 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: That we may grow in faith, love and hope during this second week of Lent. INTRODUCTION We are in the second week of Lent. We continue our inner preparation which is supported by concrete actions of love with people around us. Let's devote again our time to listen to God through His word to realize the deeper transformation in our lives according to His will. MONDAY “A God of Chances” Daniel 9:4b-10 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. Psalm 79:8.9.11.13 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. May the groans of the prisoners come before you; with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise. Luke 6:36-38 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. The Jubilee Year is a great year of mercy and compassion. The Lord is granting us pardon of sins and plenary indulgence from our forgiven sins. He is giving us an opportunity to repent and renew ourselves for He knows how vulnerable we are to sin and easily reject His commandments. We have been not honoring His passion, death, and resurrection for our salvation, because we prefer what pleases and satisfies us to the point of hurting the Lord in our brothers and sisters. It is easy to condemn and judge them. We love to say tactless words and enjoy juicy gossip rather than to be prudent and bear with the weaknesses of others. In this second week of lent, we must pause for a moment and ask ourselves how many times we failed to love the Lord by being indifferent to our neighbors because of their shortcomings and yet, we have forgotten that we too have our own imperfections in life. The Lord does not look at our imperfections and iniquities, but as beloved children of His. Nevertheless, He is much interested in our sincerity to come home to Him rather than to remain in our sins. This is truly a journey of hope, an encounter of crosses and trials that challenge our faith in God; crosses to hope in Christ who is among us and with us, ever ready to forgive and gives us another chance to set us free from our indifference to acceptance, hatred to love, and condemnation to mercy and forgiveness. Let us invite ourselves to practice these acts as our works of mercy to make the most of this holy year.
TUESDAY “In our humility, God restore us” Isaiah 1:10,16-20 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.[a] Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Psalm 50:8-9.16-17.21.23 I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, But to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly[a] like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless[a] I will show my salvation.” Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Our readings and the Gospel warn us against pride and the nonsense work just to show off for people to see. Pride blocks us from the truth of who we are before God. God knows and understands the true us and no need to pretend to be that someone else to merit the approval of other people. God accepts us in our shortcomings, He is hopeful of our life, he loves each one of us completely and unconditionally. We must take this truth deep into our hearts, and be always willing to be open and listen to His words and act upon it. Jesus is inviting us to repent and change our ways acceptable to God, to sincerely commit to be humble and be more compassionate to our brothers and sisters, to serve than to be served. Then he promises that he will wash away our sins and restore us beyond anything we could have hoped for.
WEDNESDAY “Hope in Uncertainty” 2 Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[; your throne will be established forever.’” Psalm 89:2-3.4-5.27.29 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’”[a] The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure. Romans 4:13.16-18.22 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[a] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. The promise that God is with us is always our source of great comfort and hope. It is a constant reminder that no matter the circumstances, God will always be with us, to guide and sustain us in every step of the way. Both David and Joseph were just ordinary men, transformed by faith to play crucial roles in God’s plan. Through this, we are reminded that God can use anyone, regardless of background, to accomplish the salvation He has promised.
THURSDAY “Be generous as God is generous” Jeremiah 17:5-10 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Psalm 1:1-2.3.4.6 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his Law Day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers. Not so wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” The Gospel of the rich man and Lazarus helps us to reflect our very own life in front of God, that is, what richness that blinds us to see the needs of our brothers? The Rich man treasured his wealth and comfortable life each day of his life while watching Lazarus die in hunger at his gate. He has so much material abundance, which is in stark contrast to that of Lazarus, who is very poor. However much the rich man has, in fact many of which are already in excess, he did not give any to Lazarus. This goes to show that when we are consumed with our very own pleasures and comfort, our sensitivity to be generous to others shuts down. Treasures however, are not only limited to money or wealth but to everything that robs us from being generous to others. For example, failing to listen to someone who needs sympathy because we do not want to give our time or when we withhold our appreciation to a friend out of envy, or our forgiveness because of hatred: these are just some of the many situations that show that the false treasures that we hold on to, make us like that of rich man who is greedy. The passage on Jer 17:10 reminds us of our accountability before God on this aspect, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve”. Let this season of Lent be an examination of conscience so we can see our lack of generosity to the needs of others, as we continue to journey as pilgrims of hope this Jubilee year.
FRIDAY “The Cross....the Real Path to LOVE” Genesis 37:3-4.12-13a.17b-28a Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate[a] robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[a] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Psalm 105:16-17.18-19.20-21 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them-- Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, Matthew 21:33-43.45-46 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]? “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Today we are invited to fix our eyes on the Cross of Jesus our Christ. For this is what true loving is all about. The Cross where Jesus is nailed is the concrete expression of God's love for us. Through Jesus Christ we are saved as beloved children of God. Have you been able to ask yourself this question, why does God allow suffering to exist in the lives of people here on earth? Bear in mind that suffering does not literally come from God. It is the consequences of our wrong decision and sin. Though God allows us to suffer, through our suffering we become closer to Him. For God does not allow us that we will be separated from Him. When we suffer, our eyes are opened to see His great concern for the whole of humanity. In Ps. 105:16 says, " The Lord sent famine to their country and took away all their food."Why? Because in the absence of earthly materials will make us open to His providence. Does God really turn his back on us when we are in suffering? Ps 105:17 says, " But he sent a man ahead of them, Joseph who had been sold as a slave." To hope in the Lord with strong faith is the best step in order to recognize the beauty of God's love for us. For He never abandoned us. Instead, He always prepares what is best for us. Just like what to Jesus who resurrected after his passion and death and conquered sin and death. From that resurrection we are also receiving "eternal life" , a great privilege being children of God. As Matthew 21:42 says, Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures say? The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. This was done by the Lord. What a wonderful sight it is!"
READINGS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (MARCH 23, 2025) Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12; Luke 13:1-9 A SPIRITUAL REFLECTION BY POPE FRANCIS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT Let us repent, for it is our sin that causes misfortunes, not the God of mercy Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday! We are at the heart of our Lenten journey, and today the Gospel begins by presenting Jesus who comments on some news of the day. While people still remember the 18 who died when a tower collapsed on them, they tell him about some Galileans whom Pilot had killed (cf. Lk 13:1). And there is a question that seems to accompany these tragic affairs: who is to blame for these terrible events? Perhaps those people were guiltier than others and God punished them? These are questions that also come up today. When crime news weighs on us and we feel powerless before evil, we often ask ourselves: is it perhaps a punishment from God? Did he bring about a war or a pandemic to punish us for our sins? And why does the Lord not intervene? We must be careful: when evil oppresses us, we run the risk of losing our clarity and, in order to find an easy answer to what we are unable to explain, we end up putting the blame on God. And very often the bad habit of using profanities comes from this. How often do we attribute to him our woes and misfortunes in the world, to he who instead leaves us always free and hence never intervenes by imposing himself, but only by proposing himself; He who never uses violence and indeed suffers for us and with us! In fact, Jesus rejects and strongly contests the idea of blaming God for our evils: those persons who were killed by Pilate and those who died beneath the tower were not any more at fault than others, and they were not victims of a ruthless and vindictive God, which does not exist! Evil can never come from God because “He does not deal with us according to our sins” (Ps 103:10), but according to his mercy. This is God’s style. He cannot treat us otherwise. He always treats us with mercy. But rather than blaming God, Jesus says we need to look within ourselves: it is sin that produces death; it is our selfishness that tears apart relationships; it is our wrong and violent choices that unleash evil. At this point the Lord offers the true solution. What is it? Conversion: He says, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Lk 13:5). It is an urgent call, especially during this time of Lent. Let us welcome it with an open heart. Let us convert from evil, let us renounce the sin that seduces us, let us be open to the logic of the Gospel because where love and fraternity reign, evil no longer has power! But Jesus knows that conversion is not easy, and he wants to help us here. He knows that we often repeat the same mistakes and the same sins; that we become discouraged, and perhaps it may seem that our commitment to do good is useless in a world where evil appears to rule. Thus, after his appeal, he encourages us with a parable that tells of the patience of God. We must keep in mind God’s patience, the patience he has for us. He offers the comforting image of a fig tree that does not bear fruit during the accorded season, but is not cut down. More time is given to it, another possibility. I like to think that a nice name for God could be “the God of another possibility”: God always gives us another opportunity, always, always. That is what his mercy is like. This is how the Lord is with us. He does not cut us out of his love. He does not lose heart or tire of offering us his trust again, with tenderness. Brothers and sisters, God believes in us! God trusts us and accompanies us with patience, the patience of God with us. He does not become discouraged, but always instils his hope in us. God is Father and looks after you like a father. As the best of fathers, he does not look at the achievements you have not yet reached, but the fruits you can still bear. He does not keep track of your shortcomings but encourages your potential. He does not dwell on your past, but confidently bets on your future. This is because God is close to us, he is close to us. Let us not forget that the style of God is closeness. He is close with mercy and tenderness. In this way, God accompanies us: with closeness, mercy, and tenderness. Thus, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to fill us with hope and courage, and kindle in us the desire for conversion. 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: That we may grow in faith, love and hope during this first week of Lent. INTRODUCTION In the Jubilee Year, we are now starting the Lent Season. Lent is the forty days pilgrimage towards the central mystery of our faith: Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We, pilgrims of hope, are invited to pray for a longer time and to love those around us and the people in need of material and spiritual help. Lent is a time to receive God's mercy with an obedient and grateful heart. We are journeying together. In the Guidelines Sheet during these five weeks of Lent, we can take the passages of the daily Eucharist for our reflection and prayer. And, we can also insert the reflection from Pope Francis for the following Sunday of Lent. Let's pray for each other and for the whole Church so that the Holy Spirit will guide us in our Lenten preparation. MONDAY “A Call to Hope” Leviticus 19: 1-2,11-18 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. “Do not steal. “Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Psalm 19: 8,9,10,15 Your Words, Lord, are Spirit and life. Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Blessed are we who have a God who loves us all unconditionally. His love surmounts our weaknesses. He keeps on reminding us to obey His commandments and not to conform to the world that separates us from His love. To love the Lord is to hope in His promises of eternal life. We are called to love our neighbors for they are His living presence through whom we can manifest how much we love Him. Loving our neighbors is a way to obey His commandments and a way to eternal life. He promised us in Ps.19: 8-10 that whoever obeys His commandments will be happy. It is a way of reverence to Him and gives wisdom and understanding to the mind and they are sweeter than the purest honey. We must hold Him tight so that we will not miss Him who is our light to see and be aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters. In this season of Lent, let us be hopeful that by God's grace we can abide by His laws as our concrete claims of our love to Him. Almsgiving and fasting are acts of emptying ourselves from worldly attachments to be one with Christ. These are the effective practices of Lent to strengthen our bonds with Him that lead us to conversion and freedom.
TUESDAY “Embracing the Divine Love of Our Father” Isaiah 55:10-11 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, 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. Psalm 34:4-5,6-7,16-17,18-19 From all their distress God rescues the just. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; Matthew 6:7-15 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. In today's world, the Word of God brings profound comfort and guidance. As we pray "Our Father," we feel a deep connection to the family of believers, reminding us that we are never alone amidst the chaos of modern life. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done" instills hope that God's justice and love will prevail. Asking for our "daily bread" teaches reliance on God for our true needs, grounding us beyond materialism. The call to forgive, both receiving and extending, brings healing and unity in our fragmented world. Asking for deliverance from temptation reassures us of God's protection and guidance through life's trials. God's word nourishes us like rain that fills us with hope, affirming that His promises will always be fulfilled. In our journey, these teachings remind us to live with faith, compassion, and a commitment to building a better world. This gives us hope that God's promises will always be fulfilled, providing us with strength and renewal. These teachings remind us to live with faith, compassion, and unity, drawing from the wellspring of hope in our relationship with God.
WEDNESDAY “Reconciliation as a Sign of God’s Mercy” Jonah 3:1-10 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going on a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed in God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:“By the decree of the king and his nobles:Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar. Luke 11:29-32 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here. It is when we truly humble ourselves and acknowledge our wrongs that we see the signs laid before us by Christ. If we continue with our own wickedness, we are destroying ourselves and others in the process. If our predecessors were able to change their ways, so can we. May we continue to be open to the signs and wonders God gives us everyday that we may do as He willed us to.
THURSDAY “We are beggars before God” Psalm 138: 1-8 Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great. Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; Though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever-- do not abandon the works of your hands. Matthew 7:7-12 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us to pray: “Ask and it will be given to you…” He begins with some very open-ended counsel. He does not say what we should ask for, only that we should ask, seek and knock. We are left to ponder what we should be asking for. But a little further on, he gives us a clue: “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.” Good things- this is what our heavenly Father gives us. Jesus is not telling us that we can treat prayer like a magic formula that always produces the result we want. When we ask or seek or knock, we should be asking for good things. How do we know if something is good for us or for those for whom we are praying? The truth is we do not always know. What we pray for seems good to us or we would not ask for it, but it may not be God's will. Will it lead us closer to God or farther from him? Prayer is also a time to listen to him, to reflect on what he is saying and doing in our lives. Time spent in prayer helps us discern what to ask for. This Lent gives us an opportunity to examine what we ask of the Lord. It's a time to grow in trust in God's mercy and love for us by remembering that if we sinful people can give good things to our children, how much more will God, the most loving father, who is all good, give us what is truly good for us! Whenever I ask something from God, I am always reminded with the phrase “we are all beggars before God”. Yes, it’s true, whatever is our reality, whether rich or poor, young or old, we are all beggars before Him. We know that as humans, even if we strive to be independent and self-sufficient, we always lack something that is beyond our capacity. This is the very reason why we turn to someone who is more powerful and omnipotent. Jesus taught us the way on how to ask His Father in Mt. 7:7-12. To ask the Father in complete trust and humility that He knows far better than us, that He provides good things, for He is a generous and loving God. And yes, it is true, as a parent/brother/sister/friend, sinful as we are, we know how to give good things to those we love and hold dear. How much more on our Father who is holy and all good? In this Lenten season, let us remember those moments when we are full of pride on our self-sufficiency, when we lack obedience to accept what we did not receive for our better good and when we become impatient for the answers to our prayer. Let this moment be a moment of conversion. This Jubilee year is a year inviting us to be pilgrims of hope, that beyond the horizons which we cannot see, is an all knowing and generous God who always provides good things.
FRIDAY “A Great Hope is Waiting” Psalm 130:1-8 If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his words I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. Ezequiel 18:21-28 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. Matthew 5:20-26 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven! “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Our God and Father is always waiting for us.It is His desire that we come to Him. His arms are wide open, ready to embrace us. He waits patiently for our hearts to undergo a total change of mind and attitude. Signifying a sincere desire to make amends and live righteously. As Ez 18:23 says, " Do you think I enjoy seeing evil people die?, asks the Sovereign Lord. "No, I would rather see them repent and live." Today we are reminded again that God's love is unconditional. It does not keep a record of wrongs. But instead he forgives us.Yes, we need to examine and be sincere in looking at our wrong doings. But not to forget that beyond our sins is the merciful love of God. He is very ready to forgive us. As Psalm 130:3-4 says, " If you kept a record of our sins, who could escape being condemned? But you forgive us. So that we should stand in awe of you." This Jubilee Year 2025 is a wide opportunity for us to walk together as Pilgrims of Hope. Having a repentant heart is a great HOPE by itself. Let us journey towards the Kingdom of God with a contrite heart. A heart that is broken and humble that acknowledges sin and seeks reconciliation with Him. As Mark 5:25 says," If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute while there is time, before you get to court."
READINGS FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (MARCH 16, 2025) Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13 A SPIRITUAL REFLECTION BY POPE FRANCIS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Lent is a time for us to awaken from our inner lethargy and to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit The Gospel of the Liturgy of this second Sunday of Lent narrates the Transfiguration of Jesus (cf. Lk 9: 28-36). While praying on a high mountain, he changes in appearance, his robe becomes bright and radiant, and in the light of his glory, Moses and Elijah appear, who speak with him about the Passover that awaits him in Jerusalem, namely, his Passion, Death and Resurrection. The witnesses to this extraordinary event are the apostles Peter, John and James, who went up the mountain with Jesus. We can imagine them with their eyes wide open before that unique sight. And, certainly, it must have been so. But the evangelist Luke notes that “Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep”, and that “when they wakened” they saw the glory of Jesus (cf. v. 32). The drowsiness of the three disciples appears to be a discordant note. The same apostles then fall asleep in Gethsemane too, during the anguished prayer of Jesus, who had asked them to keep watch (cf. Mk 14:37-41). This sleepiness in such important moments is surprising. However, if we read carefully, we see that Peter, John and James fall asleep precisely before the Transfiguration begins, that is, while Jesus is in prayer. The same would happen in Gethsemane. This is evidently a prayer that continued for some time, in silence and reflection. We may think that, at the beginning, they too were praying, until tiredness prevailed, until sleep prevailed. Brothers, sisters, does this ill-timed slumber perhaps resemble many of our own that come in moments we know to be important? Perhaps in the evening, when we would like to pray, to spend some time with Jesus after a day of rushing around and being busy. Or when it is time to exchange a few words with the family and we no longer have the strength. We would like to be more awake, attentive, participatory, not to miss precious opportunities, but we are unable to, or we manage it somehow, but poorly. The powerful time of Lent is an opportunity in this regard. It is a period in which God wants to awaken us from our inner lethargy, from this sleepiness that does not let the Spirit express itself. Because — let us bear this in mind — keeping the heart awake does not depend on us alone: it is a grace and must be requested. The three disciples of the Gospel show us this: they were good, they had followed Jesus onto the mountain, but by their own strength they could not stay awake. This happens to us too. However, they awoke precisely during the Transfiguration. We might think that it was the light of Jesus that reawakened them. Like them, we too are in need of God’s light, that makes us see things in a different way: it attracts us, it reawakens us, it reignites our desire and strength to pray, to look within ourselves, and to dedicate time to others. We can overcome the tiredness of the body with the strength of the Spirit of God. And when we are unable to overcome this, we must say to the Holy Spirit: “Help us, come, come, Holy Spirit. Help me: I want to encounter Jesus, I want to be attentive, awake”. Asking the Holy Spirit to bring us out of this slumber that prevents us from praying. In this Lenten time, after the labours of each day, it will do us good not to switch off the light in the room without placing ourselves in the light of God. To pray a little before sleeping. Let’s give the Lord the chance to surprise us and to reawaken our hearts. We can do this, for instance, by opening the Gospel and letting ourselves be amazed by the Word of God, because the Scripture enlightens our steps and inflames the heart. Or we can look at the crucified Jesus and wonder at the boundless love of God, who never tires of us and has the power to transfigure our days, to give them a new meaning, a new, unexpected light. May the Virgin May help us to keep our heart awake, to welcome this time of grace that God offers to us. Pope Francis, Angelus message, March 13, 2022 THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To allow the gift of hope to grow in us. INTRODUCTION Last week we were meditating on the signs of hope that we recognize in our environment. In the Letter from CBCP we are also encouraged to be “people who live in hope and transmit hope” in our world today. Hope is a valuable gift from the Holy Spirit; a gift to be received and to be transmitted; a gift to be valued and taken care of. We start our Lent Season 2025 on March 5. Lent is a time to receive, to value, to take care and transmit the gift of hope. Let's remember that we are pilgrims of hope during these special weeks of Lent. Excerpt from the Jubilee Prayer: “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.” How do we cultivate the seed of hope planted in us? To meditate on the passage of Mt 13:1-8.18-23 leads us to examine ourselves on how we prepare “our soil” to make the seed of the Word of God to give fruits to us for the whole world. Let's take this parable as the nuclear passage for the whole week that we can meditate every now and then. MONDAY “The Real Witnessing” Excerpt from CBCP pastoral letter: “In this Jubilee Year of Hope, together we hold precious, the gift of hope sparked by the Holy Spirit. This hope is not simply optimism or a positive feeling. These are glimpses of the gift of hope that comes from the Holy Spirit urging us to act.” Matthew 13:1- 8,18-23 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Romans 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. Galatians 5:5; For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. The gospel is the living Word of God where God speaks straight to our heart; it is a Spirit and Truth. Let us allow our hearts to become a fertile soil to plant the seeds of God's Word in order to grow and bear fruits. It measures its growth through the way of living in each one. A person who listens and accepts God's Word is full of hope. He is grateful amidst tribulations; he believes that God is with him and is in union with him, who gives him strength and consolation to surpass his challenges and deepens his faith. He accepts sufferings as a source of purification and a way to eternal life. He is positive that there is hope and joy behind all the pains and sorrows. The Parable of the Sower is always associated with faith. A person whose faith is lukewarm has no hope in times of trouble, he does not see the benefits of it and so is tempted to withdraw from praying. They easily give up, and do not bear fruit. This limits the work of God's grace in us, but how privileged we are who give value to the Word of God. We have spiritual friends (disciples of Christ), the first and blueprint witnesses of the gospel who remind us through the scripture, “You must of course continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel. It is of that gospel that I, Paul, became a servant - the gospel which has been preached to everybody in the world." (Col.1:23)
TUESDAY “Holy Spirit rekindle and aflame our Hope” Excerpt from CBCP pastoral letter: “Any action of hope is sourced from the Holy Spirit. As such, we exhort you, our dear people, to allow the hope within you to be rekindled. May it become a flame of hope.” 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. Luke 24:25-27,30-32; 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 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 12:49; “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Matthew 23:31-32 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! How are we listening to the Holy Spirit this time? How privileged we are if we immerse ourselves in the word of God, be open, ask and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the Hope we need in facing the many forms of desperation around us. The Holy Spirit will always inspires us to do things and hope for the good to come and once you tasted it, keep it in your heart and treasure it just like Mother Mary, there were a lot of good experiences she had which she didn’t understand right away but she always keep it in her heart and always pondered about it. To grow in our hope, we are invited to do just as our mother Mary did.
WEDNESDAY “Hope and remain steadfast in faith” 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says: “In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 1 Corinthians 13:6-7; 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 2 Corinthians 1:10; He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us. Excerpt from CBCP pastoral letter: “Hopelessness can lead to despair. Yet to hope is not to be overcome by fear and despair. Hopelessness can paralyze and enslave us. Yet hope gives us courage and freedom. We pray for courage, so that we may always freely stand up for truth, and uphold the good and the rule of law, as we protect democratic institutions and processes. Let us hold power to accountability. Let us continue to build on what we have accomplished. May we have the courage and perseverance to walk the path of conversion to change for the better, and relentlessly pursue the good of all, over personal interests.” Today is Ash Wednesday. We start the Lent Season which is the time for our salvation. In face of the realities of our life, temptations can be subtle yet the consequences of sin can affect all aspects of our life. In the complexities of life and those around us, it’s easy to lose sight of hope when things are out of focus. But hope is within our grasp, when we remain in Christ and trust in the path where He is leading us.
THURSDAY “Be the good soil for hope to grow” Excerpt from CBCP pastoral letter: “Let the Holy Spirit renew the face of the earth and breathe transformation into the dark spaces and places of our lives and our nation. The grace of the Holy Spirit is a gentle breeze that spurs us to continue breathing when we are tempted to give up on our seemingly hapless condition. Such grace is like a feather we possess, that when joined together with those of others, can become wings for us to rise beyond our apathy, and allow us to soar high in patriotism, volunteerism, and pursuit of change. The same grace is like a tempest that can sweep away the decay of corruption, paving the way to moral recovery.” Revelations 21:1; Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Romans 12:12; Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Luke 6:43-45 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Many of us will agree that we are living in a time that we feel hopeless with all the realities around us, what with all these economic difficulties, the political unrest, the environmental concerns, the increasing crimes, drugs, family brokeness, suicide cases and all of the many dark realities right before our very eyes. We can be swept away with this wave of hopelessness because we feel helpless in the face of all of these. In times like this, God however, continues to invite us to pray harder. We need to hold on to the Holy Spirit who will lead us to the light. He gives us hope. He enlightens us and gives us renewal. As a disciple of Christ we receive our hope from the source itself, so no matter what, we remain full of hope. We must be the “good soil” for this hope to grow and be nourished so many can draw from it. Let us be transmitters of hope and bring others to the encounter of the source of hope.
FRIDAY “An Attentive Heart Becomes a Fertile Soil of Hope” Excerpt from CBCP pastoral letter: “There is hope! May Pag-Asa! And St. Paul counsels us: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). With our prayer for a spiritual revolution of hope, let us all walk together in this Pilgrimage of Hope towards the Father’s Kingdom. We pray with Pope Francis: “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” (Pope Francis, Jubilee Prayer).” Matthew 13:1-8,18-23; That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” 1 Corinthians 9:10; Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:6; Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. We, Catholics are encouraged to become an active listener to the word of God. That is the very secret in order to learn and understand the message of the Lord our God. As Matthew 13:18 says, " Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means." Just also the same in Matthew 13:19 says," Listen, then,if you have ears." Active listening is what we need in order to understand and learn. We are reminded today of how important it is to listen. As we listen, we need to use the "ear" located at the center of our "H-ear-t." The heart that listens well, is the fertile soil where the seeds of the Gospel are sown. Matthew 13:23 says, " And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it; they bear fruit, some are one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty." Once the seeds of the Gospel grows in our hearts it can make us tireless cultivators of those seeds.( Pope Francis, Jubilee Prayer 2025) The seed of the Gospel is not just an ordinary "HOPE", it is not just something, but it is someone, "JESUS", our savior. Romans 5:5 says, " This hope does not disappoint us for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit who is God's gift to us." It is Jesus that can make us become the bearers of this "HOPE" to others. To those who are sad, lonely,sick, homeless, anxious, worried, and confused. Also to those who do not hear and understand the message of love from God for nobody cares to share it to them. We are all called to encourage each other and together we will walk as pilgrims of hope to the Father's kingdom. A great privilege we can receive this Jubilee Year 2025.
READINGS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (March 9, 2025) Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13 A SPIRITUAL REFLECTION BY POPE FRANCIS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Let us always be vigilant and avoid any dialogue with the devil Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno! The Gospel of today’s Liturgy, the first Sunday of Lent, takes us into the desert, where Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit, for 40 days, to be tempted by the devil (cf. Lk 4:1-13). Jesus too was tempted by the devil, and He accompanies us, every one of us, in our temptations. The desert symbolizes the fight against the seductions of evil, in order to learn to choose true freedom. Indeed, Jesus lives the experience of the desert just before beginning his public mission. It is precisely through this spiritual struggle that he decisively affirms what type of Messiah he intends to be. Not this type of Messiah, but that one: I would say that this is indeed the declaration of Jesus’ messianic identity, of the messianic way of Jesus. “I am the Messiah, but on this path.” Let us then look closely at the temptations he is battling. Twice the devil addresses him, saying: “If you are the Son of God…” (vv. 3, 9). He is thus proposing to him to exploit his position: first to satisfy the material needs he feels, hunger (cf. v. 3), then to increase his power (cf. vv. 6-7); and, finally, to have a prodigious sign from God (cf. vv. 9-11). Three temptations. It is as if he were saying, “If you are the Son of God, take advantage of it!”. How often this happens to us: “But if you are in that position, take advantage of it! Don’t lose the opportunity, the chance”, that is, “think of your benefit”. It is a seductive proposal, but it leads you to the enslavement of the heart: it makes us obsessed with the desire to have, it reduces everything to the possession of things, power, fame. This is the core of the temptations: the “poison of the passions” in which evil is rooted. Let us look within ourselves, and we will find that our temptations always have this mindset, always this way of acting. But Jesus opposes the attractions of evil in a victorious way. How does he do this? By responding to temptations with the Word of God, which says not to take advantage, not to use God, others and things for oneself, not to take advantage of one’s own position to obtain privileges. Because true happiness and true freedom are not found in possessing, but in sharing; not in taking advantage of others, but in loving them; not in the obsession of power, but in the joy of service. Brothers and sisters, these temptations also accompany us on the journey of life. We must be vigilant — not be afraid, it happens to everyone — and be vigilant, because they often present themselves under an apparent form of good. In fact, the devil, who is cunning, always uses deception. He wanted to make Jesus believe that his proposals were useful to prove that he was really the Son of God. And I would like to emphasize something. Jesus does not converse with the devil: Jesus never converses with the devil. He either banishes him, when he healed the possessed, or in this case, when he has to respond, he does so with the Word of God, never with his own word. Brothers and sisters, never enter into dialogue with the devil: he is more cunning than we are. Never! Cling to the Word of God like Jesus, and at most answer always with the Word of God. And on this path, we will never go wrong. The devil does this with us: he often comes “with gentle eyes”, “with an angelic face”; he even knows how to disguise himself with sacred, apparently religious motives! If we give in to his flattery, we end up justifying our falsehood by disguising it with good intentions. For instance, how often have we heard this: “I have done odd deals, but I have helped the poor”; “I have taken advantage of my role — as a politician, a governor, a priest, a bishop — but also for doing good”; “I have given in to my instincts, but in the end, I did no harm to anyone”, these justifications, and so on, one after the other. Please: no compromises with evil! No dialogue with the devil! We must not enter into dialogue with temptation, we must not fall into that slumber of the conscience that makes us say: “But after all, it’s not serious, everyone does it”! Let us look at Jesus, who does not seek compromises, he does not make agreements with evil. He opposes the devil with the Word of God, which is stronger than the devil, and thus overcomes temptation. May this time of Lent also be a time of the desert for us. Let us take time for silence and prayer — just a little, it will do us good — in these spaces let us stop and look at what is stirring in our hearts, our inner truth, what we know cannot be justified. Let us find inner clarity, placing ourselves before the Word of God in prayer, so that a positive fight against the evil that enslaves us, a fight for freedom, may take place within us. Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to accompany us in the Lenten desert and to help us on our way of conversion. Pope Francis, Angelus message, March 6, 2022 THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To realize the signs of hope around us. INTRODUCTION Last week we were meditating on the whole Letter from CBCP to all the faithful. We will focus our reflection this week on a specific part taken from this Letter. The Bishops want to make us aware of the “SIGNS OF HOPE” in our society. An excerpt from CBCP pastoral letter calling on faithful to a pilgrimage of hope in Jubilee 2025 “… and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts” (Romans 5:5) Into the darkest and starkest space of death, Jesus Christ, our Savior entered and transformed death by his salvific love. Black Saturday triggers not only pious thoughts of sadness at the death of the Savior, but it conceals a powerful force where God’s love penetrates our suffering, our misery and death, saves and transforms us. This space of abandonment is a place where hope and new life germinate. As believers, this is our anchor and our strength. Love generates hope, because hope is in Jesus who works within and around us. Love piercing through darkness reveals glimpses of hope.
We sense a strong surge of hope, above all, in the feeling of uneasiness and disturbance -symptoms of an inner affliction, prodding us that something is wrong, yet at the same time urging us that something can and must be done within, among ourselves, and our institutions.” This week our Guidelines Sheet Committee will transmit to all of us the “SIGNS OF HOPE” they recognize in their own environment. Can we also identify signs of hope around us? MONDAY “Blessing in Disguise” Life is a mystery. There are unfavorable circumstances that we cannot understand why these are allowed to happen when in fact God's love is overflowing for each one of us. When we answer this question in an absence of faith, we cannot comprehend. The wisdom of God is so difficult to fathom. As in Is. 55:8 "As the heavens are higher above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." It was a bright Sunday morning when the two grown-up siblings were dressed up elegantly bound for the northern part of Cebu for a wedding. Suddenly, a passenger bus bumped into their car which made them both unconscious and that made the ambulance rush them to the hospital. As soon as they got conscious they could not move their body for it had bruises. One sibling had a broken leg and arm. The other sibling had broken ribs. Both of them were seriously injured. It was such a devastating incident because both of them are also breadwinners. They spent quite some time in the hospital with fastened stainless steel in their injured body. Many times they almost surrendered and thought they could not make it. What consoled them was their relatives and friends who showed them financial and moral support who at the same time gave them a surge of hope. As St. Paul says, "We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves. Instead, we should all please our brothers and sisters for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith." (Rom.5:1-2) And the passage that sustained them amidst their trials, (Is. 43:1-3) "Do not be afraid, I will save you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trial that comes will not hurt you. For I am the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you." The siblings gained conviction that soon God would heal them and true enough, they are both recovering. Now they never fail to attend mass every Sunday despite disabilities just to give thanks to the Lord for His mercy and kindness. They are blessed with this unfavorable circumstance for all the more they encounter Jesus in their lives. (Ps. 145:18-19) "The Lord is near to all those who call upon Him.... He hears their cries and saves them. Though we are unworthy before the Lord, we must be willing to approach Him with humility and perseverance for He does not forsake us His children most especially in times of dire need. As St. Paul testifies his faith, (Cor. 12:9) "My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.
TUESDAY “Hope is journeying with others” A dear friend of mine has been dealing with a profound sense of stagnation and longing for something more, despite the abundant blessings in her life. She is surrounded by a loving family, holds a stable job, and lives in a beautiful home, yet an elusive yearning grows stronger with each passing day. There seems to be a deeper need or desire within her that remains unfulfilled. Her heart and mind ache for the vibrancy and hope she once felt. She confided in me about the emptiness she feels, an emptiness that her circumstances cannot fill. Often, she said she would gaze out the window, her eyes reflecting the grey clouds, and whisper, "I don't know what I'm looking for." Sensing her struggle, I encouraged her to explore her innermost desires and passions. "Why not try setting new goals and aspirations?" I suggested gently. "Sometimes, discovering what truly excites you can reignite your sense of purpose." More importantly, I urged her to reconnect with Jesus, the ultimate source of hope, comfort, and peace. "Spend more time in prayer or meditation," I gently advised. "Seek guidance and comfort from Christ. He can provide clarity and peace." I shared with her how Jesus offers a peace that surpasses all human understanding, capable of filling the deepest voids in our hearts. Even now, I continue to pray for her, hoping she finds her sense of purpose and direction through Christ and learns to be mindful and grateful. Such practices can elevate one's sense of well-being and fulfillment, renewing hope and helping one overcome emptiness and despair. In this encounter, I was reminded of a powerful promise from Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I shared this passage with my friend which I hope gives light and guidance to her. Reflecting on this encounter, I realized that truly only Christ's presence in our lives can bring unparalleled peace and hope. When we turn to Him with our worries and anxieties, He offers a peace that transcends our comprehension, guarding our hearts and minds. Through this process, I've also come to understand the importance of having someone to walk with you, to support and pray for you. I want her to know she's not alone. Together, we seek peace and renewed hope in Jesus.
WEDNESDAY “Hope Overcomes Fear” Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. When we started our journey as a couple, we had so many goals and dreams we wished to accomplish together. And yet, as we move to pursue those goals, we have faced a lot of challenges, difficulties and expectations that at some point has brought us feelings of fear, frustration and hopelessness. But we cannot give up on loving when our journey as a couple has just begun. The rough roads of our life didn't stop us from moving closer to God, receiving him through the sacraments, and hoping that all things will come into place through His will at the right place and right time. As we enter the Lenten season, we are reminded that our life on earth is fleeting yet as we move forward in our lives, God is there with us in our struggles and victories. And so let us cling to hope and trust that whatever we might experience in life, God has a plan for us. Despite our failures, our hope in God will move us forward and onward.
THURSDAY “Hope is to ask and we will receive” Two years after I recovered from a deadly illness, my immediate family is burdened with all the financial struggles due to my prolonged hospitalization and continuous medication. I also need to stop working for a while, since it is still impossible for me to work. This has added more to our financial constraints. To make the situation worse, we as a family decided not to go back to our old house after I recovered, because it’s no longer safe for us to live there, especially for our growing child. So, we decided to look for a place to rent. We went from place to place. We exhausted all means to find a safe place that is within our budget, but to no avail. While doing this, I remember the passage from Luke 2:7 when Mary has to give birth to Jesus in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn. It seems to us, “there is no room for us”, we become hopeless as we badly need to find a place to stay before classes start. However, in one of the dialogues we have with a missionary in our community, he assured us that God is with us and He is preparing a place for us. He told us that God will give you your very home, you do not even need to rent, because He will give you a home. Me and my husband just listened but we never really believed what he said would come true because we know our present situation, we do not have resources to build our very own house. Though half believing, we asked him to pray for us and we all agreed that we will be one in prayer with the conviction that God will grant our petition as in Mt. 7:7-8 “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened. True enough, a few months after that, we find resources to be able to build a simple house of our own (since we already have a piece of land to build it upon). Difficult as it may seem, God has provided us what we need through people he sent to us to help us with the project. As of this moment, we are living in our new house. Truly, we can always place our trust and hope on God because nothing is impossible with Him Lk 1:37.
FRIDAY “I Put My Trust to Our God of Hope” Recently a cousin of mine needed to be hospitalized due to cellulitis. This is a bacterial infection involving the inner layer of the skin. In his case, it is at the bottom of his foot. Since he has diabetes, the doctor ordered him to be hospitalized so that it will be cleaned well and to acquire the proper treatment. If not treated right away then his foot might be amputated. Due to lack of budget they went to a public hospital. There he cannot be attended immediately because of too many patients waiting ahead of him. Since his case needs immediate attention, he decided to go to a private hospital. As he was there, he underwent surgery to take off all the dead flesh. For it has to be cleaned thoroughly. The challenge now is the hospital bills amounting to 197,000 pesos. He and his wife considered it as a hopeless situation. For he was supposed to check out from the hospital but not enough money to pay for the bills. His family and relatives tried to help but it was not enough. When I called him by phone, my cousin shared it with me and even crying he said," I put everything in the hands of God. It is a dead end for me." Two days later from that conversation, l called again to have an update of his situation. He told me, "thank you very much for praying for me. I am already at home. God is so good. I cannot imagine his goodness, mercy, and love. Many people were helping me: NGO'S, friends, and friends of our friends. For me that was a hopeless situation. But then I realized that if we put our trust in the Lord he never fails to answer. God is my hope." Matthew 8:5-11. Trust without faith is futile. Anything we ask from God needs our total trust with great faith. Like my cousin's experience in the hospital. As he said,"I put everything in the hands of God." A total surrender in front of God with great confidence. This is what Jesus wants to see in our hearts as his disciples. That we may have full trust and to hope in his love and mercy for us with great faith. As Matthew 8:10 says, "I tell you I have never found anyone in Israel with faith like this." Our faith gives us the opportunity to savor "JOY" in the midst of our miseries. When we concretely experience God's saving power. A moment of being in heaven while we are still on earth. Matthew 8:11 says, " I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven."
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To continue to prepare ourselves to obtain the Plenary Indulgence. INTRODUCTION This week we will center our reflection on the Letter from the Filipino Bishops to all the faithful people in the Philippines. Let first read slowly the letter underlining the most important points that challenge us to live this Jubilee Year in our specific Filipino context. CBCP pastoral letter calling on faithful to a pilgrimage of hope in Jubilee 2025 Dear People of God, Greetings of Peace and Hope! In hope, we concluded our 129th CBCP Plenary Assembly where we reflected on the call for Transparency and Accountability towards becoming a more Missionary and Synodal Church. We also engaged in communal discernment on the current realities affecting our nation. “Hoping against hope” (cf. Romans 4:18) ‘Abandon hope all ye who enter here…’ are the haunting words written at the entrance of the descent into hell in Dante Alighieri’s L’inferno. What the author was writing about in the context of his time’s political turmoil and moral decay can mirror today’s Filipino People wrestling with hopelessness, striving to find hope amidst adversities. Hoping against hope, like Abraham in the letters of St. Paul, we, Christians examine ourselves and allow our faith in God to engage the situation that afflicts our nation. In trying to understand the reality around us, we experience frustration and anguish in the face of the following:
Given this background, hope seems to be more elusive than ever. Thus, we all ask: “May pag-asa pa nga ba?” (Is there still hope?) Whom do we turn to? As we reflect on these situations, we realize that the first thing we need to do is to examine ourselves and pursue the path of personal, institutional, and ecclesial conversion in order to rediscover hope. This is the opportunity that the Jubilee Year provides us. Thus, we too make ourselves accountable before the Lord. “… and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts” (Romans 5:5) Into the darkest and starkest space of death, Jesus Christ, our Savior entered and transformed death by his salvific love. Black Saturday triggers not only pious thoughts of sadness at the death of the Savior, but it conceals a powerful force where God’s love penetrates our suffering, our misery and death, saves and transforms us. This space of abandonment is a place where hope and new life germinate. As believers, this is our anchor and our strength. Love generates hope, because hope is in Jesus who works within and around us. Love piercing through darkness reveals glimpses of hope.
We sense a strong surge of hope, above all, in the feeling of uneasiness and disturbance -symptoms of an inner affliction, prodding us that something is wrong, yet at the same time urging us that something can and must be done within, among ourselves, and our institutions. “… through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5) We, your spiritual leaders, share the pain brought about by these wounds of affliction. We, too, feel the deep disturbance and seeming paralysis that plague many who are dragged into the pit of hopelessness. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, together we hold precious, the gift of hope sparked by the Holy Spirit. This hope is not simply optimism or a positive feeling. These are glimpses of the gift of hope that comes from the Holy Spirit urging us to act. Any action of hope is sourced from the Holy Spirit. As such, we exhort you, our dear people, to allow the hope within you to be rekindled. May it become a flame of hope. Let the Holy Spirit renew the face of the earth and breathe transformation into the dark spaces and places of our lives and our nation. The grace of the Holy Spirit is a gentle breeze that spurs us to continue breathing when we are tempted to give up on our seemingly hapless condition. Such grace is like a feather we possess, that when joined together with those of others, can become wings for us to rise beyond our apathy, and allow us to soar high in patriotism, volunteerism, and pursuit of change. The same grace is like a tempest that can sweep away the decay of corruption, paving the way to moral recovery. We call upon all leaders, as we fervently remind ourselves, to breathe the spirit of sincerity of God-directed service, breathe transparency and accountability. We call upon our young people, to share your single feather to become your wings for a better world. Stand up for change and responsible leadership for the present and future of our country. We call upon our dear faithful, in government, in business, in public or religious communities, to harness a tempest of change by a sincere witness to our Christian values and fidelity to conscience. May we safeguard our dignity and our future by not selling them to the highest bidder. Hopelessness can lead to despair. Yet to hope is not to be overcome by fear and despair. Hopelessness can paralyze and enslave us. Yet hope gives us courage and freedom. We pray for courage, so that we may always freely stand up for truth, and uphold the good and the rule of law, as we protect democratic institutions and processes. Let us hold power to accountability. Let us continue to build on what we have accomplished. May we have the courage and perseverance to walk the path of conversion to change for the better, and relentlessly pursue the good of all, over personal interests. May we never tire of caring for the most vulnerable members of our society: specifically the unborn and the children, the elderly and the sick, the poor and the marginalized, the weak, the voiceless and powerless. May we not give up on one another and our country, for God does not give up on us. There is hope! May Pag-Asa! And St. Paul counsels us: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). With our prayer for a spiritual revolution of hope, let us all walk together in this Pilgrimage of Hope towards the Father’s Kingdom. We pray with Pope Francis: “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” (Pope Francis, Jubilee Prayer). We entrust our journey and pilgrimage, as Filipino People, with our afflictions and dreams unto the hands of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Hope, that she may accompany and guide us as we follow the Way of Jesus, Our Lord. Amen. For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines +PABLO VIRGILIO S. CARDINAL DAVID Bishop of Kalookan CBCP President February 2, 2025 Feast of the Presentation of the Lord After reading slowly and underlining the most appealing inputs from this Letter, we can reflect together during this week on our committed contribution, as Verbum Dei Family, to be pilgrims of hope with the Filipino people, with the universal Church and with the whole world. There is a paragraph that challenges us to live a meaningful Jubilee Year: “Hopelessness can lead to despair. Yet to hope is not to be overcome by fear and despair. Hopelessness can paralyze and enslave us. Yet hope gives us courage and freedom. We pray for courage, so that we may always freely stand up for truth, and uphold the good and the rule of law, as we protect democratic institutions and processes. Let us hold power to accountability. Let us continue to build on what we have accomplished. May we have the courage and perseverance to walk the path of conversion to change for the better, and relentlessly pursue the good of all, over personal interests. May we never tire of caring for the most vulnerable members of our society: specifically the unborn and the children, the elderly and the sick, the poor and the marginalized, the weak, the voiceless and powerless. May we not give up on one another and our country, for God does not give up on us.” We are encouraged in the Letter to be flames of hope: “Any action of hope is sourced from the Holy Spirit. As such, we exhort you, our dear people, to allow the hope within you to be rekindled. May it become a flame of hope.” As Verbum Dei members we rekindled in us the Christian hope through living out faithfully the four exercises very known by each one of us. The whole week we propose a main passage from Ephesians 3:14-21. MONDAY “Be agents of hope to our brothers and sisters” Exodus 3:1-12; Moses and the Burning Bush Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[b] will worship God on this mountain.” Psalm 34:18; The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. As we reflect this pastoral letter, it gives us a glimpse of what is so called the "Signs of Time" where worst scenario is happening, where there is an increase of anguish and frustrations among the people here and now, and the worst of all is the loss of sense of sin that endangers our salvation. Do we remain deaf, mute, and blind over these social concerns? The church is exhorting and making an earnest request to each one of us as VD family to open our eyes and make a significant contribution from the Synodal Church. The Lord is calling us like Moses in the burning bush to come and listen to His invitation to liberate His people from misery. We too are in bondage of our pride, ambitions, anger, anguish, and misery that make us also fail to do the mission. Our Lord suffers much from our situation of losing His grace and squandering our time at nonsense. God's love penetrates our sins and His concern is to liberate us all and examine the path that we are taking each day. As pilgrims of hope, we must rekindle our faith and continue our pillars of prayer in order to fan the flame of faith of our brothers and sisters, especially those who are deeply troubled. Let us proclaim to them that "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Ps. 34:18) This is a true pilgrimage of hope that no one is left behind as God wishes us all because His immense love does not leave us in this poor condition. He wanted us all to collaborate with Him as we celebrate this Jubilee Year, a year of forgiveness and conversion. Let us walk together with joyful hope and trust in the Lord.
TUESDAY “Our Hope comes from the Holy Spirit” Ephesians 3:14-21; 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Matthew 6:5-7 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. “Prayer is to surrender your time, your capacities, your distraction, your job, your worries to God. It is not to bring God to your life but to offer your life to God. He knows the plans for you.” Being aware of God’s presence in our day to day life gradually expands our confidence and trust in Him seeing and navigating life in His perspective full of hope amidst the discouraging concerns we encounter today. Do I pray kneeling down before the Father? To kneel down is a gesture expressing humility and trust in God who can lead me/us to conversion through the loving action of the Holy Spirit.
WEDNESDAY “Spreading hope through acts of mercy” 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. 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. Matthew 25: 34-40 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 1 Corinthians 16:14-16; 14 Do everything in love. 15 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, 16 to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. Ephesians 3:14-21 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Christ has given us an example of how we can show kindness towards the least of our brothers and sisters. In prayer, when we allow God to touch our hearts, we too can do everything in love. When we are sincere in following Christ, we can see Him in every person we meet, and be moved to help others in their physical and spiritual challenges. Doing these works of mercy is not only for ourselves but also for our brothers and sisters, especially those who are in need. Afterall, the exercise of fraternal love is not done alone but with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
THURSDAY “Jubilee year, a moment of renewal and reconciliation” Hebrews 12:1-4 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Matthew 4:17 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Acts 3:19-20 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Additional passages for reflection: Hebrews 12:1-4; Matthew 4:17; Acts 3:19-20 Jesus says to the adulterous woman: “Go but don´t sin again” (Jn 8:11). What does it mean for us? Jesus heals and forgives but He does not agree that we continue to sin and conform to live a life that is opposite to what the Gospel preaches. Jubilee Year is a special time for conversion. It’s time for reconciliation with God and with others. The time to take a moment to reflect on how we are living our lives and what are the sins that we continue to commit. As to what hinders us to be that “new creation” Jesus desires us to be. Most of the time we are discouraged if we can truly change, but we are all invited to continue to hope by “fixing our eyes” to Jesus. As Verbum Dei disciples, do you believe that you can become a better person when you avoid committing sins? That the world will become a better place when there is lesser evil? If we believe in this, let us start with our very own selves to “repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. As disciples, we can lead others to do the same, when we are living a life of conversion. This is true witnessing. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us light and courage each day to choose the better part-to remain united with Jesus. Let us also continuously ask the guidance of our dearest Mother Mary who teaches us how to obey God’s will in all circumstances and realities of daily life.
FRIDAY “A Missionary Who has the Eyes and Heart Like Christ Jesus” Matthew 6:34-44; 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Luke 12:49 49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! As we continue to prepare ourselves to obtain the plenary indulgence for this Jubilee Year 2025. Let us take advantage of the vineyard for mission where God provides for us, "Verbum Dei Missionary Disciples." Our beloved country Philippines is a rich vineyard for mission. In the places where we live, work, and to the different designated apostolate where we are one with the VD Community to mission. This is a great place to do the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The question is, what is to be a missionary? How to bring this faith and hope to others? Today we are reminded again to fix our eyes in Jesus. For it is in Him that we can learn the right disposition on how to become an effective missionary. Jesus wanted us to possess the EYES and HEART like Him. Do we have an open eyes to see and be conscious of the different situations in our country today that makes many Filipino people suffer? Do we have the heart to feel compassioned and be with them in their sufferings? As in Mark 6:34 that says, " "When Jesus got out of the boat he saw this large crowd and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things." What can we offer to God to help out in His mission? Jesus trusts us so much because He himself knows us deeply. That we can help Him. Jesus knows that our life can be a loaf of bread to be blessed by Him and can feed the many who are hungry in both body and soul. As in Mark 6:37 says, " You yourselves give them something to eat, Jesus answered." Today we are invited to ask ourselves, how can I gain and possess the EYES and HEART like Christ? First and foremost is by being responsible of our prayer life with faithfulness to follow what Jesus is telling us through His WORDS. Where it is the key for ourselves to be transformed personally and socially as disciples of Christ. In here we can rekindle the fire of faith and hope in others. As in Luke 12:49 says, "I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled!
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To continue to prepare ourselves to obtain the Plenary Indulgence. INTRODUCTION In “INDULGENTIARUM DOCTRINA,” an Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI (1967), is written about the Indulgences. We will quote some inputs from this document. ID 9 The Church also in our days then invites all its sons to ponder and meditate well on how the use of indulgences benefits their lives and indeed all Christian society. To recall briefly the most important considerations, this salutary practice teaches us in the first place how it is "sad and bitter to have abandoned ... the Lord God."(44) Indeed the faithful when they acquire indulgences understand that by their own powers, they could not remedy the harm they have done to themselves and to the entire community by their sin, and they are therefore stirred to a salutary humility. Furthermore, the use of indulgences shows us how closely we are united to each other in Christ, and how the supernatural life of each can benefit others so that these also may be more easily and more closely united with the Father. Therefore, the use of indulgences effectively influences charity in us and demonstrates that charity in an outstanding manner when we offer indulgences as assistance to our brothers who rest in Christ. ID 10 Likewise, the religious practice of indulgences reawakens trust and hope in a full reconciliation with God the Father, but in such a way as will not justify any negligence nor in any way diminish the effort to acquire the dispositions required for full communion with God. Although indulgences are in fact free gifts, nevertheless they are granted for the living as well as for the dead only on determined conditions. ID 3 It is therefore necessary for the full remission and—as it is called—reparation of sins not only that friendship with God be reestablished by a sincere conversion of the mind and amends made for the offense against his wisdom and goodness, but also that all the personal as well as social values and those of the universal order itself, which have been diminished or destroyed by sin. San Augustine affirmed: “The God who created you without your cooperation will not save you without your cooperation” During this week, we will continue praying on some passages to deepen more on the mercy of God and the sincere conversion needed to obtain Plenary Indulgence. MONDAY “Be Aware of God’s Unconditional Love” Luke 15:11-24 The Parable of the Lost Son 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and was found.’ So they began to celebrate. The parable of the Prodigal Son shows us the image of God who is merciful and forgiving. A very simple and beautiful presentation of His unconditional love that is easily grasped by our limited understanding of love. An inviting story to make us return to the Father who is ever willing to accept us as we are despite our limitations and weaknesses. How blessed we are to have a wonderful God who treated us His children, who never counts our sins but mercy overwhelms His heart to a repentant sinner. He is full of hope, waiting and wanting that someday, we will all return to Him. How about us, are we full of hope to change and be accepted by our Father? Let us open our eyes to His unconditional love for His love is truly evident in the Catholic Church that offers us a "Jubillee Year." A year of rejoicing and reconciling a broken relationship with Him. It offers us a gift of Plenary Indulgence for the remission of sins. A gift of removing our temporal punishments for sins that have already been forgiven. A "special offer" for us to become newly baptized infants in which all our sins are forgiven. It is always the Lord who does the initiatives for us His children to be back in His loving arms because He wants all of us to live with Him forever. Let us also do our share to obtain plenary indulgence by doing charitable actions, making our hearts to be Christ by helping people in need. Let us make sacrifices to compensate for our offenses against our God who is so kind and loving so that we can enjoy His mercy and forgiveness.
TUESDAY “The Passion and Death of Christ brings Hope and Redemption” Romans 5:12-21 Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned-- 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In the sacrifice of Christ, we see the ultimate expression of hope that transcends. Jesus, in the face of evil and suffering, chose to respond with love and forgiveness. We are reminded of the reality of sin in our lives. We often find ourselves trapped in patterns of behavior that lead us away from God and towards darkness. As we reflect on our own lives, we may realize that we have indulged in sinful behaviors or attitudes. But the good news is that we can turn back to God, seeking forgiveness and healing. It is through Christ's indulgence in love that we recognize our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and seek God's mercy and forgiveness. In this Jubilee Year we are encouraged by the Church to hope. Yet, hope is a decision to trust in the goodness of God, even when we cannot see or understand His plan. Hope is the conviction that, no matter what challenges we face, we are not alone – that Christ is with us, guiding us, and empowering us to overcome. Take a small step today to choose hope, to seek forgiveness, and to walk in the light of Christ.
WEDNESDAY “Reconciliation and Commitment” 2 Corinthians 5:1-3.14-21 Awaiting the New Body 5 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. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 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. Through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are all called to redemption and freedom from sin. When we reconcile with our faults wholeheartedly, and live a life guided by prayer and devotion, we too are able to help cleanse away the sins of our forebears. When we accept that we are born of sin and commit to changing our ways, the sins of the pasts will have no power over us, for Christ our guiding light will continue to shower His blessings upon our new selves. In this jubilee year, we are all graced to view ourselves once more, to acknowledge our sins, and turn away from them so that we may understand the meaning of reconciliation. So that as ambassadors for Christ, we too can lead others to Christ by example.
THURSDAY “We are witnesses of God's mercy and hope” Isaiah 1:15-20 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.[a] Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. No matter how we hurt God because of our inequities, He continues to reach out to us “to settle this matter” with Him. He is always waiting for our return to Him, a manifestation of His great love for us. We are grateful for this God who is merciful and loving. We are blessed that our Catholic church remains steadfast in the offer of sacrament of Reconciliation and in this Jubilee year of faith and hope, the Church intensifies its offer of plenary indulgences. In CCC 1474 it says, the Christian who seeks to purify himself of his sin and to become holy with the help of God's grace is not alone. "The life of each of God's children is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical person. Indeed, we are never without hope. No one is hopeless in the front of the faith and hope generously offered to each one of us. As disciples of Christ we are the first recipients of the mercy and goodness of God. We are witnesses to these. Yet we know that many remain hopeless and faithless in the challenging realities that they are facing. Let us reach out to them first, as God did to us, so they too, may receive the hope and faith they so needed.
FRIDAY “To Approach God with all Humility and Contrite Heart” Psalm 51 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. 18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar. It cannot be denied that God never stops loving us, His people. His merciful love is so abundant even how sinful we are in front of Him. God himself is very hopeful for his desire that we always come to Him to ask for forgiveness. God is so happy if we can approach Him with all humility and contrite heart. Every end of each day is an opportunity to examine our conscience and humbly recognize our sinfulness. Though it is very hurting to acknowledge our wrong doings because of the feeling of being ashamed in front of God. But God's merciful love strongly encourages us not to fail in approaching Him. For He is ready to free us from our sins. How good it is if we open ourselves and be ready for the plenary indulgence for this Jubilee Year 2025. For it is not only our sins that are forgiven with it, the punishment due to our sinfulness will be totally erased. But as long as we properly prepare ourselves by spending time praying, listening to the words of God's mercy and love. We need also to heartily beg in front of Him his healing power to cleanse us. As in Psalm 51:7 that says "Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." God is waiting for us each day, to ask for forgiveness. How happy God will be if we can show to Him our willingness to submit ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For this is one of the precious gifts we receive from the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Confession to the priest is one of the concrete actions of humility. Showing to God that we recognize our sinfulness as in Psalm 51:17 that says: " My sacrifice is a humble spirit O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart." A repentant heart is seen when we have the determination to change our life as in Psalm 51:14-15 that says: " Spare my life, O God and save me, and I will gladly proclaim your righteousness."
THE JUBILEE PRAYER Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen 
General Theme: Pilgrims of Hope General Objective: To live with faith and hope this Jubilee Year Objective of the week: To 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 
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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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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