​October 31, 2020 – Saturday.
Gospel: Luke 14:1,7-11   
 
“...the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
 
Again humility is found to be a major factor in the presence of the Lord. When we recognize our limitations, our mistakes, our inabilities, Jesus props us up and eases our uncertainties. We regain our confidence and there’s courage because we know Jesus is with us.
 
When we allow Him to take over our lives, there’s no need pride nor prestige, nor competition. These are not important anymore. We start to reset our priorities, on what’s important or what is not. We focus on our journey to Heaven, by being docile to God’s plan..
 
Let us be like Mary, who saw herself  in such a lowly position: the Handmaid of the Lord is now Queen of Heaven and Earth. What can be more exalting than that.....

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October 30, 2020 – Friday
Gospel: Luke 14:1-4
 
 “so He took the man, healed him and dismissed Him.”
 
When we seek the presence of Jesus, and open ourselves to Him, with no pretenses, He accepts us fully, just like the man with dropsy. He need not apologize for his ailment, he stands before Jesus quietly, and awaits Jesus’ action. Much like the sick man, Jesus takes pity on us, He sees what’s in our hearts, the turmoil, the hurts, our intentions,
 
We don’t need to be ashamed, or envious of others, no need to cover up and present a false image. Jesus knows, He understands, and will answer our prayers, in His time. Let not our faith waver, let’s not stagger and still be proud. Before the Lord, there’s no ego to contend with,
 
Let’s live our lives as a testimony to Christ and make Him happy. Let others see our faith in our everyday lives, that way too we are able to convert the doubtful souls out there.
 
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​October 29, 2020- Thursday
Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
 
“...as a hen gathers her brood under her wings....”
 
Jesus assures us of his protection, love and concern if only we open our hearts to Him constantly. If only we have a deeper relationship with Him, we have someone who cares for us, we ought to know this by heart. We need not be worried unless we stray from him.
 
He is always in the Tabernacle and waits for a visit from us, to tell Him of our day’s events, our moments of joy and happiness, what troubled us during the day, our anxiety for tomorrow. Let’s not be diverted to the fleeting enjoyments of the world: drinking, shopping, unwinding after work.
 
Let’s instead look forward to be with Him and unload our heart. We praise Him, thank Him, whisper to Him, tell Him anything and everything. He awaits our story each day.

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​October 28, 2020 – Wednesday
Gospel: Luke 6:12-16
“He spent the night in prayer to God.”
Before making a major decision of choosing the 12 Apostles, Jesus spent the night praying to God. The need to get Apostles to continue His ministry has beome urgent with the growing number of followers and believers who look up to Him for refuge and healing. It was his habit to go alone to pray, and seek guidance, just like us who desperately need someone more powerful than us at tough times.
The Apostles had to be trained and taught urgently in order to preach effectively. As they were slow in understanding the parables Jesus was saying, there was a high need to deepen their knowledge and train others too. And Jesus was continually praying for His ministry to grow through them.
Let us too, ask for a deeper relationship with Jesus so that we may expand His Kingdom here on earth.
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​October 27, 2020 – Tuesday
Gospel: Luke 13:18-21
 
“What is the Kingdom of God like?”     
The kingdom of God is like a man who sows a mustard seed in his garden and it grows until it is so large that the birds could nest in its branches. The point is that a little seed could produce this unusually large tree, so large that even the birds could find shelter there.
Jesus will triumph through the sowing of the seed of the gospel through us. Our garden consists of the people with whom we have contact, to influence them for the sake of the kingdom of God. We should desire to see God use us to produce a harvest for Him in our garden. Our garden is now global, so we are able to touch so many lives with one click.
The parable of the yeast is exactly the same analogy. Let us pray that we the harvesters, grow our tree and multiply tthe fruit of our discipleship a thousandfold.

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October 26, 2020 – Monday
Gospel: Luke 13:10-17
 
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
 
When Jesus saw this woman with a bent back, He took pity and healed her immediately. She was so bent forward that she cannot look upwards, nor see the people around her. In the same manner, when we despair, we look downcast, feel sad, unable to see beyond the ground we are standing on.
 
Let us seek Jesus to heal us and help us look towards heaven, regain our faith and seek courage to move on. Sometimes we are stuck in our everyday chores, unable to get out of running after material obligations, running a rat race all the time. Take a rest and seek what is beyond the present – our objective in life has to be greater than these daily chores.
 
Let us seek Mama Mary in this lovely month of the Rosary, help us ease our journey.

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​October 22, 2020 Thursday
Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53
 
Do you think I have come to bring peace on Earth?

Our gospel today is about Jesus who brings fire to the Earth. This gospel is commonly heard every Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. In one of the lines in the gospel, it says: “Do you think I have come to bring peace on Earth?” strikes me because it is a question directly address to us. Jesus is asking us how we see Him, especially in this pandemic. Do we see Jesus as someone who can bring peace despite the many things happening in our society? Do we see him in the everyday picture that we have?

Jesus invites us to reflect on this question and allow him to guide us in our prayer of asking and offfering to him the many things in our world that needs peace and healing.

Mother Mary, we pray for the many situations and people who needs peace and healing in this time of pandemic. Accommpany them and make Jesus presence be known to them. Amen.


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​October 21, 2020 Wednesday
Gospel: Luke 12: 39-48

What kind of steward are you?
 
Our gospel today is about two stewards: the faithful one who believes he knows when his lord arrives and so he abuses the servants and gets drunk and the other steward who knows his lord’s will but did not prepare anything and just do what his master wanted.
 
What strikes me is the fate of the faithful steward: the master cut him off and send him as the same with the unfaithful. Most of the time, we consider ourselves faithful with the things we do in our faith life but we can also reflect whether we have the same attitude of taking advantage of our faithful steps, missing out doing the essential things such as being generous and loving towards the people around us.

What kind of steward are you? Do we prepare faithfully, or do we faithfully trust and take time to know Lord’s will in our lives?

Mama Mary, help us to be stewards the way God wants us to be, not how we want to be. May we be an instrument of generous love and sensitivity to the people around us. Amen.
 
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​October 20, 2020 Tuesday
Gospel: Luke 12: 35-38

Open the door for Jesus
 
Today’s gospel invites us to be awake and wait actively for Jesus arrival. What are the moments in your daily life where Jesus came and arrive at your home or in your heart? Did you open the door for Him? Or do we find ourselves constantly making up excuses not to welcome him in our lives?

His message today is clear and that is to be always ready because he will surely find His way back to us. No matter what situation we are in, the problems we encounter, and in the hardships we face, Jesus will come to us and help us in our journey.
 
Mother Mary, open our heart as we welcome Jesus in the door of our hearts. Amen.

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​October 19. 2020 Monday
Gospel: Luke 12: 13-21
 
Even though you have possessions, it is not that which gives you life

What are the possessions that you consider as yours? Most of us will think of the tangible things that we have, the things that we can see. However, Jesus in our gospel sees differently.
 
The parable of the rich man explains a common attitude of us: collect possessions which will add up to the richness of our life. Jesus warns us that even if we have those material possessions, it is not that which gives us life. He will never see us as wealthy in his own eyes.
 
Instead, we can focus on adding more interior possesions in our life. To have an eye to recognize the blessings and graces that God is providing to us through good health, peace of mind, generosity, and sensitivity to people in need.
 
Mama Mary, we continue to pray for a pure and generous heart as we reflect on the possessions we have in our life. Amen.

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