives to his people.” Gaudete et Exsultate 14: “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.” Matthew 5:48; Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1 John 4: 7-20; 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. Holiness is the highest goal a man can achieve, not after death but " here and now". “Holiness is a call and is a task"(Lumen Gentium 42) In our human perspective holiness is a challenging call and seems to be a difficult task. Today we are invited to focus on a very concrete characteristic of a holy person. He or she must constantly search to love everyday the people around and in places like at home, work, school, and neighborhood. Let us be open to the Holy Spirit and allow him to help us in order that we can be united to Christ by faith. For this is the only way that we will be capacitated to abide in God's ways of loving. "God has poured out his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. God, through the Holy Spirit, “has given the gift of charity by which we love God above all things and our neighbor because of him"( Lumen Gentium 42). Let us thank the Lord our God for giving us the gift of charity. Through this we can respond to the call to love. How? When we are not choosy in our ways of loving and we are ready to forget ourselves because of the need of others. There may be moments where we go out of our comfort zones in order to help others. How happy we can be if we constantly allow ourselves to love like Christ. For this is charity at work in our lives."For charity is by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves "( Gaudete et Exultate 14). As we pray today let us listen wholeheartedly to the prompt of the Holy Spirit leading us to where we are tasked to share Christ's love. Let us also ask the Holy Spirit to help us by giving us strength and enthusiasm so that we can constantly love others everyday. In this way we can follow the path where we can reach our ultimate goal in life, "Holiness " while we are still here on earth. How beautiful it would be if we can live our lives in a way that reflects God's glory. Let us also ask the help of our Mother Mary to accompany us always as we follow the right path to holiness.
THURSDAY To achieve holiness is a life-long process Lumen Gentium 40: “The followers of Christ, called by God not in virtue of their works but by his design and grace, and justified in the Lord Jesus, have been made sons of God in the baptism of faith and partakers of the divine nature, and so are truly sanctified. They must therefore hold on to and perfect in their lives that sanctification which they have received from God. They are told by the apostle to put on "as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience" (Col. 3:12), to have the fruits of the Spirit for their sanctification (cf. Gal. 5:22; Rom. 6:22). But since we all offend in many ways (cf. Jas. 3:2), we constantly need God's mercy and must pray every day: "And forgive us our debts" (Mt. 6:1-2).” Lumen Gentium 42: “But if charity is to grow and fructify in the soul like a good seed, each of the faithful must willingly hear the word of God and carry out his will with deeds, with the help of his grace; he must frequently partake of the sacraments, chiefly the Eucharist, and take part in the liturgy; he must constantly apply himself to prayer, self-denial, active brotherly service and the practice of all virtues. This is because love, as the bond of perfection and fullness of the law (cf. Col. 3:14; Rom. 13:10), governs, gives meaning to, and perfects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true disciple of Christ is marked by love both of God and of his neighbor.” Gaudete et Exsultate 23: “This is a powerful summons to all of us. You too need to see the entirety of your life as a mission. Try to do so by listening to God in prayer and recognizing the signs that he gives you. Always ask the Spirit what Jesus expects from you at every moment of your life and in every decision, you must make, so as to discern its place in the mission you have received. Allow the Spirit to forge in you the personal mystery that can reflect Jesus Christ in today’s world. Gaudete et Exsultate 24: “May you come to realize what that word is, the message of Jesus that God wants to speak to the world by your life. Let yourself be transformed. Let yourself be renewed by the Spirit, so that this can happen, lest you fail in your precious mission. The Lord will bring it to fulfilment despite your mistakes and missteps, provided that you do not abandon the path of love but remain ever open to his supernatural grace, which purifies and enlightens.” Galatians 5: 22-26; 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Colossians 3:12-17; 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 2 Peter 1:3-9; 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. The Lord is calling us to holiness to conform in His love to be compassionate in the service of others with humility, patience, and kindness. Living in this state is difficult, but is possible when we nurture ourselves with prayer and reflection on the life of Jesus. It takes inner transformation that needs perseverance, determination, and a lot of prayers and sacrifices. It needs opening our hearts and our will to the Holy Spirit to forge us to love and deny ourselves in order to partake in the life of Christ. We need God's grace and mercy to have the strength to change our hearts. His grace makes our heart ardently yearn to serve others with humility and compassion. Today the world needs the light of Christ so that others who live in darkness may be brought to his light.
FRIDAY We are called to be a holy people Gaudete et Exsultate 25: “Just as you cannot understand Christ apart from the kingdom he came to bring, so too your personal mission is inseparable from the building of that kingdom: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt 6:33). Your identification with Christ and his will involves a commitment to build with him that kingdom of love, justice and universal peace. Christ himself wants to experience this with you, in all the efforts and sacrifices that it entails, but also in all the joy and enrichment it brings. You cannot grow in holiness without committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavor.” Lumen Gentium 9: “At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him (cf. Acts 10:35). He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness.” Gaudete et Exsultate 6: In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people. Gaudete et Exsultate 4: “The saints now in God’s presence preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. Each of us can say: “Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God… I do not have to carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry alone. All the saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me.” (Pope Benedict XVI) Matthew 6:33; 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Romans 14:17; 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. The ultimate project of our life is to be identified with the very person we follow, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived and showed us the way to live life to the fullest. To live a life of righteousness may be more challenging and may entail entering into the narrow gate as Jesus said but He gives us the assurance that He will be with us till the very end of our life helping us. Lastly, we have saints to prove that it is really possible to live a holy life if and only if we have Jesus with us.
SUNDAY 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44 10/27/2024 0 Comments Guidelines Sheet - Series on the Means of Perseverance (Oct. 28 - Nov. 1, 2024)![]()
General Theme: Means of perseverance General Objective: That the disciples can participate actively in the mission of Jesus making them missionary disciples that persevere faithfully in their following. Objective of the week: That we can be more aware that the mission for all requires the commitment of all. INTRODUCTION Last October 20 we celebrated World Mission Sunday. We are in the last week of October and we will reflect on the third part of the message of Pope Francis for World Mission Sunday 2024. The reflections for the following days could help us to be more convinced that we, as evangelizers, are indispensable and irreplaceable in the Church and in the world of today. MONDAY "God our Savior Desires Everyone to be Saved" From the message of Pope Francis (World Mission Sunday 2024) The third and last reflection concerns the recipients of the King’s invitation: “everyone.” As I emphasized, “This is the heart of mission: that ‘all,’ excluding no one. Every mission of ours, then, is born from the heart of Christ in order that he may draw all to himself” (Address to the General Assembly of the Pontifical Missionary Societies, 3 June 2023). Today, in a world torn apart by divisions and conflicts, Christ’s Gospel remains the gentle yet firm voice that calls individuals to encounter one another, to recognize that they are brothers and sisters, and to rejoice in harmony amid diversity. “God our Saviour desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). Let us never forget, then, that in our missionary activities we are asked to preach the Gospel to all: “Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, [we] should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet” (Evangelii Gaudium, 14). Evangelii Gaudium 266 But this conviction has to be sustained by our own constantly renewed experience of savouring Christ’s friendship and his message. It is impossible to persevere in a fervent evangelization unless we are convinced from personal experience that it is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it, and not the same thing to contemplate him, to worship him, to find our peace in him, as not to. It is not the same thing to try to build the world with his Gospel as to try to do so by our own lights. We know well that with Jesus’ life becomes richer and that with him it is easier to find meaning in everything. This is why we evangelize. Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Luke 5:12-15 12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[a] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Luke 4:42-44 42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. God the Father and King is inviting us to be in His Banquet, telling us, "Come and Enjoy the Banquet of the Lord".(WMS 2024 theme) The love of God is for everyone. This shows us His unconditional love despite our unfaithfulness to Him, yet He remains faithful to us. The very heart of God is meant to reach all the people to be united with Him through all eternity. The fact that the world offers to us other “banquets” remarks an urgent call to respond to the mission. Faithfulness to the mission makes us become holy. Jesus is the model of our life and of selfless love in our mission. Jesus is faithful to the Father as he says to the apostles: "I must preach the Good News about the Kingdom of God in other towns because this is what God sent me to do." (Lk. 4: 43) Let us invite everyone to taste and see the goodness of the Lord in their daily life and be grateful to the Father.
TUESDAY “Jesus’ love for the poor” From the message of Pope Francis (World Mission Sunday 2024) Christ’s missionary disciples have always had a heartfelt concern for all persons, whatever their social or even moral status. The parable of the banquet tells us that, at the king’s orders, the servants gathered “all whom they found, both good and bad” (Mt 22:10). What is more, “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame” (Lk 14:21), in a word, the least of our brothers and sisters, those marginalized by society, are the special guests of the king. Evangelii Gaudium 48 If the whole Church takes up this missionary impulse, she has to go forth to everyone without exception. But to whom should she go first? When we read the Gospel, we find a clear indication: not so much our friends and wealthy neighbors, but above all the poor and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked, “those who cannot repay you” (Lk 14:14). There can be no room for doubt or for explanations which weaken so clear a message. Today and always, “the poor are the privileged recipients of the Gospel,” and the fact that it is freely preached to them is a sign of the kingdom that Jesus came to establish. We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them. Matthew 11:2-6 2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Matthew 15:22-28 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. Jesus embraces all those who come to Him without distinction. He loves all who come to Him. His Sacred Heart has that special place for the poor. In today’s world, the poor are not only those who have no basic needs but also those who are unwanted, unloved, and uncared for which results in them being lonely, despairing, and hopeless. The only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is LOVE. As Mother Theresa said “There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. There is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.” As disciples, we are called to love the poor. This love is inspired by Jesus´concern for the poor.
WEDNESDAY “Our Life as a Reflection of God’s Love" From the message of Pope Francis (World Mission Sunday 2024) The wedding feast of his Son that God has prepared remains always open to all, since his love for each of us is immense and unconditional. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Everyone, every man and every woman, is invited by God to partake of his grace, which transforms and saves. One need simply says “yes” to this gratuitous divine gift, accepting it and allowing oneself be transformed by it, putting it on like a “wedding robe” (cf. Mt 22:12). Evangelii Gaudium 264 The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus which we have received, the experience of salvation which urges us to ever greater love of him. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known? If we do not feel an intense desire to share this love, we need to pray insistently that he will once more touch our hearts. We need to implore his grace daily, asking him to open our cold hearts and shake up our lukewarm and superficial existence. Colossians 3:12-15 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 2 Corinthians 5:1-4.17 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! Our ‘Yes’ to the mission is how we show Jesus how much we love Him. We are able to say yes to Him because we experience firsthand how much He loves us in return. It is our mission to make Christ be known to all, that they too may experience the wonders of His love. When we live out our life in kindness, humility and patience, we transform our life to be beacons of His love that others may come and seek Him out. It may be difficult to do alone, but with the community to guide and support us, may we all be sheltered by Christ’s love, and be more committed to the works of service.
THURSDAY “Mission is a commitment to dedicate our lives to spread the Good News” From the message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024) The mission for all requires the commitment of all. We need to continue our journey towards a fully synodal and missionary Church in the service of the Gospel. Synodality is essentially missionary and, vice versa, mission is always synodal. Consequently, close missionary cooperation is today all the more urgent and necessary, both in the universal Church and in the particular Churches. In the footsteps of the Second Vatican Council and my Predecessors, I recommend to all dioceses throughout the world the service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. They represent the primary means “by which Catholics are imbued from infancy with a truly universal and missionary outlook and [are] also a means for instituting an effective collecting of funds for all the missions, each according to its needs” (Ad Gentes, 38). For this reason, the collections of World Mission Day in all the local Churches are entirely destined to the universal fund of solidarity that the Pontifical Society of the Propagation of the Faith then distributes in the Pope’s name for the needs of all the Church’s missions. Let us pray that the Lord may guide us and help us to be a more synodal and a more missionary Church (cf. Homily for the Concluding Mass of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 29 October 2023). Evangelii Gaudium 273 My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off; it is not an “extra” or just another moment in life. Instead, it is something I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world. We have to regard ourselves as sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing, enlivening, raising up, healing and freeing. Luke 10:25-37 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” 1 John 3:14-18 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. As Verbum Dei Missionary disciples, all of us are sent as servants of the Word of God in this present time. During the recently concluded World Mission Sunday, all of us are convinced of the urgency to preach the Word of God in all places. We are invited to continue to be missionaries by heart, at all times, as this is our specific place in the Catholic church. Missionaries of the Word of God by heart require full commitment to dedicate our lives for the mission. As Pope Francis (WMS 2024) says the mission for all requires the commitment of all. In Evangelii Gaudium 273 it says, I am a mission on this earth. We are called to be Good Samaritans (Lk 10:25-37), transmitters of eternal life to those who are spiritually needy because of the harsh and difficult challenges many are facing. As VDMD, this is our commitment.
FRIDAY “Mother Mary: Her Maternal Intercession is the Guiding Star for Every Missionary disciple” From the message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024) Finally, let us lift our gaze to Mary, who asked Jesus to perform his first miracle precisely at a wedding feast, in Cana of Galilee (cf. Jn 2:1-12). The Lord offered to the newlyweds and all the guests an abundance of new wine, as a foreshadowing of the nuptial banquet that God is preparing for all at the end of time. Let us implore her maternal intercession for the evangelizing mission of Christ’s disciples in our own time. With the joy and loving concern of our Mother, with the strength born of tenderness and affection (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 288), let us go forth to bring to everyone the invitation of the King, our Savior. Holy Mary, Star of Evangelization, pray for us! Evangelii Gaudium 286 She is the missionary who draws near to us and accompanies us throughout life, opening our hearts to faith by her maternal love. Evangelii Gaudium 266 A true missionary, who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise. Unless we see him present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes and we are no longer sure of what it is that we are handing on; we lack vigor and passion. A person who is not convinced, enthusiastic, certain and in love, will convince nobody. John 2:1-12 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. Acts 1:12-14 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[a] from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Pope Francis in his message (WMS 2024), is inviting us to focus our gaze on Mother Mary. For she is the great light that can guide us to become real disciples of Christ Jesus. Mary,"the Morning Star", has the important role as our mother in faith. She is very willing to walk with us and be our guiding light as evangelizers of this present time. As missionary disciples we are encouraged in Evangelii Gaudium 288 that says," Let us go forth to bring to everyone the invitation of the King our Savior. Holy Mary, Star of Evangelization. Pray for us." Here we can learn the importance of Mother Mary in our discipleship. How good it would be if we can always recognize the very presence of Mary and always ask her maternal intercession in the midst of the challenges we meet in our daily life and in the mission. For she is our mother in faith and she knows what is best for all of us, her children. Evangelii Gaudium 286 is inviting us to look at Mother Mary and listen to her as the servants in John 2:5. When the servants obeyed her motherly instruction, Jesus was able to perform his first miracle. Today Mother Mary is also telling each one of us the same words she uttered to the servants “do whatever He tells you”. Mother Mary is a mother who can teach us on how to live in the very presence of Jesus in our day to day life. For she is very generous in sharing her personal experiences of her son Jesus (John 2:12). Mother Mary emphasizes that to live with Jesus is to listen to him everyday and make him the center of our lives as evangelizers of today (Evangelii Gaudium 266). We are again reminded about the importance of our prayer life as Verbum Dei disciples. For this is one of the important nourishments to be and act as committed missionary disciples of Christ Jesus (Acts 1:14). Let us lift our gaze to Mother Mary, our guiding light in order for us to continue the works of Jesus here on earth. Jesus needs us to bring everyone to the great banquet he is preparing for all of us.
SUNDAY
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time ![]()
General Theme: Means of perseverance General Objective: That the disciples can participate actively in the mission of Jesus making them missionary disciples that persevere faithfully in their following. Objective of the week: That we may deepen the eschatological and Eucharistic dimension of the mission of Christ and the Church. INTRODUCTION In this introduction, we will make a summary of the one from last week. October is the month dedicated to the mission. Every year on the third Sunday of October we celebrate World Mission Sunday. What is World Mission Sunday? World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to reflect on their own baptism, when they received the gift of faith, and recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. Pope Francis message for World Mission Sunday 2024:” Let us not forget that every Christian is called to take part in this universal mission by offering his or her own witness to the Gospel in every context, so that the whole Church can continually go forth with her Lord and Master to the “crossroads” of today’s world. The Guidelines sheet during this month will be focused on the Pope's message for World Mission Sunday 2024. The theme proposed by Pope Francis is “GO AND INVITE EVERYONE TO THE BANQUET” (cf Mat 22:9). This is an invitation to live out Jesus’ mission in this present moment. Our Verbum Dei Family of Cebu is willing to go to some places to reach out to others during this month. Our theme “COME, ENJOY THE BANQUET OF THE LORD” is taken from the Pope’ message with the intention of making us aware of the active participation in inviting all to the banquet of the Lord. Matthew 22: 1-14 is the main passage which has been the basis for the message for WMS 2024. Our prayer this week is centered on the Eucharist and its eschatological and missionary dimension. This specific objective is reflected in the second part of the Pope’s message. MONDAY "Mission: An Invitation to Eschatological Banquet" From the message of Pope Francis (World Mission Sunday 2024) “In the parable, the king asks the servants to bring the invitation to his son’s wedding banquet. That banquet is a reflection of the eschatological banquet. It is an image of ultimate salvation in the Kingdom of God, fulfilled even now by the coming of Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God, who has given us life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10), symbolized by the table set with succulent food and with fine wines, when God will destroy death forever (cf. Is 25:6-8). Christ’s mission has to do with the fullness of time, as he declared at the beginning of his preaching: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15). Christ’s disciples are called to continue this mission of their Lord and Master. Here we think of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the eschatological character of the Church’s missionary outreach: “The time for missionary activity extends between the first coming of the Lord and the second…, for the Gospel must be preached to all nations before the Lord shall come (cf. Mk 13:10)” (Ad Gentes, 9)”. Isaiah 25:6-9 Here on Mount Zion the LORD Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world — a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. The Sovereign LORD will destroy death for ever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken! When it happens, everyone will say, “He is our God! We have put our trust in him, and he has rescued us. He is the LORD ! We have put our trust in him, and now we are happy and joyful because he has saved us.” John 10:7-10 So Jesus said again, “I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep. All others who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever comes in by me will be saved; they will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life — life in all its fullness. Matthew 22:1-10 Jesus again used parables in talking to the people. “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. He sent his servants to tell the invited guests to come to the feast, but they did not want to come. So he sent other servants with this message for the guests: ‘My feast is ready now; my bullocks and prize calves have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!’ But the invited guests paid no attention and went about their business: one went to his farm, another to his shop, while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. The king was very angry; so he sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burnt down their city. Then he called his servants and said to them, ‘My wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it. Now go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many people as you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled with people. Jesus through the parable is telling us, "Now, go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many as you find. So, the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, bad and good alike, and the wedding hall was filled with people." (Mt. 20: 9-10) What a beautiful privilege to be called to participate in the mission of the Church to reach out to those who are far from God's Word. The word of God is light nor only for our own path, but for everyone. The eucharist is a tangible memory of Jesus' presence in which we truly receive His humanity and divinity as a strength to preach the Good News. He accompanies us today. It is meant not only for our personal salvation, that's why our mission as disciples is to bear His light into the world to ensure that no one is left behind or excluded from God's Eschatological Banquet.
TUESDAY “Mission is to believe, to preach and live the Gospel” From the message of Pope Francis (WMS 2024) “We know that among the first Christians missionary zeal had a powerful eschatological dimension. They sensed the urgency of the preaching of the Gospel. Today too it is important to maintain this perspective, since it helps us to evangelize with the joy of those who know that “the Lord is near” and with the hope of those who are pressing forward towards the goal, when all of us will be with Christ at his wedding feast in the kingdom of God. While the world sets before us the various “banquets” of consumerism, selfish comfort, the accumulation of wealth and individualism, the Gospel calls everyone to the divine banquet, marked by joy, sharing, justice and fraternity in communion with God and with others” Acts 4:1-29 Peter and John were still speaking to the people when some priests, the officer in charge of the temple guards, and some Sadducees arrived. They were annoyed because the two apostles were teaching the people that Jesus had risen from death, which proved that the dead will rise to life. So they arrested them and put them in jail until the next day, since it was already late. But many who heard the message believed; and the number of men grew to about 5,000. The next day the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law gathered in Jerusalem. They met with the High Priest Annas and with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the others who belonged to the High Priest's family. They made the apostles stand before them and asked them, “How did you do this? What power have you got or whose name did you use?” Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders: if we are being questioned today about the good deed done to the lame man and how he was healed, then you should all know, and all the people of Israel should know, that this man stands here before you completely well through the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth — whom you crucified and whom God raised from death. Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.’ Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us.” The members of the Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education. They realized then that they had been companions of Jesus. But there was nothing that they could say, because they saw the man who had been healed standing there with Peter and John. So they told them to leave the Council room, and then they started discussing among themselves. “What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone in Jerusalem knows that this extraordinary miracle has been performed by them, and we cannot deny it. But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn these men never again to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus.” So they called them back in and told them that on no condition were they to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “You yourselves judge which is right in God's sight — to obey you or to obey God. For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard.” So the Council warned them even more strongly and then set them free. They saw that it was impossible to punish them, because the people were all praising God for what had happened. The man on whom this miracle of healing had been performed was over forty years old. As soon as Peter and John were set free, they returned to their group and told them what the chief priests and the elders had said. When the believers heard it, they all joined together in prayer to God: “Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them! By means of the Holy Spirit you spoke through our ancestor David, your servant, when he said: ‘Why were the Gentiles furious; why did people make their useless plots? The kings of the earth prepared themselves, and the rulers met together against the Lord and his Messiah.’ For indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Jesus, your holy Servant, whom you made Messiah. They gathered to do everything that you by your power and will had already decided would happen. And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. ' 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 And now I want to remind you, my brothers and sisters, 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 500 of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterwards 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. One of the greatest gifts that we receive from God is being a Verbum Dei disciple. Let us thank the Lord for the gift of our discipleship and putting us in this community, the Verbum Dei Missionary community. It is in the formation and guidance given to us that we are molded to live the mission. Apostles Peter and John encourage us today to continue the mission of Jesus in this present time as said in Acts 4:20 " For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard." We are again reminded by Jesus of the need to continue the mission he has started. He passed it onto the 12 Apostles and this time, to us. Jesus needs us to tell everyone that our "LIFE" is more than the things this world offers. How good it is to see the trust of Jesus in each one of us and He chose us to be His disciple to preach the Good News. Many people nowadays need to be reminded of 1Co 15:2 that says, "For we are saved by the Gospel if we hold firmly to it." And that is to believe that the presence of the Lord is very near to us through His words in the Gospel. In the message of Pope Francis WMS 2024 says, "For the Gospel calls everyone to receive what is prepared by the Lord which is more than what is offered here on earth”. What the Lord offers is Joy, Justice, Fraternity in communion with God and others. This is heaven while we are still here on earth. This is the Good News that we believe, live out, and preach. As what St Paul says in 1Co15:11"So then whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach and this is what we believe."
WEDNESDAY “Eucharist, the source of strength in the Mission” From the message of Pope Francis (WMS 2024) “This fullness of life, which is Christ’s gift, is anticipated even now in the banquet of the Eucharist, which the Church celebrates at the Lord’s command in memory of him. The invitation to the eschatological banquet that we bring to everyone in our mission of evangelization is intrinsically linked to the invitation to the Eucharistic table, where the Lord feeds us with his word and with his Body and Blood. As Benedict XVI taught: “Every Eucharistic celebration sacramentally accomplishes the eschatological gathering of the People of God. For us, the Eucharistic banquet is a real foretaste of the final banquet foretold by the prophets (cf. Is 25:6-9) and described by the New Testament as ‘the marriage-feast of the Lamb’ (Rev 19:9), to be celebrated in the joy of the communion of the saints” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 31)”. 1 Kings 19:1-8 1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done—that he had murdered all the prophets by the sword. 2 Jezebel then sent a messenger to Elijah and said, “May the gods do this to me and more, if by this time tomorrow I have not done with your life what was done to each of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life, going to Beer-sheba of Judah. He left his servant there 4 and went on a day's journey into the wilderness, until he came to a solitary broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: “Enough, Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 He lay down and fell asleep under the solitary broom tree, but suddenly a messenger[b] touched him and said, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, 7 but the angel of the Lord came back a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” 8 He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. John 6:35.53-56 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. 53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats[s] my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Through the Eucharist, we come face to face with Jesus and unite in his body and blood. The Eucharist is the source of all the graces that we need for our lifelong journey in body and spirit. Living life through the ways of this world cannot fill the desire of our soul to be close to God, the source of everything. When we are at our lowest point, our belief in the Eucharist enables us to stand up and face our trials head-on, knowing that through Christ’s body and blood, we are strengthened. We sometimes doubt our capabilities and are easily burdened by hardship, but with Christ who strengthens us, we are more than capable of achieving feats that would otherwise be impossible if we do not look to Him.
THURSDAY “The Eucharist in its missionary dimension” From the message of Pope Francis (WMS 2024) “Consequently, all of us are called to experience more intensely every Eucharist, in all its dimensions, and particularly its eschatological and missionary dimensions. In this regard, I would reiterate that “we cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 84). The Eucharistic renewal that many local Churches are laudably promoting in the post-Covid era will also be essential for reviving the missionary spirit in each member of the faithful. With how much greater faith and heartfelt enthusiasm should we recite at every Mass: “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again”! Sacramentum Caritatis, 86 (Pope Benedict XVI) “Emphasis on the intrinsic relationship between the Eucharist and mission also leads to a rediscovery of the ultimate content of our proclamation. The more ardent the love for the Eucharist in the hearts of the Christian people, the more clearly will they recognize the goal of all mission: to bring Christ to others. Not just a theory or a way of life inspired by Christ, but the gift of his very person. Anyone who has not shared the truth of love with his brothers and sisters has not yet given enough. The Eucharist, as the sacrament of our salvation, inevitably reminds us of the unicity of Christ and the salvation that he won for us by his blood. The mystery of the Eucharist, believed in and celebrated, demands a constant catechesis on the need for all to engage in a missionary effort centered on the proclamation of Jesus as the one Savior. This will help to avoid a reductive and purely sociological understanding of the vital work of human promotion present in every authentic process of evangelization. 1 John 1:1-3 We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Acts 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant. You are to tell others what you have seen of me today and what I will show you in the future. John 4:25-30 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus answered, “I am he, I who am talking with you.” At that moment Jesus' disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, “What do you want?” or asked him, “Why are you talking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there, “Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?” So they left the town and went to Jesus. The Eucharist is one of the sources of Verbum Dei Spirituality. We vitally connect with Jesus in every Eucharistic celebration, where He empties Himself to us so we will be saved. It is not enough that He suffered and died for us on the cross, rather, He chose to remain with us, to sustain us in the Eucharist. The Eucharist continues to nourish us, to save us. In this regard, we are conscious of the urgency to do the mission to bring this salvation to many. As we continue to encounter the Messiah in the Eucharist, we are reminded to bring others to the same encounter, just like what the Samaritan woman did who announced the good news to everyone: then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Jn 4: 28-30. As in the message of Pope Francis: In this regard, I would reiterate that “we cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people”. Truly, at the end of every Eucharistic celebration we are reminded to “go and proclaim the gospel” because this is what every Christian must really do.
FRIDAY “Mission: A Renewal of Commitment as Missionaries of Hope” From the message of the Pope (WMS 2024)
“In this year devoted to prayer in preparation for the Jubilee of 2025, I wish to encourage all to deepen their commitment above all to take part in the celebration of Mass and to pray for the Church’s mission of evangelization. In obedience to the Saviour’s command, she does not cease to pray, at every Eucharistic and liturgical celebration, the “Our Father,” with its petition, “Thy kingdom come.” In this way, daily prayer and the Eucharist in particular make us pilgrims and missionaries of hope, journeying towards everlasting life in God, towards the nuptial banquet that God has prepared for all his children”. Luke 11:2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this: ‘Father: May your holy name be honoured; may your Kingdom come. Luke 12:32-34 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them, and no moth can destroy them. For your heart will always be where your riches are. Philippians 3:20-21 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule. Acts 7:48-50 “But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands; as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, says the Lord, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house would you build for me? Where is the place for me to live in? Did not I myself make all these things?’ 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that when this tent we live in — our body here on earth — is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last for ever. 1 Peter 1:1-9 From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ — To God's chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure. Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope, and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time. Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honour on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express, because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him. 2 Peter 3:13 But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home. Each one of us has an important role in the mission. Pope Francis in his message for the WMS 2024, encourages us to deepen our commitment in attending masses and offering our unceasing prayers for the Church's Mission of Evangelization. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus as He teaches us on how to pray. In Luke 11:2 says, Jesus said to them "when you pray, say this; ' Father may your holy name be honored; May your kingdom come." Today we are again reminded by Jesus that God in heaven is our Father. And we need to hope and believe that His kingdom will come here on earth as promised. That is why we are also reminded by Pope Francis in his message for WMS 2024, that to pray and to always receive the Eucharist are ways that we can deepen and renew our commitment as missionaries of hope in this present time. How beautiful it is if we can show to others the hope we receive from Jesus. For we are to set an example for others on how to look forward with eagerness of the Kingdom of God prepared for us, His children. As in 1 Peter 1:4 says, " and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for His people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay, or spoil, or fade away." How beautiful it is if we can learn on how to look beyond what is temporary and together we journey towards the nuptial banquet that God has for us. It is our duty to inspire others to hold on to the hope that Christ Jesus has bestowed on us. We can persevere in waiting as in 1 Peter 1:9 says, " But we wait for the new heavens and a new earth where righteousness will be at home."
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General Theme: Means of perseverance General Objective: That the disciples can participate actively in the mission of Jesus making them missionary disciples that persevere faithfully in their following. Objective of the week: That we, as members of the Church recognize that we exist to evangelize INTRODUCTION October is the month dedicated to the mission. Every year on the third Sunday of October we celebrate World Mission Sunday. What is World Mission Sunday? World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to reflect on their own baptism, when they received the gift of faith, and recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. Pope Francis message for World Mission Sunday 2024:” Let us not forget that every Christian is called to take part in this universal mission by offering his or her own witness to the Gospel in every context, so that the whole Church can continually go forth with her Lord and Master to the “crossroads” of today’s world.” IMVDMFa 70. “In the VDMFa we wish to ensure that no one feels excluded, but rather good administrators of the incalculable riches, rights and duties of their Christian identity, conferred by baptism, to follow Christ in his same mission, participating in his being priest, prophet and king.” There is a call to renew our commitment as disciples of Christ. October is a month specially dedicated for this renewal as Catholics and as Verbum Missionary disciples. Let us again pray and live out our missionary activity during this month. October is the month to pray for missionaries all over the world. Pope Francis in his message for World Mission Sunday 2024 affirms: “I take this opportunity to thank all those missionaries who, in response to Christ’s call, have left everything behind to go far from their homeland and bring the Good News to places where people have not yet received it, or received it only recently. Dear friends, your generous dedication is a tangible expression of your commitment to the mission Ad Gentes that Jesus entrusted to his disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). We continue to pray and we thank God for the new and numerous missionary vocations for the task of evangelization to the ends of the earth.” These missionaries are helping people in need in different places through many assisting projects and they also need financial support. Propaganda Fidei (Society for the Propagation of Faith) is in charge of collecting the money from every country and to distribute to the most needed people in this world through the missionaries living with them. The Guidelines sheet during this month will be focused on the Pope's message for World Mission Sunday 2024. The theme proposed by Pope Francis is “GO AND INVITE EVERYONE TO THE BANQUET” (cf. Mat 22:9). This is an invitation to live out Jesus´ mission in this present moment. Our Verbum Dei Family of Cebu is willing to go to some places to reach out to others during this month. Our theme “COME, ENJOY THE BANQUET OF THE LORD” is taken from the Pope's message with the intention of making us aware of the active participation in inviting all to the banquet of the Lord. MONDAY “Go Tirelessly and Invite my Children To Come to My Banquet” Message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024): “In the king’s command to his servants we find two words that express the heart of the mission: the verbs “to go out” and “to invite”. Mission, we see, is a tireless going out to all men and women, in order to invite them to encounter God and enter into communion with him. Tireless!” John 20:21 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Acts 13:43-49 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you[a] a light for the Gentiles, that you[b] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’[c]” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. Every one of us is called to be a part of the mission, witnessing Jesus and continuing His work in our lives. God's love is so great; His love does not limit to those who recognized Him but those strangers of Him are covered by His immense love. He is telling us to go tirelessly and invite all His children even to those who are in the face of indifference and refusal to come and enjoy His banquet of love. Sometimes, we feel unworthy and unprepared to go, but Jesus is inviting us to obey and trust in Him so that He can freely act in us and we may be capable of imitating Him. So we become effective missionaries in our little ways with our examples and not only with our words. So we are invited to preach with our lives the way we relate to each other and in our family with patience, forgiveness, and humility.
TUESDAY “God’s great love for all” Message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024): “God, great in love and rich in mercy, constantly sets out to encounter all men and women, and to call them to the happiness of his kingdom, even in the face of their indifference or refusal.” 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. 1 Timothy 2:1-7 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. Hosea 11:1-4 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.[a] They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. Aware of the great love of God for us, a universal love that knows no limits, a love that brings forth true happiness and peace that everyone is looking for, a love that bears fruit and grows all the more when shared to others. In one way or another we experienced this love from our brothers and sisters in so many ways, allowing this love to flourish. The world is in need of the Love of God. As His witnesses, we are all invited by Jesus to let our brothers and sisters experience the same Love we received from Him. Let the world know that Jesus is alive in the lives of His true witnesses in the way they love.
WEDNESDAY “We Can Change for the Better in Service of God” Message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024): “Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd and messenger of the Father, went out in search of the lost sheep of the people of Israel and desired to go even further, in order to reach even the most distant sheep (cf. Jn 10:16).” 1 John 4:9-10 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Luke 15:1-6 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Matthew 9:9-13 9 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. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” John 8:1-12 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We are all equal in the eyes of God, regardless of one’s past. We may sometimes lose our way and go astray, but there will always be those who understand our burdens and reach out that we may not go astray. As disciples, we too are imperfect. But our imperfections do not stop us from giving our all for the service of the Lord. When we acknowledge who we are and follow the Lord regardless, our identity as disciples will outshine the sins of the past.
THURSDAY “VDMD: Servants of the Word of God” Message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024): “Both before and after his resurrection, he told his disciples, “Go!”, thus involving them in his own mission (cf. Lk 10:3; Mk 16:15) To return to the king’s command in the parable, the servants are told not only to “go,” but also to “invite”: “Come to the wedding!” (Mt 22:4). Here we can see another, no less important, aspect of the mission entrusted by God. As we can imagine, the servants conveyed the king’s invitation with urgency but also with great respect and kindness. In the same way, the mission of bringing the Gospel to every creature must necessarily imitate the same “style” of the One who is being preached. In proclaiming to the world “the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead” (Evangelii Gaudium, 36), missionary disciples should do so with joy, magnanimity and benevolence that are the fruits of the Holy Spirit within them (cf. Gal 5:22). Not by pressuring, coercing or proselytizing, but with closeness, compassion and tenderness, and in this way reflecting God’s own way of being and acting.” Luke 10:1-3 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Mark 16:15-16,20 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. As VDMD our charism is to pray, live and preach the Word of God. We are to “Go” as Jesus commissioned each one of us, so we can invite everyone to the wedding banquet. “Go” is in the present tense since Jesus knows the urgency of preaching each day “in season and out of season” 2Tim 4:2-5. All must be invited and must encounter the love and mercy of God through us! As servants of the Word of God we are to bring the Good News to others just like Jesus did, full of love and compassion for His people especially, the least, the lost and the last. Our pedagogy of preaching must imitate that of our Master’s whose effectiveness is due to His loving connection and obedience to the will to His Father. So let us offer ourselves as servants of Jesus who is always willing to reach out to others so they too, can partake in the wedding festivities, just as we did. As it is said in Acts 4:20 “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard”.
FRIDAY “Fidelity to the Mission: A Call and a Grace from God” Message of the Pope (World Mission Sunday 2024): “The Church, for her part, in fidelity to the mission she has received from the Lord, will continue to go to the ends of the earth, to set out over and over again, without ever growing weary or losing heart in the face of difficulties and obstacles. Evangelii Nuntiandi 14: The Church knows this. She has a vivid awareness of the fact that the Savior's words, "I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God," apply in all truth to herself. It is with joy and consolation that at the end of the great Assembly of 1974 we heard these illuminating words: "We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church." Evangelii Gaudium 25: Throughout the world, let us be “permanently in a state of mission”. 1 Corinthians 9:16 16 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! 2 Timothy 2:1-13 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Romans 10:1, 13-15 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g] "I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic church." This line is very familiar from the Apostle's Creed that points out that we are the Church - the people of God. The church who receives the call of Jesus to remain faithful to the mission. Mission is a grace from God which gives us the privilege to serve Him in proclaiming the Good News of Salvation. Fidelity is essential in the mission because our life itself is a mission. By our fidelity, neither obstacle nor suffering can hinder us to reach out to the ends of the earth. Thus, Jesus is telling us in Mt.28:20 "Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you and I will be with you always to the end of age." Which means that doing the mission is living in union with Christ Jesus.
SUNDAY 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Wis 7:7-11 Psalm Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 2nd Reading: Heb 4:12-13 Gospel: Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 PRAYER FOR SYNOD ON SYNODALITY (OCTOBER 2024) We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen. October 2024 Pope's Intention We pray that the Church continue to sustain in all ways a Synodal lifestyle, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, the communion and the mission shared among priests, religious and lay people.
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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
January 2025
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