OCTOBER 26, 2021

FIRST TRIDUUM MASS REFLECTION

L U K E
TUESDAY OF THE 30TH WEEK
IN ORDINARY TIME
1 3 1
: 1 8 - 2
In today's gospel, Jesus asked as to what the Kingdom of God is like and what
can He compare it to. A seed of mustard is very minute. It seems so worthless
from our perspective because of its quality. However, if we plant to the ground,
we can spectate that the little seed will grow into something so big and so
helpful in time. Another thing that Jesus compared the Kingdom of God is the
yeast and wheat flour mixture that turned into a dough for a period of time.

Just like the conditions above, we humans

are encouraged to plant this seed through our
good deeds - charity, kindness, and love
without ceasing. In these ways, we may be able
to help others and grow within ourselves as
well. These small acts are one of the ways to a
higher spiritual reflection. Though there are
times that our efforts may have not been
acknowledged nor bear visible outcomes,
let us consider that it is God who
acknowledges and credit out good deeds.
In no time, the seed that we once planted
and took good care of, will bear an
abundance of fruits we may never fathom.
 OCTOBER 27, 2021
SECOND TRIDUUM MASS REFLECTION

L U K E
WEDNESDAY OF THE 30TH WEEK
IN ORDINARY TIME
1 3 0
: 2 2 - 3
Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people
be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through
the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to
enter but will not be strong enough.” (Luke 13:27)
This verse from today's gospel tells us that there will be countless devotees, but only the
strong enough can pass through the narrow gate.

It is easy for us to admit that we have done numerous good things in life just like
serving the people, sympathizing with the needy, and loving thy neighbor. But are
these acts enough to enter the Kingdom of God? Aren't we doing it just for show?
Many of us actually do charitable acts. Many of us had made drastic changes for the
betterment of society. But have we considered talking to God in partaking in such
activities? Are we offering and thanking Him enough for all that we are?

Today's gospel had me reflecting that all that I am and I am becoming are all
because of Him. Moreover, all that we chose to do will determine whether we can
enter the narrow gate or get locked by the gate, weeping, and protesting. It is by
intentionally seeking out the will of God for each one of us and responding
generously to Him that we can possibly attain Heaven. It means that we make every
effort to fulfill God’s will in our lives.
 OCTOBER 28, 2021
THIRD TRIDUUM MASS REFLECTION

L U K E
FEAST DAY OF SAINT JUDE
SIMON, APOSTLES

6 : 1 6
2 - 1
Today, we, Catholics celebrate the feast day of Saints Jude and Simon. Saints Jude
and Simon were two of the twelve chosen disciples of Jesus, which are known as
apostles. They were chosen by our Lord as two of the first bishops of our Church and
were given the mandate to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. It must have been
so overwhelming to be chosen as preachers of God's acts. On the other hand, it also
must have been a hard mission for them because of the constraints of some rulers about
spreading the word of God and people's distrust of the apostles' preaches. Yet, it is very
evident today that they have succeeded in their mission of spreading the word.

As we give honor to these two Apostles, we

are also called to proclaim the Gospel until the
ends of the earth. As Catholics, we are
encouraged to deepen our faith individually
and also entrusted to make a difference in the
lives of others. When we are able to do
apostolic acts, we can acquire not only gifts
and graces from God that we didn't even ask
for, but also we can reflect on their people's
lives which can significantly affect how we see
life from different perspectives. In today's
gospel, I learned that we are called to
participate, and handed by God's mission, we
must submit ourselves fully to Him.
 OCTOBER 29, 2021
SPUD ANNIVERSARY MASS REFLECTION

L U K E
FRIDAY OF THE 30TH WEEK
IN ORDINARY TIME

1 4 : 1 - 6

"Then he said to them, "Who among you, if your

son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately
pull him out on the sabbath day?" (Luke 14: 5)
Today's gospel tells us that Jesus chooses no time and place in helping the needy. Despite
the fact that it's sabbath day, he undoubtedly attended the man with dropsy and cured
him.
God's love for us is truly unconditional. No matter how much of a sinner we are,
He chooses none in giving His love for us. We are even given chances to change and
bring back to Him. We are given much time for us to fully know Him. For us to give
back to His mercy and glory, we are called to praise Him and preach His teachings.
That's we, His servants and believers, are even more blessed to witness His greatness
in our daily lives. Being able to live another day in life is His way of telling us that
we are given another chance to live in His way - to live a Christocentric life. Jesus'
mercy and compassion to serve others are unfathomable. He never fails to amaze us
in His selfless acts.

My take in today's gospel is that it doesn't hurt to help. It doesn't require you to
be someone full of riches to reach out to people; it only takes great sympathy and
compassion. Your help doesn't need to be grandeur. It is the sincerity and purity of
helping others that matters. For every little act of kindness begets kindness.
 OCTOBER 31, 2021
SUNDAY MASS REFLECTION

M A R K
SUNDAY OF THE 31ST WEEK
IN ORDINARY TIME
1 2 4
: 2 8 - 3
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) The first and the greatest
commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. For me, this is
the very essence of living in this world as Catholics. Secondly, love thy neighbor as you
love yourself. This commandment conveys that loving ourselves is not only by
individualistic enrichment but also, by showing our affection to the people that surround
us. Moreover, as we engage with other people, we tend to earn certain realizations that
help us to deeply know ourselves.

Loving thy neighbor depicts whether you love God whole-heartedly. “You have Christ in
your neighbor.” In doing good things to our neighbor, it is like we are doing these acts to
our God. On the contrary, doing evil acts is displaying insolence to His commandments.
It is for a fact that it is rather easy to mouth these
words than putting them into actions, especially
when the situation doesn’t favor you or when the
situation gets out of hand. Instead of love and
understanding, enragement and anger prevail.

When we have come to a point that we acquire

a better understanding of ourselves, we are much
capable of showing our affection towards others.
We are also able to internalize the importance of
responding to God’s call on living a Christ-
centered life. There is nothing we could do more
in loving others than to act as a bridge between
them and God.
 NOVEMBER 7, 2021
SUNDAY MASS REFLECTION

M A R K
SUNDAY OF THE 32ND WEEK
IN ORDINARY TIME
1 2 4
: 3 8 - 4
In the midst of this crisis that we are facing today, it is very evident that lots of
people are extending their riches to help the vulnerable. Even those people that
also need aid undoubtedly help those people who are more in need. These two
situations are likely similar, but also different in a way. You see, some people do
help just for show, especially those who are seated in the government. They
present themselves in the public as perfect as they can be. Covering up their
malicious doings, using their charisma and power, winning the hearts of the mass.
I won't say that this is utterly bad. Rather, it is seen as a win-win situation. The
people get the help they need while, the aristocrats boost their image.

On the other hand, the commoner

mentioned in the gospel showed nothing
but purity of intention to give. In fact, she
gave everything she could offer. For her to
be in need and is still have the will to give
is a perfect example of giving without
expecting something in return. In this
gospel, I had reflected upon being
mindful of others, sympathizing with
others, and helping them as much as I
could. It doesn't matter how small or big
your help is because after all, cliché as
may sound, it is always the thought that
matters.
 NOVEMBER 14, 2021
SUNDAY MASS REFLECTION

M A R K
SUNDAY OF THE 33RD WEEK
IN ORDINARY TIME
1 3 2
: 2 4 - 3

Jesus said to his disciples: “In those days

after that tribulation the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light, and the
stars will be falling from the sky, and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power
and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the
four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky."

The passage denotes the coming again of Jesus Christ. Self-proclaimed

prophets have their own claims of the judgment day yet, it is uncertain as to
when will He come again. What we need to do is to ready ourselves. We need to
pray, follow the commandments, have faith, forgive others and ourselves so that
when Jesus comes, we are ready.

God is giving us warning signs in the coming of Jesus Christ. May we always
instill in our minds the very essence of living here on Earth - to live by His
ways. May the Holy Spirit guide us in everything that we do so that by God's
glory, we will be saved ... again.
 NOVEMBER 21, 2021
SUNDAY MASS REFLECTION

J O H N
SUNDAY OF THE 34TH WEEK
SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
1 8 7
: 3 3 - 3
Today's scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John 18:33b-37. We
read about Jesus' kingdom being declared in the midst of our Lord's
discussion with Pilate. This text reveals some crucial details about what it
means to be the Lord's devoted and obedient disciple. The fact is that God is
love, and he so loves the world he created that he sent his Son to rescue it. I
consider how important truth is to me and how devoted I am to finding it
and living by it. I pray for the ability to hear and seek out his voice. Disciples
must have the faith integrity to not only hear our Lord's voice but also to
follow Him by living a life that is consistent with His teaching.

If we choose humility over

arrogance, if we choose to serve
rather than be served if we choose
forgiveness over hatred, and if we
choose to give our life so that others
may live. Truly, the kingship of Jesus
does not belong to this world
because it contradicts worldly
kingship. This is why Jesus wanted to
serve, not serve. He chose humility
over arrogance. And he preferred
forgiveness over hatred.
 NOVEMBER 28, 2021
SUNDAY MASS REFLECTION

L U K E
FIRST SUNDAY OF THE ADVENT

2 1 ,
: 2 5 - 2 8
3 4 - 3 6
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and what
does Advent mean? Advent means coming or
arrival our Jesus Christ. As Jesus enters our lives,
we will find again hope, strength, and motivation
to overcome our many fears of the future. But what should we do before the Lord
comes? Of course, we too should be worthy of him coming, so we have to prepare!
How do we prepare or can we best prepare for the coming of the Lord?

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and
drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like
a trap." We must prepare for His coming. We have to fully equip ourselves with
what is to come. We can best prepare by achieving a new life free from sin because
it is by committing sins that make us unworthy of His coming. We can also share
what we know about the Lord so that others would know and feel Jesus in their
lives as we know and feel Jesus in our respective lives.

Today's gospel had me reflecting that God gives us warning signs through tall
the adversities that we are facing today. May we not be shaken by these. Rather,
may we find these happenings as a way to strengthen our faith in Him. May we
always instill the essence of this earthly life in our spirits and live according to
God's way. May the Holy Spirit guide all of us so that we may be saved by the glory
of God ... again.
 DECEMBER 5, 2021
SUNDAY MASS REFLECTION

L U K E
SECOND SUNDAY OF THE ADVENT

3 : 1 - 6
John was a brilliant guy and a divine prophet. Jesus declared John to be
the greatest of those born under the old covenant. John was never bigger
than Jesus. He was the one who made the Lord's path ready. The red carpet
was put out for the one who was coming, the larger one. None of us, as
children of the new covenant, are greater than Jesus or anybody else. All of
our actions, words, and relationships are meant to pave the path for
something bigger. He went ahead of him to make sure everything, and
everyone, was set for his arrival. We must also ensure that we are prepared.

The season of Advent is ideal for a

spiritual spring cleaning. The only
salvation in a world where horrible
circumstances are always connected
with mankind is God's message.
Without His words of wisdom,
things will only grow worse. To be
able to make a difference, we must
be courageous enough to confront
the challenges we face, knowing that
with the gospel of God, all will be
alright in time.