REFLECTIONS ON DAILY READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 1-15 (ENGLISH AND TAGALOG)
NOTE: (maaari ninyo na din po itong mabasa sa ating bagong website - hindi pa fully constructed pero nagsisimula na - https://www.ourparishpriest.com/ ; bisitahin po ninyo at nang maging pamilyar kayo sa magiging bagong disenyo at ayos ng ating mga pagninilay sa mga darating na taon! Salamat sa Diyos! salamat din po sa inyo! God bless po!)
February Reflections written by Bro. Rafael Hero de Hero
translated: ourparishpriest 2023
February 1, 2023
Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 6:1-6
When Jesus preached in his native place, the people were astonished and exclaimed with such a sarcastic reaction belittling him as being a son of a carpenter despite his wisdom and great deeds, up to the point of questioning where did he get all of these. The Lord himself was also amazed and perhaps even disgusted not by their toxic reaction towards him but by their lack of faith despite the presence of concrete evidences and his very presence among them. The Lord was so amazed that he himself could not manage to perform miracles because of the negativity of the people. How negative can we be in our lives? Such extreme negativity contradicts the positive plans of God for us. Be thankful and grateful, these will transform our negativities to positivities.
Nang mangaral ang Panginoong Hesus sa kanyang tinubuang bayan, namangha ang mga tao at nagsimulang maliitin siya at laitin siya bilang anak lamang ng karpintero sa kabila ng mga dakila niyang gawain at karunungan. Nagulat din ang Panginoong Hesus at kinilabutan sa kanilang nakasusuklam na tugon sa kanya at sa kawalan nila ng pananampalataya sa kanya sa kabila ng mga katibayan at patotoo niya. Sobrang gulat niya na hindi tuloy siya nakagawa ng himala dahil sa sobrang pagiging negatibo ng mga nakapaligid sa kanya. Gaano na nga ba tayo ka-negative ngayon? Ang pagiging negatibo ay taliwas sa mga magagandang plano ng Diyos sa atin. Magpasalamat, magpuri… ito ang magpapabago sa ating pagiging negatibo sa pagiging positibo.
February 2, 2023
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32
The Jewish offering ritual was transformed into a prophetic event because of the canticle of Simeon, the old restless guy cannot die without seeing the Christ of the temple. No one knows how old he was and how long he is waiting but surely, the offering made by the Holy Family finally ended Simeon's long haul. Did he die immediately because his canticle is too short? It is not mentioned in the passage but we can imagine the utmost joy he felt during the encounter. What do you offer? What sacrifices do you offer? Is it only for ritualistic purposes or an offering that would alleviate the needs of the poor? God demands mercy more than temple sacrifice.
Ang ritwal ng paghahandog sa templo ay naging isang kaganapang propetika dahil sa awit ni Simeon, ang matandang ayaw mamatay na hindi nakikita sa templo ang Kristo! Hindi natin alam kung gaano siya katanda at kung gaano siya katagal naghintay subalit ang pag-aalay ng Banal na Pamilya ang tumuldok sa matagal niyang pangarap. Namatay kaya siya agad matapos ito? hindi natin alam subalit batid natin ang kagalakang nadama niya sa puso dahil nakita niya ang Banal na Sanggol. Ano ang handog mo sa Panginoon? Ano ang iyong sakripisyo? Ritwal lamang ba ito o alay na tunay na nagbibigay lugod sa Panginoon at nakatutulong sa kapwa?
February 3, 2023
Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 6:14-29
Herod heard of Jesus since His popularity rating had increased. The surprising thing is this: when Herod learned of it, he said, "It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up." Perhaps, it is not John the Baptist who really lost his head but Herod. Herod lost his mind. Now he thinks that Jesus is John and John is Jesus. What is worse than losing one's head? It is to lose one's mind, heart, and soul. It is to be delusioned by the dance of Salome, the enticements of the world. And like Herod, we may hear and learn of Jesus but never be close to him.
Nadinig ni Herodes ang pagiging bantog ng Panginoong Hesus na naging sikat. Ang nakagugulat nang marinig niya ang mga bagay na ito, naisip niyang tila si Juan na pinugutan niya ng ulo ay muling nabuhay na! Tila hindi si Juan ang nawalan ng ulo kundi si Herod ang nasiraan ng ulo. Nabaliw na yata siya. Ngayon ang akala niya si Hesus ay si Juan at si Juan ay si Hesus. Ano ba ang mas malala sa pagkabaliw, sa pagkawala ng katinuan ng ulo? Ito ay ang pagkawala ng isip, puso at kaluluwa. Ito ay ang pagkahalina sa sayaw ni Salome, sa yaman ng mundo. At tulad ni Herodes, baka madinig at makilala nga natin si Hesus subalit hindi tayo maging malapit sa kanya.
February 4, 2023
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 6:30-34
The apostles are doing the miracles like Jesus Christ. They can heal the sick, exorcise demons, and maybe, even bring back to life a dead person. What is the feeling of having such divine powers? But human as they are, they weakened, exhausted, and suffered hunger. The Lord told them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." Life is a never ending battle, the Lord invites us to rest for a while since rest is a sign of a healthy spirituality. We rest not for our selves but because there are plenty of people who were like sheep without a shepherd.
Gumagawa ng mga himala ang mga alagad ng Panginoong Hesus. Nagpapagaling sila, nagpapalayas ng mga demonyo, at maaaring, bumubuhay pa nga din ng mga patay. Ano ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng ganitong uri ng kapangyarihan? Subalit bilang tao, nanghihina din ang mga alagad; napapagod, nagugutom. Ang sabi ng Panginoon: Lumayo muna kayo at mamahinga. Ang buhay ay walang katapusang pakikibaka, at ang paanyaya ng Panginoon na mamahinga sandali ay tanda ng malusog na pananampalataya. Nagpapahinga tayo hindi para sa sarili kundi para sa maraming mga taong umaasa sa atin, na parang mga tupang walang pastol.
February 5, 2023
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mt 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." Imagine a world without light, only total darkness and a world without salt, a tongue with bland tastebuds. Both are defined by their usefulness and incapacity to give to the world. What kind of light do we offer the world? Or do we offer darkness instead? As salt, are we valued as gold or tasteless and no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot?
Sinabi ng Panginoon: kayo ang asin ng daigdig; ang liwanag ng sanlibutan. Isipin nga natin kung paano kung walang ilaw at pawang kadiliman lamang o kaya walang panlasa at lahat ay matabang at walang sarap sa bibig. Ang halaga ng ilaw at asin ay kapwa sinusukat sa kanilang gamit at kabutihang maidudulot sa mundo. Anong ilaw kaya ang nagmumula sa atin? O baka kadiliman ang ikinakalat natin? Bilang asin, mahalaga pa ba tayo o wala nang kwenta at maaari na lamang itapon o tapak-tapakan?
February 6, 2023
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Mk 6:53-56
"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." As Baptized Christians, to feel abandonement and aloneness do not apply. It is the promise of our Lord to be always with us until the end of time. Hence, the invitation is to discover God's presence which requires a heightened sense of faith and awareness to the needs of these "little ones." "What you do to the least of your brothers, you do to me."
Pangako ng Panginoon: kasama ninyo ako hanggang sa dulo ng panahon. Bilang mga binyagang Katoliko, hindi para sa atin ang makaranas ng kalumbayan at pagpapabaya. Ito ang pangako ng Panginoon: na magiging kapiling natin siya lagi hanggang sa wakas. Kaya nga, ang paanyayang ito ay ang tuklasin ang presensya ng Diyos na magagawa natin kung tayo ay may matingkad na pananampalataya at kamulatan sa pangangailangan ng mga maliliit sa ating paligid. Anuman ang gawin natin sa kanila, ay ginagawa natin sa Panginoon.
February 7, 2023
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 7:1-13
Jesus once again lashed out to the Pharisees saying, ""Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites!" Definitely, what agigates the Lord mostly is the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Lord seems to be more tolerant towards sinners than hypocrites. What is in the hypocrisy of the Pharisees that triggers such divine anger? It is the lack of love. Love supersedes the law.
Pinatamaan na naman ng Panginoong Hesus ang mga Pariseo: mga ipokrito kayo! Ang nagpapagalit sa Panginoon ay ang pagiging ipokrito. Mas madali pa niyang maunawaan ang mga makasalanan kaysa sa mga mapagpanggap at plastik. Kaya nga, ano pa ba ang nasa pagiging ipokrito ng mga Pariseo na nag-aanyaya ng tuligsa ng Panginoon kundi ang kawalang pag-ibig nila sa Diyos at kapwa. Higit na mataas ang pag-ibig kaysa sa batas lamang.
February 8, 2023
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 7:14-23
"Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” The Lord gives importance to what comes from our heart. It is a warning to always guard our thoughts and actions. According to Jesus, From within man, from his heart, comes evil. All these evils come from within and they besmirch. Watch the inclinations of our hearts, they become actions; watch our actions and decisions, they will echo to eternity.
Wala daw pumapasok sa katawan ng taong nakapagpapadumi kundi ang lumalabas sa kanya ang nagpapadumi. Totoo naman! Mas importante sa Panginoong Hesus ang nagmumula sa puso. Ito ang babala sa atin na laging bantayan ang ating isip at kilos. Ayon sa Panginoon, sa puso nagmumula ang kasamaan. Umuusbong ito sa kalooban at nagpapadumi nito. Kaya, bantayan ang puso, dahil nagbubunga ito ng kilos; bantayan ang kilos at mga pasya, dahil aalingawngaw ito hanggang sa katapusan ng buhay.
February 9, 2023
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 7:24-30
The Lord exorcised the daughter of a Greek woman, a non-Jewish woman. "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter." How can the Lord fail anyone who has great faith in Him. The Lord almost instantly and effortlessly expelled the demon in the daughter without any physical contact, ritual, sweat, or whatever. Jesus is the God of endless possibilities and the only limitation is our faith. May we have this kind of biblical faith that the Greek woman had, enough to mobilize Jesus instantaneously.
Pinalayas ng Panginoong Hesus ang masamang espiritu mula sa anak ng isang babaeng Griyego, isang hindi Hudyo. Sinabi nito sa kanya: "Maging ang mga aso ay kumakain din ng mumo na nahuhulog sa mesa." Dahil dito, pinalaya ng Panginoong Hesus ang anak ng babae. Paano tatanggihan ng Panginoong Hesus ang sinumang may pananampalataya? Si Hesus ang Diyos ng walang katapusang pagkakataon at walang limitasyon. Ang hahadlang lamang sa kanya ay ang kakulangan ng ating pananampalataya. Taglayin nawa natin ang pananalig ng babaeng ito upang lalo nating madama ang mabilis na kilos ng Panginoon.
February 10, 2023
Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin
Mk 7:31-37
They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." Those people that the Lord had bestowed his miracles upon cannot be put into silence even by Jesus himself because of their wonderful eexperience. Same with us, we shall remain deaf and mute unless we encounter the Lord in our lives - His miracles and mysterious ways.
Namangha ang mga tao sa Panginoon; napapagaling niya ang bingi at ang pipi. At ang mga nakaranas ng himala ay hindi maaaring tumahik tungkol sa kanilang nasaksihan, tungkol sa naganap sa kanila. Ganito din tayo, mananatili tayong bingi at pipi hanggang hindi natin nakakatagpo ang Panginoon sa ating buhay – ang kanyang mga himala at mahiwagang kilos sa atin.
February 11, 2023
Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 8:1-10
Jesus summoned the disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat." Perhaps, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is only the secondary miracle. The primary miracle is the eagerness of the crowd to be with Jesus for three days to the point of ending up with nothing to eat. Anyway, who needs earthly food if you are already with the source of eternal nourishment?
Tinawag ng Panginoon ang mga alagad dahil naaantig ang kanyang puso sa mga tao at wala pa silang kinakain sa loob ng tatlong araw. Marahil, ang pagpaparami ng tinapay at isda ay pangalawang himala lamang. Ang unang himala ay ang interes ng mga tao na makapiling si Hesus kahit na hindi sila kumakain ng matagal na panahon. Sino nga ba ang maghahangad ng tinapay kung kaharap mo na ang bukal ng kalusugan at buhay?
February 12, 2023
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mt 5:17-37 or MT 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Indeed, Jesus is the greatest pinnacle of the Law; He is the personification of the Law; He is its highest form which we call Love. Hence, the highest form of the Law is love. As the Lord says, love one another as I have loved you.
Sinabi ng Panginoong Hesus na huwag nating isiping naparito siya upang wasakin ang batas at ang turo ng mga propeta. Naparito siya upang tuparin ang mga ito. Kaya nga, si Hesus ang pinakataluktok ng batas; siya ang pagsasa-katawang-tao ng batas na walang iba kundi ang Pag-ibig. Ang pag-ibig ang pinakamataas na batas sa lahat. Kaya ang bilin sa atin ng Panginoong Hesus ay magmahalan tayo tulad ng pagmamahal niya sa atin.
February 13, 2023
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 8:11-13
There is no need for a sign. No need, since the destination has already arrived. Signs are needed to point the right direction for the destination. Jesus is the destination.
Hindi na kailangan ang tanda. Hindi na ito kailangan kung dumating na sa dapat na hantungan. Ang tanda ay tagaturo lamang ng hantungan. Subalit si Hesus ang hantungan ng lahat.
February 14, 2023
Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop
Mk 8:14-21
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. They thought Jesus was irritated because they forgot the bread. Jesus explained to them how the five thousand men were fed. Sometimes, we forgot how generous God is. We rely on our own existential strength without invoking God. Ask and you shall recieve. Claim it.
Nakalimot ang mga alagad na magdala ng tinapay at isa lamang ang nadampot nila pagsakay sa bangka. Akala nila ay magagalit ang Panginoong Hesus dahil dito. Subalit ipinaalala pa niya sa kanila ang himala ng pagpapakain ng limang libong tao. Bakit kaya minsan nakakalimot tayo sa bukas-palad na Diyos natin? Minsan nakatutok tayo sa ating sariling lakas na tila walang Diyos na malalapitan. Humingi at ikaw ay bibigyan. Angkinin mo na ito!
February 15, 2023
Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 8:22-26
Why was Jesus very detailed in healing the blind man? First he took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. After restoring his sight, he then sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.” Why did the Lord seem to deliver the blind man from the village? At this moment in time, Jesus is popular as a healer and he could instantaneously heal the blind man if he wanted to, even without the "spittle drama." What is in the village? Perhaps, Jesus knew that when the blind man returns to the village, it would spell trouble (occasion for sin) either to the village or to the former blind man.
Bakit kumpleto sa detalye ang pagpapagaling sa bulag? Una, hinawakan niya ang bulag at inakay palabas ng bayan. Matapos makakita muli, pinauwi niya ito sa sariling tahanan at sinabing huwag nang babalik sa bayan. Bakit kaya ayaw ng Panginoong Hesus na dumaan ang dating bulag sa bayan? Ano ang nandoon? Maaaring alam ng Panginoon na ang bayang iyon ay magiging sanhi ng tukso o suliranin para sa taong ito. Iniiwas ng Panginoon ang tao sa magaganap na kapahamakan.
#ourparishpriest 2023
Comments